Королі та капуста

           "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.