The Phoenix index., 1942-02-21
BY RICHARD WRIGHT
tInStalImelIt Seven)


NWelI, come on in J think you'll
fiIsSi a glass somewhere" He went
TO- the sink. watching her as ne
walked, feeling that she could see
HIM even though he knew thai
she was blind. His skin tingled. He
took a glass from narrow shelf
ard filled in from faucet. AS he
drank he stole a glance at her over
the rim of the glass Her face was
still, tilted. waiting 1t reminded
him Of a dead mans face ne had
once seen. Then he realized that
Mrs. Dalton had turned and listen
ed to the sound IF his feet as he
had walked. She. knows exactly
where I'm standing, he thought.
eYou like your roomP" she
asked: and as she spoke ne reaiiz-
ed that she had been stanolng
there waiting to hear the. sound o1
his glass as it had clinked on the
sink.
aOh. yesstm." 81 hope you're
careful driver" Oh, yessum I'll be
careful" did you ever drive pe-
fore?" ''Yessum. But it was
grocery truck" He had the feeling
that talking to blind person was
like talking to someone whom he
hirnself could scarcely see. How
far did you say you went in school,
Bieger?" >,
ITO the eighth grade, nam"
"Did you ever think OF going
backP"
swell. I don't know, man. The
last man who worked here went
to night school and got an educa-
tion." "Yessum.' ''What would you
want to be if you had an educa-
tion?" ct don't know, nam" did
YOU ever think about it,"
"No m" "You would rathe,
wnrk?" j." I reckon l would, MAN.
.fWell, we'll talk about that SOM .
other time. think you'd better seU
the car for Miss Dalton now
s'YessUm."
He left her standing in the MD
de Of the kitchen floor, exactly as
he had found ner.. He did no'
know Just how to take her; sne
made him feel that she Wouto
f1dge all he did harshly but kind
w He had a feeling toward mel
fhat was akin to that which ne
held toward his mother.
The difference in his feelings
toward Mrs. Dalton and his
mother was that he felt that
his mother wanted him to do
The things SHE wanted him TO
do. and he felt that Mrs. Dali
tom wanted him to do the
things she felt that HE should
have wanted to do. But he did
moi want to go to night school.
Night school was all rieht: but
he had other plans. We'll, he
didn't know Just what they
were right now, but he was
working them Ovt.
The night air had grown warm
er. A wind had risen, He lit q
cigarette and unlocked the garage;
the door swung In and again ne
was surprised and pleased to see
the lights spring on automatical-
ly. These peoples got everything,
he unused. He examined the car;
It was dark blue Buick, with steel
spoke wheels and of new make.
He stepped back from it and look
ed it over; then he opened the
door and looked at the dashboard.
He was little disappointed that
the car was not as expensive al
he had hoped, but what it lacked
in Price was more than made up
for in color and style. TITS all
right" he said half aloud. He
got in and backed it into the drive
way and turned it around and
pulled it up to the side door.
"Is that you, Bigger" The
girl stood on the steps. ''Yes-
sum-" He got out and held the
rear door open for her. Thank
YOU" He touched his cap and
wondered if it were the right
thing to do. as that univer-
sfty-schOOl out there on the