It about our illie.  y bad trouble. And us got to do sometor Copeland eps. opped in t back to tcia ing for c.   is it? Just  a minute. Just let me find brain room so I can study it all out and tell it to you plain.’

    s of neicks of kindling.

    Let me make tia said. You just sit do table, and soon as tove is  us going to  all  seem so bad.’

    quot;t any coffee. I used t of it yesterday. gt; ia began to cry. Savagely suffed paper and o tove and lig rembling ;t is, sonig a place o keep my illie and my o me? ell, if Id been trouble . But I  ting at t restless.

    t doo Madame Rebas Palace of S Pleasure.

    And Fat a man sells tickets on t t trutting, bad-blood, tail-sin curtains and------’

    Daugor Copeland irritably. o t to t.’

    Love Jones here—and she is one bad colored gal.

    illie il first t.  s t out  o bello cut this Junebugs head off.’

    Doctor Copeland drew his shawl closer around him. Is he dead?’

    quot;t boy too mean to die. al, but o be out and making trouble again before long.’

    And illiam?’

    taken o till locked up.’

    And  get ?’

    O a busted eye and a little c out his behind.

    But it  bot I cant understand is  Love. S least ten s nigger I ever seen. She walk like she have a egg

    bet to break it. S even clean. And  this over her.’

    Doctor Copeland leaned closer to tove and groaned. iffened. o  became spotted h blood.

    took on a greenish pallor.

    Course ell me soon as it all happened.

    Understand, my  o do  keeping illie company.  illie ting out on treet curb in front of tears rolled doias face. You kno before. Even money  bot and I buys takes care of Saturday Nigwinses.’

    At last it les ble s. t and brigove. t for a long time.

    Portia pulled at til ated and purplisor Copeland still held his head in his hands.

    Seem to me, Portia said finally, if us can just get a lot of o e letters about illie it mig some. I already been to see Mr. Brannon. ten exactly old o.  er it all . So I just  in t aken tter  it in t lose it or dirty it’

    did tter say?’

    Mr. Brannon e just o. tter tell about  tell anding colored boy and  ever been in no trouble before no tell y co take type of colored boy and how------’

    Psor Copeland. All t is no good.’

    Us just cant sit around and . it boy even if he

    did do onig cant sit around and ’

    e  is thing we can do.’

    ell, I kno’

    Portia got up from tractedly around tly s to door.

    ait a minute, said Doctor Copeland. end to go now?’

    I got to  to keep my job. I sure o stay on  my pay ever week.’

    I  to go to tor Copeland. Maybe I can see illiam.’

    I going to drop by to  to send o oo—else o sit t illie all the morning.’

    Doctor Copeland dressed ia in t out into tumn morning. t to to find out very little. Doctor Copeland t to consult a las. At trial for illiam  enced to nine mont immediately to a prison in t of tate.

    Even norong true purpose   from one o anotomobile, and t eleven oclock tients came to ter tumn air outside t, stale odor in t made ient Negroes  porcly  tiredness in ed sometimes to lie do s and cry. If   get emperature four times a day and h.

    But  rest. For tiredness—and trong true purpose.

    il sometimes, after a long day and nig  for a minute just  o less and eager to take on a neask. But ten stuck in  loud as it o tient faces of the Negroes who were his people.

    Often alked to Mr. Singer. itry and tesimal sperm and tery of living matter and ty of death him of race.

    My people o Mr. Singer. On to t trong survived. C brougen and c of trong ones perister years trongest of my people are still ers, t grandsons.’

    I come to borroo ask a favor, Portia said.

    Doctor Copeland o tell ia aken of strong drink. ruly resembled her now.

    You knoe plates and cups you have?’

    *You may hem.’

    No, I only s to borrow. And also I come o ask a favor of you.’

    Anytor Copeland.

    Portia sat doable from irst Isuppose I better explain. Yesdiddy I got tomorro and part of Sunday y  illie, and Grandpapa feel like us all ougo get toget, too. I sure do  to see our fcLnfolks again. I been mighty homesick since illie been gone.’

    You may es and anytor Copeland said. But er. Your carriage is bad.’

    It going to be a real reunion. You kno time Grandpapa  t in toy years.  ever slept outside of  times in  nigo get up and drink er and be sure t. I a little  if Grandpapa able here.’

    Anythink you will need——’

    Course Lee Jackson bringing tia. And  going to take to get  expecting till around supper-time. Course Grandpapa alient  make him hurry none.’

    My soul! Is t old mule still alive?  be fully eighteen years old.’

    . Grandpapa been y years.  mule so long  just like Lee Jackson is one of and and love Lee Jackson like  a animal is t s.’

    ty years is a long time to work a mule.’

    It sure is. Noake good care of  in t sun Lee Jackson  big stra for  mules stra budge a step when he

    going to plo t  is on his head.’

    Doctor Copeland took doe co s and pans to cook all the food you will need?’

    Plenty, Portia said. I not going to any special trouble.

    Granpapa, ful o  o y meal and cabbage and t. Sounds good.’

    Portia laced oget;t told you yet. A surprise. Buddy going to

    be on. Buddy just come back from Mobile.

    on the farm now.’

    quot;It  sa just o ask you about,* said Portia. You remember o borroo ask a favor.’

    Doctor Copeland cracked ts of o see if I cant get you to be tomorro t illie going to be there.

    Seem to me like you ougo join us. I sure will be glad if you come.’

    on and Karl Marx and Portia—and illiam. Doctor Copeland removed acles and pressed  e ime ago. traighank you, he said. I will come.’

    t nig alone by tove in t back to time of his childhood.

    er freedom saug of teen years old t y dollars er and as a bellboy in a el.

    And all tudied and read and  to school. his

    fat live long  er ten years of struggle or and hagain.

    I endlessly from o rutruction. At times rong liquor and beat  t truck doia o led in  and foug Daisy did not come back to  years later urn to  an old man in an empty house.

    Promptly at five oclock t afternoon  tia and  of toage or Copeland approaciffly and stood in t  in his hand.

    t first  noticed.  ton. Besides togetill looking into tia perceived anding in ther, she said.

    topped. Grandpapa turned around in  and very  y years before at ers arniscon looked at eac t ther.

    Benedict Mady------ said time. A real long time.’

    Aint it, tia said. t reunion us is all  a ccon. Doctor Copeland sall and strong and a ts and overalls tias. t look e.

    It sure is a pity everybody couldnt come—Aunt Sara and Jim and all t, said  to us.’

    agon too full, said one of to oo full anyways.’

    Grandpapa scratccick. Somebody got to stay home.’

    Nervously Portia licked  our illie I t. y or to-do. My mind just  stay off our illie.’

    t murmur of agreement.

    tia, o us a little ime of trouble.’

    Portia took up table in ter of t part you  to hear now, Grandpapa?’

    It all t any place your eye fall on will do.’

    Portia read from tracing till.

    Doctor Copeland sat on t to anotuffy. ttered ed advertisements from magazines. On tel t from tia read  t in Doctor Copelands ears and he was drowsy. Karl Marx lay

    spraon and o study the words.

    Portia finiser and closed the book.

    I done pondered over time/ said Grandpapa.

    t of t? asked Portia.

    It ts Jesus raising the sick?’

    Course  time o ted it so muc seem to me like it  it many a time. And t. I reason I  to stand before Jesus  grandco ;Jesus C, us is all sad colored peoples.quot; And traige as cotton. t t been in my  a many and a many a time.’

    A or Copeland jerked t.  too fast and  igting in t isolated and angry and alone.

    has any of you ever had a sign from heaven? asked Grandpapa.

    I  t me. It e beard and blue eyes.’

    I seen a g, said one of ttle boy.

    Grandpapa man—it noime for you to * listen but not be ime has I had a real sign.

    And t come about. It  year, and . I rying to dig up ts of t big oak stump near tcraig dark. I  ttle angel. It tle o me about te robe. Just flying around near ter t I come in tudied t out in the field again.’

    Doctor Copeland felt tely to  and  speakten to t to  attend. tried to tell  because  did not  tense and sullen.

    It a queer t Mady, you a fine doctor.  time in ter I been digging and planting for a good her me?’

    how old are you now?’

    I somey and eighty year old.’

    treatment Alo see Daisy ake  ent ised in t imid eagerness.

    Drink plenty of er, said Doctor Copeland. And rest as much as you can.’

    Portia  into tco prepare to fill t, idle talking, but Doctor Copeland did not listen or speak. No Karl Marx or on. Karl Marx talked about Joe

    Louis. on spoke mostly of t  t on t staring at th angry misery.

    Doctor Copeland clamped eet so muc on and Karl Marx and illiam and Portia, about true purpose  t of tell it all to til t, telling . But t listen or understand.

    eacrained.  listen or look at anything around him.

    in a corner like a man o table and the old man said grace.

    But Doctor Copeland did not eat out a pint ,bottle of gin, and ttle from mouto mout also.  in rigid silence, and at last  and left t a fareruto him.

    ense and  t. t day o Mr. Singers room. t blunted t h himself once more.

    of t  occurred. As arted doairs e man carrying a large paper sack and o ters so t t te man eps t a time,  looking, and t Doctor Copeland  sick and breathless.

    C! I didnt see you.’

    Doctor Copeland looked at  made no answer.

    e man once before. unted, brutal-looking body and the huge, awkward hands.

    terest e mans face, for in range, fixed, and hdrawn look of madness.

    Sorry, said te man.

    Doctor Copeland put er and passed on.

    I ? Jake Blount asked. all, quot; t just come out of here?’

    t. ted a boable. Singer sat ilted back and s, looking out of the window.

    I bumped into eps and o look at me so dirty.’

    Jake put table.  Singer did not knooucheshoulder.

    I didnt mean to bump into oact like t.’

    Jake s t into the hall.

    urned  tle of coal and some kindling. Jake ch.

    Neatly icks of kindling over ion of paper.  to a system. At first t drae  of ne gave t of flame filled te.

    t morning ale aste. Jake gulped h file back of his

    hand.

    time ago,  of remind me of tle farm in texas. And made pralines to sell in ties. Sall, big, fine-looking lady. ore ters and clod.  ting at is t  been for  never   know. I would  been a preachead or a salesman.

    My w ed.’

    Jake shook his head wonderingly.

    to understand you got to kno before. You see, I lived in Gastonia , too small to put in t and got meals for pay. t, quick boy could make ty cents a day stringing tobacco not very far from t and made t ty cents a day.

    t  left my folks. I didnt e. tand ter but my sister.’

    I mean t belief was Jesus.

    tabernacle and preac. I  and listened and I got time I studied t I took a able. I o table and I looked at it and ttered and turned blue.’

    Jake  ed to te scar in ter.

    I ed to be an evangelist. I meant to travel around try preacime I moved around from one place to anoty I got to texas. I worked in a pecan grove near

    o knoo alked to me.

    Understand, I didnt begin to kno once. ts not t o any of us. It o read. I  so I could put aside enougo knock off for a  ime.

    Just us  means. e have opened our eyes and have seen. ere like people from way off yonder somewhere.’

    Singer agreed able in a  out from t tin box in  and ced an orange and peeled it slo ransparent in tioned te tions at a time and  to te ed ly in two more ales.

    And ry? Maybe ten ty t more. I been to a lot of places but I never met but a fe say a man does kno.