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I nodded o, but he says, "Listen, have you had your supper yet?"

I tole hio, an he say, "Well how about letting ame"

I said that woud be okay, an ent into the hotel dinin room He was a nice man Mister Tribble was his name

"Look," Mister Tribble say e is havin dinner, "I’d have to play you a fewwas a total fluke, you are perhaps one of the brightest unrecognized talents in the game I would like to sponsor you in a tournament or two, and see what happens"

I tole hiet into the srimp bidness and all, but he say, "Well, this could be the opportunity of a lifetiaht, an let him know somethin in the mornin So me an Mister Tribble shook hans, an I went on out in the street

I done wandered aroun for a wile, but they ain’t a lot to see in Nashville, an finally I wound up settin on a bench in a park I was tryin to think, which don’t exactly coer out what to do now My mind was mostly on Jenny an where she is She say not to try to find her or nothin, but they is a feelin down deep in ot me I done made a fool of mysef in Indianapolis, an I know it I think it was that I wadn’t tryin to do the right thing An now, I ain’t sure what the right thing is I ot to have some to start up the sriood bit on the chess circuit But it seeet the sri ass in hot water - so here I aain, wonderin what to do

I ain’t been wonderin long when up come a policeman an axe me what I’m doin

I says I’m jus settin here thinkin, an he say ain’t nobody allowed to set an think in the park at night an for o on down the street, an the policeo, so after a wile I saw an alley an walked on back in it an foun a place to set down an rest my feet I ain’t been settin there more’n a minute when the same ole policeht," he say, "coet out to the street, he say, "What you doin in there?"

I says, "Nothin," an he say, "That’s exactly what I thought - you is under arrest for loiterin"

Well, he take me to the jail an lock me up an then in the mornin they say I can make one phone call if I want Course I didn’t know nobody to phone but Mister Tribble, so that’s what I did Bout haf a hour later, he shows up at the police station an springsole breakfast at the hotel an says, "Listen, why don’t you let me enter you in the interzonal chaeles? First prize is ten thousan dollars I will pay for all your expenses an ill split any money you win Seems to me you need a stake of some sort, and, to tell you the truth, I would enjoy it immensely mysef I will be your coach and adviser How bout it?"

I still had soered it wouldn’t hurt to try So I said I woud do it for a wile Till I got enoughAn me an Mister Tribble shook hans an becoot there a week early an Mister Tribble would spend ame, but after a wile of this, he jus shook his head an say there ain’t no sense in tryin to coach ot "every move in the book" already So e did ent out on the town

Mister Tribble took ed to get us a tour of a oin on, an people is runnin aroun shoutin "take one," an "cut," an "action," an shit like that One of the et hissef thowed thru a plate glass winder about ten tiht

Anyas jus standin there watchin this, when so your pardon, are you an actor?"

I says, "Huh?" An Mister Tribble, he says, "No, we are chess players"

An the feller say, "Well that’s kind of a shauy here, he looks ideal for a role in a " And then he turn tofeller - are you sure you don’t act?"

"I did once," I says

"Really!" the feller says "What in?"

"King Lear"

"Marvelous, baby," he says, "that’s just marvelous - do you have your SAG card?"

"My what?"

"Screen Actors Guild - oh, no et that, no trouble What I want to know is, where have they been hiding you? Isilent type - another John Wayne"

"He is no John Wayne," Mister Tribble say sourly, "he is a world-class chess player"

"Well all the better," the feller say, "a s, silent type Very unusual"

"Ain’t as smart as I look," I says, tryin to be honest, but the feller say none of that matters anyhow, cause actors ain’t sposed to be set up there an say they lines

"My name’s Felder," he says, "an I make movies I want you to take a screen test"

"He has to play in a chess tourna or screen tests"

"Well, you could squeeze it in, couldn’t you? After all, itfor Why don’t you coive you a screen test as well"

"We’ll try," Mister Tribble say "Now co, Forrest, we have a little more work to do"

"See you later, baby," say Mister Felder, "don’t forget now"

An off we go