“I’m staying in town,” May Garth said. “Sheffield’s momma came with him. We’re staying with her. I can stay out all night if I want to.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Nice to meet you.” Stanley took my arm and began to lead me back to our table.

“Let’s get out of here,” I whispered to him. “I want to go home now.”

We paid the bill and walked out into the cooling night. We got into the car and I rolled down my window and looked up at the stars. He began to talk. “So that’s Cal Sheffield’s daughter. God, she’s ten feet tall. I guess the Hughes boy is Burdette Hughes’s son. They’re rich as Croesus but that whole family’s looney. They send them up North to school. I used to wish they’d send me to a prep school. Now I’m glad they didn’t. It’s better to stay in the state and get to know everybody. Well, the night was okay, wasn’t it? I think you passed muster. You looked great in that suit.”

“She isn’t ten feet tall. She’s just tall.”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” We drove along in silence. I felt bad. Everything was going wrong. The night had gone downhill. I could have stayed with Spooky and ordered sandwiches from the Sandwich Wagon. I could be lying in my bed reading a book or listening to “Moonglow with Martin.” Nothing was going right. My whole life was a flop.

“Yeah, I think the night was a success.” He turned from the highway onto a dirt road.

“Where are you going? Turn the radio on, will you? Can you get New Orleans? There’s a station I like to listen to.”

He stopped the car beside a pasture. He turned to me. “Come here,” he said. “Come over here to me.”

“I wish you’d turn the radio on. What time is it anyway, Stanley? I have to be back by twelve, you know that.”

“I’ll get you back. I’ll get you in. Donie’s going to let you in.” He reached for me and pulled me to him. He was surprisingly strong for someone so soft looking. He pulled me to him and held me there.

“Stop it,” I said. “Leave me alone.”