Leech Hoose, part four

Leta did not blame Vivian for being harassed, but the situation weighed heavily upon her. After all, she had brought her children to this—to living in an unfriendly and dangerous neighborhood, penniless and with no protection. Her marriage to Ora Freeman, the semi-employed house painter who wanted to spend more of his time with his friend and sometimes employer Alfred Hayward than with her, had dissolved to where she needed to petition for divorce. He was unwilling to support them, citing a steady decline in work over the past year. As for herself, there had been such a large influx of country folk into Toledo over the past several years, eager for work, with greater housekeeping and food preparation skills than hers and a willingness to work for lower wages, that in spite of her capability and eagerness to work, she could find no steady employment. Besides, she had children (ages 15 and 12) to take care of. It was summer, and she could do nothing more than try to maintain as simple and respectful a life style as she could.

Her only respite were the several nights per week that she left the house, walked four blocks to the trolley and then traveled to a speakeasy a couple of miles away. There she would have several drinks and wonderful conversation with a nicely dressed gentleman named Leech Hoose.

While there were other men in the establishment, several of whom made their interest in her obvious, she preferred her conversations with Mr. Hoose. Still, conversations with him were not helping her pay the bills. While her siblings had been helping enough—with meals, hand-me-down clothing, leftovers, even finding her little sewing jobs here and there—it was not enough to sustain them. Leta worried.

The August incident where two neighborhood boys accosted her daughter Vivian both infuriated and distressed her. While Vivian seemed to lack any interest in boys, Leta knew that girls her age were susceptible to the advances of boys and even men. And Vivian was a pretty girl with an alluring figure. Her son Dale was more easily distracted, and when school began in the fall, he became involved in a small band of rougher boys. Most were older; some were cruel to her 12-year-old; and a couple, Leta was sure, were more interested in Vivian than Dale. More than once she caught them engaged in activities that seemed to be spying.

Leech told her he worked in a factory that made parts for automobiles. He had been born in New London, Ohio, a village with several hundred people. His father worked on the railroad. His mother died in childbirth when he was five, and his father subsequently married a woman with one son, about his same age. He also had four older siblings, two boys and two girls. As the two girls were between him and his brothers, he had very little interaction with them. Having a stepbrother about his own age should have been a good experience, but, as he told her, it was not. His stepbrother was resentful of being in the family and took out his anger and frustration at the situation on him. The only person in their family he seemed to like was Leech’s older sister Clare, but she would have little to do with him.

“Cedric,” Leech told her one night as they witnessed an altercation at the speakeasy between two men over a seat at the bar, “was always starting fights like that.”

“But I think the other fellow took his seat,” Leta said.

“It was empty when I looked over.”

“He was there before,” Leta disagreed.

“But look how angry and violent he is,” Leech pointed out.

Leta did agree with that. One fellow started the pushing and then struck the first and second blows. Before the altercation could turn into a brawl, they watched the doorman forcefully separate the two and send them both out of the building. A multi-person exchange would most likely draw the attention of the police, which would then lead to intervention by federal agents and the ultimate closure of the illegal establishment. While Prohibition was becoming less and less enforced, there were still plenty of arrests and closures. The owners obviously did not want that to happen to their pub.

“Your boy has some of that in him,” Leech said, as they returned to their drinks and conversation.

“Pardon me?” Leta questioned. She was not sure she heard him correctly. “Dale?”

“All boys do,” Leech clarified.

To be continued.