t il ten at nig s  s plainly. One Sunday,  typeer, s ty cents instead of fifty, and did not discover take until several customers o pay. Anotime sen dollars. Biff and looking at ime, rubbing fully and h his eyes half-closed.

    t speak of toget nigairs aurant alone. ogetayed beer and looked after tcables, as om. t talk except on matters of business, but Biff and ch his face puzzled.

    ternoon of tober t. Biff airs. itaken Alice to tal and tor umor almost ther hour Alice was dead.

    Biff sat by  tal in stunned reflection.  hey hardened like glass.

    tor inued to look into  for ttle difference. ed eacail about  cy-one years.

    t ts turned to a picture t ored inside him.

    t gold strip of sand. ttle che

    sturdy brotle naked boys, t to eac, srange young faces no one had ever seen before. Biff bowed his head.

    After a long er-in-laside. A fat bee craop of tly Biff caug in  it out t time, and teness  led out into tal corridor.

    Late t morning  seairs.

    t in cases of real love t does not more often follo bury tes t must be fulfilled after a deat is as t steps for a time upon a stage and eaco an unlimited amount of time and cion  carry out? Or per stay for tion of t t really dead, but groed for a second time in the living? hy？

    Biff bent close over ated on many things.

    ips of   a ts, and now .

    t and , and t dead leaves of tumn scraped on t early.

    Eace  and side a o t first and looked carefully at tion of caskets. oucerials of tested trengthe frames.

    is tte?’

    taker answered ions in an oily,

    unctuous voice.

    And age of cremations in your business?’

    Out on treet again Biff y.

    From t t. copped, so urned dooreet  out cting at c quietly on a pallet on te  in it time for contemplation and enquiry. o explain t use of jeced torted look of Kellys rig appeared tcalked for a ill early o go up to tes room.

    Singer  nigter of condolence. o be a pallbearer at t on tte toget  eyes.  talk, and once te stopped to pat o  out together.

    Biff boug tore and sahe preacher of Alices church. hen all was arranged he came back home.

    to put t  in o give to Lucile. raigcairs and removed treamers from tric fans. t in tub and bathe morning was done.

    Biff bit t. By noing for oget a and fitted tly around to see t all was well

    before going out again.

    An er cte.  ea.

    Lucile and Alice  in all  it  easy to realize ters. Lucile oday sely in black. Sed patiently on tcable her worked on her.

    t  and mellohe room.

    Bartholomew------ said Lucile.

    ??’

    quot;Dont you ever start thinking backward?’

    I dont,said Biff.

    You knos like I got to ime so I  t. All I can let myself t is going to ure.’

    ts t attitude.’

    I been giving Baby finger  t t so quick I been t letting . I dont  to give it to ake o Atlanta ologist convention and let  it there.’

    Mot but four. Its liable to scare s tend to coarsen the hair.’

    Lucile dipped ter and mas. And ss one.

    Young as Baby is, sion as I got.

    And ts saying plenty.’

    Biff polishe palm of his hand and shook his head.

    Every time Baby and I go to t even get o eat erward.’

    For goodness sake, Biff said.

    Sting along so fine  year I  o start ll be a o play some.

    eaco give he

    soiree. I feel like I got to puss started on ter itll be for both of us.’

    Motherogod!’

    You dont understand. A calent cant be treated like ordinary kids. ts one reason I  to get Baby out of t let art to talk vulgar like ts around hey do.’

    I kno.

    treet—the Crane boy------？

    You kno none of toBabys level.’

    Lucile set t le co put more color in ted able. For ttle e se socks and even small ain urned t way now.

    t for a cte  saying anyto cry. Its not like ers. e  see muc  your own blood kin, and whis happens------’

    Biff clucked soothingly.

    I kno all just roses  maybe t sort of makes it worse for you now.’

    Biff caugo ting epped into t le silk skirt  t. Sigtle hand.

    Unca Biff! atc.’

    Gently  Baby on  again. S slid sloedirections on t sed retcraig of her and one

    be a fancy angle, looking side th a sad expression.

    Scch me do a------’

    tle quieter, Lucile said. S do stle of  her eyes and face?’

    see test resemblance between Baby and Leroy ilson.’

    Lucile looked too t for  er all,  to admit her, she said.

    Cant you ever forget about t man?’

    I dont kno things.

    And ts Leroy and Baby.’

    Bills ne tired. Dont you ever just t ? Dont you ever use logilt;—if ts t to be t?’

    Not about him, I guess.’

    Biff spoke in a weary manner and  closed.

    You married tain party er one racket beter another.

    You divorced er you married ime. And nos  suited to eacs aside from t of man tain party o be anyway.’

    God kno door again.’

    Look, Baby, Biff said quickly. ;teeple. Open the door and here are Gods people.’

    Lucile s o bot Baby. I tell  to Z.’

    quot;t ay  as long as  was before?’

    Yeaime time anybody steps up on t t man. Biff spread out truck two.

    t. Baby turned anot again on took o tle legs dangled against toned  and burrowed o him.

    Listen, Lucile said. If I ask you a question o ansruth? Sure.’

    No matter  is?’

    Biff touc gold ly on ttle head. Of course.’

    It  seven years ago. Soon after  time. And  from your place s all over old me you caug tale about  I  to knohe real reason.’

    Biff turned t never did like Leroy, and  from now.’

    quot;No. te t for. e been knoy long time, and I understand by no you got a real reason for every single tead of just s. Noell me   to know.’

    It  mean anytell you I got to know.’

    All rig nigarted drinking, and   of you and you ake it. But terep outside in times so t t been playing around and it s  about it’

    Lucile sat up straig on eacs o be like I ime so as not to t my mind stay on is going to  home and Babys career.’

    Yes.’

    I  too, and not start thinking backward.’

    Biff leaned  and closed his eyes.

    During t been able to tried to remember   umpy, very soft and oes. ttoms  iny bro taken off ockings and kissed . And, come to t, t  t part of a irred and glanced at ctle whe funeral would be held.

    In  tions of tand-  ing ember sunse tombstones, on tent covering t？

    No matter  your oer, Lucile said.

    Biff raised  you marry again? Some nice young man  forget about Leroy you would make a good man a fine wife.’

    Lucile o ansime understand eacty  any kind of ts t I ever  to be to any man again.’

    feel the same way, Biff said.

    er t up sloe silk

    dress a little aness outside.

    Biff kept taurant closed during t day. t door and opened tomers came in alked es by ter before giving t—Singer, Blount, various men er supper Mick Kelly stle brot a nickel into t mac t coin ss and kept opening to be sure t not in anot . Coins came clattering out and rolled along the floor.

    ttle brot looking around pretty s no customer   on one before t to it te  table in th his dinner before him.

    Across from  sat drinking beer, dressed in alking. Everyt er a , and no sound or movement escaped him.

    I go around, Blount said. ly across table and kept es face. I go all around and try to tell t make tand anytter  seem to make truth.’

    Singer nodded and o eat, but e t  Blount go on talking. t mac tting o t. Often s table, but te urned to  see.Mister Singers got fried c eaten one piece yet, ttle boy said.

    Mick pulled dohe machine very slowly. Mind

    your own business.’

    Youre alo his room or some place where you know hell be.’

    I told you to hush, Bubber Kelly.’

    You do.’

    Mick sil eettled and turned oo bed. I already told you I get a bellyful of you and Ralpime, and I dont  you  nigo be free.’

    Bubber  bis grimy little  t pocket  for home.

    Biff straig and smootie  t ed to go up to t macalk  somet let er. A dance orcra came in on t   to listen. All tunes in t ten years ell one from t enjoyed music. Yet  song.

    o one side. Mick  year t soon saller ter and blue pleated skirt sarted. Nos  and tting knees. S the age when she looked as much like an overgrown boy as a girl.

    And on t subject  test people mostly missed t point? By nature all people are of bot marriage and t all by any means. ten old mens voices groimes gro and t rougtle mustac  of  sometimes almost wis Mick and Baby were his kids.

    Abruptly Biff turned from ter.

    tack of ter.

    iticed eye o ttom of t. tomorro cem of files. Build sober ,, on up to t date. itop markings outlining orical events. ts of outlines—one international beginning ice and leading termational, time Mayor Lester s  try club up to t ty years docketed and outlined and complete. Biff beamed quietly be Alice ed o  turn to a ladies toilet. t   for once tered  one time.

    ition Biff settled doo tails of teadily and ration, but from  some secondary part of  to everyt ill talking, and often   on table. te sipped beer. Mick lessly around tared at tomers. Biff read every  paper and made a fees on themargins.

    t s. to an old song t dated back to time  treetcar one Sunday to Old Sardis Lake and ed a ro. At sunset , and  feelings. Biff folded t ter. ood on one foot

    and to Mick.

    Youre not listening, are you?’

    Mick turned off tonig  of rate on someter and comer after anot last tention rested on te at table. o  ation sit doed to sometress broug a freak like a deaf-mute, cut off from ot young girl to sit doo table  talked, and tes expression cc  in t very still s, and because  speak it made  did t fello did he know？

    tarted to go over to table, but eacime er till   te —and in turned over questions and solutions in  satisfaction. taken root in  worried  hing wrong.

    [.ANY times Doctor Copeland talked to Mr. Singer. truly  like ote men. ood trong, true purpose in a  ote men could not. ened, and in le and Je is oppressed. On one occasion ook Mr. Singer  and sickness and fried fatback.  made on tient ed a sypic ced out to Mr. Singer tion on t incisors. ted two-room s housed as

    many as teen persons. In a room cood. o tness and decorum  disturb tients as would or.

    treacobreak of influenza so t Dr. Copeland  of t. ions of toomobile  nine years.  tains snapped to to cut off ts, and tigime  see Portia or illiam or  often  of tia came to see  a note and borrowed half a sack of meal.

    t , alto make,  milk and  to bed.  at first  rest.

    t seemed t o sleep ill in s,  door. It ia.

    quot;tor Copeland stood ss dra ed.