Page:Nigger Heaven (1926).pdf/197

 I think that anything Moses did in Egypt a great many of his followers did too. I think. . ..

Surely you're not passing because you've been reading the Bible!

Not at all! It just happened accidentally. You know I recently lost my job. Well, I was searching another. Want-ad-page in hand, I hustled from office to office. Always turned down when I told them I was a Negro. Finally, I went into an office where they were very pleasant to me and the job looked fine. After the man asked me several questions, he engaged me. Then he inquired, You're quite dark. Are you Spanish?

My mother was Spanish, I replied. Do you blame me?

No, I don't, Byron assured him. I couldn't. What kind of job is it?

I'm private secretary. The boss makes frequent trips to Europe. We're sailing, as a matter of fact, in April.

Byron buried his face in his hands and groaned. I don't blame you, Dick, he replied, but I just couldn't do it myself.

A little later, after his friend had departed, Byron drew out a fresh sheet of paper and took up his pencil. He looked out of the window at the blank wall and tried to collect his thoughts. What could he write about? What was there interesting to write about? He couldn't think of a thing.