Sometimes we'll sigh

Sometimes we'll cry

And you know why

Just you and I

Know True Love Ways

Some called it Shoreland Heights, and some called it "Snob Hill". Not just the poor kids either, some of the middle class people in town also refered to it as Snob Hill. Oh I know it was probably just jealousy, but everyone was classified Right?

Black and White, Rich and Poor, Jocks and Hoods. Back in the mid fifties, it was just an accepted fact. What you are is who you are. If you were poor you were a Hood and later in life you would fall down on main street from to much liquor. If you were rich you wore plaid button down collars and later in life you would fall down in your living room from to much liquor.

But as Ed Barrows ( God has you now pal ) in Art class would say, " Don't get all muddled up with the detail. Just put down what you see. Your feelings will show in your Art or in your voice or in your words."

Chuck ( Charles David Paulsen) was very good looking and Mary Spanger was a very attractive girl. He was expected to follow in the family tradition. His Gramps had been a Doctor and his dad was a Doctor. His dad had a shingle carved from black walnut that he gave to him on his third birthday. No one ever discussed things like that I guess it was just expected.

Rest assured, the people out to lunch at the Stables knew that Charles was going to Harvard, as were the folks at the Woolworths lunch counter were sure that Mary would be waiting the counter, just as her mom had did for twelve years. The money helped fray the bills that Mary's dad rang up at the Elbow Room playing cards every Friday night.

These two worlds were about to collide. It was Friday and on a Friday night in the summer of 1957 you were at the drive In Theater. I was there and I just so happened to be at the candy counter when Chuck walked in. It was sorta commical in a way. I saw him stop and his mouth hung open for for just a second. When you see someone in school every day and pass them in the halls a dozen times or more, he should have noticed her before. But it was like someone had opened his eyes for the first time. I turned to see what had gotten Chuck so rattled . Standing by the entrance opposite the one Chuck had come in, stood Mary Spanger. WHAT ? No way. Chuck was eyeballing Mary Spanger. Wait til the gang heard about this one. Especially Dick, he always did have a crush on her but never had the guts to say it to her. I looked again and yes, Mary was there, She had on a plain red cotton skirt , a short sleeved blue top that had little hearts embroidered around the Neckline. Her mom must have done that. Yeh she was cute. But CHUCK???

No I don't claim to know all of the details, but it was a fact, Chuck started going out with Mary. How do I know. I saw how they met one night when I was walking over to Jims house. You remember Jim? Old "Dork Face". Well anyway I saw Chucks Black 1957 Chevrolet Two door convertable come round the corner of 4th and Newton heading down 4th towards Nelson's Grocery. He slowed way down, turned off his headlights and pulled into the curb along side of Nelson's. This move I would decide later was to reduce the chances of him being seen by any one draggin Broadway. Just then Mary came out of Nelson's and quickly turned the corner. She jumped into the passenger side and closed the door.

I must have just turned and was crossing Broadway when Chuck's lights came on. They hit me dead on. There was no way that He could miss me and He Knew I had seen All the scene play out. I had no choice as I kept walking up 4th St. All I remember is her window rolling down and hearing Chuck say. "If I ever hear that you have said anything about tonight I'll Kick your Hi-knee( never could spell that word) from here to Glenville and back". I suppose under different circumstances I may have just stuck up my middle finger and run like hell. He never gave me a chance. He fired up that Chevy and was gone,squeeling his tires as he turned on Broadway and headed up town. I guess I thought it best to maybe just keep my mouth shut about that night as Chuck was not exactly a small guy. I saw them a couple more times that summer heading out of town to maybe a place where they would be welcome as no one would know that they came from opposite sides of town.

I saw them the last time just before school started. They were headed out west on Main, out over the Viaduct. I was standing in front of St Paul Clothiers when I saw them turn the corner. I thought as they headed outof town, Yeh maybe tonight they would go to Alden or Wells to a movie. Little did I know that that would be the last time anyone would ever see Chuck and Mary. The story spread around Albert Lea as all rumors did. Without Mercy. I think some folks had to spread a subtle rumor just to save some kind of dignity. They said that Mary had to go out of state to have a baby, andChuck went off to military school for some training before college.

I never spoke the truth about seeing them together that night, to any one until today. I can't see keeping it a secret any longer. I'm sitting at the Airport in Denver waiting for my plane to arrive. its 1983 and I have a few minutes to kill so I bought a magazine. You all know the news in the 80's. How they tried to outdo each other with some shocking story, or some gruesome picture to tell their story. I only could read about half of the article as its started to blurr every time I looked at the photograph. The Caption read "Young American couple Murdered two decades ago in Columbia" The man had on boots that came up to almost his knees. You could tell that they had been bought at a fine leather shoe store. Even in the decayed state they had a certain quality to them. Both of his hands were holding hers as there bodies lay in that shallow grave. Small indentical bands circled a finger on the left hand. She looked just like a peasant woman from Columbia. She wore a plain skirt although rotted from the sandy soil they had been left in, you could still see that it was red. She also wore a short sleeved blue top, with hearts that looked like they may have been embroidered by hand.........................