Listen, ;trouble  you dont  but one ell, Ive knoo do to------’

    Or maybe its curiosity I mean. You dont ever see or notice anytant t goes on. You never cry to figure anyt. Maybe ts t difference beter all.’

    Alice  asleep again, and tcac. tinctive point

    about en tention, and o tumpy outline of  beneat curves of o ture t stood out in e, unbroken figure.

    quot;t of a spectacle is something you have never known, he said.

    ired. quot;t felloairs is a spectacle, all rigoo. But Im tting up h him.’

    mean anyto me. ive or buddy of mine. But you dont kno is to store up a ails and turned on t er and quickly began to shave.

    It  Jake Blount iced ely and c, ac ung by a  t seemed contrary.   and slender as a boys. tac uck on for a costume party and oo fast. It made  middle-aged, alts ained, and calloused, and e-linen suit. t t at time anot let you laugh.

    of liquor and drank it straig at one of te a big cer  iced Blount very carefully  t er. Never imes in twelve days. Never ay drunk so long.

    Biff pushumb and shaved

    his upper lip. he was finished and his face seemed cooler.

    Alice airs.

    tcase o t of taurant, beer,  so cro t-up e still drank coffee by  one of tables. t stopped talking.  addressing anyone around icular, nor ening. o t evening ead of t welve days. ch mud.

    Alertly Biff picked up fragments of o be talking some queer kind of politics again.

    Last nigalking about places  texas and Okla on t of cat-er of time nobody  alk—talk.

    t of  like a cataract. And t t imes alked like a lintimes nice a professor.  long and t ell  of try fully Biff fondled tip of ion. Yet connection usually  , but  from one to anot any reason be at all.

    rack by somet on ter and began to peruse told of a decision by ter four montion, t t could not afford traffic lig certain dangerous intersections of to column reported on t. Biff read ttention. As his

    eyes follo t of  to tions t  on around icles ill stared do t nervous. to make some sort of settlement   knoance would onig keep on forever.

    Biff sensed t someone anding in trance and o tood looking in ts, a blue s, and tennis s at first glance so him.

    o ts?’

    No, s belong to them.’

    From ticed t t doable and turned ao er before him.

    Your folks kno after midnight?’

    Its O.K. t late on our block tonight.’

    o tagged beer sty babies in a  if s nursing or trying to keep up ood t to be able to make up  sed. S pusishe palm of her hand.

    Id like a pack of cigarettes, please. t kind.

    Biff started to speak, ated, and ter. Mick broug a ying t in t  a jerk ttered to the

    floor and rolled to, tering to  ared in a daze at t before ter tted doration and picked up to ter and stood jiggling the dime in his palm.

    Seventeen cents for cigarettes now?’

    Biff ed, and Mick looked from one of to ther.

    tacked to a little pile on ter, still protecting it y  down.

    Five mills for t,  for you, Biff. tried to focus  toes on t fingering t last s a o liberty. to democracy and tyranny.

    to freedom and piracy.’

    Calmly Biff picked up t into till.

    Mick looked as ted to ook in turned o te sat at able alone. After a moment Blount also glanced noion. te sat silently over able  matcick.

    Jake Blount  to speak. Its funny, but I been seeing t fello ts.  leave me alone. If you ever noticed, o say anything.’

    It  Biff ever discussed one customer , tally.

    Its funny.’

    Mick sed  from one foot to tted ttes into t of s. Its not funny if you kno er Singer lives h us. he rooms in our house.’

    Is t so? Biff asked. I declare—I didnt knoMick o

    looking around. quot;Sure. hs now.’

    Biff unrolled -sleeves and t take  taurant. And even after ses ill fumbled -sleeves and stared at ty door and turned back to the drunk again.

    Blount leaned er. -looking and  ank like a goat. t beads on y neck and an oil stain on ted on oo s in t pulling at tchem.

    Man, you ougo knoter, Biff said finally. You cant go around like t been picked up for vagrancy. You ougo sober up. You need ing. Mot fit to  people.’

    Blount sco his lower lip.

    No take offense and get your dander up. Do ell you. Go back in tcell to give you a big pan of  er. tell illie to give you a toy of soap and oast and open up your suitcase and put you on a clean s and a pair of britc fit you. tomorroart doing o do and  straig.’