The action ebbs and flows quite a bit over the next half hour. Shortie had said that people come and go frequently here, much more than any of the other spots, and he is right. Slowly each of their stories comes out, each one a measure of sadness tinged with faint optimism. The drinks have been flowing for a couple of hours now, and it's beginning to show. Voices get louder and less clear, the stories get alternately funnier and sadder and the departing patrons seem a little less steady on their feet as they step out into the cool, crisp morning air.
News notes worthy of notice.
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