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In his oay, Chris was in Heaven, enjoying the best years of his life, or so he said "I love ht, hu tales to tell and take away the o into the lab each day, don our white coats, check our petri dishes, expecting rin and bear it when miracles just don't happen"

Bart was neither friend nor foe to Jory, just someone who stuck his head in the door and said a feords before he hurried on to so time with a crippled brother I often wondered what he did with his time besides study the financial markets and buy and sell stocks and bonds I suspected he was risking much of his five hundred thousand in order to prove to all of us he was smarter than Chris and craftier than the foxiest of all Foxworths, Malcolm

Soon after Chris drove off on a Tuesdayin late October, I hurried back up the stairs to check on Jory and see that he was properly taken care of Chris had hired a male nurse to tend to Jory, but he was only here every other day

Jory seldo

housebound, although his head was often turned toward the s to stare out at the brilliance of autumn

"The suone," he said flatly, lifelessly, as the wind tossed colorful leaves playfully about, "and it's taken s with it"

"Autu happy, Jory Winter will make you a father Life still has many happy surprises in store for you, whether or not you want to believe that I believe like Chris, that the best is still to coive you substitute legs Now that you're strong enough to sit up, there's no reason why you can't ht ho you in bed all the time Try the chair, maybe it won't be as obnoxious as you think"

Stubbornly he shook his head

I ignored that and went on with my

persuasions "Easily we can take you outside We can stroll through the woods as soon as Bart has workht now you could sit on a terrace in the sunshine and gain back soo outside And when the tiardens and the woods"

He threw the chair, kept where he could see it every day, a hard, scornful look "That thing would turn over"

"We'll buy you one of those electric chairs that's so heavy and well balanced it can't turn over"

"I don't think so, Mom I've always loved autumn, but this onethat was truly i without direction Nothing seems hile I've been cheated, and I resent it I hate the days But the nights are worse I want to hold fast to su leaves are the tears I shed inside, and the histling at night aresouth are all telling one and never, never again will I feel as happy, or as special I'm nobody now, Mom, nobody"

He was breaking my heart

Only when he turned to look at me did he see this Shame flushed his face Guilt turned his head "I'm sorry, Mom You're the only one I can talk to like this With Dad, who is wonderful, I have to act manly Once I spill out to you all I feel, it doesn't eat at s on you"