Mick turned sideways in the seat so that she could cross her legs. There was a run iog. It had started while she was walking to work and she had spit on it Then later the run had gone farther and she had stuck a little piece of chewing-gum on the end. But even that didnt help. Now she would have to go home and sew. It was hard to know what she could do about stogs. She wore them out so fast Unless she was the kind of on girl that would wear cotton stogs.
She oughtnt to have e in here. The bottoms of her shoes were worn out. She ought to have saved the twenty ts toward a new half-sole. Because if she kept on standing on a shoe with a hole in it what would happen? A blister would e on her foot. And she would have to pick it with a burnt needle. She would have to stay home from work and be fired.
And then what would happen？
Here you are, said Mister Brannon. But I never heard of such a bination before.』
He put the sundae and the beer oable. She preteo her fingernails because if she noticd him he would start talking. He didnt have this grudge against her any more, so he must have fotten about the pack of gum. Now he always wao talk to her. But she wao be quiet and by herself. The sundae was O.K., covered all over with chocolate
and nuts and cherries. And the beer was relaxing. The beer had a ter taste after the ice cream and it made her drunk. o music beer was best.
But now no music was in her mind. That was a funny thing. It was like she was shut out from the inside room. Sometimes a quick little tune would e and go—but she never went into the inside room with music like she used to do. It was like she was too tense. Or maybe because it was like the store took all her energy and time. Wool-worths wasnt the same as school.
When she used to e home from school she felt good and was ready to start w on the music. But now she was always tired. At home she just ate supper and slept and then ate breakfast a off to the stain. A song she had started in her private notebook two months before was still not finished. And she wao stay in the inside room but she didnt know how. It was like the inside room was locked somewhere away from her. A very hard thing to uand.
Mick pushed her broken front tooth with her thumb. But she did have Mister Singers radio. All the installments hadnt been paid and she took on the responsibility. It was good to have something that had beloo him. And maybe one of these days she might be able to set aside a little for a sed-hand piano. Say two bucks a week. And she would anybody touch this private piano but her —only she might teach Gee little pieces. She wouldkeep it in the ba and play on it every night. And all day Sunday. But then suppose some week she couldnt make a payment. So then would they e to take it away like the little red bicycle? And suppose like she wouldhem.
Suppose she hid the piano uhe house. Or else she would meet them at the front door. And fight. She would knock down both the two men so they would have shiners and broke noses and would be passed out on the hall floor.
Mick frowned and rubbed her fist hard across her forehead.
That was the way things were. It was like she was mad all the time. Not how a kid gets mad quick so that soon it is all over—but in another way. Only there was nothing to be mad at.
Uhe store. But the store hadnt asked her to take the job.
So there was nothing to be mad at. It was like she was