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Even
though
it
was
a
mild
evening
in
March
,
a
big
fire
burned
under
the
white
mantel
.
Fourteen
girls
were
sitting
on
the
white
sofas
and
colored
wingback
chairs
when
Beth
arrived
in
her
new
dress
.
Most
of
the
others
were
wearing
sweaters
and
skirts
.
“
It
was
really
something
,
”
one
of
them
said
,
“
to
find
a
face
from
Fairfield
Junior
High
in
Life
.
I
nearly
flipped
!
”
but
when
Beth
started
to
talk
about
the
tournaments
,
the
girls
interrupted
her
to
ask
about
the
boys
at
them
.
Were
they
good
-
looking
?
Did
she
date
any
of
them
?
When
Beth
said
,
“
There
’
s
not
much
time
for
that
,
”
the
girls
changed
the
subject
.
For
an
hour
or
more
they
talked
about
boys
and
dating
and
clothes
,
veering
erratically
from
cool
sophistication
to
giggles
,
while
Beth
sat
uneasily
at
one
end
of
a
sofa
holding
a
crystal
glass
of
Coca
-
Cola
,
unable
to
think
of
anything
to
say
.
Then
,
at
nine
o
’
clock
,
Margaret
turned
on
the
huge
television
set
by
the
fireplace
and
they
were
all
quiet
,
except
for
an
occasional
giggle
,
while
the
“
Movie
of
the
Week
”
came
on
.
Beth
sat
through
it
,
not
participating
in
the
gossip
and
laughter
during
the
commercials
,
until
it
ended
at
eleven
.
She
was
astounded
at
the
dullness
of
the
evening
.
This
was
the
elite
Apple
Pi
Club
that
had
seemed
so
important
when
she
first
went
to
school
in
Lexington
,
and
this
was
what
they
did
at
their
sophisticated
parties
:
they
watched
a
Charles
Bronson
movie
.
The
only
break
in
the
dullness
was
when
a
girl
named
Felicia
said
,
“
I
wonder
if
he
’
s
as
well
-
hung
as
he
looks
.
”
Beth
laughed
at
that
,
but
it
was
the
only
thing
she
laughed
at
.
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When
she
left
after
eleven
no
one
urged
her
to
stay
,
and
no
one
said
anything
about
her
joining
.
She
was
relieved
to
get
into
the
taxi
and
go
home
,
and
when
she
got
there
she
spent
an
hour
in
her
room
with
The
Middle
Game
in
Chess
,
translated
from
the
Russian
of
D
.
Luchenko
.
*
*
*
The
school
knew
about
her
,
well
enough
,
by
the
next
tournament
,
and
this
time
she
hadn
’
t
claimed
illness
as
an
excuse
.
Mrs
.
Wheatley
talked
to
the
principal
,
and
Beth
was
excused
from
her
classes
.
Nothing
was
said
about
the
illnesses
she
had
lied
about
.
They
wrote
her
up
in
the
school
paper
,
and
people
pointed
her
out
in
the
hallways
.
The
tournament
was
in
Kansas
City
,
and
after
she
won
it
the
director
took
her
and
Mrs
.
Wheatley
to
a
steakhouse
for
dinner
and
told
her
they
were
honored
to
have
her
participate
.
He
was
a
serious
young
man
,
and
he
treated
both
of
them
politely
.
“
I
’
d
like
to
play
in
the
U
.
S
.
Open
,
”
Beth
said
over
dessert
and
coffee
.
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“
Sure
,
”
he
said
.
“
You
might
win
it
.
”
“
Would
that
lead
to
playing
abroad
?
”
Mrs
.
Wheatley
asked
.
“
In
Europe
,
I
mean
?
”
“
No
reason
why
not
,
”
the
young
man
said
.
His
name
was
Nobile
.
He
wore
thick
glasses
and
kept
drinking
ice
water
.
“
They
have
to
know
about
you
before
they
invite
you
.
”