第25部分(第4/8 頁)

ite　sports　were。　I　was　too　busy　scanning　the　crowd　for　Jumbo　Jenny；

sweating　my　pits　off。

Mrs。　McClure　calls　into　the　microphone；　“Do　I　hear　ten？”　and　it　took　me　a　minute　to　tune　in　to

the　fact　that　no　one　said　“Ten！”　No　one　said

anything。　“e　on；　out　there！　The　lunch　is　delicious。　Strawberry　tarts；　um　…”　And　Mrs。

McClure　goes　back　to　reading　off　the　three…by…five　about

Jon　Trulock's　lunch。

Talk　about　embarrassing！　This　was　worse　than　being　a　mama's　boy。　Worse　than　lunch　with

Jumbo　Jenny！　How'd　he　get　voted　basket　boy　if

nobody　wanted　to　have　lunch　with　him？

Then　off　to　the　right　of　the　crowd　I　hear；　“Ten！”

“Ten？　Did　I　hear　ten？”　Mrs。　McClure　says　with　a　fluttery　smile。

“Twelve！”　came　a　different　voice　from　the　same　area。

The　first　voice　came　back　with　“Fifteen！”　and　all　of　a　sudden　I　recognized　whose　voice　it　was。

Juli　Baker's。

I　searched　through　the　crowd　and　found　her；　hand　waving　in　the　air；　that　look　all　over　her

face。

“Sixteen！”　came　the　other　voice。

There　was　a　pause；　but　then　Juli　shoots　back　with　“Eighteen！”

“Eighteen！”　cries　Mrs。　McClure；　who　looks　like　she's　about　to　collapse　from　relief。　She

pauses；　then　says；　“Eighteen　going　once　…　Eighteen

going　twice　…　Sold！　for　eighteen　dollars。”

To　Juli？　She　was　the　last　person　I　expected　to　bid　on　a　lunch。　Anybody's　lunch。

Jon　staggered　back　into　line。　And　I　knew　I　wa