all the years of her life

AMERICAN STORIES - All the Years of Her Life

Our story today is called \"All the years of her life\". It was written by Morley Callaghan. Here is Shep O'Neal to tell you the story.

The drug store was _____ _____ _____ for the night. Young Alfred Higgins who worked in the store was _____ _____ _____ _____ getting ready to go home. On his _____ _____, he passed Mr. Sam Carl, the little grey-haired man who owned the store.

Mr. Carl looked up at Alfred's back as he passed, and said in a very _____ _____, \"Just a moment, Alfred, one moment before you go.\" Mr. Carl spoke so quietly that it _____ Alfred.

\"What is it? Mr.Carl.\" \"Maybe you will be good enough to take a few things _____ _____ your pockets and leave them here before you go.\" said Mr. Carl.

\"What things? What are you _____ _____?\"

\"You've got a compact and a _____ and at least _____ _____ _____ toothpaste in your pockets, Alfred.\"

\"What do you mean?\" Alfred answered, \"Do you think I'm _____?\" his face _____ _____.

Mr. Carl _____ _____ at Alfred coldly. Alfred did not know what to say and tried to keep his eyes _____ _____ the eyes of his boss.

After _____ _____ _____ he put his hand into his pockets and took out the things he had

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_____.

\"Petty thieving, eh, Alfred.\" said Mr. Carl, \"and maybe you’d be _____ _____ to tell me how long this has been going on.\"

\"This is the first time that I ever took anything.\"

Mr. Carl was _____ to answer, \"So now you think you tell me a _____? What kind of a fool do I look like, hah? I don't know what goes _____ in my own store, eh? I tell you, you've been doing this for _____ _____ _____.\"

Mr. Carl had a strange smile on his face.

\"I don't like to _____ the police,\" he said, \"but maybe I should call your father and let him know I'm going to have to put you _____ _____.\"

\"My father is not home, he is a _____. He works nights.\"

\"Who is at home.\" Mr. Carl asked.

\"My mother, I think.\"

Mr. Carl stared to go to the _____. Alfred's fears made him _____ his voice. He wanted to show he was afraid of nobody. He acted this way every time he got into trouble. This had happened many times since he _____ school. At such times he always spoke in a loud voice as he did tonight.

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\"Just a minute.\" he said to Mr. Carl, \"You don't have to get anybody else _____ this. You don't have to tell her.\" Alfred tried to _____ big, but deep down he was like a child. He hoped that someone at home would come quickly to save him. But Mr. Carl was already talking to his mother. He told her to come to the store _____ _____ _____.

Alfred thought his mother would come _____ _____, eyes burning with anger. Maybe she would be crying and would _____ _____ _____ when he tried to explain to her. She would make him feel so small. Yet, he wanted her to come quickly before Mr. Carl _____ _____ a policeman. Alfred and Mr. Carl waited but said nothing. At last they heard someone at the _____ door. Mr. Carl opened it and said, \"Come in, Mrs. Higgins.\" His face was _____ and _____.

Alfred's mother came in with _____ _____ _____ on her face and put out her hand to Mr. Carl and said politely.

\"I'm Mrs. Higgins, Alfred's mother.\"

Mr. Carl was surprised _____ _____ _____ she came in. She was very calm, quiet and friendly.

\"Is Alfred in trouble?\" Mrs. Higgins asked.

\"He is. He has been taking things from the store, little things like toothpaste and lipsticks. Things he can _____ _____.\"

Mrs. Higgins looked at her son and said sadly, \"Is it so? Alfred?\"

\"Yes.\"

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\"Why have you been doing it?\" she asked.

\"I've been _____ money I believe.\"

\"On what?\"

\"Going around with the boys, I guess.\" said Alfred.

Mrs. Higgins put out her hand and _____ Mr. Carl's arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to _____ him any more trouble. She said, \"If you will just listen to me before doing anything.\" Her voice was _____ and she turned her head _____ as if she had said too much already. Then she looked again at Mr. Carl with a _____ smile and asked, \"What do you want to do, Mr. Carl?\"

\"I was going to get a cop. This was I should do, call the police.\"

She answered, \"Yes, I think so. It's not for me to say because he is my son. Yet I sometimes think a little good advice is the best thing for a boy at _____ times in his life.\"

Mrs. Higgins looked like a different woman to her son Alfred, there she was with a gentle smile saying,

\"I wonder if you don't think it would be better just to let him come home with me. He looks like a big fellow, doesn't he? \"

Yet it takes some of them a long time to get any sense into their heads.

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Mr. Carl had expected Alfred's mother to come in ______, shaking with fear, asking with ______ eyes for mercy for her son. But no, she was most calm and pleasant and was making Mr. Carl _____ ______. After a time, Mr. Carl was shaking his head in agreement with what she was seeing.

\"And of course.\" he said, \" I don't want to be cool. I’ll tell you what I'll do. Tell your son not to come back here again and _____ _____ _____ _____ _____. Now was that.\" And he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins' hand.

\"I will never forget your kindness.\"

\"Sorry we have to meet this way.\" said Mr. Carl, \"but I am glad I got in touch with you. Just wanted to do the right thing. That it is all.\"

\"It's better to meet like this than never, isn't it?\" she said.

Suddenly they held hands as if they liked each other, as if they had known each other for a long time.

\"Good night, sir?\"

\"Good night, Mrs. Higgins. I'm truly sorry.\"

Mother and son left. They walked _____ _____ _____ in silence. She took long steps and looked straight in front of her. After a time, Alfred said, \"Thank God it turned out like that never again.\"

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\"Be quiet! Don't speak to me, you have _____ me enough have the _____ to be quiet.\"

They _____ home at last. Mrs. Higgins _____ _____ her coat and without even looking at him, she said to Alfred,

\"You are _____ _____ _____. God forgive you! It's one thing after another. Always have them. Why do you stand there so stupidly? _____ _____ _____!\"

As she _____ _____ the kitchen, she said, \"Not a word about tonight to your father.\"

In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. There was no shame in him, just pride in his mother's strength. \"She was smooth.\" he said to himself. He felt he must tell her how great she was. As he _____ _____ the kitchen he saw his mother _____ _____ _____ _____ _____. He was _____ _____ what he saw. His mother's face as he said was a frightened, broken face. It was not the same cool bright face he saw earlier in the drug store.

As Mrs. Higgins lifted the teacup her hand _____. And some of the tea _____ _____ the table. Her lips moved _____. She _____ very old. He watched his mother without _____ _____ _____. The picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth _____ _____ _____ _____. He saw all the troubles he brought his mother in her shaking hand, in the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.

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