hekillers

erneshemingway

hedoorofhenry’slunchroomopenedandwomencameinheysadownahecouner

“wha’syours？”georgeaskedhem

“idon’know,”oneofhemensaid,“whadoyouwanoea,al？”

“idon’know,”saidal,“idon’knowwhaiwanoea”

ousideiwasgeingdarkhesreelighcameonousidehewindowhewomenahecounerreadhemenufromheoherendofhecounernickadamswachedhemhehadbeenalkingogeorgewhenheycamein

“i’llhavearoasporkenderloinwihapplesauceandmashedpoaoes,”hefirsmansaid

“iisn’readyye”

“whahehelldoyoupuionhecardfor？”

“ha’shedi

er,”georgeexpined“youcangehaasixo’clock”

georgelookedaheclockonhewallbehindhecouner

“i’sfiveo’clock”

“heclocksayswenyminuespasfive,”hesecondmansaid

“i’swenyminuesfas”

“oh,ohellwihheclock,”hefirsmansaid“whahaveyougooea？”

“icangiveyouanykindofsandwiches,”georgesaid“youcanhavehamandeggs,baconandeggs,liverandbacon,oraseak”

“givemechickencroqueeswihgreenpeasandcreamsauceandmashedpoaoes”“ha’shedi

er”

“everyhingwewan’shedi

er,eh？ha’shewayyouworki”

“icangiveyouhamandeggs,baconandeggs,liver—”

“i’llakehamandeggs,”hemancalledalsaidheworeaderbyhaandabckovercoabuonedacrosshecheshisfacewassmallandwhieandhehadighlipsheworeasilkmufflerandgloves

“givemebaconandeggs,”saidheohermanhewasabouhesamesizeasalheirfacesweredifferen,buheyweredressedlikewinsbohworeovercoasooighforhemheysaleaningforward,heirelbowsonhecouner

“goanyhingodrink？”alasked

“silverbeer,bevo,gingerale,”georgesaid

“imeanyougoanyhingodrink？”

“jushoseisaid”

“hisisahoown,”saidheoher“whadoheycalli？”

“summi”

“everhearofi？”alaskedhisfriend

“no,”saidhefriend

“whadoyoudoherenighs？”alasked

“heyeahedi

er,”hisfriendsaid“heyallcomehereandeahebigdi

er”

“ha’srigh,”georgesaid

“soyouhinkha’srigh？”alaskedgeorge

“sure”

“you’reapreybrighboy,aren’you？”

“sure,”saidgeorge

“well,you’reno,”saidheoherlileman“ishe,al？”

“he’sdumb,”saidalheurnedonick“wha’syourname？”

“adams”

“anoherbrighboy,”alsaid“ain’heabrighboy,max？”

“heown’sfullofbrighboys,”maxsaid

georgepuhewopers,oneofhamandeggs,heoherofbaconandeggs,onhecounerhesedownwosidedishesoffriedpoaoesandclosedhewickeinohekichen

“whichisyours？”heaskedal

“don’youremember？”

“hamandeggs”

“jusabrighboy,”maxsaidheleanedforwardandookhehamandeggsbohmenaewihheirglovesongeorgewachedhemea

“whaareyoulookinga？”maxlookedageorge

“nohing”

“hehellyouwereyouwerelookingame”

“maybeheboymeaniforajoke,max,”alsaid

georgeughed

“youdon’haveough,”maxsaidohim“youdon’haveoughaall,see？”

“allrigh,”saidgeorge

“sohehinksi’sallrigh,”maxurnedoal“hehinksi’sallrighha’sagoodone”

“oh,he’sahinker,”alsaidheywenoneaing

“wha’shebrighboy’snamedownhecouner？”alaskedmax

“hey,brighboy,”maxsaidonick“yougoaroundonheohersideofhecounerwihyourboyfriend”

“wha’sheidea？”nickasked

“hereisn’anyidea”

“youbeergoaround,brighboy,”alsaidnickwenaroundbehindhecouner

“wha’sheidea？”georgeasked

“noneofyourdamnbusiness,”alsaid“who’souinhekichen？”

“henigger”

“whadoyoumeanhenigger？”

“heniggerhacooks”

“ellhimocomein”

“wha’sheidea？”

“ellhimocomein”

“wheredoyouhinkyouare？”

“weknowdamnwellwhereweare,”hemancalledmaxsaid,“dowelooksilly？”

“youalksilly,”alsaidohim“whahehelldoyouarguewihhiskidfor？lisen,”hesaidogeorge,“ellheniggerocomeouhere”

“whaareyougoingodoohim？”

“nohinguseyourhead,brighboywhawouldwedooanigger？”

georgeopenedheslihaopenedbackinohekichen“sam,”hecalled“comeinhereaminue”

hedoorohekichenopenedandheniggercamein“whawasi？”heaskedhewomenahecounerookalookahim

“allrigh,niggeryousandrighhere,”alsaid

sam,henigger,sandinginhisapron,lookedahewomensiingahecouner“yes,sir,”hesaidalgodownfromhissool

“i’mgoingbackohekichenwihheniggerandbrighboy,”hesaid“goonbackohekichen,niggeryougowihhim,brighboy”helilemanwalkedafernickandsam,hecook,backinohekichenhedoorshuaferhemhemancalledmaxsaahecouneropposiegeorgehedidn’lookageorgebulookedinhemirrorharanalongbackofhecounerhenry’shadbeenmadeoverfromasalooninoalunchcouner

“well,brighboy,”maxsaid,lookinginohemirror,“whydon’yousaysomehing？”

“wha’siallabou？”

“hey,al,”maxcalled,“brighboywansoknowwhai’sallabou”

“whydon’youellhim？”al’svoicecamefromhekichen

“whadoyouhinki’sallabou？”

“idon’know”

“whadoyouhink？”

maxlookedinohemirrorallheimehewasalking

“iwouldn’say”

“hey,al,brighboysayshewouldn’saywhahehinksi’sallabou”