on his knee.

    hey, Jake said.

    tared at h mill-sallow, dead-pan faces.

    t did not cions. Jake pulled target from  and passed it around.

    dotom step and took off  good to .

    orking no of time.’

    Jake picked bet t to tell it to somebody.’

    treet ttes ill air. A little youngun passing along treet stopped and opened bis fly to make er.

    tent around ts Sunday, tell all t.’

    Its not t kind. Its better. Its truth.’

    kind?’

    Jake sucked ac anser a wrikes here?’

    Once, said tall man. trikes around six years ago.’

    happened?’

    t and dropped tub of te to t quit ed ty cents a  t. t reets all day. So t out trucks, and in a oo get a job.’

    Jake turned so t  teps

    above  o raise o look into t it make you mad? he asked.

    how do you mean—mad?’

    t.

    Camigo t door  room tand. In ted  sleeping in a car.

    I rucks, tall man said.

    t makes no difference.  Im trying to tell youis plain and simple. tards s quiet. See? So s and. t it and see  people and ricket-legged young-uns, dont it make you mad? Dont it?’

    Jakes face  rao laugh.

    Go on and snicker. Sit t your sides open.’

    t t one. Jake brus from t and put on s igorted s all youre good for. I  til you rot! As iffly doreet, ter and catcalls still followed him.

    treet ered on a corner, fondling t.  e and ed urgently to go back and sit  and candy store  afternoon ed a basket of fruit y cents, so t  of