DENTON CROUCH 19

when denton reached the doctors office he found the young girl gone. the doctor explained he had treated the girls raw places and when he finished all she said was thaank you and hustled out the back door. he told denton she would need follow up care to avoid infection. dentontold the doctor he would find her and bring her back. he then turned out the door and started to the sherriff s office. as he passed a ally he saw the girl rummaging through the garbage of a cafe there. he turned and walked up on her." why did you run out of the doctors office like you did?" the girl turned to run but denton had her by the arm" i eas afraid you all would make me go back to alvie. my step daddy sold me to him for 300 dollers. ime supposed to stay there two years." she started crying. " alvie is in jail, with my bullitt in his chest your not going back to him. and you cant be eating out of trash cans. you come with me." denton pulled her along. but she didnt resist to much. when he reached the boarding house where he stayed he went to the back door with the girl in tow. when they steped into the kitchen jody looked up and pales." my god what happened?" was all she could find to say. denton explained then asked if jody could look after this girl . he also explained she needed to go back to the doctor the next day. he pushed the girl over to jody. " ill pay for hr meals and a new dress. if you all will let her sleep some place. " denton was pulling some cash out of his pocket" whats your name girl? ill need it when i file my report." "pearl" was all she said " pearl who? dont you got a last name?" denton asked. "pearl tunks.ime fourteen years old." pearl answered." i been with alvie almost a year. we just traveled around doing day work. some times i ate some times i didnt.if i stumbled he whipped me. ime not going back." pearl explained. " no your not going back ever. just stay here, until i get this mess unraveled." denton stepped out the dorr and started to the sherriffs office. " now ime sorry i didnt kill that big scum." denton thought as he walked on.