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JohnUpdike

Inwalksthesethreegirlsinnothingbutbathingsuits。I’mihirdcheybacktothedoor，soIdoilthey’reoverbythebread。Theocaughtmyeyefirstwastheoheplaidgreentwo-piece。Shewasakykid，withagoodtanabroadsoft-lookingwiththosetwotsofwhitejustu，wherethesuohit，atthetopofthebackss。IstoodtherewithmyhandonaboxofHiHtorememberifIrangitupornitupagaimehell。She’sohesecash-register-watchers，awitchaboutfiftywithrougeonheresandnoeyebrows，andIknowitmadeherdaytotripmeup。She’dbeenwatgcashregistersfortyyearsandprobablyakebefore。

BythetimeIgotherfeatherssmoothedandhergoodiesintoabag—shegivesmealittlesnortinpassing，ifshe’dbeenborimetheywouldhaveburnedheroverihetimeIgetherohegirlshadcirdthebreadandwereingback，ushcart，backmywayaloers，intheaislebetweesandtheSpes。Theydidn’tevenhaveshoesohise，withthetwo-piece—itwasbrightgreenahebrawerestillsharpandherbellyrettypalesoIguessedshejustgotit（thesuit）—therewasthisohohosechubbyberry-faces，thelipsallbuheruhisoallohblackhairthathadn’tquitefrizzedright，ahesesunburnsrightadertheeyes，andathatwastoolong—youknow，thekindirlsthiriking”and“attractive”butemakesit，astheyveryhichiswhytheylikehersomudthehirdowasall。Shewasthequeen。Shekiheothertwopeekingaroundandmakingtheirshouldersroulookaround，notthisqueewalkedstraightonslowly，ontheselongwhiteprimadonnalegs。Shealittlehardonherheels，asifshedidn’twalkihatmugdowheheweightmovealooesasifshewastestingthefloorwitheverystep，puttingalittledeliberateextraatoit。Youneverknirls’mindswork（doyoureallythinkit’samindialittlebuzzlikeabeeinaglassjar?）butyougottheideashehadtalkedtheothertwointoihher，andnoiodoit，walkslowandholdyourselfstraight。

Shehadonakindofdirty-pink—beigemaybe，Idon’tknow—bathingsuitwithalittlenubblealloveritand，whatgotme，thestrapsereoffhershouldersloopedloosearouopsofherarms，andIguessasaresultthesuithadslippedalittleonher，soallarouhecloththerewasthisshiningrim。Ifithadhereyouwouldherecouldhavebeenanythihoseshoulders。Withthestrapspushedoff，therewashetopofthesuitaopofherheadexceptjusther，thisbareplaopofhertheshoulderboedsheetofmetaltiltedi。Imean，itwasmorethay。

&ofoakyhairthatthesunandsalthadbleaeupinabunthatwasunravelling，andakindofprimfagintotheA&Pwithyourstrapsdown，Isupposeit’stheonlykindoffahave。Sheheldherheadsohighherneingupoutofthosewhiteshoulders，lookedkiched，butIdidn’tmind。Thelongerherhemoreofherthere>

。。。

“OhDaddy，”Stokesiesaidbesideme。“Ifeelsofaint。”

“Darling，”Isaid。“Holdmetight。”Stokesie’smarried，withtwobabieschalkeduponhisfuselagealready，butasfarasItellthat’stheonlydifferey-two，andIwashisApril。

“Isitdoheresponsiblemarriedmanfindinghisvoice。Ifottosayhethinkshe’sgoingtobemanagersomesunnyday，maybei’scalledtheGreatAlexandrovarooshkiTeaething。

Whathemeantwas，ourtownisfivemilesfromabeach，withabigsummeryouto，butwe’rerightinthemiddleoftown，andthewomeonashirtorshortsorsomethioutofthetothestreet。Andanywaytheseareusuallywomenwithsixandvarismappingtheirlegsandnobody，ingthem，couldcareless。AsIsay，we’rerightinthemiddleoftown，andifyoustandatourfrontdoorsyouseetwobanksandthegregationaldtheoreaateoffidabouttwenty-sevenoldfree-luptralStreetbecausethesewerbrokeagain。It’snotasifwe’reontheCape;we’renorthofBostonandthere’speopleinthistowsee>

ThegirlshadreachedthemeatdwereaskingMethied，theypoiheyshuffledoutofsightbehindapyramidofDietDelightpeaches。AllthatwasleftforustoseewasoldMpattinghismouthandlookihemsizis。Poorkids，Ibegantofeelsorryforthem，they’thelpit。

hesadpartofthestory，atleastmyfamilysaysit’ssadbutIdon’tthinkit’ssadmyself。Thestore’sprettyempty，itbeingThursdayafternoon，sotherewasnothingmuchtodoexisterandwaitfirlstoshowupagaioreinballmadIdidn’tknowwhielthey’deoutof。Afterawhiletheyearoundoutofthefaraisle，aroubulbs，recordsatdistoftheSixorTsorsomesukyouwohewaxon，sixpadybars，andplastieupinethatfaIlapartwhenakidlooksatthemanyway。Aroundtheye，Queeillleadingtheway，andholdingalittlegrayjarinherhand。SlhSevenareunmannedandIcouldseeherwbetweenStokesaokesiewithhisusualluckdraartyinbaggygraypantswhostumblesupwithfiantsofpineapplejuicebum（whatdothesebumsdoineapplejuice’I’veoftenaskedmyself）sothegirlse。QueesdownthejaraomyfingersicygfishFangSnaPureSourCream:49￠。Nowherhaaringorabracelet，bareasGodmadethem，ahemoney’s。Stillrimlooksheliftsafoldeddollarbilloutofthehollowattheterofherop。Thejarwentheavyinmyhahoughtthatwassocute。

Theneverybody’slustorunout。LengelesinfromhagglingwithatruckfullofcabbagesoandisabouttostothatdERhindwhichhehidesalldaywheouchhiseye。Leydreary，teadaysdtherest，buthedoesn’tmissthatmuesoverandsays，“Girls，thisisn’tthebeach。”

Queehoughmaybeit’sjustabrushofsunburnIwasnotigforthefirsttime，nowthatshewassootheraskedmetopickupajarsnacks。”Hervoidofstartledme，thewayvoicesdowhehepeoplefirst，ingoutsoflatakindoftony，too，thewayittickedover“pid“snacks”。AllofasuddenIslidrightdownhervoitroom。Herfatherahermeandingaroundisahewomenigupherringsnatoothpicksoffabigplateandtheywereallholdingdrinksthecolorofwaterwitholivesandsprigsofmintinthem。Wheshavesomebetlemonadeandifit’sarealracyaffairStallglasseswith“They’llDoItEveryTime”ssten。

“That’sallright，”Lengelsaid。“Butthisisn’tthebeach。”Hisrepeatingthisstruckmeasfunny，asifithadjusto，andhehadbeenthinkingalltheseyearstheA&Pwasagreatbigduheheadlifeguard。Hedidn’tlikemysmiling—asIsayhedoesn’tmissmuch—buthetratesongivihatsadSunday-schoolsuperiare。

Queenie’sblushisnosunburnnolumponeinplaid，thatIlikedbetterfromtheback—areallysesup，“Weweren’tdoinganyshoppifortheohing。”

“Thatmakesnodiffereellsher，andIcouldseefromthewayhiseyeswenoticedshewasiecebefore。“Wewalydressedwhenyoueinhere。”

“Wearedet，”Queeniesayssuddenly，herlowerlippushiisheremembersherplace，aplawhichthecrowdthatrunstheA&Pmustlookprettycrummy。FangSnacksflashedinherveryblueeyes。

“Girls，Idon’twanttuewithyou。Afterthiseihyourshoulderscovered。It’sourpolicy。”Heturnshisback。That’spolicyforyou。Policyiswhatthekingpinswant。Whattheotherswantisjuveniledelinquency。

Allthiswhile，theershadbeenshowingupwiththeircartsbut，youknow，sheep，seeiheyhadallbunStokesie，whoshookopenapaperbagasgentlyaspeeliwantingtomissaword。Icouldfeelinthesilenceeverybodygettingnervous，mostofallLengel，whoasksme，“Sammy，haveyupthispurchase?”

Ithoughtandsaid“No”butitwasn’taboutthatIwasthinking。Ighthepunches，4，9，GROC，TOT—it’smorepliyouthink，andafteryoudoitoftebegilesong，thatyouhearwordsto，inmycase“Hello（bing）there，you（gung）hap-pypee-pul（splat）”—thesplatbeingthedrawerflyingout。Iuhebill，tenderlyasyoumayimagihaviweewosmoothestscoopsofvanillaIhadeverkhere，andpassahalfaohernarrowpinkpalm，aheherringsinabagandtwistitsneditover，allthetimethinking。

Thegirls，andwho’dblamethem，areinahurrytogetout，soIsay“Iquit”toLengelquioughforthemtthey’llstopandwatchme，theiruheykeeprightongoing，iriceye;thedoorfliesopenandtheyflickeracrossthelottotheirieandPlaidandBigTallGoony-Goony（notthatasrawmaterialshewassobad），leavihLengelandakinkinhiseyebrow。

“Didyousaysomething，Sammy?”

“IsaidIquit。”

“Ithoughtyoudid。”