Зима тревоги нашей

           "Therewasakidonlythirteenwonahundredandthirtythousanddollarsonaquizprogram."

           "Turnedoutitwasrigged,"saidEllen.

           "Well,hestillhadahundredandthirtygrand."

           Ethansaidsoftly,"Themoralaspectsdon’tbotheryou?"

           "Well,it’sstillalotofdough."

           "Youdon’tfinditdishonest?"

           "Shucks,everybodydoesit."

           "Howabouttheoneswhoofferthemselvesonasilverplatterandtherearenotakers?Theyhaveneitherhonestynormoney."

           "That’sthechanceyoutake—thewaythecookycrumbles."

           "Yes,it’scrumbling,isn’tit?"Ethansaid."Andsoareyourmanners.Situp!Haveyoudroppedtheword‘sir’fromthelanguage?"

           Theboylookedstartled,checkedtoseeifitwasmeant,thenloungedupright,fullofresentment."No,sir,"hesaid.

           "Howareyoudoinginschool?"

           "Allright,Iguess."

           "YouwerewritinganessayabouthowyouloveAmerica.Hasyourdeterminationtodestroyherstoppedthatproject?"

           "Howdoyoumean,destroy—sir?"

           "Canyouhonestlyloveadishonestthing?"

           "Heck,Dad,everybodydoesit."

           "Doesthatmakeitgood?"

           "Well,nobody’sknockingitexceptafeweggheads.Ifinishedtheessay."

           "Good,I’dliketoseeit."

           "Isentitoff."

           "Youmusthaveacopy."

           "No,sir."

           "Supposeitgetslost?"

           "Ididn’tthinkofthat.Dad,IwishIcouldgotocampthewayalltheotherkidsdo."

           "Wecan’taffordit.Notalltheotherkidsgo—onlyafewofthem."

           "Iwishwehadsomemoney."