European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 05, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Swered rubbing his forehead. Before the War i was an architectural drafts Man. Big plans for the future. Design new cities. Got. No line now. Nobody wants new cities. Nother drink huh " to i gave the kid another  to g serve shadows. I d hardly taken care of shadows when the kid1 was Yelling for me again. Bartender he was to e toning for me to come Over. He had talking to do and he was t going to let me get away. He talked loud but he did t know it i stood right across the bar from him but he did t lower in his voice. The hell with it i  pc that s telling them i said. I the kid looked around for the first Jujj time noticing shadows at the end of the is bar. He started talking to shadows As. J"1 Well As to . Got  line now of the kid said belligerently. The army taught me a. New Trade. Taught me How j to use a  maybe i la Lake up that try line. That s All i know i turned away to hide another Yawn. I guess i hear that they gave me a gun line about 30 or 40 times a week. It s a big favorite with sex Headquarters clerks who never fired anything More deadly than a typewriter and think an automatic is busted be cause they can t see any Hammer. Can t make a hones Liv intake Whas comin to me the kid muttered thickly dropping the cig Aret he was trying to Light. He looked for another pne but he was  shadows moved Down the bar and gave the kid a cig Aret and lit it for him. I sighed with Relief and went away to read my newspaper. John vicar started telling his troubles to shadows and i turned to the sports Page. A couple of minutes later vicar was Yelling for me again. Drinks for my buddy and  he said grandly. He turned to shadows to answer a pre Vious question. Yeah i fired Emall. Gotta trunk Fulla Battle stars. Spert infantryman Bronze Star purple heart. Know what they say he leaned on shadows. Guy with purple heart and a Nickel can ride on the  the kid made a laughing sound but he was t laughing. Whatsit got me huh can t find Job. Maybe i won t look any More. Through Guttin mine the hard Way. Taught me to  i went Back to my paper and i  i would t have noticed anything if shadows had t kept trying to shush the profiteers a lesson. Serve pm  they got ready to go and i sat behind my newspaper feeling sick. This was one i could t explain away. I had t had the guts to refuse to serve the kid when he did t have any Money. Because i d been too far from my sap and afraid of his muscle i d Given him All he wanted knowing he d wind up in trouble. And now because i was afraid of the bulge under shadows left Arm. Was hiding behind the news paper while the kid walked into a sucker trap. 1 stared at the paper but i did t see the Ball scores. I saw the headline War hero nabbed in stick up try and the usual Story. And right next to it i saw the Cut of vicar in Nis uniform and his medals the studio picture his wife had and Over that his name and under it gets five  i d primed him for trouble and he was walking into it with his Chin out and because i was scared Ofa mean eyed Crook with a bulge under his coat. I was going to sit there and watch him go. _ guess they called me three or four times before i heard them. I put Down the paper and walked to the end of the bar. They were both standing up. I tried to look pleasant. Leaving gents?7 yeah shadows said. Any of  my business is tending bar. I said. I looked at the kid. He d buttoned his coat and fixed his tie. He looked a Little More sobe r than to thought. Maybe sober enough to Back out. But shadows had noticed the same thing and that s Why he was asking for another drink for the kid. I put. The Glass on the bar. And the kid had trouble finding it. He tossed it Down shuddered and stood looking uncertainly at shadows. Shadows took his Arm and led him toward the door. The kid s Ankles were Loose. When they started out i went Back to my newspaper. My hands were shaking. I buried my nose in the paper just in Case shadows looked Back to see if iwas Nosey. I heard a car Start up and pull  raised my eyes and saw it go pastry place. Then i put Down my paper and picked up the phone and called the Law. Hello Houlihan i said. Get your feet off the desk. A couple of my customers Are on their Way to get More spending Money. Ithe kid. I heard vicar say what the " think they re going to Knock off. Max s hell nobody Here but the Barkeep. And he s my frien. Trusts me. Don t give a Damn what i do i would t have heard much ordinarily but the kid kept repeating everything pretty loud and i caught on. Shadows was talking the. Kid into a Nice easy Way to pick up some Money. It seems there would be a till full of paper in a certain store just about closing time and nobody would be there but the proprietor who scared easy. He d hand the Money Over fast when he was looking into the muzzle of a gun. It would t take three minutes but it took a couple of Guys with guts. I got All the guts i need the kid boasted his head unsteady on his shoulders. Won t let any woman sup port me. Get mine the Way i know How. Taught me How. Use any Kinda  sure sure shadows said looking uneasily in my direction. The Job s a cinch. But pipe  got a car the kid asked trying to sound cagey. Make fast  he Slid one Palm across the other in a Clumsy gesture Knock ing his Glass off the bar. Like  shadows took hold of the kid sarm. Let s go. In ten minutes you Llave a thousand Bucks to Call your own  a Lotta Money the kid said looking around of lushly. Then he Shook his head. Change muh min he sighed. Brought up in a Good Home. Mother Tol me never do anything dishonest. Stealing s dishonest come on shadows urged patting the kid on the shoulder. This Guy was a War profiteer. Made All kinds of f Money cheating the boys in  s really your Money. You re just " getting it  kid passed his hand Over his face and squinted As though he was having trouble with his eyes. He was working hard at trying to think. Lookin at it that Way no stealing involved he reasoned thickly. Teach j to weekend. June 8, ims super Market. They re both wearing Brown suits and driving a Black 1939 Plymouth Coupe. The Driver is about 30, dark Brown hair Long sideburns and Luggage under his left Arm. The kid with him a about 237 Light Brown hair. License number of the car is 8d4229. Stolen Cav. Sure i know it s stolen. It s my  i went Orr to give him All the details and Hung up. About five minutes after i d called Houlihan the phone rang. I thought it night. I could a get interested in the paper and kept watching for the cops who would be bringing Back my car. I wanted it Back by closing time. Nothing happened so i got out a Little Cigar Box i keep under the bar and looked through it. It had a lot of junk in it.  brought Back some Nice memories of what it had been like before i had varicose veins. My old unit Patch a couple of buttons i d saved when i out grew the uniform the  i d been Given in France by old for h himself for a Little work before Amiens under general Carey. 1 was still mulling Over this stuff when i heard the sound of a motor i knew and my Coupe was parked across was pretty Quick work for the police the Street. I got out a bottle to give but it was t the police. It was a girl Houlihan a Reward for his work. But when the door opened it was t Houlihan who came in. It was the kid John vicar. He was sober and Pale and looked like he d Hada rough time. For a minute the kid stood by the door and looked at me. Then he came up to the bar and threw the car keys in front of  car s  i said watching him. The bartender knew there would be trouble. He watched the kid lean across the bar to address them the army taught me a new Trade he said. Taught me How to use a Guin with a Nice voice who wanted to know if there was a John vicar in the place. He was i said. Who is this this is his wife the girl said sounding embarrassed. Do you know where he went of. I was silent and one continued i m not trying to Check up on him. I have some Good news. If he comes Back would you Tell him that or. Richards called and they have a place for him in their drafting  Okay  he comes Back in i la Tell him ". ". Thank you she said. I be called a dozen places trying to find him.  she gave a Little embarrassed laugh is he All right he was when he left Here i said glad she could t see my face. Ill give him your message if he comes  she thanked me again and Hung up. I put my paper away and wished i was a drinking Man. Things were Dull the rest of the thanks closely. Have a drink he looked like he was going to Besick. No.  been Home yet the sullen look came into his fac again. No. I m not going Home. Not after what happened , it,1 i said. I m shoving off he answered. Clearing out just brought the Carback so i could thank you for putting the cops on your Tail he nodded. They were waiting for us. I was pretty fuzzy by the time we got there. Too liquored up to walk. The other Guy had to go in and make the stick up. They nabbed him. When they looked in the car i d passed  us huh i said. Then what the kid sat Down on a bar Stool and rubbed his forehead. It looked pretty bad for me until a detective named Houlihan showed up. He had a theory. Seems the other Guy s plan was to have me pull the Job. Then slug me and ,. Leave me in the stolen car with some of the Money to take the  the kid looked up at me. But your Call to the cops helped Knock that in the head. Houlihan gave me a hell of a stiff lec Ture but he let me go. He said you put. Him Wise to the whole  yeah i said. I figured it would be like  the kid stood up. I hate to thin what would have happened if i been Able to walk. I was drunk enough to try it. My dumb Luck i was top drunk to do.  that s the Way it is i said. Well the kid smiled i be Learned something. Ill be  very Home i said. Or. Richards wants to give you a  the kid stared at me while i gave him the details. He looked sicker than Ever. He reached Over and tried to take my hand and i almost mucked it up he said. If it had t been for your Call and what you  go Home i grow Cdv pulling my hand away. You be got to get to work Early in the morning.". The kid started for the door and then came Back. Before i go Tell me what my Bill is. I la be Back tomorrow to pay  his eyes were Bright now. And he was beginning to live. I looked at his chit. Pay for ten i said. Counting the ones you stood your  the kid nodded then frowned counting to himself. You made a mis take he said. T had  no mistake i said. You owe for ten.". The kid looked at me. I passed out on seven drinks ". " that you did i said starting to put my junk Back in the Cigar Box. Let me see that chit the kid said. I Don to want any More  pay for ten i said getting an noyed. But the kid reached past me and. Grabbed the chit he looked up puzzled. Youve got eleven marked he said. How come. The last one is free i said taking Back the chit. Well thanks.". He grinned at  Rule yeah i said it s one i tried to Tell you about earlier. Whenever i give a customer a Mickey it s always on the House. V "