“I intend to start keeping him straight,” said Simple. “I know some of the ropes in New York, and if I find him pulling on the wrong ones, I will pull him back.”

“Do you intend to keep him with you in that small room of yours?” I asked. “That will cramp your style slightly for entertaining, will it not?”

“Zarita better not light around that room while F. D. is there,” said Simple. “I will ask Joyce to take him to church to meet some nice young girls what attends Christian Endeavor or B.Y.P.U. Since I am F. D.’s favorite cousin, he is going to meet some of Harlem’s favorite people, you know, society, up there—the kind I do not know very well myself, but which Joyce knows. I will not let a fine boy like F. D. down. I might even try to meet a few undrinking folks myself—just to have somebody to introduce F. D. to. He ain’t got around to the point of asking me yet where I go when I go out. But if he gets curious I’m liable to end up at Abyssinia’s prayer meeting some night.”

“For you,” I said, “I think that would be carrying things a little far. That boy will like you just as well when he finds out your true character. With young people, just be yourself, and you’ll get along. Kids don’t like four-flushers, nor false fronts, you can be sure of that. Take my advice and just be yourself with F. D.”

“There’s something else you can give me tonight besides advice, daddy-o. Maybe you’ll lend—”

“My good man, please don’t start that again. Always borrowing—”

“You thought I was going to say money, didn’t you? Uh-uh! Fooled you for once. I was going to say, lend me some extra books you got around your place for that boy to look at.”

“Happy to, of course. When?”

“Right now, tonight,” said Simple. “I don’t want that boy to wake up nary another morning and I ain’t got a single book in the house. He will think I am ignorant. Give me some books now.”

“Suppose I am not going home now?”

“I very seldom ask of you a favor outside a bar.”

“You have never asked me for one like this before. Come on, let’s go get the books. The Lord must have sent that boy up North to bring a little culture into your life. Joyce has been trying all these years without success. Thank God for Franklin D Roosevelt Brown!”