went back to the hotel, stopping on the way to buy a dozen roses. He showered, dressed, grabbed the roses and walked toward Lucinda's house. He knocked on the door at precisely six o'clock.

Lucinda opened the door. She was wearing tight red pants that stopped at mid-calf, gold sandals and a sleeveless white blouse. "Hi, come in, Xerxes!"

He handed her the roses. She thanked him and found a vase to put them in. The room was nicely furnished. A radio played low. The windows were open and a large ceiling fan slowly rotated. It was cool enough in the room.

"I know you are curious about my age. I'm twenty-one. So I can buy this legally," she laughed as she pulled a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator.bus stop. Waller walked over to her. "Need a lift home?"

The girl looked at Waller who was wearing his letter jacket. "That would be nice." She joined Waller as he strode toward his car. He checked out the girl.

"Nice indeed," he smiled to himself.

The school year seemed to pass quickly. Waller gave up baseball to throw the discus and shot on the track team.

When school ended for the summer, Waller's grandfather got him on as a brakeman running out of Pensacola. This time, Waller drove his car over to the Florida city and got a room at the crew hotel next to the rail yard. Waller was usually called for the Lake City turn. The turn was a local freight train that set out loaded cars at sidings