"Date of publication 2083 AD" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morrison William)

basketball game lest night," wrote Barbara. "Our team was playing the girls from
State College and right in the middle of the game, when it was so exciting and
we were all yelling like mad, our captain, instead of shooting at the basket,
suddenly stopped and said, 'This is no fun, girls. Let's aim for something big.”
"And she turned right around and threw the ball as hard as she could at
Professor Hazlehurst's head, the one who teaches chemistry. You know—I've told
you about him. And then all the players began to throw the ball at people in the
crowd.
"You can imagine the uproar! The referees were blowing their whistles and all
the girls were yelling and rushing to get out and I was afraid some of them
would get hurt. But at last President Newsom managed to quiet things down and
they stopped the game.
"They've called in Professor Griggs, who teaches Psychology, but she admits that
she hasn't the slightest idea why it happened. Some of the girls say it was
gamblers and they bribed the players but that's so silly. Nobody ever bets on
our games.
"It's just one of those mysteries that it looks as if they'll never solve."
Carrie read with amazement, going back again and again to make sure that she
hadn't misinterpreted Barbara's straggly script. She hadn't. Toward the end of
the letter Barbara added something that surprised her almost as much as the
account of the basketball game.
"You'll never guess who wrote to me—your dear son, James! It's the first time in
his life he ever had anything to say to his sister. It must have been quite a
sacrifice for him to spare the three cents for the stamp. But seriously, Mother,
I was touched. He's really a very good kid at heart. He didn't say much but from
him the very idea of writing means a lot. I've misplaced the letter now but I'll
let you see it later. It was so very amusing."
She would have to say something nice to James, thought Carrie. He was, she
agreed with Barbara, a most thoughtful boy. He had changed of late. Not that he
behaved very differently about hanging up his coat or leaving his shoes in the
middle of the floor at night but there was something about him, she couldn't
tell what, that made her feel he was a treasure among sons, a joy and a comfort.

She was aware of a feeling of pride in him that night when she and Bill left him
staring at the television set. He had promised faithfully to go to bed at 9:30
and as she kissed him she said, "Don't forget to have a glass of milk and some
jam and bread."
"And don't forget to go to bed at nine-thirty," growled Bill.
"He won't forget," said Carrie. "He promised. Goodnight, dear."
As he closed the door behind them Bill said, "Bet he stays up till ten at
least."
"You don't appreciate him," replied Carrie. "He's an extraordinary boy."
"No different from any other kid —except that he's ours."
"He's very much different. I’m afraid you're not very perceptive about these
things."
Bill growled again, something unintelligible this time, and the conversation
died down. The romance is out of our marriage, thought Carrie. A husband like
Bill is never very polite. Except, of course, to other men's wives. He takes me
for granted, just as he takes his children.
Bet he won't behave to the others tonight as casually as be behaves to me. I