“We’d better be getting home,” Jean said. “Ralph still has his bags in the car.” She turned and smiled as Ralph took her arm. “Anyone who wants to come with us, come along. There’s lots of room.”
“We have to clean up,” Tommy said. “Bert and I’ll come along later.”
As soon as they had showered and changed into fresh clothes, Tommy and Bert headed for the Craig farmhouse in Bert’s second-hand Ford. They rehashed the day’s game, play by play.
“Jeepers, I sure wish I had a car of my own!” Tommy sighed. “How did you get yours?”
Bert shifted gears and guided the car towards the outskirts of town. “I just saved up,” he explained. “You see, there are lots of jobs they pay you for at Mercyville. The dirtier the job, the more money it pays. I wanted my own car, so I took on a lot of hard jobs. It’s not so much of a car, but it gets me there.”
“I guess it’s pretty neat in Mercyville,” Tommy said. “You guys always seem to have a swell time.”
The older boy nodded. “It’s a wonderful place,” he agreed. “I get sort of lonely, sometimes,” he added. “I guess it teaches you to get along with people, though. Maybe when you don’t have anyone you can call your very own, you realize how important people can be.”
Tommy nodded in silent agreement.
Bert hesitated. Then he said, “Tommy, you don’t ... mind about my seeing Doris, do you?”
Tommy made a face. “Why in heck should I mind? Except I kind of wish you’d hang around with us guys for a while. Buzzy Hancock and Billy Ellis and the whole gang are swell guys ... you’d like ’em, I know.”