why?”
“It keeps down the birds,” Royce said, recovering.
“That’s right,” Grandma said. “Birds get in under the roof of an old house. You can’t keep them out. But a snake will keep them down.”
Royce was edging around her, to the door. “Well, I probably ought to get going,” he said. “But ... thanks. It was a real interesting afternoon. I never saw a—” But now he was gone, pedaling away down the walk. And all my hopes went with him.
I turned on Grandma. But then we both saw Arnold Green standing there, swaying at the foot of the stairs. He was gray-faced, ashen-lipped. His eyes stared out of his horn-rims. He was a wreck in an artist’s smock. A brush was frozen in his hand. He tried to speak.
Grandma observed him severely.
Still in shock, Arnold Green said, “Sh—sh—sh—”
“She’s gone,” Grandma said. “The snake peeled off, but Maxine kept travelin’.”
“It fe—fe—fe—”
“Fell on her in the attic. It lives in the rafters,” Grandma said. “I forgot to mention that.”
Arnold Green said, “It’s been up there a—a—a—”
“All along,” Grandma said. “And I don’t allow women upstairs.”
“She was po—po—po—”
“Posing?” Grandma said. “Well, I better make a rule against painting pictures of naked women in my attic.”
“Not na—na—naked. Nude,” said Arnold Green. “I studied in Paris.”
Grandma didn’t throw him out and send him on his way. Not at two dollars and fifty cents a day. Arnold Green brought his easel down from the attic that same Sunday afternoon. Something Grandma said left him with the impression that the snake was gone for good. Still, he nailed the trapdoor shut and painted in his bedroom.
I supposed my life was over. On Monday at school, I couldn’t even look Royce McNabb’s way. I supposed all his worst fears about me had been realized, and then some. Now he thought I lived in a madhouse with a trigger-happy grandma and snakes and naked—nude women in the attic.
But everybody was in such an uproar, I was lost in the shuffle. People who hadn’t even seen her could describe every square inch of Maxine Patch, speeding like Eve, headlong through town on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Augie Fluke said she did the high jump over tree stumps. Ina-Rae didn’t know what to think, but knew better than to quiz me about it. Then when we got up for the Pledge of Allegiance, Royce looked back and somehow caught my eye. And he winked. That could have meant anything, of course. But I tried my shy smile again and hoped for the best.
Before that week was out it began to dawn on me that nobody would hold a little excitement against you in a town as quiet as this one. And just as they’d begun to take him for granted, Arnold Green sparked new interest. There was some talk about running him out of town. Various church groups called meetings.
Shamed though she was, Maxine had to go back to work at the post office. From the stamp counter she sent forth word that Arnold Green had deceived her. Her reputation was in ruins, and he’d have to marry her.
I suppose word of this must have reached Grandma.
One night out of the blue, she said to me, “You better have your lady teacher here to supper one night.”
I jumped. “Miss Butler?” Here?
Grandma nodded. “She’ll be passing out grades pretty soon. You want to keep on the good side of her.”
I was already on the good side of her. I got the only A’s she gave in English. Grandma didn’t tell me to invite Mr. Herkimer, though she well knew how I was doing in math.
“Grandma, do I have to?”
Miss Butler looked startled when I invited her for supper. She was too polite to say no, but she gave me a long look, curious and dubious.
When the evening came, I sat waiting for her in our front room. Grandma had cooked all day, and I was a bundle of nerves.
At the sound of a timid knock, I opened the front door to Miss Butler. She was in her dotted Swiss.
“Well,
“It keeps down the birds,” Royce said, recovering.
“That’s right,” Grandma said. “Birds get in under the roof of an old house. You can’t keep them out. But a snake will keep them down.”
Royce was edging around her, to the door. “Well, I probably ought to get going,” he said. “But ... thanks. It was a real interesting afternoon. I never saw a—” But now he was gone, pedaling away down the walk. And all my hopes went with him.
I turned on Grandma. But then we both saw Arnold Green standing there, swaying at the foot of the stairs. He was gray-faced, ashen-lipped. His eyes stared out of his horn-rims. He was a wreck in an artist’s smock. A brush was frozen in his hand. He tried to speak.
Grandma observed him severely.
Still in shock, Arnold Green said, “Sh—sh—sh—”
“She’s gone,” Grandma said. “The snake peeled off, but Maxine kept travelin’.”
“It fe—fe—fe—”
“Fell on her in the attic. It lives in the rafters,” Grandma said. “I forgot to mention that.”
Arnold Green said, “It’s been up there a—a—a—”
“All along,” Grandma said. “And I don’t allow women upstairs.”
“She was po—po—po—”
“Posing?” Grandma said. “Well, I better make a rule against painting pictures of naked women in my attic.”
“Not na—na—naked. Nude,” said Arnold Green. “I studied in Paris.”
Grandma didn’t throw him out and send him on his way. Not at two dollars and fifty cents a day. Arnold Green brought his easel down from the attic that same Sunday afternoon. Something Grandma said left him with the impression that the snake was gone for good. Still, he nailed the trapdoor shut and painted in his bedroom.
I supposed my life was over. On Monday at school, I couldn’t even look Royce McNabb’s way. I supposed all his worst fears about me had been realized, and then some. Now he thought I lived in a madhouse with a trigger-happy grandma and snakes and naked—nude women in the attic.
But everybody was in such an uproar, I was lost in the shuffle. People who hadn’t even seen her could describe every square inch of Maxine Patch, speeding like Eve, headlong through town on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Augie Fluke said she did the high jump over tree stumps. Ina-Rae didn’t know what to think, but knew better than to quiz me about it. Then when we got up for the Pledge of Allegiance, Royce looked back and somehow caught my eye. And he winked. That could have meant anything, of course. But I tried my shy smile again and hoped for the best.
Before that week was out it began to dawn on me that nobody would hold a little excitement against you in a town as quiet as this one. And just as they’d begun to take him for granted, Arnold Green sparked new interest. There was some talk about running him out of town. Various church groups called meetings.
Shamed though she was, Maxine had to go back to work at the post office. From the stamp counter she sent forth word that Arnold Green had deceived her. Her reputation was in ruins, and he’d have to marry her.
I suppose word of this must have reached Grandma.
One night out of the blue, she said to me, “You better have your lady teacher here to supper one night.”
I jumped. “Miss Butler?” Here?
Grandma nodded. “She’ll be passing out grades pretty soon. You want to keep on the good side of her.”
I was already on the good side of her. I got the only A’s she gave in English. Grandma didn’t tell me to invite Mr. Herkimer, though she well knew how I was doing in math.
“Grandma, do I have to?”
Miss Butler looked startled when I invited her for supper. She was too polite to say no, but she gave me a long look, curious and dubious.
When the evening came, I sat waiting for her in our front room. Grandma had cooked all day, and I was a bundle of nerves.
At the sound of a timid knock, I opened the front door to Miss Butler. She was in her dotted Swiss.
“Well,
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