She rumpled the sawdust out of Bubbers hair and straightened Ralphs cap. This cap was the fihing Ralph had. It was made out of lad all embroidered. The ribbon under bis was blue on one side and white oher, and over each ear there were big rosettes. His head had got too big for the cap and the embroidery scratched, but she alut it on him wheook him out. Ralph didnt have any real baby carriage like most folks babies did, or any summer bootees.
He had to be dragged around in a tacky old wagon she had got for Christmas three years before. But the fine cap gave him
face.
There was nobody oreet, for it was late Sunday m and very hot. The wagon screeched and rattled.
Bubber was barefooted and the sidewalk was so hot it burned his feet. The green oak trees made cool-looking black shadows on the ground, but that was not shade enough.
Get up in the wagon, she told Bubber. A Ralph sit in your lap.』
I walk all right.』
The long summer-time always gave Bubber the colic. He didnt have on a shirt and his ribs were sharp and white. The sun made him pale instead of brown, and his little titties were like blue raisins on his chest.
I dont mind pulling you, Mick said. Get on in.』
*O.K.』
Mick dragged the wagon slowly because she was not in any hurry to get home. She began talking to the kids. But it was really more like saying things to herself than words said to them.
This is a funny thing—the dreams Ive been having lately. Its like Im swimming. But instead of water Im pushing out my arms and swimming through great big crowds of people. The crowd is a huimes bigger than in Kresses store on Saturday afternoon. The biggest crowd in the world. And sometimes Im yelling and swimming through people, knog them all down wherever I go— and other times Fm on the ground and people are trompling all over me and my insides are oozing out on the sidewalk. I guess its more like a nightmare than a plainOn Sundays the house was always full of folks because the boarders had visitors. Neers rustled and there was cigar smoke, and footsteps always oairs.
Some things you just naurally want to keep private. Not because they are bad, but because you just want them secret.
There are two or three things I wouldnt want even you to know about』
Bubber got out when they came to the er and helped her lift the wagon down the curb a up on the
sidewalk.
But theres ohing I would give anything for. And thats a piano. If we had a piano Id practice every single night and learn every pie the world. Thats the thing I, want more than anything else.』
They had e to their own home bloow. Their house was only a few doors away. It was one of the biggest houses on the whole north side of town—three storiesi* high. But then there were fourteen people in the family. There werent that many in the real, blood Kelly family— but they ate there and slept there at five dollars a head and you plight as well t them on in. Mr. Singer wasnt ted in that because he only rented a room a it straightened up himself.
The house was narrow and had not been painted for many years. It did hot seem to be built strong enough for its three stories of height. It sagged on one side.
Mitied Ralph and lifted him from the wagon. She darted quickly through the hall, and from the er of her eye she saw that the living-room was full of boarders. Her Dad was there, too. Her Mama would be i. They were all hanging aroun