Page 25 (1/2)

"What’s wrong with an oil well? I see the the road Once the cos that go up and down Gas is a byproduct and you could get it free to heat your house like a lot of farood deal"

"Give them an inch, honey, they’ll take a mile! You see what they did to the Harrod far trucks and drillingbut a rutted mess and that beautiful creek that used to have nice brook trout in it is dead from the oing to ruin it!"

"Maybe you could go to the county assessor They must have copies of the deeds I hate to leave, Mrs Stone The tea was refreshing, but Dr Blu out in the car"

"Dr Blu him in?"

"No, you don’t understand Dr Blum has had a ence and I take care of hiht up to the car and whacks the door to startle the doctor, but Blum doesn’t blink "What do they say about him, his physicians?"

"Well, they don’t say much, just that’s he’s had a stroke or maybe he’s catatonic"

"I’ve never trusted doctors Never needed the at Blu the h the openand strokes Bluer, then turns his face to hers and looks into his eyes as if searching for soht flies from her eyes to his, then Blues

Back at Bittirl and staying in bed and then give BK his money He writes the proceeds in his notebook and turns overaround the countryside and the people were nice, especially Mrs Stone She’s a character You’ll wantdown the deliveries"

I look at the oranges arranged on a tray on the counter "How ly

"Twenty-five cents a dozen" BK rests his elbows on the wooden counter

"No, I guess notI do need soh, five pounds of cornmeal and three pounds of red beans As I leave, Mr Bitto out into the sunshine feeling rich with olden fruit, but as we cross over the Hope River I see a barefoot youngjust this side of the bridge with her two raggedy kids clinging to her long skirt This is so before, and she holds a crude sign: WILL WORK FOR FOOD

What else can I do? I slow the auto and roll down the , peel open es

"God bless you,lady whispers "We haven’t eaten all day Can I do anything to repay you?"

"No No, we’re fine"

Afterward, I thought of the groceries in the back I could have given herdown at the water where it rushes over the rocks

12

Lawn Party