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Show - Ik - CHAPTER XI _ ' ".When Penny had learned that Dirk T**a ; involved in bootlegging, she decided to do some research on the subject. . She had heard, off and on from her parents and at school, of the Prohibition Era. In fact, V Ja. girls had been born during this decade, but it certainly had never been of much concern to her before. Her first thought was to go to the library and check up on this time in America's history. So on the next Saturday they attended a matinee she asked her mother if they could return their books and do some ireading. As usual, Tom dropped them off at the movie and when it was over theystrolled down the street to the library. It was located in what was once a grocery store. The room was wide and long with shelves of books lining three walls from floor to celling. The girls loved the smell of old books and bookbinding glue. The displays of the school children's art work hanging on the available wall space gave the old place an atmosphere of coziness. On both sides of each long reading table were positioned three wooden chairs. On entering the library there was a high counter where the books were checked in and out. Miss Hetzler, the librarian, was sitting on a tall stool on the other side of it. A spinster of indeterminate age, her gray hair was pulled up in a tight knot at the top of her head and small spectacles were propped on her nose. There was a no-nonsence attitude about her that was evident to everyone. Her plain brown dress, with its long sleeves, had a small white color and cuffs. The girls could not remember ever seeing her in any other apparell since they had moved to Gaven House. The new fashions were were not for Miss Hetzler; her dress modestly reached her ankles. They opened the door, and then waited to check in their books. The two youngsters in front of them were holding up their hands for the librarians*s inspection. The girls still could not quite adjust to having their hands scrutinized for cleanliness each time they went into the library> |