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tight lips。 He wore a silk muffler and gloves。
¨Give me bacon and eggs；〃 said the other man。 He was about the same size as Al。 Their faces were different； but they were dressed like twins。 Both wore overcoats too tight for them。 They sat leaning forward； their elbows on the counter。
¨Got anything to drink？〃 Al asked。
¨Silver beer； bevo； ginger…ale；〃 George said。
¨I mean you got anything to drink？〃
¨Just those I said。〃
¨This is a hot town；〃 said the other。 ¨What do they call it？〃
¨Summit。〃
¨Ever hear of it？〃 Al asked his friend。
¨No；〃 said the friend。
¨What do you do here nights？〃 Al asked。
¨They eat the dinner；〃 his friend said。 ¨They all come here and eat the big dinner。〃
¨Thatˇs right；〃 George said。
¨So you think thatˇs right？〃 Al asked George。
¨Sure。〃
¨Youˇre a pretty bright boy； arenˇt you？〃
¨Sure；〃 said George。
¨Well； youˇre not；〃 said the other little man。 ¨Is he； Al？〃
¨Heˇs dumb；〃 said Al。 He turned to Nick。 ¨Whatˇs your name？〃
¨Adams。〃
¨Another bright boy；〃 Al said。 ¨Ainˇt he a bright boy； Max？〃
¨The townˇs full of bright boys；〃 Max said。
George put down two platters； one of ham and eggs； the other of bacon and eggs； on the counter。 He set down two side dishes of fried potatoes and closed the wicket into the kitchen。
¨Which is yours？〃 he asked Al。
¨Donˇt you remember？〃
¨Ham and eggs。〃
¨Just a bright boy；〃 Max said。 He leaned forward and took the ham and eggs。 Both men ate with their gloves on。 George watched them eat。
¨What are you looking at？〃 Max looked at George。
¨Nothing。〃
¨The hell you were。 You were looking at me。〃
¨Maybe the boy meant it for a joke Max；〃 Al said。
George laughed。
¨You donˇt have to laugh；〃 Max said to him。 ¨You donˇt have to laugh at all； see？〃
¨All right；〃 said George。
¨So he thinks itˇs all right；〃 Max turned to Al。 ¨He thinks itˇs all right。 Thatˇs a good one。〃
¨Oh； heˇs a thinker；〃 Al said。 They went on eating。
¨Whatˇs the bright boyˇs name down the counter？〃 Al asked Max。
¨Hey； bright boy；〃 Max said to Nick。 ¨You go around on the other side of the counter with your boy friend。〃
¨Whatˇs the idea？〃 Nick asked。
¨There isnˇt any idea。〃
¨You better go around； bright boy；〃 Al said。 Nick went around behind the counter。
¨Whatˇs the idea？〃 George asked。
¨None of your damn business；〃 Al said。 ¨Whoˇs out in the kitchen？〃
¨The nigger。〃
¨What do you mean the nigger？〃
¨The nigger that cooks。〃
¨Tell him to come in。〃
¨Whatˇs the idea？〃
¨Tell him to come in。〃
¨Where do you think you are？〃
¨We know damn well where we are；； the man called Max said。 ¨Do we look silly？〃
¨You talk silly；〃 Al said to him。 ¨What the hell do you argue with this kid for？ Listen；〃 he said to George； ¨tell the nigger to come out here。〃
¨What are you going to do to him？〃
¨Nothing。 Use your head； bright boy。 What would we do to a nigger？〃
George opened the slip that opened back into the kitchen。 ¨Sam；〃 he called。 ¨Come in here a minute。〃
The door of the kitchen opened and the nigger came in。 ¨What was it？〃 he asked。 The two men at the counter took a look at him。
¨All right； nigger。 You stand right there；〃 Al said。
Sam； the nigger； standing in his apron； looked at the two men sitting at the counter。 ¨Yes； sir；〃 he said。 Al got down from his stool。
¨Iˇm going back to the kitchen with the nigger and bright boy；〃 he said。 ¨Go back to the kitchen； nigger。 You go with him； bright boy。〃 The little man walked after Nick and Sam； the cook； back into the kitchen。 The door shut after them。 The man called Max sat at the counter opposite George。 He didnˇt look at George but looked in the mirror that ran along back of the counter。 Henryˇs had been made over from a saloon into a lunch…counter。
¨Well； bright boy；〃 Max said； looking into the mirror； ¨why donˇt you say something？〃
¨Whatˇs it all about？〃
¨Hey； Al；〃 Max called； ¨bright boy wants to know what itˇs all about。〃
¨Why donˇt you tell him？〃 Alˇs voice came from the kitchen。
¨What do you think itˇs all about？〃
¨I donˇt know。〃
¨What do you think？〃
Max looked into the mirror all the time he was talking。
¨I wouldnˇt say。〃
¨Hey； Al； bright boy says he wouldnˇt say what he thinks itˇs all about。〃
¨I can hear you； all right；〃 Al said from the kitchen。 He had propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a catsup bottle。 ¨Listen； bright boy；〃 he said from the kitchen to George。 ¨Stand a little further along the bar。 You move a little to the left； Max。〃 He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture。
¨Talk to me； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨What do you thinkˇs going to happen？〃
George did not say anything。
¨Iˇll tell you；〃 Max said。 ¨Weˇre going to kill a Swede。 Do you know a big Swede named Ole Andreson？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨He comes in here to eat every night； donˇt he？〃
¨Sometimes he comes here。〃
¨He comes here at six oˇclock； donˇt he？〃
¨If he comes。〃
¨We know all that； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨Talk about something else。 Ever go to the movies？〃
¨Once in a while。〃
¨You ought to go to the movies more。 The movies are fine for a bright boy like you。〃
¨What are you going to kill Ole Andreson for？ What did he ever do to you？〃
¨He never had a chance to do anything to us。 He never even seen us。
¨And heˇs only going to see us once；〃 Al said from the kitchen。
¨What are you going to kill him for； then？〃 George asked。
¨Weˇre killing him for a friend。 Just to oblige a friend； bright boy。〃
¨Shut up；〃 said Al from the kitchen。 ¨You talk too goddam much。〃
¨Well； I got to keep bright boy amused。 Donˇt I； bright boy？〃
¨You talk too damn much；〃 Al said。 ¨The nigger and my bright boy are amused by themselves。 I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the convent。〃
¨I suppose you were in a convent。〃
¨You never know。〃
¨You were in a kosher convent。 Thatˇs where you were。〃
George looked up at the clock。
¨If anybody comes in you tell them the cook is off； and if they keep after it； you tell them youˇll go back and cook yourself。 Do you get that； bright boy？〃
¨All right；〃 George said。 ¨What you going to do with us afterwards？〃
¨Thatˇll depend；〃 Max said。 ¨Thatˇs one of those things you never know at the time。〃
George looked up at the clock。 It was a quarter past six。 The door from the street opened。 A street…car motorman came in。
¨Hello； George；〃 he said。 ¨Can I get supper？〃
¨Samˇs gone out；〃 George said。 ¨Heˇll be back in about half an hour。〃
¨Iˇd better go up the street；〃 the motorman said。 George looked at the clock。 It was twenty minutes past six。
¨That was nice； bright boy；〃 Max said。 ¨Youˇre a regular little gentleman。〃
¨He knew Iˇd blow his head off。〃 Al said from the kitchen。
¨No；〃 said Max。 ¨It ainˇt that。 Bright boy is nice。 Heˇs a nice boy。 I like him。〃
At six…fifty…five George said： ¨Heˇs not coming。〃
Two other people had been in the lunch…room。 Once George had gone out to the kitchen and made a ham…and…egg sandwich ˉto goˇ that a man wanted to take with him。 Inside the kitchen he saw Al； his derby hat tilted back； sitting on a stool beside the wicket with the muzzle of a sawed…off shotgun resting on the ledge。 Nick and the cook were back to back in the corner； a towel tied in each of their mouths。 George had cooked the sandwich； wrapped it up in oiled paper； put it in a bag； brought it in； and the man had paid for it and gone out。
¨Bright boy can do everything；〃 Max said。 ¨He can cook and everything。 Youˇd make some girl a nice wife； bright boy。〃
¨Yes？〃 George said。 ¨Your friend； Ole Andreson； isnˇt going to come。
¨Weˇll give him ten minutes；〃 Max said。
Max watched the mirror and the clock。 The hands of the clock marked seven oˇclock； and then five minutes past seven。
¨Come on； Al；〃 said Max。 ¨We better go。 Heˇs not coming。〃
¨Better give him five minutes；〃 Al said from the kitchen。
In the five minutes a man came in； and George explained that the cook was sick。
¨Why the hell donˇt you get another cook？〃 the man asked。 ¨Arenˇt you running a lunch…counter？〃 He went out。
¨Come on； Al；〃 Max said。
¨What about the two bright boys and the nigger？〃
¨Theyˇre all right。〃
¨You think so？〃
¨Sure。 Weˇre through with it。〃
¨I donˇt like it；〃 said Al。 ¨Itˇs sloppy。 You talk too much。〃
¨Oh； what the hell；〃 said Max。 ¨We got to keep amused； havenˇt we？〃
¨You talk too much； all the same；〃 Al said。 He came out from the kitchen。 The cut…off barrels of the shotgun made a slight bulge under the waist of his too tight…fitting overcoat。 He straightened his coat with his gloved hands。
¨So long； bright boy；〃 he said to George。 ¨You got a lot of luck。〃
¨Thatˇs the truth；〃 Max said。 ¨You