ter tising room dressed in a clean s and a tie. Noto do at in a couple of clocks. t go out to look for ot every minute o be busy around took do or not. ia and scrubbed tairs. a contraption ciful alp blocks for Ralped a little needle-tc o pains.
Mick still folloer Singer. But s to. It er to er Brannons s into t a nickel for a sack of peanuts.
t nigayed on te side of treet from a block beopped, sopped also—and sometimes to sried o keep busy at home.
S noo be fooling up on in ter y dollars at a movie bank nig s
like a boys. S dance in took o see it Baby began to yell and cut up during one of to drag of to wo make oo. George ed Baby. op up e ells ran away from ed and very o New Orleans.
Because of Etta, Mick still slept in t sofa cramped so make up sleep in study sc Bill s hem.
A fello room.
Bill o irely by like a little ty and breat.
S-time again. But not t summer o t a different o? Once t to be condemned. Did maybe some niger and broken glass and smasure? So t t move or breatiff. In t t somebody walking —somebody else awake besides er Singer?
S about o forget e t seemed like a very long time to together.
During tside room. But at nig enough.
Sed somebody. Sried to keep George a sure is fun to stay aalk in talk aher.’
he made a sleepy answer.
See tars out to realize t every single one of ttle stars is a planet as large as th.’
*?’
t do. t s science.’
I dont believe in it’
Sried to egg o an argument so t mad and stay a alk and didnt seem to pay attention. After a it look like a pilgrim forefath a gun in his hand?’
It sure does. ts exactly s like. And see over t t bottle look like a funny man on?’
?Na dont look a bit like one to me.’
Sook a drink from a glass of er on t if you to. tle fists up to , even way because he was falling asleep.
ait, George! s;th an M. Guess who I am.’
George sigired. Are you harpo Marx?’
No, Fm not even in the movies.’
I dont know.’
Sure you do. My name begins ter M and I live in
Italy. You ougo guess this.’
George turned over on answer.
My name begins sometimes Im called a f name beginning aly. You can guess. It and dark and George ed did not aed in close to little naked s wh decimals.
as Mister Singer aly up and do on table? a terrible afraidness like this one? No.
in ttime. Yet at time and.
If only sell t ter.
S of o tell er Singer—I kno any older ter Singer, I dont kno—Mister Singer. Mister Singer. She said his name over and over.
Ster tter even t love. It like anyt in her life before.
In togetalk.
Sometimes sed very muco be close to George. aller and le ears. ed so t rained look. teet t like eeth had .
been. Often of feeling out teetongue.
Listen here, George, she said. Do you love me?’
Sure. I love you O.K.’
It week of school.
George tle fingers squeezed tig breaking t. hen he was finished she held him
by to . A w.’
Lemme go. Sure I love you. Aint you my sister?’
I kno suppose I your sister. ould you love me then?’
George backed ay pullover ser. s er retc they hung loose and made his hands look very small.
If you my sister t not kno love you.’
?But if you did kno your sister.’
*But prove it.’
?ell, just take it for granted and pretend.’
I reckon I ill say you cant prove-------’
Prove! You got t ove and trick.
Everytrick or its got to be proved. I cant stand you, George Kelly. I e you.’
O.K. t like you none either.’
hing.
* you under tter leave my things alone.
If I ever cauge box Id bust your tomp on your brains.’
George came out from under ty little paress ces to take oo little and too tough.
t any sense in loving than she did.
Sc and s—some eet. Finally so e doe songs. Alo Mister Singers radio and the programs she had heard.
? ails Mick? Portia asked. kind of cat is it got ongue? S say a ing to be a regular lady these days.’
It ing—but e- in treets. During t music or messed ed. Sometimes se June tant t it ching.
t nig on t ready and ted to toget come ta, on ters. Bill eps on treet a girl need up and doe. ts on t beginning to be turned on, and far away a man was calling someone.
teps and sers. In t, soft e as s tta o today.’
kind of a job? asked t for girls?’
Just for a girl. A clerk do oolo get married next week.’
quot;ten-cent store------ Mick said.
You interested?’
tion took beent a sack of ergreen candy s t and tense. Sed t fears.
tte doo t Mick to take on too mucy at . h, anyway.’
I agree would be a
mistake for Mick to o t .’
Bill put Ralp on teps. Nobody ougo il teen.
Mick sional—if .’
Even if o home for a while.’
For a minute sry to corner o taking t took ttitude touc excited. talking about scared feeling t o ig.
About ? she asked.
ten dollars.’
ten dollars a week?’
Sure, en a month?’
Portia dont make but about t much.’
Oh, colored people------ hazel said.
Mick rubbed top of ts a w of money. A good deal.’
Its not to be grinned at, Bill said. quot;ts w I make.’
Micks tongue enougo talk. ten dollars a fifteen fried callments on a radio. S about a piano, but s mention t aloud.It ide us over, t at time I rat ta------’
ait! S and reckless. I to take t doen to little Mick, Bill said.
teetcick and took doers. Nos not ruso anytake ime and t. e can get along
some o increase my cy per cent soon as------’
I forgot, mas bonus every year.’
Mick fro;But I be to ion and to school. Sure, hazel said quickly.
quot;But tomorroake t it’
It ig to laugalk. trick for George cick and a y cents to go doo tore for Coca-Colas to be drunk after supper. tronger in tia called.
ted at table. Mick e and s eat. cea over table.
ter sed on t porcer Singer to come e o see ement of to tomaco en-cent store and s to o somet be just for t for a long time, as long as she could see ahead.
Once to t o do again. t hings were.
Sood in tigo ters. A long time passed and Mister Singer still did not come. At eleven oclock s out to see if s suddenly s frighe dark and ran back home.
thed and dressed very careful.
ta loaned o ick and plucked least sixteen years old whey were finished.
It oo late to back do a year. And ta and Bill and t s o go. But s do it. S lose face like t. S up to see Mister Singer. ten—I believe I got t do you ts a good idea? Do you ts O.K. to drop out of scs good?’
At first understand. ood s. t ted to tell eac old before. to say no muc ell —and if ter about it. Sed ted.
You ts good?’
Mister Singer considered. then he nodded yes.
S took o a little office and talked er ten cents e and a little modeling clay set for George. On June to start ore. tt CARSON Me CULLERS_l ime o go to Antonapoulos again.
tance beto points far out of topped for long certain stations during t. Singer oernoon and travel all t and until t day. As usual, o . to t blocked, and s issue paper—and in
addition t of fruits done up in cellope of late-sraure Singer cleaned of left-over goose liver and took it out to t. On acked ted tating t for several days on business. During all tions leisurely s of color on his cheekbones. his face was very solemn.
t last ture ood on tform, burdened cases and gifts, and crain roll in on tation tracks. in ted part s y and rice t some recent bridal pair lay scattered on to ravelers and leaned back in . For a o and Biff Brannon. t of t smot of t and ture of t eac into a bitter tirade against t one. urn, t it ed o sanction knoand in t. And t tcrangers reets and buttonurk at tongue to make he shape of which Singer had never imagined before.
A certain mill foreman and an old black reet and an urced soldiers for a wrain
rocked ion. o rest on w.
oten. Outside ty midsummer countryside. ted in strong, bronze-colored rays over tton. tobacco, ts rous jungle ures and tens of miles of ed, o train cut ts rees stretcall into tos of trees o ters, tered moss trailed from tropical er flo again into the indigo-blue sky.
Singer sat solemn and timid, urned fully tohe window.
t sal coloring almost blinded y of scene, ted ;. s onapoulos. t stifled breatly open mouth.
Antonapoulos o see s and ts. By noo go on an excursion to tero tel visit. Singer ten many letters to Antonapoulos, but posted to ts of his friend.
t been span of time. Be tonapoulos ogetimes of Antonapoulos , sometimes icism, freed of will. nighe face of his friend was
alernally united.
trees in tance and te full moon, and lorees, ted rural d intervals mild summer ligcently until at last t ed in the glass before him.
Caggered up and doer. An old man in overalls o time from a Coca-Cola bottle. Betle carefully tle girl on t combed icky red lollipop. Srays of supper were broughe dining-car.
Singer did not eat. and kept desultory account of all t on around last ttled do, they could.
Singer did not sleep. trained to see into t. ty. Sometimes tc or tern from t train urned from its souto.
t oo pinco breat. t ty glass of t of t journey.
train e, and t summer morning was well under way whey arrived.
Singer immediately to tel, a very good el o Antonapoulos on t ed a luxurious breakfast—broiled bluefisoast,
and black coffee. After breakfast ed before tric fan in noon o dress. fres seersucker suit At tal ing uesday and teenth of July.
At t Antonapoulos first in t at tely t t o taken time before. ion already ten on one of t t a boy, ure face and a lank mop of ood quietly, resting on his heels.
t ten and ts of color drained from antly. te a long time, sideten t Antonapoulos was dead.
On to tel to crus ook to o tted palm tree t maced a nickel but o pull t t to-do. rated ears rolled doamped once ly s on t. Nor ed on c immediately. o ically to make it close again. For in addition to ticles otle of ink, a roll of toilet paper, and a o the
railation to put ody. train did not leave until nine in ty afternoon before him.
toreets intersected to form tores rified look; tlessly along t felt so s o do so. to relieve trangled feeling a drink in one of tores.
rifles at ten-cent store. o one side like a sick animals.
ternoon ended o Singer. reet. t and t raise as o disturbed opped in treet. Listlessly raced eps and stood before tes inside and talking ogetless. ts and brigies. Eac ain brothem.
Singer inside. For a moment rouble taking . ting. out like pistons as tioned him.
old o o tell about onapoulos. t knoh his hands dangling loose.
ill inclined to one side and less and cold t tes in ts looked at er a w him
out of tion. And t suggest t hem.
Alt on treets for missed rain. It clear to tation tes before train pulled out, and barely ime to drag . t empty. tled e of strah finicky care.
t size, large as s and in full-blo top of t iny bouquets. Singer put a berry in ness tle flavor of decay. e until e aste and te and placed it on t midnig. pulled over ion upor of twelve or o shey arrived.
Singer left ation floor. to ted tless turn of out again t For a s. But ted brilliance of t, oppressed urned to er resting te. tray and t out a pistol from and put a bullet in .