"Ya can't pee while ya walk!" Effort said to himself out loud as he stepped back from behind the sheltering elm and returned to the sidewalk. He skipped a little as he continued his adventure from Peterson Elementary to home. It was the last day of school and he was full of joy like only a twelve-year-old boy can have facing a whole summer of days of unknown exploration.
First though, he had to make a quick stop at Parsons Grocery to pick up milk like mom asked him to before he left the house that morning. And she was rewarding him with enough extra money to buy two packs of baseball cards and a soda! He crossed Washington Street at 3rd and stood in front of the store looking through the windows at the candy and cards and other boy-worthy desirables.
"Good afternoon Effort!" a loud happy voice interrupted his daydream.
"Oh!, good afternoon Mr. Winters!" Effort replied.
John Winters was a picturesque storekeeper who purchased the grocery from Theodore Parsons 25 years ago. John had a friendly face with a bald head and white apron over a pudgy belly. He was affable and fun to talk with and all the kids liked him. And Mr. Winters liked Effort too.
"Say, you picking up something for your mom?"
"Yeah, and something for me too!"
"Let me guess, another pack of those baseball cards?"
"Actually TWO, AND a Pepsi!"
"Very good! Let's go inside and get you taken care of."
They stepped inside the old general store with its creaky wood floors and slightly musty smell.
"How many of those cards do you have?"
"Oh...I'd say about 100. I want the whole set, or at least all the Cardinals!" Effort's favorite team (and really everyone's in Madison County) was the Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals. And his favorite of those boys was a hunk of a man, Festus Armbruster, the third baseman and homerun hero of the champs.
The two exchanged cash and merchandise and Effort popped up on the soda stool to break open his treasure.
The first pack was a winner with a Cardinals pitcher right on top! As Effort studied the card, front and back, he looked up with intent focus. Say, Mr. Winters, it says here that Fred Gardner's first job was working at the local grocers. You wouldn't need any help around here, maybe in exchange for some packs of cards?
The cheery storekeeper smiled and then put his hand to his chin in a serious tone he said "Hmm...well the back storage is in pretty bad need of clean up and organizing. But it will take a diligent and responsible man. Do you know anyone that might be able to handle it?
Absolutely! I mean, me!
And you'd be paid real money. Can you start tomorrow?
You bet! I'll be here at 8am sharp!
Sounds good Effort! See you then!
Effort hopped off the stool, grabbed his cards and milk and skipped out the door for home.
A couple blocks later, head down studying the stats on the backs of his cards, Effort heard a "pssst" from the bushes next to the sidewalk. Startled and curious, Effort leaned in and said "Hello?"
Deeper in the bushes was the shadow of a large rotund man. "Effort, come here", the man said in a whisper.
Effort recognized the man as Dr. Jones from the university. "Hi ya doc!", Effort greeted him in a hushed tone.
"Oh my boy, it is mercurial! Simply mercurial!" Dr. Jones snuck a peak up and down the street from his hiding place.
"What is?" said Effort truly puzzled.
"There is something gargantuan happening in our dear town Effort! A mystery as nerfarious as it is egnimatic!"
"Doctor Jones WHAT are you talking about?!"
"Effort," Dr Jones stopped a moment as he thought, "Meet me at my house tommorrow afternoon. I need to show you what I have discovered and I need your help." Dr. Jones was most earnest and Effort and his folks trusted Dr. Jones as a good friend and man of science.
"I have to work at Parsons tomorrow but I can come by after?"
