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all.”
    â€œYou must be insane.”
    â€œVery likely. But it still goes. And now you can shut up about the matter and go to sleep.”
    â€œI don’t intend to shut up when you accuse me of something of which I’m not guilty. There has been no one. As the boy, yes, as even God is my witness.”
    â€œThe boy is a boy. And God I don’t believe in.”
    â€œNow I know for sure you’re off your rocker.”
    â€œWe will see.” Magnus snapped the sheet tight under his chin. Deliberately he stiffened himself for sleep.
    â€œWhat a fool I was not to listen to my aunt. Ohh!”
    When will our ship come in?
    3
    Clear weather pushed out heavy weather.
    Magnus awoke cheerful in the morning. He swung out of bed full of charge for the day.
    He also found himself full of affection for Kitty and the boy. Weren’t they all orphans together, himself included? Singletons? All the blood kin they had in America, in the world for that matter, was they themselves. Suppose something should happen to one of them, who would rush to their aid with help and love except they themselves?
    Magnus shaved over the washbasin in the kitchen. Kitty made breakfast. Roddy set the table.
    Not much was said. Roddy and Kitty seemed to be waiting for Magnus to begin.
    Magnus deftly worked the straightedge over and around his chin. Crisp. Crisp. He took hold of his skin over his cheek near his nose and began coming down the side of his face. Crisp. Crisp. He had a fine edge on his straight razor that morning.
    Kitty banged a stove lid.
    Magnus ignored the banging. He cleaned his razor on a piece of newspaper and folded it away. “What are we having for the breaking of our fast this morning, Mother?”
    â€œSame old thing.”
    â€œSounds good to me.”
    Kitty threw him a surprised look.
    Magnus washed his face with soft water and tar soap. He combed his hair until it shone like the glossy back of a crow.
    Kitty removed a tray of fresh toast from the oven. With her knee she slammed shut the nickel oven door.
    Magnus felt a sudden regret for all the terrible things he said the night before. He shivered. “Jesus.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œI thought you said something.”
    â€œNo.” Magnus took his place at the head of the table.
    Roddy looked up from his plate. He studied his father’s face with grave green eyes.
    Magnus summoned up a smile. He winked at Roddy. “What’s on tap for today, boy?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œWhat about school?”
    â€œTeach is getting married.”
    â€œOho. No school then, eh? That calls for something special. Let’s make it a holiday, what do you say?”
    A gleam of interest appeared in the boy’s eyes.
    â€œWhat would you really like to do today, boy? Really now?” Magnus cut off a corner of his toast, next cut off a piece of fried egg and placed it precisely on the corner of the toast, next cut off a slice of butter and placed it neatly on the piece of egg, then, in one motion, put the running little triple-decker in his mouth. Very good. Kitty was a great cook for all that. “Name it, Roddy, my man, and we’ll do it.”
    â€œYou promised me once to give me some pointers on how to shoot.”
    â€œHow about a walk out along the new Military Road? See where the Argonauts head out these days.”
    Roddy was instantly aglow. “Say, Dad, I forgot to tell you.Down by the Big Sioux there I found a good place for target practice. Under those giant cottonwoods.”
    â€œAll right, boy, done. That’s what we’ll do.”
    Kitty poured Magnus some hot coffee. “Do you think that’s wise for a boy so young?”
    â€œWhy not?” Magnus gave Kitty a large smile. “The boy had better learn to shoot right. At least out here. The frontier is just across the river, you know.”
    Roddy slid over on his father’s side of things.