by Brian Doyle
Pointing at a figure standing away up there, legs apart, hands on his hips, his shirt open, his sun hat tilted on one side.
Mrs. O’Driscoll’s mouth opening, dropping her glass of sherry in the sand, trying to say these words.
Then saying these words:
“Lord strike me dead!”
And then these words:
“It’s O’Driscoll!”
Some of the Characters
Hubbo — a boy with success on his mind
Mr. Donald D. DonaldmcDonald — the world’s worst golfer
Mrs. O’Driscoll — a lady to whom life is just like a song
O’Driscoll — a man who is missing
Mrs. Fitchell — a mother with a cast on her wrist
Fleurette Featherstone Fitchell — a girl who is proud though she wears a rag in her long curly black hair
Nerves — a dog who should have been a mirror
Mr. and Mrs. Blank — people who see themselves in their pet’s face
Denny Dingle — a boy who was the victim of pimples
The Dorises — one big happy family
Mr. Tool — a teacher driven berserk by his students
Doug — a sneaky Hi-Y guy
Chubby — a man in pain but kind at the same time
Mr. Yasso — a rotten conversationalist
Mr. Stentorian — a man on the night shift
Mrs. Stentorian — a woman living a life of constant thunder
Miss Collar-Cuff — a rich lady and alone
the grasshopper — an insect studied to death
Mr. Stubbs — a man who travels a lot
Lassie — a success
Melody Bleach — a hypnotist
the English teacher — he keeps you from reading too much
Victor and Virginia — people with award-winning teeth
the dermatologist — a doctor who can’t cure himself
