Stamp Paid was still fingering the ribbon and it made a little motion in his pants pocket.

　　Paul D looked up, noticed the side pocket agitation and snorted. "I can't read. You got any morenewspaper for me, just a waste of time."Stamp withdrew the ribbon and sat down on the steps. "No. This here's something else." Hestroked the red cloth between forefinger and thumb. "Something else."Paul D didn't say anything so the two men sat in silence for a few moments.

　　"This is hard for me," said Stamp. "But I got to do it. Two things I got to say to you. I'm a take theeasy one first."Paul D chuckled. "If it's hard for you, might kill me dead.""No, no. Nothing like that. I come looking for you to ask your pardon. Apologize.""For what?" Paul D reached in his coat pocket for his bottle. "You pick any house, any housewhere colored live. In all of Cincinnati. Pick any and you welcome to stay there. I'mapologizingbecausetheydidn'tofferortellyou.Butyou(one) welcome anywhere you want to be. Myhouse is your house too. John and Ella, Miss Lady, Able Woodruff, Willie Pike — anybody. Youchoose. You ain't got to sleep in no cellar, and I apologize for each and every night you did. I don'tknow how that preacher let you do it. I knowed him since he was a boy.""Whoa, Stamp. He offered.""Did? Well?""Well. I wanted, I didn't want to, I just wanted to be off by myself a spell. He offered. Every time Isee him he offers again.""That's a load off. I thought everybody gone crazy."Paul D shook his head. "Just me.""You pla............