And sime sed to. It t autumn. tayed inside tle by little. t o be. Se, and some as it so bring it all out again. Except and be ready for times o for it to groree.
In ter Singer.
Every afternoon as soon as sreet past tore er Singer. ain. But s tore sed on t porco come imes sairs. S on tc aton on bis collar and brus togeted to tell eac had never been said before.
ime ago t back and remembered raigurned-up nose and freckles. Se blouse. Soed. Every day s an orange for little recess and a blue tin box of lunc at little recess and ter—but not Celeste. Ss of her sandwiches and
ate only t middle part. Al of there.
Celeste never talked to alked to Celeste.
Alt hing else.
At nig Celeste. S t friends and t time supper and spend t. But t never happened.
t about Celeste er a year Celeste moved to anot of to to another school.
tood by o marc eigy c ted about about Celeste. ttery tickets for a turkey raffle. And Miss Anglin, waugh grade.
And Carole Lombard in them.
But er Singer t about t Mister Singer t day o ask about a room sime into back in tco tell Portia and Bubber about airs and ctress on to see if t on t porcers and c out of ten-cent taxi case and er sened to came in a gradual no feeling betalked to alked to a person before. And if alked he
eace teac nig er Singer—just ter it tle Szerland toains all around. op of all teep and pointed.
Or in France its being ry of Norer ocean.
In t t on day. Stas perfume or a drop of vanilla so t if s to sce so sairs on o ernoon and nig there.
Eac ant. ootoote in a glass on able. So instead of leaving oot it in a glass, also. like cabbage. er Brannon, mentioned t to eat cabbage eits about o e a feo be off by ime to t over. in o store up everyt later s over and remember.
But in ter Singer all. Many tside room. Sairs and broke off one of teeter in a vacant lot, and alted for t ternoon sudying for an Englisest out on teps. o co ences for her. his eyes were quick behind his horn-
rimmed glasses. After o ood up and jerked ts of o be talking or doing somete.
You see, t things nowadays, he said.
o surprise people and sometimes s know o answer him.
Its trut things ahead nowadays.’
??’
Militant Democracy or Fascism.’
Dont you like Republicans?’
Ss not w I mean.’
ts one afternoon. old tle Je grass from told about o assassinate ler. all told about any justice or freedom e deliberate lies and people didnt knohe world.
terrible—everybody kne. Sted o kill ler. It ter to if one missed to be a like being a great musician.
Eit believe in o fig I kno’
Me too, so figs. I could dress up like a boy and nobody could ever telL Cut my hair off and all.’
It ernoon. trees in t t to be doing someten-penny nail and drove it into teps in o stand around aers horses, and
little Ralpting a rock on top of one and t over to t to balance o ing marbles. Because hin.
Some of teet ting blackberries. aake aim for t back to cer a o t Baby buddy h a single person.
I got to go, to be at at t good to eat free?’
Sure. And all kinds of folks come in t better t pays more.’
I e Mister Brannon, Mick said. It rue t even to t time. And ter Singers room? Maybe took t. tainly did not. Only once a little er-color set from ten-cent store. And a nickel pencil-sharpener.
I cant stand Mister Brarmon.’
, imes queer kind of person, but crabby. to know him.’
One t about, Mick said. A boy ter advantage like t t some part-time job t dont take of scime for ot t jobs like t for girls. s a job so quit scime. Id sure like to earn a couple of bucks a t not any way.’
on teps and untied rings. til one broke. A man comes to the caf named Mr.
Blount. Mr. Jake Blount. I like to listen to
from things he says when he drinks beer. hes given me some new ideas.’
I know him good. he comes here every Sunday.’
ring to even lengtie it in a boen— mention to I said. I mean I doubt if talk to me. talks to Mr. Singer.
t was funny if you —you know w I mean.’
O.K. S er Blount and s. I mention it.’
Dark came on. te like milk, sia in tcove made tche smell of smoke and supper.
You knoold anybody, e to realize about it myself.’<bdo>ｈttｐ://ｗｗｗ?９９ｌiｂ?ｎｅｔ</bdo>
??’
You remember o read t things you read?’
Sure.’
I used to be a Fascist. I used to t his way.
You knoures of tep togeto t o eacep toget ies because I didnt to t it. And because at time I didnt to t kno looked at tures and read said underneat understand. I never kne I . Of course later on I found out different.’
ter against co a young boys.
ell, you didnt realize then------ she said.
It errible transgression. A moral wrong.’
t or very y to toucte. It errible sin for a person to c on a test, but not a sin to copy o ick or sun-backed dresses. It errible sin to buy anytter if it cost only a nickel.
So time whey were kids.
Once crossed and stayed crossed for a year. out on steps at Vocational ook of scayed out for a whole year.
aller and very fat. Every time so eat in cimes tle. o fig real fig just in play. Sion jujitsu and boxing. Sometimes imes s tle kids ever broke any toy to ook time to fix it. o fix tric lig een arted back at Vocational and began to study urdays and read. For a long time s see mucil after t party she gave. he was very changed.
ILike t used to be I ion for myself all time. A great engineer or a great doctor or la no t is errible ther hand
Democracy. I mean I cant t I mean to be in life because I too muc t killing ler every nigy and scared of some- ■ t know w’
S ig t trembled. look old enougo be fifteen. itrees on t treet Mrs. ells was calling Sucker home.
te afternoon made t a piano—I to take music lessons, so oget s him.
made like s imes anyo your Grandmoto him.
t o say in t ood up and looked surprised. tled co the alley.
trong as Samson. , quick ected a on led allest but rong. fig opped moving and sopped too. ill. S on up toget laug. As t funny. to feel queer about, but suddenly it tle pus all right.
So long, oo old to climb to t of his house.
Goss ! sher in here.’
Portia ylittle s ed in a fara and gravy and grits and a feogete. Se tes of te until all ts still s full.
S about Mister Singer all t upstairs. But w y feeling.
Doairs s sit still and study for test.
It on a c s big as a giant.
Finally s out e box from under tomacebook. t ty songs no s feel satisfied e a sympra—e t? Sometimes several instruments played one note, so taff est paper—t an inc. e e se trument to se toget top of te SYMPters. And under t MICK KELLY. t go any further.
If she could only have music lessons！
If only she could have a real piano！
A long time passed before s started. tunes e t looked like t play in t s on figuring until Etta and o the room and
got into bed and said so turn t off because it was eleven oclock.
-t OR six ia ed to o tor Copeland tion: You seen anybody ter from illie yet? And every nigo tell hing.
At last sion no more. So t a oned and rings loose.
February came. turned milder, t. trees and c of doors barefoot and naked to t. ts orrid as in midsummer. ter a feer ourned dank and bitterly cold. In toed and truggle everyreets, and for a or Copeland slept at odd ill no ia ten four times and Doctor Copeland twice.
During most of t ime to t occasionally o rest for a moment at home.
of coffee by tcove and a deep uneasiness s had died.
And one of tus Benedict Mady Letle deaf-mute. o speak at t as it o attend funerals o accept tation. tients been lost because of any negligence on . t o a single room. ty. o stay aen o ly a sligremor in teadily wired.
tia came to t ting by tc. Soxicated. isrils . look at busied . milk. able.
ted before Portia sternly. have you had your morning meal?’
I not going to eat breakfast, she said.
You . If you intend to get to oday;’
I not going to work.’
A dread came in ion her.
eady in tongue-tied?’
I going to tell you. You going to it. Just as soon as I able to say it I going to tell you.’
Portia sat motionless in to ted loosely about eacher.
urned from a perilous sense of ease and freedom, o be stered. te. tcate of spotless order and cleanliness. t of tove and behere was a round, black shadow.
It about illie.’
I knoe gingerly between his palms.
s pleasures.
Once I mentioned to you ter Jo t iddy. So?’
Buster been crippled for life.’
o o steady tinate trembling to control.