第11部分（第1页）

so　horrible　that　she　found　the　strength　to　scream　again　after　she　had　thought

all　screams　were　used　up：

He　has　no　face！

But　of　course　there　had　been　a　face；　Dannys　own　sweet　face；　and　the　caul　that

had　covered　it　at　birth　now　resided　in　a　small　jar　which　she　had　kept；　almost

shamefully。　She　did　not　hold　with　old　superstition；　but　she　had　kept　the　caul

nevertheless。　She　did　not　hold　with　wives　tales；　but　the　boy　had　been　unusual

from　the　first。　She　did　not　believe　in　second　sight　but　—

Did　Daddy　have　an　accident？　I　dreamed　Daddy　had　an　accident。

Something　had　changed　him。　She　didnt　believe　it　was　just　her　getting　ready　to

ask　for　a　divorce　that　had　done　it。　Something　had　happened　before　that　morning。

Something　that　had　happened　while　she　slept　uneasily。　Al　Shockley　said　that

nothing　had　happened；　nothing　at　all；　but　he　had　averted　his　eyes　when　he　said

it；　and　if　you　believed　faculty　gossip；　Al　had　also　climbed　aboard　the　fabled

wagon。

Did　Daddy　have　an　accident？

Maybe　a　chance　collision　with　fate；　surely　nothing　much　more　concrete。　She　had

read　that　days　paper　and　the　next　days　with　a　closer　eye　than　usual；　but　she

saw　nothing　she　could　connect　with　Jack。　God　help　her；　she　had　been　looking　for

a　hit…and…run　accident　or　a　barroom　brawl　that　had　resulted　in　serious　injuries

or　。。。　who　knew？　Who　wanted　to？　But　no　policeman　came　to　call；　either　to　ask

questions　or　with　a　warrant　empowering　him　to　take　paint　scrapings　from　the　WVs

bumpers。　Nothing。　Only　her　husbands　one　hundred　and　eighty　degree　change　and

her　sons　sleepy　question　on　waking：

Did　Daddy　have　an　accident？　I　dreamed　。。。

She　had　stuck　with　Jack　more　for　Dannys　sake　than　she　would　admit　in　her

waking　hours；　but　now；　sleeping　lightly；　she　could　admit　it：　Danny　had　been

Jacks　for　the　asking；　almost　from　the　first。　Just　as　she　had　been　her　fathers；

almost　from　the　first。　She　couldnt　remember　Danny　ever　spitting　a　bottle　back

on　Jacks　shirt。　Jack　could　get　him　to　eat　after　she　had　given　up　in　disgust；

even　when　Danny　was　teething　and　it　gave　him　visible　pain　to　chew。　When　Danny

had　a　stomachache；　she　would　rock　him　for　an　hour　before　he　began　to　quiet；　Jack

had　only　to　pick　him　up；　walk　twice　around　the　room　with　him；　and　Danny　would　be

asleep　on　lacks　shoulder；　his　thumb　securely　corked　in　his　mouth。