expression that made me glad Doc was there.
“So,” Ed said. “I guess ya think ya beat me.” “Beat you?” I said as blandly as possible. “I wasn’t trying to beat anybody. I was only concerned with—”
“I’m not
interested
in what you have t’say,” Ed interrupted. He reached out his right arm and poked my chest with a sausage finger. “As of now,
boy,”
he said, “You’re on my shit list. Before the summer’s over, you’ll wish ya’d never
heard
o’ this camp.” “We’ll see,” I said.
He tensed suddenly and I tensed with him, expecting the worst. Then, with what must have been a superhuman effort on his part, he forced down the anger and managed a twisted smile.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Be cute. Be as cute as ya like. You’ll be crawlin’ before I’m done with ya. You’ll be
beggin’
me t’fire ya.”
“Take it easy, Ed,” Doc said. “Harper was only trying to—” “Keep out o’ this, Doc,” Ed said. “This isn’t your business.” “I run this camp
too
, Ed,” Doc said, suddenly cold. Ed glanced at him, looking blank. “Awright, Doc,” he said. “Take it easy. I didn’t mean nothin’ against you. It’s this jaybird I got my eye on.” Finger pointing at me again.
“Good luck,”
I told him.
2.
When I entered the Nolan cabin that night, Mack, Ed and two other counselors were playing poker at a card table, Bob was sitting in a wicker chair reading a book, Ellen was on the couch, looking at a
Life
magazine. I sat down beside her.
“How have you been?” I asked.
“Fine,” she murmured.
“Good,” I said, then looked over at Bob. “What are you reading?” I asked.
He held up the book. “I can’t see it,” I said loudly.
“Passage to India,”
he said.
“That’s a good book,” I said. “I read it twice.”
“I don’t care if ya read it ten times, Harper,” Ed cut in. “Pipe down if ya want t’stay here.”
“Sure, Ed,” I said. “Sure, I’ll pipe down.”
I looked back at Ellen. “You look very pretty tonight,” I said.
Her smile was more flustered than pleased. “Thank you,” she managed. I nodded, glancing at Ed who was just lowering wary eyes.
“That a new dress?”
“What? Why … why no, I’ve—”
“You heard what I said, Harper,” Ed Nolan said.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “Yes, I did.”
“Shut up then or clear out.”
“Sure, Ed,” I said. “Sure. I’ll shut up.” I looked at Bob. “Chess, Bob?” I asked.
He smiled nervously. “Okay,” he said softly.
“Excuse me, Ellen,” I said.
She didn’t answer but, for a moment, our eyes held and I got the feeling that she understood.
Bob and I set up the board on the other card table. As I put my men on the squares, I kept glancing at Mack. Abruptly I swept half my pieces off the board onto the floor and saw the poker players start out of their rapt concentration. Ed’s head snapped around and he glared at me.
“Butter fingers,” I said.
I made the first move without thought, then rested my chin on my palms and stared at Mack. From the corners of my eyes, I noticed Ellen looking at me and I glanced over and smiled. Her lips seemed to stir but she said nothing.
Then I stared at Mack again. After a few moments he glanced over.
“Whattaya
lookin’
at?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said, and he went back to his cards. I kept staring at him.
“Your move,” Bob said.
“My move?” I said loudly.
“Listen, boy—” Ed started angrily, and I made a face of much concern.
“Oh
… gee
, Ed, I’m sorry. I forgot myself.”
I made another thoughtless move and stared at Mack again. Mack glanced over at me, growing suspicious.
“You lookin’ at me?” he asked.
I shook my head, a sincere expression of negation on my face. Then I saw him lean over and whisper something to Ed and Ed looked up at me, a contemptuous curl to his lips. I knew exactly what they were talking about.
“How come you’re not in your cabin, boy?” Ed asked me.
“My
“So,” Ed said. “I guess ya think ya beat me.” “Beat you?” I said as blandly as possible. “I wasn’t trying to beat anybody. I was only concerned with—”
“I’m not
interested
in what you have t’say,” Ed interrupted. He reached out his right arm and poked my chest with a sausage finger. “As of now,
boy,”
he said, “You’re on my shit list. Before the summer’s over, you’ll wish ya’d never
heard
o’ this camp.” “We’ll see,” I said.
He tensed suddenly and I tensed with him, expecting the worst. Then, with what must have been a superhuman effort on his part, he forced down the anger and managed a twisted smile.
“Go ahead,” he said. “Be cute. Be as cute as ya like. You’ll be crawlin’ before I’m done with ya. You’ll be
beggin’
me t’fire ya.”
“Take it easy, Ed,” Doc said. “Harper was only trying to—” “Keep out o’ this, Doc,” Ed said. “This isn’t your business.” “I run this camp
too
, Ed,” Doc said, suddenly cold. Ed glanced at him, looking blank. “Awright, Doc,” he said. “Take it easy. I didn’t mean nothin’ against you. It’s this jaybird I got my eye on.” Finger pointing at me again.
“Good luck,”
I told him.
2.
When I entered the Nolan cabin that night, Mack, Ed and two other counselors were playing poker at a card table, Bob was sitting in a wicker chair reading a book, Ellen was on the couch, looking at a
Life
magazine. I sat down beside her.
“How have you been?” I asked.
“Fine,” she murmured.
“Good,” I said, then looked over at Bob. “What are you reading?” I asked.
He held up the book. “I can’t see it,” I said loudly.
“Passage to India,”
he said.
“That’s a good book,” I said. “I read it twice.”
“I don’t care if ya read it ten times, Harper,” Ed cut in. “Pipe down if ya want t’stay here.”
“Sure, Ed,” I said. “Sure, I’ll pipe down.”
I looked back at Ellen. “You look very pretty tonight,” I said.
Her smile was more flustered than pleased. “Thank you,” she managed. I nodded, glancing at Ed who was just lowering wary eyes.
“That a new dress?”
“What? Why … why no, I’ve—”
“You heard what I said, Harper,” Ed Nolan said.
“Yes, sir,” I said. “Yes, I did.”
“Shut up then or clear out.”
“Sure, Ed,” I said. “Sure. I’ll shut up.” I looked at Bob. “Chess, Bob?” I asked.
He smiled nervously. “Okay,” he said softly.
“Excuse me, Ellen,” I said.
She didn’t answer but, for a moment, our eyes held and I got the feeling that she understood.
Bob and I set up the board on the other card table. As I put my men on the squares, I kept glancing at Mack. Abruptly I swept half my pieces off the board onto the floor and saw the poker players start out of their rapt concentration. Ed’s head snapped around and he glared at me.
“Butter fingers,” I said.
I made the first move without thought, then rested my chin on my palms and stared at Mack. From the corners of my eyes, I noticed Ellen looking at me and I glanced over and smiled. Her lips seemed to stir but she said nothing.
Then I stared at Mack again. After a few moments he glanced over.
“Whattaya
lookin’
at?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said, and he went back to his cards. I kept staring at him.
“Your move,” Bob said.
“My move?” I said loudly.
“Listen, boy—” Ed started angrily, and I made a face of much concern.
“Oh
… gee
, Ed, I’m sorry. I forgot myself.”
I made another thoughtless move and stared at Mack again. Mack glanced over at me, growing suspicious.
“You lookin’ at me?” he asked.
I shook my head, a sincere expression of negation on my face. Then I saw him lean over and whisper something to Ed and Ed looked up at me, a contemptuous curl to his lips. I knew exactly what they were talking about.
“How come you’re not in your cabin, boy?” Ed asked me.
“My
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