No came about t various rumors started in toe. In tonapoulos to  except for toget t tention ten.

    So t te reet claimed  extile union t te urk ole store o  te urkis ood. And as  to squabble ivity. One old man from try said t te  tes fat tobacco crop in all try. All t him.

    Antonapoulos! ithe memory of

    nigle smile. In ogether.

    It han a year now since his friend had gone away.

    t. Rat ime—as  most of terrible onapoulos aken arouble t follorying to control t of times in t , t came back to imes.

    times t otes—ted during ten years. But someto anotate ter t  talk  it ion ances t Singer remembered when his friend was gone.

    tes name tle and transparent t t tle body he was like a blue-and-yellow rag doll.

    ted o dinner and arranged to meet  tore ill busy ore. topped table. t smells.

    Antonapoulos seemed pleased to c it into squares.

    he edge

    of rick t o be liked. ed to a vat of syrup boiling on tove and fanned ed o s it   of cold er, plunged it into tly put it back into ter again.  ongue as t agony.

    so t t o s it he shoulder.

    It er evening, and terlocked doreet Singer  to stores to sonapoulos carried to tig. making conversation er talked cen to t and pour out drinks of gin. Carl sat by tonapoulos puso aking solemn little sips. Singer could not ever remember o a stranger before, and  ao time en.

    Midnig ruined tive party. Antonapoulos returned from one of rips to t and  on o stare repeatedly at t disgust. Singer tried to make eager conversation to ranee be tent. Carl ed and beimidly. Singer could ignore tuation no longer, so at last onapoulos if omac bad and o sleep. Antonapoulos shook his head.

    ed to Carl and began to make all tures of

    obscenity o see. Carl  last teet tairs.

    knoranger.

    Carl stood airs, limp,  last t away.

    Antonapoulos let  icing, t o t and drunk up all the gin.

    No amount of persuasion could convince Antonapoulos t it le. t up in bed and his round face was dismal and reproachful.

    Large tears trickled sloo t and  be com-forted. At last  to sleep, but Singer ime. they never saw Carl again.

    ter time Antonapoulos took t money from telpiece and spent it all on t macernoon Antonapoulos  doairs naked to get t. t an electric refrigerator on tallment plan, and Antonapoulos antly and even let a fe in bed . And time Antonapoulos got drunk and threw a bowl of macaroni in his face.

    ts during t mont. And times t tten. For as t on s of il  only onapoulos whom he alone could know.

    to  was in .

    tonapoulos le  nig  was wrong or foolishe wise and good.

    onapoulos sitting in a large chair before him. he

    sat tranquil and unmoving. able.

    h was wise and smiling. And his eyes were profound.

    c o ood.

    tonapoulos o o tell t . For somethis year.

    in an alien land. Alone.  understand.

    he was bewildered.

    cheir lips.

    e Negroes  a co be free at last. And freedom is only t to contribute. e  to serve and to so labor and in turn consume t  you are te man I ered werrible need of my people.

    You see, Mister Singer? I got time. I got to be a real musician. Maybe I dont kno I y. See, Mister Singer? And to travel in a foreign country wheres snow.

    Lets finistle. I  a small one. For s the word like a worm in my brain.

    Yes? No? tle? t and cunning. ell be free and test o enslave t! But to t dangerous. e  t ideal. But its  t webs for us.

    t one rubbed  come often and  say mucions.

    to ogether—always alone.

    And invariably  t th a cordial smile.

    t for Antonapoulos  as it  monter  ter to be o be too long alone. It ime years ago onapoulos (and even ten it on a paper and tacked it on t he would give up

    cigarettes, beer, and meat for one mont days  rest or be still. ed Antonapoulos so muc t store t C to  of tore c to some soda fountain to drink a Coca-Cola. In tranger ter t ttes and beer and meat t ed.

    At first  understood t all. talked and talked—and as t on talked more and more. o t ood eacera w eache same.

    orment to  rest. tcimes o find t like to look at o t trong. In tended ter o prevent c ticles puso tips. o imes a day and stuffed to s.

    s of  til trike t of times o s it. t talking aloud to   as toget t t let .

    Singer stood in treet before tonapoulos e afternoon was smoky and

    gray. In t treaks of cold yelloer sparroterns against t last came to ligreet ed.

    side of tory. t room, and beconapoulos heir meals.

    ted  and s o t t as it—onapoulos and t for uffed sofa and tray, t on the corner.

    On late afternoons like t in tc tove.

    Antonapoulos alurned t only a ragged fringe of gold and blue could be seen inside eache supper.

    Antonapoulos tasted tove tions—five little golden lanterns. As tle lanterns ense, so t  t y. Supper  time and turn on t and drao table.

    Singer looked do t door.  of t toget night.

    t wonapoulos umbled once and   company came eacouc his fingers.

    treet range he child

    in a group togetiness spread in onapoulos was away;  o remember.

    ts of  ried to t Antonapoulos onige beds and t tig t room  become clear in iness arted doogetimes.

    It urday nigreet h people.

    Sered before ten-cent store. Families stood in line be-fore ticket box of tared at ters on display outside. traffic from tomobiles  o  a long time before crossing treet.

    store. ts iful inside tor pears, brigtle cumquats, and even a fe Ced on a customer inside. to imes ore and stood around a long while.

    o tconapoulos made t  into tore o avoid eac day  on t in treet turned a nodding. Once o send e tupelo  from C to be obliged to meet him.

    Singer stood before tc on a group of customers. Business urday nigonapoulos sometimes o e as ten oclock. tomatic popcorn popper  flakes of snohe

    smell from tore  rampled on the floor.

    Singer passed on doreet. o led. treets rung ric ligood in laug eacion Army girl in  tinkled a bell on t Singer  obliged to drop a coin into t beside her.

    te, y isements cast an orange glohe crowd.

    onapoulos  afternoon. tore aken every pay-day. ograp no toaken a picnic luncen in a field on her side.

    Singer reet for about an  last ook out curned tohe house where he lived.

    Pero his room. he hoped so.

    onapoulos a large box of presents for Cmas. Also ed gifts to eaco Mrs. Kelly. For all of toget a radio and put it on table by tor Copeland did not notice ticed it immediately and raised  kept it turned on all time  tation, and as alked o be sing above tood out on  understand  to t suited  leaning forward in ing

    very fast in emple. So listen all over to  ernoon, and imes w work and  few days w rumpled here was a look in her face he had never seen before.

    One niger Cmas all four of to visit  time. this had never happened before.

    Singer moved about ts and did  in teness to make s comfortable. But something was wrong.

    Doctor Copeland  sit do in o thers.

    t  opened t front. Mick Kelly listened to t on then becoming narrow and fixed.

    Singer  no toget. ed an outburst of some kind. In a vague o be thing.

    But in train. ogether.

    Jake Blount stood beside Doctor Copeland. I know your face.

    e run into eaceps outside.’

    Doctor Copeland moved ongue precisely as t  a ed, iff body seemed to sepped back until  outside the room.

    Biff Brannon smoked te composedly. turned to Mick and

    ing on h your business now?’

    business? Mick asked suspiciously.

    Just th.’

    O.K., I reckon, she said.

    Eac Singer as tation.

    s and smiled.

    Jake rubbed  off trying to make conversation or Copeland and sat do is t used to e t bloody warnings?’

    Mostly from testament I been  t for a long time.’

    Eaco te. ts seemed to converge in o ter hub.

    t in ter got doo ten degrees Fa.

    It een degrees ts t since t year.’

    this morning, Mick said.

    ce didnt take in enoug o meet the payroll, Jake said.

    to be ing for to go. to leave at time. Doctor Cope-land  first and tely. ood alone in t understand tuation ed to forget it o e to Antonapoulos t nig t Antonapoulos could not read did not prevent Singer from ing to  o make out t as t by o imagine t peraken, t peronapoulos only kept ters a secret from everyone. Also, it was possible

    t be a deaf-mute at tters and to  of several justifications for ters, for  a great need to e to ten, ters  trips from t to al money order. But tters e to Antonapoulos accumulated in s until roy them.

    and   and left e ters at tore. Also, o deliver a certain piece of  morning, and ed to finis no tion of delay. t . tops  tarlit sky. As  of o begin ter, but ore before t sentence ore c lights.

    tore. A clotain separated  of t it e room. Besides ory  clocks. Singer rolled up top of s felt case tter o ore urned up triped cuffs of  so t t get in his way.

    For a long time  ter of tter. ite, concentrated strokes rating look of ter to onapoulos.

    Midnig tter a. o e. o sters e of silver.

    My Only Friend:I see from our magazine t ty meets t a convention in Macon. t. I imagine it. Remember o attend one of tions but   of course I could never go  you. tates and the

    . to be a special service at one of test e t I imagine all t. My ill so long t it is difficult to remember  is. And s being like you, my Friend.

    I stood before our  noree in front? t back so as not to interfere elepree died. tten and trunk. Also, t  tore (to stroke and fondle) ate somet was very sad.

    Singer  for a long ense,  continuing tter. tood up and ligte. tale odor—tobacco.  on  and muffler and began ing again ermination.

    You remember told you about aco tell you about t o put t sure.

    t t it ure t mean t t t but t t does not let t.

    to my room and talk to me until I do not understand   being  like t o sing or sleeping or  is whey are always so busy.）

    tacimes he

    speaks eac times  I cannot folloimes , and t time  and smelling bad and in to  I  .  toget I do not kno is. And let me e you someto believe. s of ill talk and   it is true.

    I rent my room from to dress in s trousers like a boy but no a young lady. I like o come and see me. Sime no I  it is s s music.

    tion but t a good al for o go to or and  talk like a black man at all. Ot o understand because tongues do not move enougens me sometimes.  and brigo a party and I .  oery books.  drink or eat meat or attend the movies.