End of the Line

Chapter 27. A Boy in Sin City

Bill and Jack, lacking any real parental control, ran wild. Every evening after supper, they scoured the west end of the city looking for mischief, especially amongst the crowds outside the movie houses on St Catherine Street. They found stealing rides on the tramcars quite exhilarating but their favourite haunt was the area around the Forum, especially on game nights when the Maroons were playing. They would arrive early, go first to the players entrance to catch a glimpse and maybe an autograph of their favourite players, and then to the front entrance to watch the glitzy arrival of fur clad spectators in the latest model cars. The large numbers of destitute trawling the surrounding streets spoiled the whole spectacle. 

Bill was always desperate for money. He handed over his entire paltry weekly wage to his mother. She in turn gave him a weekly allowance but it barely covered the cost of admission to one movie. He wanted more. He hatched a plan. By scouring the back alleys he obtained a collection of used children's clothing, some battered shoes, a broken pair of dark glasses and a cane. He prepared a sign:- 

                                                                        Def Mewt Orfan 

                                                                          Aidez S.V.P. 

These items he hid away in the apartment locker in the basement of their building. On the night of a big game, he and Jack went down in to the building basement and changed, with astute application of a little boot polish and a change of clothing, in to two destitute youngsters. Just before they reached the Forum, Jack draped the sign around his neck, put on the dark glasses and took the cane. He then tap tapped his way to their chosen site in the small park opposite the main entrance. Loitering was prohibited but the police were too busy in crowd control to be concerned. Jack took up position on the park bench. Bill stood by his side, tin can in hand. The crowd was generous. Their take $3.20. Easy money. They planned a return.  

Three times they succeeded, but their activities aroused suspicion. On their fourth attempt, two men, who were legitimately in need, accosted them just as they were leaving the park. They forced the mute orphan Jack to speak and confiscated their take. A threat of what might happen to them if they returned brought this particular venture to an end. 

Undeterred, Bill looked for other opportunities. One came from an unlikely source. Bill was a fresh faced youngster; slow to mature, but with a burgeoning interest in sex. He learned at work that the action was heavy on Pierce Street. Intrigued, one evening he made his way there. At first glance, it looked like a normal working class residential street, but there seemed to be an inordinate number of shamelessly dressed women loitering in front of doors. A car pulled up. One of the women, a busty blonde, moved towards it. A brief negotiation and she clambered inside. The car drove off. 

As Bill looked on in bemusement, he sensed a heavily scented presence behind him.  

"Are you looking for some action too honey?" 

He turned. Standing there was a tall, heavily made up red headed woman. She may have been pretty once. Now she was wearing a green silk blouse that concealed nothing, the shortest skirt that Bill had ever seen, silk stockings, and dangerously elevated high-heeled shoes that exaggerated the musculature of her shapely legs. 

Bill was dumbstruck. The friendly tart ruffled his hair and shrugged. "I guess not eh honey." 

Bill gulped. 

"What are you doing here honey? This is not the place for a sweetheart like you." 

"I was just looking."