What do You Think of the Read Books Free Concept?

        Our sleepy little town was coming of age in a “naughty but nice” time.

           Little did the residents suspect that they might rue their initial hospitality to members of the military. In a matter of months, as the war progressed, the population of troops stationed in the surrounding wooded areas swelled — and as it did, so did the problems associated with the community’s inability to provide adequate relaxation and entertainment for so many men training under stressful regulations.

           The military police patrolled the streets, eventually declaring some areas off limits. For the first time in our town’s history, we had a red light district. To exacerbate the situation, the area was directly across the street from the bowling alley and our USO hospitality center — two very popular recreational facilities. In less than a week, the USO had closed its doors, leaving its regulars, who came in to write letters or make calls, without a retreat from camp.

           Just when it appeared that the prostitution problem was under control, a new scandal rocked the community.  A 16 year old girl, who had been dating an army captain for several months was pregnant.  She had filed a complaint with the commanding officer, requesting that the captain assume his obligations to her and her unborn child, by marrying her and providing her with a dependent’s allotment. As a result of the accusation, the captain was required to appear before a military panel to defend himself against the allegation. He testified that he was a married man and had paid for the services of the girl. He swore she had told him she was 18 years old. Most of his comrades from the camp lied under oath, testifying they too had engaged the services of the young lady. The girl’s credibility was ruined.                               

           The panel recommended that the girl’s parents place her in a home for unwed mothers — and the charges were dismissed. With her reputation destroyed by small town gossipers, she found it impossible to return to a place she once called “home.”

           The community, irate over the army’s decision, became hostile and, as a result, fewer soldiers spent their off-duty time there. The booming business once enjoyed by the merchants tapered off dramatically.

           Without my USO duties and with JB’s visits to town limited, I found myself with time on my hands and went to work at the local diner. I replaced a girl who had been working the five to nine shift, but needed more hours. For me, it was an opportunity to increase my savings, which I had been limited on the $17.00-a-week I was making at Mr. Boyle’s office.

 As the tips in my piggy bank began to accumulate, I began to dream about   a home, a car and the piece of land down by the river — and wondered if it would ever go on sale.

           One Sunday afternoon, I invited Lorraine to bike with me out to the river — to check out the lot. Lorraine, my best friend since grammar school, was the only person with whom I shared my deepest secrets and the details of my love for her cousin, Bob.

more tomorrow… but he was in for a surprise!