raindrops from nowhere

by bofa xesjum

the dog chased the car down the street. lightning struck the old house. the two friends expected their old latin teacher to arrive at the station. but the train passed through without stopping. it started to rain. the two friends, whose names were bradley and charles, repaired to the oyster bar where they had intended to entertain the latin teacher. after eating too many oysters, they crossed the street to a low tavern where they got drunk. did you see the dog run down the street? bradley asked charles. no, charles replied, but i saw the lightning hit the old house. lightning is always hitting old houses. not as often as dogs run down the street. but that is not as often as before, when dogs were not required to be kept on leashes. you are not taking into account the millions of dogs living in the wild or in the streets. you fool, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. how dare you speak to me in that fashion. all right, let’s step outside and settle this. which way is outside? a waitress was passing by their table. excuse me, miss, charles asked her. which way is outside? stand up, the waitress told him, turn 360 degrees to your right and walk straight. thank you. charles got up unsteadily, but bradley made no move to follow him. now the dog, who had not caught the car it was chasing, took shelter inside the entrance to the tavern, and sat looking hopefully at the entering and exiting patrons, in hopes of being let into the low tavern. pete grady, a drifter, looked at the sky and thought it looked like the rain would continue for a while, so he decided to enter the low tavern and spend his last few cents on a drink. the hopeful countenance of the dog aroused his naturally sympathetic nature, and he opened the door wide enough for the dog to enter before him. meanwhile, mr endicott, the latin teacher, who had exited the train a stop too soon, was trudging wearily down the road between the town he had mistakenly got off at, and headed at a measured pace to markville, where he had agreed to meet his old pupils charles and bradley, and savor the oysters they had talked so glowingly of. mr endicott usually enjoyed brisk walks in the rain, but this one was proving a bit too long for his taste, especially as no cars or trucks came up the road behind him, which he might have attempted to flag down. how he wished he were back in his cozy study, nursing a stiff drink in front of a blazing fire, instead of walking forlornly in the rain to make an appointment with two old students whom he did not even like that much or find very interesting.