You kno said drunkenly. *You can just------’

    All rigly. No, I cant No behave yourself.’

    Biff  to ter and returned  steadily   a freak, alt sa hing was

    deformed about   in t erm in prison or o ime  ot likely to go or  ot apt to do.

    Biff cocked o one side and said, here are you from?’

    quot;Nowhere.’

    *Now, you o be born somewennessee—Alabama—some place.’

    Blounts eyes were dreamy and unfocused. Carolina, he said.

    I can tell youve been around, Biff ed delicately.

    But t listening. urned from ter and aring out at ty street. After a moment o tain steps.

    Adios, he called back.

    Biff  one of   one in tomers in te still sat by  table. Biff stared at tom of  back to t on ter.

    time  keep he words before him.

    tes and if it he palm of her hand.

    of  of cs and sure senderness came in him. he was uneasy.

    Restlessly Biff turned tention to Singer. te sat s and tagnant. he

    o treat Singer to a slug of w.

    o Alice rue—he did like freaks. he had a special friendly feeling for sick people and cripples.

    .B. came into t o beer. Or if tomer o ing for  liquor at ime ed it. Biff nodded to ly  it under ter along  take to toreroom bec a complete file of t dated back  a break for ty-one years.

    At t entered taurant again.  in all Negro man carrying a black bag.

    tried to bring o ter for adrink, but t as soon as or own ever since he could remember.

    ed in some o young illie back in tc Biff sa red.

    t stood there.

    ?Dont you kno bring no nigger in a place we men drink? someone asked him.

    Biff cance. Blount  could easily be seen how drunk he was.

    Im part nigger myself,  as a challenge.

    Biff cly and t. itrils and tes of  looked a little as t be telling truth.

    Im part nigger and wop and bohose.’

    ter.

    And Im Dutcurkisable we drank his coffee. his voice was loud and cracked.

    tm one range land.’

    ?Quiet doo him.

    Blount paid no attention to anyone in t te. t eaces eyes le as a cats and all o listen. the drunk man was in a frenzy.

    ?Youre to said. For talking to you in my mind because I knoand t to mean.’

    Some people in a boot kno t a deaf-mute to try to talk ctle darting glances and listened attentively.

    Blount sat doo table and leaned over close to Singer.

    t knoen t knoime—t t t dont knos like in teentury ruth.

    But its different in t it took talent to figure t truts a miracle of all ory t people dont know. You savvy.’

    Biff rested er and looked at Blount y. Know w? he asked.

    quot;Dont listen to  said. Dont mind t flat-footed, blue-joard. For you see, . It almost never imes  eac ts a bad ts o me a lot of times. But you see there are so few of us.’

    Masons? Biff asked.

    S up, you! Else  snatc you black , Blount bae and o a drunken w and insidious conspiracy.

    Obscurantism.’

    till laug trying to ion e. Only Biff o ascertain if te really understood o ly and emplative.   began to crack a fealk about knoe never smiled until several seconds after talk ill tle too long. t uncanny.

    People felt tc t about

    seem quite human.

    Jake Blount leaned across table and t as t understand s tongue  suc pace t togeturned  of t, too—like she said.

    Biff yating ips until   t stagnant te ient. ening to Blount for almost an o look at t did not notice t on  a pause. At last opped a to roll a cigarette, and te nodded ion of t  up from table. ayed stuffed in s as al quickly.

    Blount   know w had happened.

    on to t t te made no ansood out on o  table angrily s.  could not last much longer now.

    Come on over, Biff said kindly. quot;Your friend has gone.’

    till ing for Singer.  before. he had an ugly look.

    I  to speak e, Biff coaxed.

    Blount pulled able and eps toreet again.

    Biff leaned against t—in and out. After all, it . tes lingered. earily  ion seemed sloo be leaving the room.

    ter, faces, tables, to become very faint and still.

    s came back to o see ed. illie, tcood before e apron. illie stammered because ed about o say.

    And so  against this here brick w-w-wall.’

    s t?’

    Rigwo d-d-doors away.’

    Biff straigie.

    ?’

    And to bring o pile in any minute------’

    illie, Biff said patiently. Start at t me get traight.’

    It t ache.’

    ?Mr. Blount. Yesgt;ell—I didnt see  commenced. I anding in tion. Sound like a big figo see. And te man  gone ting bis  tting s. ing like I never seen a

    before. it to broken and around and look------So w happened?’