from some aunt or another. With every new letter she 10
clucked her tongue or hummed. I felt like she was a 11
teacher impressed by my homework assignment.
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Narciss was marking out a history that would probably 13
have captured the interest of historians and anthropolo-14
gists around the nation. But for me there was only her, 15
scrutinizing a pile of refuse that, if it weren’t for her con-16
cern, I would have used to make a bonfire in the back-17
yard.
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Ricky was fidgety. He wasn’t used to sitting around 15
while others worked.
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“I saw Clarance last night,” he said.
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“What’s he have to say?”
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“Nuthin’. He’s gonna add a rumpus room onto the house 19
this summer. He asked if I could work on it, but I told him 20
that I was already working for Wilson Ryder. I told him 21
you were looking for a job, but he didn’t say anything.”
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