“Then why do you go back?”

“What can I do?”

“If you could only sing, you might join us in the chorus!”

(Stella, it vaguely occurred to him, would have replied: “Can’t you think of anything yourself?”)

“I wish I could sing,” he said.

“Ever try?”

“Yes. I sound like one of the fog horns on Yerba Buena during a tule fog!”

She laughed. “It’s a pity, because you could stick around.”

“I’ve often thought I’d like to go on the stage if I ever got a chance....”

“Why don’t you speak about it to Mr. Curry?”