till quiet. Everybody ten about Bubber. ta and all ted in t room. Mister Singer stood in the doorway.

    After a long time

    die but t ured. he asked for Bubber.

    Nobody kneside. treet. t Spareribs and some ot to  for  looked like Bubber  of t around to a   be.

    porc,  saying. I never believed in it. But Im sure going to lay it onto t kid as soon as I get my hands on him.’

    Mick sat on ters and creet. I can manage Bubber. Once ake care of .’

    You go out and  for ter than anybody else.’

    As soon as  s a tree o love to sit up in tree  t porche dark yard.

    Sood for a minute by trunk of tree. Bubber—, sly. Its Mick.’

    ans s eacree o ill t any ans around t last soucrembling. ouc all at once.

    I—I didnt mean Baby to fall. S so little and cute—seemed to me like I just o take a pop at her.’

    Mick sat doree  a lot of people ing for you.’

    Bubber quit crying. .

    *You kno was like sening.

    You know arden Lawes—you he radio.

    And you knoing a letter to arden Latle bit kind to you wco Sing Sing.’

    t a srembling.

    t little electric c your size. And  fry up like a piece of burnt bacon. to hell.’

    Bubber  a sound from o get doter stay up  policemen guarding to eat’

    Mick leaned against trunk of tree. t eac. S t kid t a year or to stop off be on to t pretty quick. Sime it er Bubber and stle ree er t to pick up a gun again in all his life.

    till t on t porc talking or rocking in the chairs.

    room.  of a bottle and o get  o be anxious about Bubber. It hing else.

    t Bubber!quot; said Etta.

    tm so go out of ter this, hazel said.

    Etta and  into the door.

    Bill   to talk ood around in t  it over by herself.

    steps stopped. It e, s not like t fooling   off by accident. Everybody e aim.’

    I wonder when well hear from Mrs. ilson, her Mama said.

    ■ell y, all right!’

    I reckon we will.’

    No t  porc in t nobody liger  on and stood  over to keep  Bubber sitting out in tree  o worry some.  Baby.

    Mick, cant you t be?her Dad asked.

    he neighborhood, I reckon.’

    y beer bottle in  on o come ter. Ive never laid a nt be scared of me.’

    S until an  time y sorry for w  Bubber and make him learn.

    After a  in telepo tal to see es Mrs. ilson called back. Sed to alk o the house.

    ill  room like a blind man. tles of beer. t all c side of tgage. But t   all.’

    Suddenly Mick t about sometry Bubber in court and put him in a childrens jail.

    Maybe Mrs. ilson o

    Bubber. Sed to go out to tree  a ell  to tle and smart. S tried to send t kid out of ted to kiss e him because she loved him so much.

    But s miss anytes and so kno and tell Bubber t all to him.

    A ten-cent tajdcab drove up to ted on t porc and scared. Mrs. ilson got out of taxi er Brannon. Seetogeteps. t into t room and ser tood in tta and  out of it.

    Ive come to talk over all th you, Mrs. ilson said.

    t room looked tacky and dirty and ser Brannon notice everyttered on the floor.

    t  gray.

    Mrs. ilson kept pulling ter Brannon er in t o  from talked to ot because  time ser? Sed him.

    It all boils doo t;Your kid s my baby in the head on purpose.’

    Mick stepped into t, s t gun at me and Ralphere.

    o aim it at Baby and his finger slipped. I

    was righere.’

    Mister Brannon rubbed  e him.

    I knoo come to t right now.’

    Micks Mama rattled a bunc very still h his big hands hanging over his knees.

    Bubber didnt  in ------’

    Mrs. ilson jabbed t  a minute. I knoo court and sue for every cent you own.’

    ell you one t o sue for. All  is------’

    Just listen to me, said Mrs. ilson. I  come o sue you. Barter Brannon—and I talked it over  agree on ts. In t place, I  to do t t  Babys name mixed up in no common la at her age.’

    t a sound and everybody in t stiff in ter Brannon  Mick, but sed  ough way.

    Mrs. ilson te. I dont  to o sue you or anyt. All I  is for you to be fair. Im not asking you to pay for all t til to sleep. t any pay t . And Im not asking you to pay for to o o  get to dance in ttle bald place on her head.’

    Mrs. ilson and  eacized. to book and took out a slip of paper.quot;t to pay are just tual price of

    us in money. te room in tal and a private nurse until sing room and tors bill— and for once I intend tor to be paid rig to pay me for t ook o Atlanta to get—so tle extra bills like t. Ill e all tems do as soon as I knorying to be just as fair and  as I can, and youll o pay total o you.’

    ook a quick, s breato me like t better te room. hen Mick had penumonia------’

    I said a private room.’

    Mister Brannon  e, stumpy o a double room her kid.’

    Mrs. ilson spoke  I said. Long as your kid s my Baby sainly ougo age until ss well.’

    Youre in your rig  maybe I can scrape it up. I realize youre not trying to take advantage of us and I appreciate it. ell do w we can.’

    Sed to stay and  t Bubber ing up in tree  Sing Sing s uneasy. S out of to for t came from t in tcia sitting at table ill.

    the darkness.

    Sood under tree. t as sarted to reac limb a terrible notion came over her.

    It came to  Bubber was gone. She

    called  ans.

    Say! Bubber!’

    it feeling in t to make sure s into t in all t arted doe s.  kid like Bubber it elling wch him.

    Sree and ran to t porch. Mrs.

    ilson  to t steps h her.

    Dad! s to do somet Bubber.  our block. e all got to get out and  him.’

    Nobody kne, looking in all ter Brannon telepen-cent taxi for Mrs. ilson and tayed to . Mister Singer sat on ters of t calm. ted for Mick to plan out t places to look for Bubber. But totle kid so smart t s t to do.

    Maybe o Portias  back into tcia ting at table o her face.

    I got tion  doo your  him.’

    t! I bet a nickel my little scared Bubber been staying in my ime.’

    Mister Brannon omobile. er Singer and Micks Dad got into tia.

    Nobody kne o save his life.

    Portias  for t on tepped inside tell tia lig lamp.

    t-out pictures on table covers and lace pillohe bed. Bubber was

    not there.

    ia suddenly said. I can tell somebody been in here.’

    Mister Singer found tcable.  quickly and t it ting  little kid  misspelled but one e said:Dear Portia,I gone to Florada. tell every body.

    Yours truly, Bubber Kellytood around surprised and stumped.  to pile in toh.

    ait a minute, Mick said. Even if Bubber is seven years old  brains enoug to tell us o run a about Florida is just a trick.’

    A trick? her Dad said.

    Yeawo places Bubber knows very muc.

    One is Florida and tlanta. Me and Bubber and Ralplanta road many a time. o start ts  o Atlanta.’

    t out to tomobile again. So climb into t  you tell nobody else, but my Bubber done also taken my gold earrings off my dresser. I never t my Bubber would o me.’

    Mister Brannon started tomobile. treets for Bubber, olanta road.

    It rue t in Bubber tougreak. ing different today ted before. Up until notle kid  always made him ashamed and nervous.

    today？

    t tlanta road. t line of o topped to ask if anyone tle barefooted kid in corduroy knickers been by t even after t ten miles nobody iced rong from t e at night.

    ttle fart back tooed to look up all t surn around and go back on tlanta road again. All to Bubber. About Baby being dead and Sing Sing and arden La tric c  errible.

    t  of tos of t of t rying to get a ride. Portias butcuck in , and on t it was like ead of seven.

    topped tomobile and o get in.  see  al s and kicked. tc aime.  like a little tiger in a trap, but finally t o t very stiff, not leaning against anything.

    to drag o t to see tion. to t room and iged eyes looking from one person to to fighe whole crowd.

    said one o the house

    until o scream: quot;Mick done it! I didnt do it Mick done it!’

    tood out and s le rocks.

    You cant get me! Nobody can get me!  yelling.

    Mick sold ories.  s   looked like notop t screaming.

    I e everybody! I e everybody!’

    t stood around. Mister Brannon rubbed  t out very quietly. Mister Singer o kno . Maybe t  a quieter. Mister Singer  from any ot times like t ter if ot  ordinary people couldnt kno Bubber, and after a  o bed.

    In t made remble all over. o t into bed  let ouco er anot to sleep.

    Sime. In t ouc and little and ty, boy smell about   Bubber and music toget er t nig much of a chance for

    o tease er  Baby t ever like little Bubber again.   and  fool around h anybody.

    Most of time  sat in t got closer and closer toime. Sed a piano, but naturally s say anyt t. Sold everybody sed a Micky Mouse c ed from Santa Claus   anyt let anyone toucory books.

    After t nigarted calling   speak muco any person and noto bot first Mick couldnt stop calling   to stop. But it  a urally called hers did.

    But  kid— George—going around by  even  was really in his mind.

    S mas Eve nig talking. Quit acting so peculiar, so alk about t out tead of ockings.’

    George  anso sleep.

    S up at four oclock in t a fire in t room and t to tmas tree and see . George  and Ralp of t got clotocking for tc it  ts ill dark s out on toes and s firecrackers and ate up t omacired out. S  into the inside room.

    EIGor Copeland sat at udying a s from the window.

    Beside ree, a to t year o practice y on Cmas Day, and no t spiced odor of neeaming coffee. In tia sat on a benc t almost double.

    Fathe desk since five oclock.

    You got no business to be up. You ougo stayed in bed until time for to-do.’

    Doctor Copeland moistened ongue. So muc tention to give to Portia. ted him.

    At last urned to ably.  there moping?’

    I just got worries, s our illie.’

    illiam?’

    You see ing me regular ever Sunday. tter  uesday. But last e. Course I not really anxious. illie—ured and s I knoo to a. tter to say to attend a coday, and o send  of clotie.’

    ?Is t all illiam said?’

    ten t t too. And t o Buster Joo kno evert and a we-iced cake.

    But I sure  few days.’

    Doctor Copelands eyes glo rest er, er. It is getting late and I must finiso tc all is ready.’

    Portia stood up and tried to make  and happy.

    you done decided about t five-dollar prize?’

    As yet I o decide just  course, he said carefully.

    A certain friend of , gave an ao tudent  essay on a given subject. t alor Copeland sole judge of t tmas party. t of tion tion: ter tion of ty. tion. Yet t it o confer upon it tor Copeland put on ration.

    tion. First I tend tuskegee College but I do not or Carver. t my education is complete I art off being a fine latsboro Boys. I ake cases for colored people against o feel t t so. e are a Rising Race. And  s beneate mans burdens for long. e cannot always sow whers reap.

    I  to be like Moses, o get up a Secret Organization of Colored Leaders and Scion of t. Otions in terested in t of our race and ed States divided o our aid. All colored people ion, and at take up all territory east of the Mississippi and

    soutomac. I s up a migry under trol of tion of Colored Leaders and Scholars.

    No —and if t into try ts.

    I e te race and  t is my ambition.

    Doctor Copeland felt ticking of to a boy ions as t should he decide？

    t any firm content at all. t te only about tions and omitted t part of tide altoget  of t of ty-five began ence, I do not  to be a servant. After t to fly airplanes, or be prizefigion o be kind to the poor.