Page:The Blacker the Berry - Thurman - 1929.djvu/170

 “Miss Morgan, this is Cora Thurston. Maybe I should’a introduced you ladies first.”

“I’m no lady, and I hope you’re not either, Miss Morgan.” She smiled, shook Emma Lou’s hand, then turned away to continue her interrupted conversation with Tony Crews.

“Miss Morgan, meet ,” he paused, and addressed a tall, dark yellow youth stretched out on the floor, “What name you going by now?”

The boy looked up and smiled.

“Why, Paul, of course.”

“All right then Miss Morgan, this is Mr. Paul, he changes his name every season.”

Emma Lou sought to observe this person more closely, and was shocked to see that his shirt was open at the neck and that he was sadly in need of a haircut and shave.

“Miss Morgan, meet Mr. Walter.” A small slender dark youth with an infectious smile and small features. His face was familiar. Where had she seen him before?

“Now that you’ve met every one, sit down on the bed there beside Truman and have a drink. Go on with your talk folks,” he urged as he went over to the dresser to fill a glass with a milk colored liquid. Cora Thurston spoke up in answer to Alva’s adjuration: