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Kenneth looked at him. "What are you going to do with yourself?"he asked him.

"What I do now, fishing, cranberry harvest." Kenneth nodded. "And you, what do you want to become?" he asked me.

"I think a teacher," I said.

"Not an actress or a model like your mother?"

"I don't think so," I said. He looked pleased. "You were very friendly with my mother once, weren't you?"

"Yes," he said. He gazed at his work in progress. "And with your father and with Cary's father. We all grew up together."

Cary and I looked at each other. In his eyes I could see the tension. Was I just going to come out and ask him if he could be my father?

"Well, I got to get back to work," he said. He walked toward the door to indicate he wanted us to leave. I gazed again at Cary and then I followed Kenneth. Cary followed me. Ulysses waited at the door.

"I like your dog."

"He's old, but faithful. I'm afraid he doesn't get enough exercise either."

"Maybe I c

an walk him for you sometime," I offered. "I'd like to hunt for seashells on the beach here."

He nodded.

"What are you going to do this summer?" he asked. "I don't know. I'm waiting for my mother to come back or call for me."

"Well, tell her hello when she calls you." He stepped back into the studio and closed the door.

I looked at Cary.

"I didn't know how to say anything or ask anything," I explained.

"It's all right. Let's go. I don't think he would have admitted anything anyway. Maybe he doesn't even know himself." We started back to the truck, Ulysses following us.

"I should have said something more, asked something specific," I moaned.

"Next time. Did you get any sort of feeling about him?" Cary asked as he backed out of the driveway and started us toward the road.

"I think so," I said. "It's hard and it's not fair," I cried. "Mommy has to tell me the truth. She must!" I said firmly. "There's no reason for her not to now."

We bumped along the sandy road. When I looked back, I saw Ulysses turn and trot back toward the jeep. He looked disappointed.

After Cary stopped at a garage to refill his truck tires with air, we headed home. We had just made the turn toward the house when we both saw the police car parked right behind Uncle Jacob's.

"What's this all about?" Cary wondered aloud. We pulled up beside the police car and got out slowly. Both of us noticed that the front door was still open. We glanced at each other and then hurried inside.

There were two policemen standing in the hallway, the taller one with his hat in his hands. Uncle Jacob was talking to them softly. They all turned as we stepped in, Uncle Jacob's face darker and firmer than I had ever seen it. We heard soft sobbing coming from the living room and looked in to see Aunt Sara seated on the settee, May at her side stroking her arm.

"What happened?" Cary asked.

"There's been an accident," Uncle Jacob said.

"Who?" Cary asked. Uncle Jacob looked at the two policemen and when he turned back, his eyes were on me. My heart stopped and started.

"Mommy?" I cried. He nodded. "What happened?"

"Officer Baker here came to tell us they received a call from police in . . . where was it?"