第21部分(第2/8 頁)

ut　him。　'Crazy…wild　and　proud　of　it。　Wharton　is　nieen　years　old；　and　he　just　doesn't　care。'　He'd　underlined　that　part。〃

The　hand　which　had　gone　around　my　shoulders　was　now　rubbing　my　back。　I　was　beginning　to　calm。　In　that　moment　I　loved　Elaine　Connelly；　and　could　have　kissed　her　all　over　her　face　as　I　told　her　so。　Maybe　I　should　have。　It's　terrible　to　be　alone　and　frightened　at　any　age；　but　I　think　it's　worst　when　you're　old。　But　I　had　this　other　thing　on　my　mind；　this　load　of　old　and　still　unfinished　business。

〃Anyway；〃　I　said；　〃you're　right…I've　been　scribbling　about　how　Wharton　came　on　the　block　and　almost　killed　Dean　Stanton　…　One　of　the　guys　I　worked　with　back　then　…　when　he　did。〃

〃How　could　he　do　that？〃　Elaine　asked。

〃Meanness　and　carelessness；〃　I　said　grimly。　〃Wharton　supplied　the　meanness；　and　the　guards　who　brought　him　in　supplied　the　carelessness。　The　real　mistake　was　Wharton's　wrist…chain　…　it　was　a　little　too　long。　When　Dean　unlocked　the　door　to　E　Block；　Wharton　was　behind　him。　There　were　guards　on　either　side　of　him；　but　Anderson　was　right　…　Wild　Billy　just　didn't　care　about　such　things。　He　dropped　that　wrist…chain　down　over　Dean's　head　and　started　choking　him　with　it。〃

Elaine　shuddered。

〃Anyway；　I　got　thinking　about　all　that　and　couldn't　sleep；　so　I　came　down　here。　I　turned　on　AMC；　thinking　you　might　e　down　and　we'd　have　us　a　little　date…〃

She　laughed　and　kissed　my　forehead　just　above　the　eyebrow。　It　used　to　make