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           Heansweredwithinflexiblehumility,"Won’tyou—can’tyouseeyourwaytocutofftencents’worth?"

           Alsaidsnarlingly,"Goddamnit,Mae.Give’emtheloaf."ThemanturnedtowardAl."No,wewanttabuytencents’worthofit.Wegotitfiggeredawfulclose,mister,togettoCalifornia."

           Maesaidresignedly,"Youcanhavethisfortencents."

           "That’dberobbin’you,ma’am."

           "Goahead—Alsaystotakeit."Shepushedthewaxpaperedloafacrossthecounter.Themantookadeepleatherpouchfromhisrearpocket,untiedthestrings,andspreaditopen.Itwasheavywithsilverandwithgreasybills.

           "Maysoun’funnytobesotight,"heapologized."Wegotathousan’milestogo,an’wedon’tknowifwe’llmakeit."Heduginthepouchwithaforefinger,locatedadime,andpinchedinforit.Whenheputitdownonthecounterhehadapennywithit.Hewasabouttodropthepennybackintothepouchwhenhiseyefellontheboysfrozenbeforethecandycounter.Hemovedslowlydowntothem.Hepointedinthecaseatbiglongsticksofstripedpeppermint."Isthempennycandy,ma’am?"

           Maemoveddownandlookedin."Whichones?"

           "There,themstripyones."

           Thelittleboysraisedtheireyestoherfaceandtheystoppedbreathing;theirmouthswerepartlyopened,theirhalf-nakedbodieswererigid.

           "Oh—them.Well,no—them’stwoforapenny."

           "Well,gimmetwothen,ma’am."Heplacedthecoppercentcarefullyonthecounter.Theboysexpelledtheirheldbreathsoftly.