ON tin Meado to make t express bus reets, but by time t toerminal t city nigin liked to get year been -- ired and, no regular commuter ion, ened tention to til ton Bridge. Once on 9- in al t trip t t ry air. It used to be t at t o t in t year nearness brougension and anticipate tin kept o tcs of passing too Martin tryside seemed vast and somee t evening. ook from t of a fees before time to pull the cord.
ttage op, near t not directly on treet and opposite yard and see ttage too of yard. In summer t and brigin carefully tended a florellis. But during ttage seemed naked. Lig evening in all ttle in eps opped to move a of the way.
tent on play t t door first unnoticed. Martin stood looking at tom draary and taken out tmas decorations. Andy o plug in tmas tree lig-of-season festivity on t t rying to trail t cord over Mariannes rocking on tartling in s little baby girl up to hers legs.
quot;Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!quot;
Martin set dotle girl carefully and simes like a pendulum. tmas tree cord.
quot;s all tuff doing out? it back in t to fool socket. Remember I told you t before. I mean it, Andy.quot;
t tary drain stroked enderly on the childs frail neck.
quot;, Bumpkin?quot;
quot;It . toast ;
tumbled on ter t surprise of to cry; Martin picked o tchen.
quot;See, Daddy,quot; said Andy. quot;toast --quot;
Emily able. tes and eggs and silver mugs t ter of cinnamon toast, untouc for one toote. Martin sniffed tten piece and nibbed gingerly. t toast into t; on eart;
Emily aken tin of cayenne for the cinnamon.
quot;I like to up,quot; Andy said. quot;Drank er and ran outdoors and opened my mout eat none.quot;
quot;Any,quot; corrected Martin. ood c;ell, ts t, I guess,quot; ;;
quot;S;
Martin left tc up to side ted for a moment to still knock and once inside the door behind him.
Emily sat in t room. Sumbler and as ered s ttitude t o y.
quot;Oy! You ime slipped up on me. I going do; So rong ood unresponsive sepped back a pace and giggled nervously.
quot;s tter anding t;
quot;rong ; Martin bent over tumbler from t;If you could only realize is for all of us.quot;
Emily spoke in a false, airy voice t oo familiar to en at sucimes sed a slig, copying perress s;I t idea o t of s , pray tell me? Im quite all rige all rig;
quot;So anyone can see.quot;
As s into ty. Surned on ter and dasted oured and young, unblemished.
quot;I going doo make dinner.quot; Sottered and balanced o the door frame.
quot;Ill take care of dinner. You stay up up.quot;
quot;Ill do not. ;
quot;Please,quot; Martin said.
quot;Leave me alone. Im quite all rig on t;
quot;Mind ;
quot;Mind your grandmot;
So Martin caug;I dont to see you in tion. Be reasonable.quot;
quot;Condition!quot; Emily jerked ;ernoon youre trying to make me out a drunkard. Condition! even touc s bars. And ts more t even ail at dinnertime. I only sometimes , I ask you, is t? Condition!quot;
Martin sougo calm ;ell supper by ourselves up s a good girl.quot; Emily sat on ture. quot;Ill be back in a jiffy.quot;
As airs in tion as to ill living in Alabama tails as a matter of course. For years t bedtime a long nig get a buzz on, migtle tig alcoo er ransferred o Ne Martin certainly oo mucippling, iced, during the day.
tried to analyze to Neo torix of to accommodate o tricter, lonelier mores of ties of moto y, so tifice of alcoions of incontinence insidiously undermined ions of imes of unexplainable malevolence, times ent coarseness in Emily, inconsistent ural simplicity. S drinking and deceived ed stratagems.
t. Coming a year ago, ed and naked from riking table edge, so t a to toxicated. As Martin cradled t cely precious at t moment, ed vision of ture.
t day Marianne ities of beer, or slandisbox of empty crême de menttles. Martin found a dependable maid ly. Virgie in ell Emily tomary in Neirely secret no imperceptible -- a looseness of movement or times of irresponsibilities, sucoast, in could dismiss t, neverty ent, a t of indefined disaster t underlay his days.