"Had Kevin ever made any overtures to you?"

"Kevin was just another student to you. Anything he tells them will appear falsified anyhow. You don't have to tell them what you had suspected."

"No."

"Did you introduce Kevin and Dwayne?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I didn't even know Dwayne was there until the meeting was over. The Teen-Hi girls were serving milk and doughnuts and I saw the boys chatting."

"Did you make anything of this?"

"I had an immediate fear, but Kevin had always struck me as a very typical high school boy. I discarded my idea as an unkind projection based on what I knew about Dwayne."

"What followed?"

"I don't really know. Nothing happened as far as I was concerned except that Dwayne ceased calling me.'

"What was your reaction?"

دو

"They can't attack your lack of responsibility. You'd stuck your neck out and gotten clobbered. They'll sympathize with your relief and excuse your cowardice."

"Quite frankly, I was relieved."

"What was Dr. Burns' opinion?"

"He didn't see much that we could do. Dwayne was graduating in a week and there was no agency we could refer him to without badly compromising the child and the school. The boy hadn't committed a crime. It seemed best to let the matter ride. We didn't know what he and Kevin were doing, of course. Actually we hoped that Dwayne had just been talking frivolously before, and had finally come to his senses. We thought he might have become ashamed of his own conduct and decided to quit annoying me."

"Gentlemen, do you have any further questions?"

"Are you married, Mr. Farley?"

"Don't let them get into your personal relations with women. You're not on trial for anything. Your attitudes and experiences are none of their legiti-

mate concern."

"I don't see what that has to do with what we've been brought here to discuss."

"I agree with Mr. Farley," Martin said. "I think he's answered all our questions forthrightly and at least as far as I'm concerned quite satisfactorily. It's obvious that he's a man deeply involved in his profession. He tried to help this boy and received an unanticipated reaction over which he had no responsibility and very little control."

"I agree," Shaw said.

"I'll withdraw my question. Perhaps it was out of order. I hope you'll excuse me, Mr. Farley."

"Certainly. This thing has put a terrible strain on all of us."

"The inquiry is closed," Martin said.

"The pity of it is," Randy said, "That of course there's no way we can protect Dwayne without the others also discovering the truth Dwayne sensed before you knew yourself. Let's get to bed."

18