I was asleep and now he

“What was that you said, sonny?” he asked; he was frowning slightly. “My daddy’s dead,” Rufus said, expectantly. “You mean that sure enough?” the man asked. “He died last night when I was asleep and now he can’t come home ever any more.” The man looked at him as if something hurt him. “Where do you live, sonny?” “Right here”; he showed with his eyes. “Do your folks know you out here wandern round?” He felt his stomach go empty. He looked frankly into his eyes and nodded quickly. The man just looked at him and Rufus realized: He doesn’t believe me. How do they always know? “You better just go on back in the house, son,” he said. “They won’t like you being out here on the street.” He kept looking at him, hard. Rufus looked into his eyes with reproach and apprehension, and turned in at his walk. The man still stood there. Rufus went on slowly up his steps, and looked around. The man was on his way again but at the moment Rufus looked around, he did too, and now he stopped again. He shook his head and said, in a friendly voice which made Rufus feel ashamed, “How would your daddy like it, you out here telling strangers how he’s dead?” Rufus opened the door, taking care not to make a sound, and stepped in and silently closed it, and hurried into the sitting room. Through the curtains he watched the man. He still stood there, lighting a cigarette, but now he started walking again. He looked back once and Rufus felt, with a quailing of shame and fear, he sees me; but the man immediately looked away again and Rufus watched him until he was out of sight. How would your daddy like it?