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Chapter 22
«Weain’tclean,"Masaid.«Theyshouldn’tbecomin’tillwegetcleanedupalittle.»
«Buttheyknowhowitis,"themanagersaid.«Theycameinthesameway.No,sir.Thecommitteesaregoodinthiscampbecausetheydoknow.»Hefinishedhiscoffeeandstoodup.«Well,Igottogoon.Anythingyouwant,why,comeovertotheoffice.I’mthereallthetime.Grandcoffee.Thankyou.»Heputthecupontheboxwiththeothers,wavedhishand,andwalkeddownthelineoftents.AndMaheardhimspeakingtothepeopleashewent.
Maputdownherheadandshefoughtwithadesiretocry.
Pacamebackleadingthechildren,theireyesstillwetwithpainattheear-scrounging.Theyweresubduedandshining.ThesunburnedskinonWinfield’snosewasscrubbedoff.«There,"Pasaid.«Gotdirtan’twolayersaskin.Hadtoalmostlick’emtomake’emstan’still.»
Mapraisedthem.«Theylooknice,"shesaid.«He’pyaselftoponean’gravy.Wegottogetstuffoutathewayan’thetentinorder.»
Paservedplatesforthechildrenandforhimself.«WonderwhereTomgotwork?»
«Idunno.»
«Well,ifhecan,wecan.»
Alcameexcitedlytothetent.«Whataplace!»hesaid.Hehelpedhimselfandpouredcoffee.«Knowwhatafella’sdoin’?He’sbuildin’ahousetrailer.Rightoverthere,backathemtents.Gotbedsan’astove—ever’thing.Jus’liveinher.ByGod,that’sthewaytolive!Rightwhereyoustop—tha’swhereyoulive.»
Masaid,«Irutherhavealittlehouse.Soon’swecan,Iwantalittlehouse.»
