Короли и капуста
Shoes
"Butdon’tyouthinkforaminute"—thusJohnnywouldalwaysconcludehiswoefulnarrative—"thatI’mgrievingaboutthatgirl,Billy.I’veforgottenher.Sheneverentersmymind.Ifsheweretoenterthatdoorrightnow,mypulsewouldn’tgainabeat.That’salloverlongago."
"Don’tIknowit?"Keoghwouldanswer."Ofcourseyou’veforgottenher.Properthingtodo.Wasn’tquiteO.K.ofhertolistentotheknocksthat—er—DinkPawsonkeptgivingyou."
"PinkDawson!"—aworldofcontemptwouldbeinJohnny’stones—"Poorwhitetrash!That’swhathewas.Hadfivehundredacresoffarmingland,though;andthatcounted.MaybeI’llhaveachancetogetbackathimsomeday.TheDawsonsweren’tanybody.EverybodyinAlabamaknowstheAtwoods.Say,Billy—didyouknowmymotherwasaDeGraffenreid?"
"Why,no,"Keoghwouldsay;"isthatso?"Hehadhearditsomethreehundredtimes.
"Fact.TheDeGraffenreidsofHancockCounty.ButIneverthinkofthatgirlanymore,doI,Billy?"
"Notforaminute,myboy,"wouldbethelastsoundsheardbytheconquerorofCupid.
AtthispointJohnnywouldfallintoagentleslumber,andKeoghwouldsaunterouttohisownshackunderthecalabashtreeattheedgeoftheplaza.
InadayortwotheletterfromtheDalesburgpostmasteranditsanswerhadbeenforgottenbytheCoralioexiles.Butonthe26thdayofJulythefruitofthereplyappeareduponthetreeofevents.
TheAndador,afruitsteamerthatvisitedCoralioregularly,drewintotheoffingandanchored.
