Michael Malone - Weebly

if everyone else either would not or could not read as
carefully as she did, or if they read different books—as
when she and her husband watched television and he
laughed at stories that left her sick at heart.
Judith's temporary replacement, Mrs. Lowtry,
jammed her purse under her wide, pasty arm and, with
a jerk of her head at the clock, followed Mr. Barnum
into the street. Grateful to be alone, Judith tried to calm
herself after his intrusion by sweeping the floor of her
post office. Then she straightened everything, locked
her drawers and her safe. She went down the steps to
lower her flag. There was no breeze, and dusk air held
close the heat of the day. Nearby in the circle two
women parked in front of the cream brick building. A
large, vibrant woman got out of the car and went inside.
His wife, thought Judith. And Mrs. Abernathy's friend
would apparently wait for her in the car. The
postmistress turned so that she could fold her flag
without seeing into Winslow Abernathy's life or obliging
him to deal with his life in her sight.
Mrs. Haig hurried back into her post office, closed
her windows, lowered her blinds, and turned off her