Part One-5
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Well—you know this here dumb gentleman—hands in pockets—this here------’Mr. Singer.’
And he e along and just stood looking around to see what it were all about. And Mr. B-B-Blount seen him and eo talk and holler. And then all of a sudden he fallen down on the ground. Maybe he done really busted his head open. A p-p-p-polie up and somebody doold him Mr. Blount been staying here.’
Biff bowed his head and ahe story he had just heard into a pattern. He rubbed his nose and thought for a minute.
"They liable to pile in here any minute. Willie went to the door and looked dowreet Here they all e now.
They having to d<cite></cite>rag him.’
A dozen onlookers and a poli all tried to crowd into the restaurant. Outside a couple of whores stood looking in through the front window. It was always funny hoeople could crowd in from nowhere when anything out of the ordinary happened.
No use creating any more disturbahan necessary, Biff said. He looked at the poli who supported the drunk.
The rest of them might as well clear out.’
The poli put the drunk in a chair and hustled the little crowd into the street again. Theuro Biff: Somebody said he was staying here with you.’
No. But he might as well be, Biff said.
Wao take him with me?’
Biff sidered. He wo into any more trouble tonight.
Of course I t be responsible—but I think this will calm him down.’
O.K. Ill drop ba again before I knock off.’
Biff, Singer, and Jake Blount were left alone. For the first time since he had been brought in, Biff turned his attention to
the drunk man. It seemed that Blount had hurt his jaw very badly. He was slumped down oable with his big hand over his mouth, swaying backward and forward. There was a gash in his head and the blood ran from his temple. His knuckles were skinned raw, and he was so filthy that he looked as if he had been pulled by the scruff of the neck from a sewer. All the juice hadspurted out of him and he was pletely collapsed. The mute sat at the table across from him, taking it all in with his gray eyes.
Then Biff saw that Blount had not hurt his jaw, but he was holding his hand over his mouth because bis lips were trembling. The tears began to roll down his grimy faow and then he glance<bdo></bdo>d sideways at Biff and Singer, angry that they should see him cry. It was embarrassing. Biff shrugged his shoulders at the mute and raised his eyebrows with a what-to-do? expression. Singer cocked his head on one side.
Biff was in a quandary. Musingly he wondered just how he should mahe situation. He was still trying to decide whee turned over the menu and began to write.
// you ot think of any place for him to go he go home with me. First some soup and coffee would be good for him.
With relief Biff nodded vigorously.
Oable he placed three special plates of the last evening meal, two bowls of soup, coffee, and dessert. But Blount would . He would not take his hand away from his mouth, and it was as though his lips were some very secret part of himself which was being exposed. His breath came in ragged sobs and his big shoulders jerked nervously. Singer poio one dish after the other, but Blount just sat with his hand over his mouth and shook his head.
Biff enunciated slowly so that the mute could see. The jitters------ he said versationally.
The steam from the soup kept floating up into Blounts face, and after a little while he reached shakily for his spoon. He drank the soup and ate part of his dessert. His thick, heavy lips still trembled and he bowed his head far down over his plate.
Biff his. He was thinkng that in nearly every person
there was some special physical part kept always guarded.
With the mute his hands. The kid Mick picked at the front of her blouse to keep the cloth from rubbing the ender nipples beginning to e out on herbreast. With Alice it was her hair; she used o let him sleep with her when he rubbed oil in his scalp. And with himself？
Lingeringly Biff turhe ring on his little finger. Anyway he knew what it was not. Not. Any more. A sharp li into his forehead. His hand in his pocket moved nervously toward his genitals. He began whistling a song and got up from the table. Funny to spot it in other people, though.
They helped Blount to his feet. He teetered weakly. He was n any more, but he seemed to be brooding on something shameful and sullen. He walked in the dire he was led. Biff brought out the suitcase from behind the ter and explaio the mute about it. Singer looked as though he could not be surprised at anything.
Biff went with them to the entrance. Buck up and keep your nose , he said to Blount.
The blaight sky was beginning to lighten and turn a deep blue with the new m. There were but a few weak, silvery stars. The street was empty, silent, almost cool. Singer carried the suitcase with his left hand, and with his free hand he supported Blount. He nodded goodbye to Biff and they started off together down the sidewalk. Biff stood watg them. After they had gone hah* a block a></a>way only their blas showed in the blue darkness —the mute straight and firm and the broad-shouldered, stumbling Blount holding on to him. When he could see them no longer, Biff waited for a moment and examihe sky. The vast depth of it fasated and oppressed him. He rubbed his forehead a bato the sharply lighted restaurant.
He stood behind the cash register, and his face tracted and hardened as he tried to recall the things that had happened during the night. He had the feeling that he wao explain something to himself. He recalled the is in tedious detail and was still puzzled.
The door opened and cl9９lib?osed several times as a sudden spurt of
ers began to e in. The night was over. Willie stacked some of the chairs up oables and mopped at the floor. He was ready to go home and was singing. Willie was lazy. I he was always stopping to play for a while on the harmonica he carriedaround with him. Now he mopped the floor with sleepy strokes and hummed his lonesome Negro music steadily.
The place was still not crowded—it was the hour when men who have been up all night meet those who are freshly wakened and ready to start a <big>99lｉｂ?</big>new day. The sleepy waitress was serving both beer and coffee. There was no noise or versation, for each person seemed to be alohe mutual distrust between the men who were just awakened and those who were ending a long night gave everyone a feeling of estra.
The bank building across the street was very pale in the dawn.
Then gradually its white brick walls grew more distinct. When at last the first shafts of the rising sun began thtereet, Biff gave the plae last survey a upstairs.
Noisily he rattled the doorknob as he entered so that Alice would be disturbed. Mod! he said. What a night!’
Alice awoke with caution. She lay on the rumpled bed like a sulky cat and stretched herself. The room was drab in the fresh, hot m sun, and a pair of silk stogs hung limp and withered from the cord of the window-shade.
Is that drunk fool still hanging around downstairs? she demanded.
Biff took off his shirt and examihe collar to see if it were enough to be wain. Go down and see for yourself.
I told you nobody will hinder you from kig him out.’
Sleepily Alice reached doicked up a Bible, the blank side of a menu, and a Sunday-School book from the floor beside the bed. She rustled through the tissue pages of the Bible until she reached a certain passage and began reading, pronoung the words aloud with painful tration. It was Sunday, and she reparing the weekly lesson for her class of boys in the Junior Department of her churow as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew
his brother casting a into the sea: for they were fishers.
And Jesus said unto them, "e ye after me, and I will make you to bee fishers of men." And straightway they forsook their s, and followed him.Biff went into the bathroom to wash himself. The silky murmuring tinued as Alice studied aloud. He listened. ..
and in the m, rising up a great while before day, He went out, aed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him.
And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, "All men seek for Thee." ‘
She had finished. Biff let the words revolve agaily inside him. He tried to separate the actual words from the sound of Alices voice as she had spoken them. He wao remember the passage as his mother used to read it when he was a boy. With nostalgia he glanced down at the wedding ring on his fifth fihat had once been hers. He wondered again how she would have felt about bis giving up churd religion.
The lesson for today is about the gathering of the disciples, Alice said to herself in preparation. And the text is, "All men seek for Thee." ‘
Abruptly Biff roused himself from meditation and turned oer spigot at full force. He stripped off his undervest and began to wash himself. Always he was scrupulously from the belt upward. Every m he soaped his chest and arms and ned feet—and about twice during the seaso into the bathtub and ed all of his parts.
Biff stood by the bed, waiting impatiently for Alice to get up.
From the window he saw that the day would be windless and burning hot. Alice had finished reading the lesson. She still lay lazily across the bed, although she khat he was waiting. A calm, sullen anger rose in him. He chuckled ironically. Then he said with bitterness: If you like I sit ahe paper awhile. But I wish you would let me sleep now.’
Alice began dressing herself and Biff made up the bed. Deftly he reversed the sheets in all possible ways, putting the top one otom, and turning them over and upside down.
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