“What’re you gonna do with it?” Ralph said.

“Just keep it.”

“Tell you the truth,” Ralph said, “I guess I’d better hang on to it m’self. Yeah. Second thought, you better let me keep it.”

Clinton handed it back to him, and Ralph put it in his pocket. Then he put a dime on the counter for his root beer, which he had only tasted, and got up from the stool.

“Well,” Clinton said, “you gonna send Berry-berry the two hundred?”

Ralph put his hat on and said: “Listen, I’ve washed my hands. I wouldn’t send that jailbird two hundred jellybeans.”

“I just wondered.”

“Be the worst thing I could do,” Ralph said, and as he went out the door he was shaking his head vigorously.

Clinton took a pencil from the cash register and wrote Berry-berry’s address on a scrap of paper.

The door opened. He put the address in his pocket and looked up. Ralph had returned. He walked over to the counter and leaned on it, but he did not sit down.

“Listen, I’m gonna tell you something else,” Ralph said. “It wouldn’t hurt that big sonofabitch to sit down and write a post card to Annabel either. Mean a lot to that woman to get a penny post card in the mail. I personally don’t give a damn and I’d never ask anybody to spend all their time hangin’ around post offices, don’t believe in it.” He tapped the counter several times to make his point: “But that woman Annabel has got a weak nervous system, is famous in this family for a weak nervous system. And you think he gives two farts in hell? Why, even a Chinaman would have better sense than go a thousand years without writin’ a penny post card to a woman like that. I’m off of him. I am. I’m off of him for good.”

He went to the door and opened it. Then he turned to Clinton once more, his head cocked to one side, fixing him with his eye. “I’ll tell you what that bird is good at, he’s an expert at sendin’ telegrams. Berry-berry Williams is a colossal expert at the Western Union, and for my money, he can . . .” A customer, entering the place, was trying to get past Ralph. Ralph stepped back, bowing and smiling: “I beg your pardon, gentle sir.” Then, as he went out the door, Ralph called over his shoulder, “See you at the house, boy.”

That night, when Clinton arrived home at a few minutes past midnight, he went to his room and closed the door. Two hours later, he had made his plans.

[Clinton’s Notebook]

Get up at eight A.M.

Go to downtown office and tell them Saturday’s your last day at the White Tower.

Go to bank and draw out all money. $601.07.

Go to Greyhound Station and get bus ticket.

Go to Western Union office, send $200, with this message:

URGENT GOT TO GET AWAY FROM HERE. ARRIVING TUESDAY WITH MORE MONEY. PLEASE INCLUDE ME ON THE SHRIMP BOAT. VERY IMPORTANT.