Avon Fantasy Reader No. 13 — page 67: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“The boy first started telling that story about six years ago,” he said. “He never was right in his head, and nobody paid much attention to him at first. He said he’d fallen and busted his head in a cave, but everybody knows they ain’t no caves hereabouts. I don’t know what put that idea in his head. But Karl’s stuck to it ever since, and I ’spect they’s lots of folks round Friedenburg that’s growed to believe him—more’n admits they do.” That evening, I patronized the village barber shop, and was careful to in- troduce Karl’s name into the conversation. “All I can say is,’ said the barber solemnly, “that his hair ain’t growed any in the last six years, and they was nary a whisker on his chin. No, sir, nary a whisker on his chin.” This did not strike me as so tremendously odd, for I had previously heard of cases of such arrested growth. However, I went to sleep that night think- ing about Shadow. The next morning, the strange youth appeared on time and rode with the crew to the job. ; | “Did you eat well?” Juggy asked him. Shadow shook his head. “I never eat none.” The crew half believed him. | Farly in the morning, Steve Bradshaw, the nozzle man on the tar dis- tributer, burned his hand badly. I hurried him in to see the village doctor. When he had dressed Steve’s hand, I took advantage of my opportunity and made inquiries about Shadow. ee “Karl’s got me stumped,” said the country practitioner. “I confess I can’t understand it. Of course, he won’t let me get close enough to him to look at him, but it don’t take an examination to tell there’s something abnormal about him.” “IT wonder what could have given him the idea that he’s his own ghost,” I said. | a | . “Tm not sure, but I think what put it in his head was the things people used to say to him when he was a kid. He always looked like a ghost, and everybody kidded him about it. I kind of think that’s what gave him the notion.” | : “Has he changed at all in the last six years?” “Not a bit. He was as tall six years ago as he is today. I think that his ab- normal growth might have had something to do with the stunting of his mind. But I don’t know for sure.” | | I had to take Steve’s place on the tar distributer during the next four days, and I watched Shadow pretty closely. He never ate any lunch, but he would sit with us while we devoured ours. Juggy could not resist the temptation to joke at his expense. “There was a ghost back in my home town,” Juggy once told him. “Mary Jenkens was an awful pretty woman when she was living, and when she was a girl, every fellow in town wanted to marry her. Jim Jenkens finally led her down the aisle, and we was all jealous—especially Joe Garver. He was broke up awful. Mary hadn’t no more’n come back from the Falls when Joe was trying to make up to her. She wouldn’t have nothing to do with him. Joe was hurt bad. 65 Gomicboo KS 5 eens |) Tee z ra) i © QO. o © ~ £ ». oO os Cc m_ >> eo ce 5 5 GO <a g2 rs (2) Pe >» 5 O Sis rs) ~> » O > ot qe ‘ + c « ™ v > C ec ¥ g c Te © « 2 cc = = 2 < o ¢ o Be = e a to -2510 | Auvier Vugar ang nis Urcnestra;: Come fo the Mardi Gras * Miami Beach Rhumba * Mambo No. 5 * Mambo No. 8. B Les Brown and his Orchestra: I'va Gat Mv lave ta Kaan