Blasp you. You and all

    your crecer me. God c c. Like ells me t.

    God  you.’

    ook Simms doo a corner store for Coca-Colas and peanut-butter crackers. Simms began to work on him again.

    for the show Simms ran along behind him.

    Come to tonig seven oclock. Jesus  for you.’

    t days of April railed across town.

    ternoon until midnigoug an undertone of trouble.

    One nig by til e girl figicket boot, but still truggled to get at eacook sides and te girl  in her hand.

    seen you, t t oo.’

    h, you black nigger!’

    Loory tag. I done paid my money and I ghy ride.

    e man, you make icket.’

    Black nigger slut!’

    Jake looked from one to the crowd pressed close.

    there were mumbled opinions on every side.

    I seen Lurie drop icket and I ce lady pick it up. t truth, a colored boy said.

    quot;No nigger going to put e girl while------？

    quot;You quit t puso  back even if your skin do be we.’

    Rougo t!

    ;Move on—break it up. Every damnone of you. t ts t made t sullenly aurned back to two girls.

    t is, said t I one of ty cents till Friday nig ticket so ride.Jake settled trouble quickly.  ted ticket and issued anoto t of t evening t Jake moved alertly troubled and uneasy.

    In addition to  to operate take tickets and to manage t count Patterson.

    t most of ime playing cards railer. he skin of his neck hung in yellow, pulpy folds.

    During t fe midnig  to Patterson and akings of times Patterson did not notice il railer for several minutes; aring at tupor. trailer terson omacecting it from somets very thoroughly.

    Jake and tors  one of t first ried to talk to to see truted to a pool room for a drink. But t er tion bet caused trouble. It  tterson. epped out of trailer ty. t.

    wo oper-

    Iators ogetened.

    If te s a Red.’

    ickles me. I dont pay ruts around. I never seen suc. all is he, you reckon?’

    Around five foot But  to tell everybody so muca be in jail. ts whe Red Bolshivik.’

    tickles me. I cant look at  laughing.’

    act biggity h me.’

    Jake co o rus and confront t a certain shrinking held him back. For several days he fumed in silence.

    t after urned a corner  in front of them.

    I  so  Saturday nig least I reckon I am. But ood beneatreet ligepped back from ed. You pasty-faced, sted, ricket-ridden little rats! I could reac and cringy necks—one to eac or no, I could lay you on to scrape you up h shovels.’

    t eacried to  Jake  let t step hem, walking backward, a furious sneer on his face.

    All I got to say is ture I suggest you come to me  my ,  last is not ake a leak  kno together.’

    Afterreated tempt.

    Be ernoon  tely damaged and o ime to fix it. Alogetraigo e joke.t . to drink again. As soon as , for teen lessness t o sob and bite o  beneatia Jake felt tension. Of all t to  Singer. Only ood trut get t-knoo see. It rying to fig or a stink in tared morosely out of unted, smoked-blackened tree at t out neoes from a fetid stream t ran t of tohe room.

    tc and greased  seemed t tc ting alone for many   morning.  of t t street.  of all the people around him.

    Sleeping. t-kno;trutards dont knohing.

    You dont kno knoreet aled furiously on -reet stuck t of the windows.

    You dumb dumb dumb dumb bastards. You dumb dumb dumb dumb------’

    S t dumber h you.’

    ty bottle on ttle you t a time.’

    ts right, honey, a whore called.

    ted and sless. An er umbled into Singers room. o sleep.

    On an April morning c ty yards from t  t a crazy angle. t on  covered . tassel like t t tared gloomily do time. ter t the morgue.

    At t fights and quarrels.

    Sometimes to t truggling togeting rage. Jake .

    Beneaty of t liger,  something sullen and dangerous.

    ted eps constantly. to come ake a stand in to preacalked of t.  t ober , . he

    out certain drunks and scream at tement made er so t , gurgling sound. Once  up and no arguments could make  of a Gideon Bible, and told o pray on  and to te t was offered him.

    to carry cs, also. e brief sentences.

    ried to  a passerby op and ponder over t a man  a man e s pamps and distributed treets.

    If it  been for Singer, Jake kne  toimes toget more often t tly in Singers room. If o talk Singer tentive. If  morosely te understood  surprised. It seemed to  only Singer could help him now.

    tairs  Singers door y.  alone for more t steps on tairs.

    I  you. here you been?*

    Singer smiled.   it aely ook  and leaned over telpiece to e a note.

    you mean? Jake asked e ten.  off?’

    Singer took back te and e a feional sentences.

    dont surprise me.’

    in lessness of t montense and uneasy. huh! he said again.

    Singer put on a pot of coffee and got out ore te to pieces and rolled ts between his

    sing palms.

    But somet ter a while.

    You kno?’

    Singer nodded uncertainly.

    I  to see tory. ake me around there?’

    Singer deliberated. te on a pad of paper, tonight.’

    Jake o o lessly around thing.’

    J AKE and Singer ed on t porciently and pressed  tood s of color on tle of gin toget and dark. Jake c s softly tia opened them.

    I certainly trust you not been ing long. So many folks been coming t us t it o untaclemens just let me take you s—Faty sick.’

    Jake tiptoed he bare, narrow hall.

    At tcopped s t. A fire burned in tove and tigain Negro smell. tove  in t.

    quot;tlemens come to inquire about Fatia said. I to see you but I better go on in first and prepare him.’

    Jake fingered ticed impression from t screen door. ts not it, o talk her.’

    tanding. Singer motioned to to be seated again. t doto lounged against

    t in a corner  legs umpy thighs.

    Good evening, Jake said awkwardly. Your name Copeland?’

    t umps of o the wall. My name illie.’

    you ia. this here is Mr.

    Singer t you . And te gentleman is Mr. Blount and he a very close friend of Mr.

    Singer. t kindly come to inquireabout us in our trouble. Surned to Jake and motioned to too. Named Buddy. And tove is ther. Named Mr.

    Marss. I t a good idea to understand wh you.’

    turned to illie again. I just  you to tell me about it so I can get it straight in my mind.’

    t is, illie said. I feel like my feets is still ing. I got terrible misery dooes. Yet t in my feets is do a o understand. My feets  me so bad all time and I dont know wo me.

    than a hundred m-miles from here.’

    I mean about  all happened, Jake said.

    Uneasily illie looked up at er. I dont remember—very good.’

    Course you remember, old us over and over.’

    ell------ timid and sullen. *Us on ter say someto te man taken a stick to ries to run off. And I follo so quick I dont remember good just  aken us back to the camp and------’

    I kno, Jake said. But give me tell me the guards.’

    Listen e man. It seem to me like you meaning to get me into trouble.’

    trouble! Jake said rudely. quot; in t do you think youre in now?’

    Less us quiet doia said nervously. quot;t is, Mr. Blount. t illie off at time  t on  to—I believe you understand urally illie urally us means tobe careful—cause t t t enougrouble as is.’

    o the guards?’

    te men  old me.’

    And where are your friends now?’

    quot; friends?’

    ?wo boys.’

    t my friends, illie said. Us all ’

    how you mean?’

    Portia pulled  tretc like rubber. quot;t illie means. You see, during t so bad to quarrel. illie dont ever  to see any of t one t already. ter------’

    quot;Buster got a reet today.’

    ter dont  o  to round up all toget know.’

    t aint a good idea. And besides us  tumps of rong   tor never given to me. I sure do wishey are.’

    Jake looked around h dazed, gin-clouded eyes.

    Everytrange. t in the

    kitc voices ec urned on but, as to dim its strengt of t came from bet stove. t uneasy and alone. Singer  to visit Portias fated o come back so t t doween Marss.

    ias fator Copeland is in t room, sir, said Roberts.

    Is or?’

    quot;Yes, sir. or.’

    teps outside and tened t a tall boy dressed  and gilded sered t seventeen.

    you all brought me?’

    ely to Jake and placed on table t jars of  beside te covered e napkin.

    t from ty, highboy said.

    And Lancys mot some peach puffs.’

    or, Miss Portia? Lancy asked.

    ?y sick t  a bad sign rong. Portia turned to Jake. Dont you t a bad sign, Mr. Blount?’

    Jake stared at  know.’

    Lancy glanced sullenly at Jake and pulled dogroor my familys regards.’

    Us certainly do appreciate tia said. quot;Fat ts to give you. ait just one minute  and rinc te to return to your Motainly a kindly to do.’

    Marso to speak to riped trousers and a morning coat ton and said: Pardon me, sir—but unavoidably ion rouble ably  course to take.’

    You one of ives or the preacher in his church?’

    ?No, I am a p. And Jos on your left is employed in tal department of t.’

    A postman, repeated Jos.

    itook a yelloer extensively.

    And  doubt as members of try of America o do our part toending amicable relationships.’

    e  ts.

    And it beo strive  endanger tionsablister condition .’

    Jake turned from one to t seem to follo ing ed to get out. A film seemed to tled over  all the faces around him were blurred.

    Across tening. t of . I so y t out tune. I certainly o taste some of t boogie-o o drink is t t knowed ws are now and could drink a glass of gin ever nig mind so much.’

    Dont fret, o ia said.

    Mr. Blount, o take a peach puff and a glass of wine?’

    t would be good.’

    Quickly Portia laid a clotable and set doe and a fork. Sumblerful of t make yourself comfortable  mind I going to serve thers.’

    t jars o mouto illie ias lipstick and dreo set ter. Jake finiso rong as brandy.

    illie started a loune on ia snapped he room.

    Jake turned to Marsias fator?’

    quot;Yes, sir. Yes, indeed. A skilled doctor.s tter h him?’

    t eacher.

    , said Jos.

    kind of an accident?’

    A bad one. A deplorable one.’

    Marshall Nicolls folded and unfolded his silk handkerchief.

    As ant not to impair tions but to promote tly possible. e members of t strive in all o uplift our citizens. tor in yonder rived in every  sometimes it o me like  recognized fully enougain elements of t races and tuation.’

    Impatiently Jake gulped do swallows of his wine.

    C sake, man, speak out plain, because I cant understand a thing you say.’

    Marss exc look.

    Across till sat playing music. , puckered caterpillars. rong.

    tumps of ime to tia clapped out thm.

    Jake stood up, and once on   aggered and tively around

    no one seemed to iced. ia thickly.

    topped. , I t you knoing at table o t co s ime for o go. You looked straig  you kno.’

    Maybe I  someturned to illie and said angrily to  to tell you o ask you to do anything.

    All I ed—all I ed o testify  t ory and afterhing.

    Maybe it------’

    t o forget o say. trange faces and too to breataggered across to it.  smelling of medicine. turning another doorknob.