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 .