Now and on Earth by Jim Thompson

entitled to demand a raise to that amount. It says nothing whatever about raising you to fifty-four cents after thirty days. Now I have nothing against the union whatsoever. If a man in this company wants to join the union, I will not persuade him to do otherwise. I definitely will not say, and I am not saying, anything against the union. Understand?"
    "Of course," I said.
    "I'm just explaining our position. Before, it was our policy to raise all approved probationers to fifty-four cents. Now, since the union doesn't care, why should we?"
    "I suppose you shouldn't," I said.
    "But Moon tells me you're a good man," he said. And paused for confirmation.
    "Thank you."
    "And I must say that in this case I believe Moon is right"-pause.
    "Thank you, sir."
    "You seem to be the type of man we like to have around. Industrious"-pause.
    "Yes, sir."
    "Sober."
    "Yes-sir."
    "Conservative."
    "Y-yes, s-sir."
    "So we are raising you to fifty-four cents an hour, effective this pay period. That's all."
    He paced away, hands folded behind his back. When Moon showed up again, I started to tell him about the raise, but he'd already heard about it he said.
    "I was just down in Plannishing," he said. "I didn't have any trouble hearing while he was talking to you."
    Well-four cents an hour isn't much, only a couple of dollars extra on the week, but it did make me feel kind of good. And I suppose the folks saw how I felt and they didn't kid me about it even when I invited it by kidding myself. Everyone said that the company must think a lot of me to make an exception like that.
    After a good deal of very friendly debate we decided to spend the extra two on a Sunday dinner, with me planning and preparing the menu. I can cook, you know; I mean I did it, many years ago, for a living.
    I started for the store, and Shannon asked me if she could go along. And of course I said she couldn't, because I was afraid she might start something. I should have known that there was something wrong with her or she wouldn't have asked; she'd've just gone. But I didn't think, and surprisingly enough she didn't come anyway. She just got up and went back into the bedroom and closed the door.
    She wasn't around at supper time, but we didn't think anything of it; she's in the habit of keeping her own hours. But along about eight o'clock we began to get worried and we started looking for her. I won't tell you where all we looked-I even went clear down to the bay. To make it short, I found her in the closet in our bedroom. I'd gone in there to get a jacket because it was getting kind of cool, and when I lifted it off the hook I knocked some dresses down and I saw Shannon.
    She was way back in the corner, sitting on the floor. She'd got Frankie's manicure set and some lipstick and other cosmetics and she was a sight.
    "Oh, my God," I said. "Now, what will your mother say? Don't you know we've been looking all over the country for you? Can't you ever behave yourself? Come on out of there!"
    She got up and held out her hands, and like a damned fool I didn't understand. "Now don't daub that stuff all over my pants! For Christ's sake come on out and wash yourself and eat something if you want it, and go to bed."
    "Don't you think my hands are pretty, Daddy?" she said.
    And then I began to catch on. But at that moment Roberta came up. She let out a wild shriek.
    "Shannon! Look at your dress! And you've got that stuff all over my suede shoes. And-"
    She grabbed her and began to slap her, and Shannon didn't fight back. And then she, Roberta, began to understand and she got down on her knees and hugged and kissed her.
    "Of course you're pretty! You're the prettiest girl in this whole wide world! Wasn't that nice of her, Daddy, to make herself so pretty for us? Just think! All this time she was b-back-"
    We were all crying-even Jo and Mack. We were all thinking. A little girl, a four-year old, back in that dark closet for four hours. A little girl who had never been wanted-and who, I