know what to do. I reckon, if Dene said so, we could all three get in the one there.”
He glanced at Dene to see what effect the suggestion had made on her. He did not have to look at her again to know what she thought of the idea.
“Now, I’ll declare,” he said, walking up and down. “It’s always the poor man who has to scheme and figure. The rich man always has enough beds to take care of whoever wants to stay.”
Semon came forward.
“Let her have my room, Horey, and I’ll make myself a pallet on the hall floor.”
He smiled a little when he said it, looking as if he really did not mind spending the night on a hard pallet.
“I reckon that’s the way it’ll have to be then,” Clay agreed. “It’s a shame to make a preacher sleep on the floor, though.”
“I won’t mind that,” Semon said, smiling down upon Clay. “Don’t let that worry you, coz.”
Clay got up and carried the lamp out into the hall. He set it on the table beside the front bedroom door and went out into the back yard. When he came back into the house, there was no one there. He went into his and Dene’s room and closed the door. Dene had already undressed for bed, and he could not hear the others.
“She’s the nastiest thing,” Dene said.
“Who? Lorene?” Clay said. “Aw, now, doggone it, Dene. She was my finest wife back in the old days.”
“She’s the nastiest thing,” Dene said again.
Chapter VIII
L ORENE WAS UP before Clay was awake. She dressed quickly in the early dawn and went into the next room. Dene was lying awake, and when she saw Lorene beside the bed, she drew back under the covers without speaking. Lorene shook Clay until he opened his eyes.
“Get up, Clay, and go get Vearl.”
“What for?” he asked sleepily.
Dene drew the covers from her head and looked at Clay’s fourth wife in the gray dawn. She did not know what Lorene had come into their room for.
“Get up, Clay!”
He opened his eyes wide and looked around the room. Presently he put out his hand and felt Dene beside him. He did not turn over to look at her.
“Go get Vearl right away, Clay. Get up this minute and get him.”
“Vearl? What do you want Vearl for?”
She shook him until he could not see straight.
“Oh, all right, all right,” he said.
Lorene pulled the quilt and sheet from him. She knew that was the only way to make Clay get up in the morning. Clay tried to reach for them to pull back over himself, but she pulled them down to the foot of the bed. Dene slid down as far as she could go.
Clay got up and put on his shirt and pants under the tending eye of Lorene. She threw his socks and shoes to him and went to the door to wait. When he had dressed, she followed him out of the house and down the path to the road.
All the way down to Susan’s neither of them had anything to say. Lorene ran a little ahead, urging Clay to walk faster. The sun was just coming up, bright red, and the color hurt Clay’s eyes. He squinted until he could barely see anything ahead.
At the cabin door, Clay called Susan. The Negro woman opened it at once. She had been watching them from the window all the way down.
“Where’s Vearl?” Clay said.
“Vearl’s in here asleep,” Susan said. “Howdy, Miss Lorene. I sure am glad to see you again, Miss Lorene.”
“How are you, Susan?” Lorene said, going to the door. “Get Vearl up right away. I can’t wait to see him.”
“Your little boy has got to be real big, Miss Lorene,” Susan told her. “He grows just like a radish, he’s that quick about growing.”
They all went inside. The four children of Susan’s were up and crowding into a corner. They shivered in the early morning air, clinging to the quilts they held around their bare bodies. Vearl was sound asleep in Susan and George’s bed.
Lorene ran and picked him up in her arms, hugging him to her breast and kissing him frantically. She could hardly believe her own eyes; he had grown a lot in a year and a half. He was
He glanced at Dene to see what effect the suggestion had made on her. He did not have to look at her again to know what she thought of the idea.
“Now, I’ll declare,” he said, walking up and down. “It’s always the poor man who has to scheme and figure. The rich man always has enough beds to take care of whoever wants to stay.”
Semon came forward.
“Let her have my room, Horey, and I’ll make myself a pallet on the hall floor.”
He smiled a little when he said it, looking as if he really did not mind spending the night on a hard pallet.
“I reckon that’s the way it’ll have to be then,” Clay agreed. “It’s a shame to make a preacher sleep on the floor, though.”
“I won’t mind that,” Semon said, smiling down upon Clay. “Don’t let that worry you, coz.”
Clay got up and carried the lamp out into the hall. He set it on the table beside the front bedroom door and went out into the back yard. When he came back into the house, there was no one there. He went into his and Dene’s room and closed the door. Dene had already undressed for bed, and he could not hear the others.
“She’s the nastiest thing,” Dene said.
“Who? Lorene?” Clay said. “Aw, now, doggone it, Dene. She was my finest wife back in the old days.”
“She’s the nastiest thing,” Dene said again.
Chapter VIII
L ORENE WAS UP before Clay was awake. She dressed quickly in the early dawn and went into the next room. Dene was lying awake, and when she saw Lorene beside the bed, she drew back under the covers without speaking. Lorene shook Clay until he opened his eyes.
“Get up, Clay, and go get Vearl.”
“What for?” he asked sleepily.
Dene drew the covers from her head and looked at Clay’s fourth wife in the gray dawn. She did not know what Lorene had come into their room for.
“Get up, Clay!”
He opened his eyes wide and looked around the room. Presently he put out his hand and felt Dene beside him. He did not turn over to look at her.
“Go get Vearl right away, Clay. Get up this minute and get him.”
“Vearl? What do you want Vearl for?”
She shook him until he could not see straight.
“Oh, all right, all right,” he said.
Lorene pulled the quilt and sheet from him. She knew that was the only way to make Clay get up in the morning. Clay tried to reach for them to pull back over himself, but she pulled them down to the foot of the bed. Dene slid down as far as she could go.
Clay got up and put on his shirt and pants under the tending eye of Lorene. She threw his socks and shoes to him and went to the door to wait. When he had dressed, she followed him out of the house and down the path to the road.
All the way down to Susan’s neither of them had anything to say. Lorene ran a little ahead, urging Clay to walk faster. The sun was just coming up, bright red, and the color hurt Clay’s eyes. He squinted until he could barely see anything ahead.
At the cabin door, Clay called Susan. The Negro woman opened it at once. She had been watching them from the window all the way down.
“Where’s Vearl?” Clay said.
“Vearl’s in here asleep,” Susan said. “Howdy, Miss Lorene. I sure am glad to see you again, Miss Lorene.”
“How are you, Susan?” Lorene said, going to the door. “Get Vearl up right away. I can’t wait to see him.”
“Your little boy has got to be real big, Miss Lorene,” Susan told her. “He grows just like a radish, he’s that quick about growing.”
They all went inside. The four children of Susan’s were up and crowding into a corner. They shivered in the early morning air, clinging to the quilts they held around their bare bodies. Vearl was sound asleep in Susan and George’s bed.
Lorene ran and picked him up in her arms, hugging him to her breast and kissing him frantically. She could hardly believe her own eyes; he had grown a lot in a year and a half. He was
Similar Books
