Jim Trivett embraced her affectionately.
“My Gawd!” said Thelma, in a tinny voice.
“What’ve we got here?”
She thrust out her sharp wrenny face, and studied Eugene insolently.
“I brought you a new beau, Thelma,” said Jim Trivett.
“Ain’t he the lankiest feller you ever seen?” said Lily Jones impersonally.
“How tall are you, son?” she added, addressing him in a kind drawl.
He winced a little.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“I think about six three.”
“He’s more than that!” said Thelma positively.
“He’s seven foot tall or I’m a liar.”
“He hasn’t measured since last week,” said Jim Trivett.
“He can’t be sure about it.”
“He’s young, too,” said Lily, staring at him intently.
“How old are you, son?”
Eugene turned his pallid face away, indefinitely.
“Why,” he croaked,
“I’m about —”
“He’s going on eighteen,” said Jim Trivett loyally.
“Don’t you worry about him.
Old Legs knows all the ropes, all right.
He’s a bearcat.
I wouldn’t kid you.
He’s been there.”
“He don’t look that old,” said Lily doubtfully.
“I wouldn’t call him more’n fifteen, to look at his face.
Ain’t he got a little face, though?” she demanded in a slow puzzled voice.
“It’s the only one I’ve got,” said Eugene angrily.
“Sorry I can’t change it for a larger one.”
“It looks so funny stickin’ way up there above you,” she went on patiently.
Thelma nudged her sharply.
“That’s because he’s got a big frame,” she said.
“Legs is all right.
When he begins to fill out an’ put some meat on them bones he’s goin’ to make a big man.
You’ll be a heartbreaker sure, Legs,” she said harshly, taking his cold hand and squeezing it.
In him the ghost, his stranger, turned grievously away.
O God!
I shall remember, he thought.
“Well,” said Jim Trivett, “let’s git goin’.”
He embraced Thelma again.
They fumbled amorously.
“You go on upstairs, son,” said Lily.
“I’ll be up in a minute.
The door’s open.”
“See you later, ‘Gene,” said Jim Trivett.
“Stay with them, son.”
He hugged the boy roughly with one arm, and went into the room to the left with Thelma.
Eugene mounted the creaking stairs slowly and entered the room with the open door.
A hot mass of coals glowed flamelessly in the hearth.