S time before s into to pile in from took a prom card and t tart now.

    It came all of a sudden in a very queer ness.

    tood toget making noise at once. t till. None of tarted asking for proms like to do. tness got o enougies to knoed puncalking. t even if t look at tell to be popular or not. tness  ttery about theroom.

    After a o a girl named Delores Brown.

    As soon as o rus once. arted on anoter t everytopped again. One or tra girls got a couple of proms—and because sy to  was all.

    t he hall.

    tly flocked around tried to soget of laugo pretend like time. t about t about t all t came of it he room.

    It o notice z.  door and she had known him all her life.

    Altime to le and fig on t of grass by treet.  he

    did not look so muc broraigonig, and on track.

    It   made ice   ty  on one of o cock o see.  toucy as t  uck t into ell  bumping into people.  ask any girl to prom except   was y.

    All to tco make lemonade. Some of t porco get out in t air. After t, brigumn in the darkness.

    t expected. Along treet te and Sucker ells and Baby and Spareribs—t started at belo on up to over t kno all o  s invited eito o ty and in plainss or draggle-tailed knickers or old everyday dresses. t o cy. S of two feelings wher was a kind of warning.

    I got tz made out like  sten on it. o tle t meant t prom.

    Yeas get going.’

    tarted out to ill felt very ritzy. Look yonder at Mick Kelly! one of t

    Spare-ribs, and some day soon sc along to treet turned doher block.

    een?’

    Going on fourteen.’

    S  used to  six incall and a een. Every kid at ty  beside  er. No boy ed to prom aller t maybe cigarettes  t of h.

    I gre in last year, she said.

    Once I sa t and a  tall. But you probably  gro big.’

    opped beside a dark crepe myrtle bus. ook somet of  and started fooling ever it  was h his handkerchief.

    Pardon me,  on he deep.

    You ougo ime.’

    Yeah.’

    them?’

    t  and dark. reet.

    tain young lady back at ty t ts sissy for a felloo ain person—oh well, maybe I am a------’

    finisigeps and sprang for a leaf about four feet above  could see t o

    it t time. t the dark.

    S up h him.

    As usual a song was in o herself.

    s t youre singing?’

    ?Its a piece by a fello’

    pretty good. epping  like a fast boxer. t sounds like a sort of German name.’

    I reckon so.’

    Fascist? he asked.

    *?’

    I say is t Mozart a Fascist or a Nazi?’

    Mick t a minute. *No. time.’

    Its a good ted o ask why.

    I say its a good thing, he said again.

    hy?’

    Because I e Fascists. If I met one reet Id kill him.’

    S  treet liged.  you ever read ts thisway------’

    tion  he sidewalk. A heavy sickness came in her belly.

    t time to explain unless  mind telling you s. Id like to tell about it.’

    t c to spielt to somebody. But s ime to listen.

    S  he mess she saw.

    tanding around in t y. Noer just five minutes—the place looked

    more like a crazy  of t into ty itself. te ells banging out of t door ed people —in thes.

    Baby ilson messed around on t porc more t to be eps one at a time, o be  all. Mister Brannon  ime sed to. As soon as s  o see raig again like t to be. S up to Sucker ells. ood fart  ion, but s w had happened.

    So shake him.

    At first ig after a min- I ute eeto rattle. You go   invited.  ucked ail and reet.

    But  go all ter  to t docy w s see him.

    For a minute s good about s out of Sucker. And t aftered to let s t nerve she had ever seen.

    Drinking up ts and ruining ty into all tion. t door and

    o eac up to Pete ells because  of all. ball  and butted into people. Pete  of fourteen, yet ill stuck in t up to  oo big to sold o go  her.

    I been in six different states. Florida, Alabama------ftMade out of silver cloth a sash------*

    ty alking at once.

    ted people from Vocational ill stood in separate bunc about gone. ttle puddle of er ing lemon peels at ttom of ted too nice  to anybody  him.

    Portia  into tes t one—a jelly kind he bread.

    Portia stayed in to cy.  oo good a time to leave, s o o go on urday Nig me. Everbody so excited o  and see ty.’

    Excitement—t  all t excited, too. It  just iful  on one tiara in  ion and all tional people and kids being jammed together.

    ?atch her run!’

    Ouc it out——’

    Act your age!’

    A buncreet,  be off t bushem.

    Fresional all dressed up for a real prom party

    and acting just like kids. It  all. A boy came up to icker and sarted running too.

    ty irely no a regular playing-out. But it  nig. tco ty made all t about  gro  before you take a baternoon  plenty dirty just for t before getting into tub. Everybody  on Saturday nig like t of all.

    S to try any neunt.

    S s notice  enougo let ed to do.

    tcreet! tcch!’

    Sarted for it first. Do in nereet and dug a sc and red in t  to climb dole hen she jumped.

    itennis s —but tomac this pipe.

    opped. S h her eyes closed.

    ty------For a long time s it ional. And about ted to be  in t t somet like any ot  ty. But it  he end.

    Mick climbed out of tctle pots of flames. t on a doug in advance for  ty except her.

    S speak or look at tion in torn doy because everyone side. In took off torn and s so t sone tiara  some  too big to er ter t Not any more.

    Mick stood out on t porce  t. Sook a deep breat! ty is over!’

    In t, secret nig  late—yellos. Ss and o one side. For a long time s noticing tion.

    t from eacrees in times in t  taken  o ted to be sure no person could see. t the side yard.

    tood by tc a table. Mick sat on t place. Close around  sely onig all ended in t  around ring of beads— one cigarette ced tte and put   even a feeling or t in her.

    One program came on after anot especially care. She smoked and picked

    a little buncer a ed talking. ioned Beet t musician— ed to do. to play hird symphony.

    Sened because sed to arted. Mick raised   up to .

    come? For a minute to trutting in t. tside of  first part of t inside . S even  sounded after, but s ting and froze, s tiger a  o do ime and by  nig sun and in the real plain her.

    S listen good enougo  alL to o certain s and t later s forget—or s go and listen to eac t came  trying to remember? Golly! t listen  last t instruments buncogete like a ig t socked at  And t part was over.

    t take a long time or a s time. It did not o do ime going by at all. S iging y knee very  miges sened or . t  like t ruments played a sad and silver tune. the music rose up angry

    and ement underneathe black march again.

    But maybe t part of t—glad and like test people in t  t enougo listen.

    It iff   only t in  remember any of t even t fees. Sried to remember, but no sound at all came to  it  like a rabbit and terrible .

    ts in turned off. t ing s. Srengtil tears came dohe bush were sharp.

    S until o t t.

    it in  better. S grass, and after a wh came slow and easy again.

    t t t stars. t . t trying to t all o  part  as it ened in a quiet, slo tes out like a problem in geometry so s forget them.

    No  fe

    any real God.  of e s around — maybe t er Singer: Lord forgivet w I do.’

    t of tiful and clear. S noo. Maybe later on, o s to add to imes, just four more times, s all. Maybe.

    Once again sened to t of the music.

    tes gre and it he dark ground.

    Mick aurned c of tta Kelly aking all t------ sried to say. tars .

    S up in a  tell ed beating it for  like autumn. ter and faster on to the home block.

    B? Y OCtOBER t seersucker trousers for dark-blue serge ones.

    Beer of talled a mac made  ce. Mick ial to  ce, and simes a o drink a cup.  to ead of a dime and ed to give it to cood beer and roubled and sad. ed to reac oucousled  not as ouched

    a woman. In o range sound.