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"Miss Patience! Don’t be afraid It’s Bitsy and Miss Katherine"
"Oh, Bitsy! You did scareMrs MacIntosh up the steps When I help her out of her long cream coat with a fur collar, Katherine turns away
"Where’s Mr MacIntosh?" I ask "Where’s the baby?"
"He wouldn’t let me have him" The mother looks up Her eyes are both black, there’s a bruise on her cheek, and her face is red fro
"Did Williary because I wouldn’t come to his rooerated response, though I know round for less
"Not just cards Heelse" She flops herself into the rocker, and as I putbruises, with finger marks, circle both wrists
"Oh, Katherine! Can you move your hand?" The woman waves a little You can see that it hurts; her wrists are probably sprained but not broken I place the green patchwork pillow on her lap and rest her forear hot water for valerian tea, a nerve relaxant that seems warranted for all of us I also make up some warm comfrey compresses There must be more bruises hidden under her clothes She looks like the loser in a prizefight with Jack De the snow off her boots On the floor by the door sits one of Katherine’s rammed linen pillowcases, stuffed, I assu in the tea and help Katherine lie down on the sofa Bitsy covers her with the flying goose quilt and props her head up on the pillow
Questions buzz through my head like yellow jackets when you kick up a nest, but it see to ask for the blow-by-blow details Katherine will tell me tomorrow--if she can talk about it
"We stole the car," Bitsy announces "Mama stood in the bedroom door and blocked Mr MacIntosh’s way, but we had to leave the baby He wouldn’t let go of hi the mister down She’s as tall as he is and thirty pounds heavier I don’t worry about little Willie; as soon as his father passes out, Mary will get her hands on him and feed him cow’s milk or cereal
"He’ll be awful pissed," Bitsy continues, "when he finds his precious Oldsone Probably call the sheriff"
"We’ll worry about that in the"Who drove?"
"I did" That’s Bitsy "Miss Katherine showed ot here so late" I look at Bitsy with new respect; her fearlessness aht me That was back when he had an auto, on loan from the union
Katherine MacIntosh hasn’t uttered a word since she toldyou need, Katherine? Do you want to wash up? We can help you"