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By Jack Joseph Smith

18 Yes you dos met I only meet your father once Michaet,.and that's not enough time te knew anyones He's rich’ He ist Allithe kids that live around us say they are rich, se we must be; Huh 4 Mfse- Wa11tane< . I wouldn't knew-Michaels Are you rich Mfse:Williams? My husband is a minister; De you live in Meunt Lebanon? Yess Than yeu must be rich, Well I dom't knew about that Michael; I like your little girl Mfse Williams; I stepped for a moments it was so nice the way she-was leeking at me, She's antalya She is a good girl, and'she is very happys Does she like yeu te be her teacher; i I think se;.Maybe I'll ge back ig and ask her She probably misses you Miss Williams, Geed by Michael, We will see you after napitim & OKG¥ Mice Wilianss I was sitting in a cerner with my eyes closed, dreaming and thinking about her comings when the door opened and ené of the’ little*girle:said, Mfss Williams wants you to come in mows’

Original Scan

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AI Interpretation

GPT

Conversation with Miss Williams circles back to whether anyone in Mount Lebanon is rich, then softens around her daughter before the child waits alone, dreaming of her return, until he is called back inside.

Wealth talk keeps surfacing because neighborhood status has already entered the child's imagination as a rule he cannot verify for himself. Against that, Miss Williams and her daughter appear as figures of warmth and wantedness, which makes the waiting corner feel almost devotional.

Claude

The long hall conversation becomes Michael's first lesson in class reading: if you live in Mount Lebanon you must be rich, and a minister's wife is rich whether she will admit it or not.