Or maybe around .’
quot;t ime to be living, Biff agreed.
Blount s self-consciously. o leave. Biff to detain ell me—o tion been a politic one and ed it was queer his.
Its trut know.’
tood quietly for a moment, boter.
t dinner order, a Long Island duck special, o tore. turned ween a church sermon and a swing band.
Blount leaned over suddenly and smelled Biffs face.
Perfume?’
Sion, Biff said composedly.
keep Blount longer. to go.
er. It his.
ed to dra out completely so t and certain questions concerning Blount alk—only to te. It peculiar thing.
quot;t said. See you later.’
So long.’
Biff c o t. took up ties before ed on trimmings to attract customers. It looked bad. Rigy.
to tuck in t.ake tuff out of the window.
And bring me t red pottery bo.’
s last tion pleased ed tcalk ed ts and sniffed t for tter. Alice always had
done t. . s scum of food bits at ttom. e do day. o leave tcake and by ter again.
Lucile and Baby came for Sunday dinner. ttle Md so good noill on or said it could not come off until next monthe yellow curls made her head look naked.
Say o Uncle Biff, ed.
Baby bridled fretfully. o Unca Biff hon, she gassed.
S up a struggle o take off . No be saying. quot;You got to take it off or youll catc again.. No behave yourself.’
Biff took tuation in c from its set in truggle raig so t t ied o just t sted Baby on tle be some straoday, he said.
Barty good mother.’
ts a compliment’
e just been to Sunday Sche Bible you learned for your Uncle Biff.’
ted. Jesus , she said finally.
t s in t sound like a terrible thing.
ant to see Louis? Biff asked. chen.’
I wanna see illie. I wanna he harp.’
quot;No trying yourself, Lucile said im-patiently. You kno illies not here.
illie off to tentiary.’
But Louis, Biff said. oo. Go tell o get tune.’
Baby toche floor.
Lucile laid on ter. tears in clean and ty t c and smart. But if a cy and ugly t expect anyt Im trying to get at is t Baby is so s bandage on it just seems like it makes time. S practice ion—s do a t cant manage her.’
If youd quit picking .’
At last tled t of c up fine, cream of s for Baby. Stle frock. il tarted. to be on to keep thly.
People eating. the food pushed in.
? t long ago. Life ter of intake and alimentation and reproduction. the radio.
tered t, very straigailored Sunday suit.
Blount follo be t struck at table, and Blount talked and ate o er for a fees. t out iced again t toget made ion himself.
could it be? te moron imes on to iced to t imes te to neglect suc tzing
eleps. But did it matter after all？
Biff narroant. t mattered and Mick made of of o t e to give ies ted o range t? And why？
A one-armed man came reated o a alking to anyone.
Sunday dinner le kids in ten needed. It y and tables over. Biff for t four ired. o stand for fourteen or sixteen notice any effects at all. But no it.
Or maybe matured aged—certainly not—yet. t ured. ed and it oo bright and sharp.
o one of tresses: take over for me .’
treet y because of Sunday. t and clear, close to reet out of pocket.
turn back and stay in taurant four Sundays see Mick. And t it t quite rige t Sunday s steps. But time as ly to t tilted t down over his eyes. Perhaps she would come
into ter. Often on Sunday after supper s cocoa and stopped for a able fit from t and ser sockings—ed to set o someto give to only a sundae or some s to eat—but somet o h hardened.
in a strange guilt.
in all men, unreck-oned and a name.
On tter. tily up, cleaned t into t purse, . Business agnant. t a single customer in the place.
Business picked up around five. tly o time sz. s o be best bet. . Biff iced teetalking to ervieeetion. e. t matter in ten dollars a ailor doreet, and harry was an only child.
ell, Biff said. Youve been o like it? Sure, sir. Sure I like it.’
Biff turned ts see. time do you get off from sc;t gives you a couple of udy and recreation. to ten. Does t leave you enougime for plenty of sleep?’
Plenty. I dont need near t much.’
You need about nine and a your age, son. Pure, wholesome sleep.’
suddenly embarrassed. Maybe anyed to turn aside and t of something.
?You go to Vocational?’
sleeve.
Lets see. I kno of girls and boys t as t afire. o be a fool. ed to turn and ood tly.
Sure, I live rig door to in school Im a senior while shes a freshman.’
Biff stored tion neatly in o be t over later o comers drinking beer and remember o ask t take your time making crack of w goes on.’
Biff s airs. t on ty and cold. acks of neo table laid ionary, and a mandolin. Because of t o take more teps in any direction. Biff rocked rings of to sing in a doleful voice:II to the animal fair.
ts of the moonas combing his auburn hair.
rings and t sounds so silence in the cold air.
to adopt a couple of little c ttle girl like Mick (or Baby?) at t age. Round cy smocking at te buckskin stle red-velvet coat and cap and muff for er. ttle boy tage on ts and guide to to ions and hem.
？
Biff took up um-ti-tim-ti-tee, ti-tee, ted doll t to time. tie, and Loves Old S Song. t year kno all time an extra dime. And t er . at first it seemed everything was gone.
Lucile alood t-up. S oo. Lucile o get a divorce. And so try to straig their messes.
Biff a p tense in ly to y-ninto drop by ment at tists. ed from ttle remembrance—a plate of carts or a good s. S tered. t room ened to steps and ed. t once alone. titter and soon great rolling minute Lucile came back and undid ter. t bunced to craood t, burning all over. t as bad as took it.
Later t nig ofherogod！
Biff carted a rollicking corated to ism. .
At last a in to and fro in t did and? Not did ? to know. ? A mean-ing. hy? A riddle.
Broken pictures lay like a scattered jigsaw puzzle in his head.
Alice soaping in t turkey on display. Blounts mout -
fing. tely dark. From tchen he could hear Louis singing.
Biff stood up and touco still its rocking. side was very warm and brig perraighed back his hair.
A urned to aurant led er. ook in th a glance like a lasso.
t in teel, artistic display. cinued to examine ticed eye. and intently ing. Singer came finally and e ed only soup and come.
i o poor. Money ime it o pay te room and private nurse. But even t one bill. By time one t a of t take over tgage. ty dollars and Mister Singer on te h him.
Aftero rent every montead of taxes. ty near as poor as factory folks. Only nobody could look dohem.
Bill tling plant and made ten dollars a week.
y parlor for eight dollars.
Etta sold tickets at a movie for five dollars. Eac t five dollars a er Singer, who paid
very prompt. it t all came to about t to feed tty good and feed t for ts on ture.
George and get any lunco stop tia saved tovers from to eat after scime tcta sat e in tccs and grease and side meat and coffee for breakfast. For supper tever could be spared from to eat in tcimes s hree days.
But tside room. It o do ries and ter nig by to ers and a pair of Bills outgros. Excitement kept e box from under t on to work.
In tures sed at t free art class. Saken t of Bills room. Also in t tery books , a box of cs, a rone necklace, a ebooks. One notebook op E. KEEP OUt.
PRIVAtE—and tied ring.
Sebook all ter. S studying sc nigime to spend on music. Mostly sten just little tunes—songs any even any bass notes to t. But even if tunes his book was a real piece
or a composition. t songs in ed to remember. Sorm.’
S e t like it sounded in her mind.
So t doo only a fees; ot too mixed up to go furt kno o e music. But maybe after so e tunes fairly quick so put dohe whole music in her mind.
In January sain very , I Kno It iful and marvelous song—very slo. At first sarted to e a poem along , but s to fit t a o r. ted and once. Music beautiful as to e. Sometes meant a ebook—after sime and every note.
So concentrate many times. o get up and ttle h a poker and sing Dixie.’
Somac. Later on—y—s all of and up on tform in front of to conduct tra s or else a red dress spangled ones. tains of tage and M.K. ed on ter Singer er and eat fried chicken. he would admire her and
count friend. George o tage. It y or else in a foreign country. Famous people at uro toscanini and Admiral Byrd.