ell—you knoleman—s—this here------’
Mr. Singer.’
And stood looking around to see . And Mr. B-B-Blount seen o talk and ed old been staying here.’
Biff bo pattern. for a minute.
quot;to pile in e. illie to treet hey all come now.
to drag him.’
A dozen onlookers and a policeman all tried to croo taurant. Outside a couple of he ordinary happened.
No use creating any more disturbance t ted the drunk.
t of t as .’
t tled ttle croo treet again. turned to Biff: Somebody said aying h you.’
No. But as well be, Biff said.
ant me to take h me?’
Biff considered. get into any more trouble tonight.
Of course I cant be responsible—but I this will calm him down.’
O.K. Ill drop back in again before I knock off.’
Biff, Singer, and Jake Blount alone. For t time since in, Biff turned tention to
t seemed t Blount able emple. ed out of ely collapsed. te sat at table across from aking it all in h his gray eyes.
t Blount
rembling. tears began to roll do t e and raised -to-do? expression. Singer cocked his head on one side.
Biff ion. ill trying to decide urned over to e.
// you cannot to go some soup and coffee would be good for him.
ith relief Biff nodded vigorously.
On table es of t evening meal, t. But Blount eat. take part of ed to one diser t Blount just sat h and shook his head.
Biff enunciated slo te could see. tters------ ionally.
team from t floating up into Blounts face, and after a little of . ill trembled and e.
Biff noted t in nearly every person
t kept always guarded.
ite t of o keep tender nipples beginning to come out on . it h himself？
Lingeringly Biff turned ttle finger. Any . Not. Any more. A s into moved nervously to up from table. Funny to spot it in othough.
t to . eetered o be brooding on sometion out tcase from beer and explained to te about it. Singer looked as t be surprised at anything.
Biff o trance. Buck up and keep your nose clean, o Blount.
t sky o ligurn a deep blue a fears. treet y, silent, almost cool. Singer carried tcase ed Blount. o Biff and tarted off togetood cer te straigumbling Blount o ed for a moment and examined t dept fascinated and oppressed back into ted restaurant.
ood beer, and racted and ried to recall t . ed to explain someto s in tedious detail and ill puzzled.
times as a sudden spurt of
customers began to come in. t acked some of tables and mopped at to go copping to play for a wrokes and eadily.
till not cro meet to start a neress ion, for eaco be alone. tual distrust bet a gave everyone a feeling of estrangement.
treet he dawn.
ts inct. last t ss of to brigreet, Biff gave t survey and upstairs.
Noisily tled tered so t Alice urbed. Mot a night!’
Alice aion. S and stretc morning sun, and a pair of silk stockings he window-shade.
Is t drunk fool still airs? she demanded.
Biff took off and examined to see if it were clean enougo be worn again. Go down and see for yourself.
I told you nobody will .’
Sleepily Alice reacled tissue pages of til sain passage and began reading, pronouncing tration. It of he sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew
ing a net into they were fishers.
And Jesus said unto t;Come ye after me, and I o become fis; And straigs, and folloo to udied aloud. ened. ..
and in t , and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
And Simon and t er him.
And ; ‘
S tly inside ried to separate tual ed to remember to read it about bis giving up church and religion.
today is about to ion. And text is, quot;All men seek for t; ‘
Abruptly Biff roused ation and turned on ter spigot at full force. ripped off and began to —and about t into ts.
Biff stood by ting impatiently for Alice to get up.
From t t. Alice ill lay lazily across t ing. A calm, sullen anger rose in terness: If you like I can sit and read t I wis me sleep now.’
Alice began dressing ly s in all possible ting top one on ttom, and turning them over and upside down.