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The first thing I notice is that the streets are so desolate and the traffic sparse It’s been weeks since I’ve been to town, and Liberty is aly pulled by a swayback mare, but other than that, there are just four out-of-work arettes on the wooden benches in front of the courthouse, two blacks and thites One white guy whistles, and the two blacks get up and walk away The last thing they need is to be accused of hassling a white woet into and out of the County Records Roo any more catcalls fro for a death certificate for the Mintz baby, but the clerk doesn’t question otten around She hands me five quarters, one for each for inan ice cream cone What would that be, five cents? But the ice cream parlor is closed The Mountain Top Diner is closed too Bittet a sack of flour, a can of lard, and five pounds of sugar, an extravagance, I’ll admit That leaves

Fortunately the crooked tin sign in Stenger’s Pharmacy’s frontsays OPEN When I enter the almost empty establish question about Lydia E Pinkhaetable Compound Her shiny blond hair frareen alh she’s uess I’m too far beneath her

On the newspaper stand just inside the glass door, I pull out a copy of the Torrington Times and peruse the headlines A sudden run on the Brotherhood Bank in Berkeley Springs forced it to shut down It’s the eighth bank in West Virginia to close in the last teeks, and the state legislature is having a special session about the economy This is all new to me Without a radio or newspaper, e and the mountains on the other side of Hope River, and even there I don’t really knohat’s going on I don’t even know s and snaps closed, the phare, and I step up to the counter

"Hello, Patience What can I do for you?" I’ expensive: rubber gloves, brown soap, or a new hairbrush

"Oh, I don’t need anything, Mr Stenger I was just wondering how your ht know, requires nursing" I hesitate "I could trade for food Tiloith eer rubs his sray, and burrows his fists in his white lab coat pockets

"I thought you knew Mama passed away this January Got pneumonia"

"I’m so sorryI didn’t hearere snowed in most of the winter She was a nice old ladyI hope she didn’t suffer" I stare at the red sign on the wall behind hi the benefits of Himrod’s Asthma Powder and clear er shakes his head slowly

"Well, if you hear of anyone"

I kneas a long shot, but I still leave disappointed I’m on my way over to Becky’s when a Model T bounces up on the curb Who should it be but Rebecca Myers herself

Down by the Riverside

"Get in," the home health nurse orders