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"I ran to the Stengers’ house just down the street, but no one was there, so I snuck back, took the keys off the hook in the kitchen, and stole Willia with it, one wheel is wobbling I almost ran into a ditch"

I want to ask what started the row Had Mr MacIntosh been drinking again? Has this been going on since the last incident? But it doesn’t ht or tomorrow William will come to that conclusion

"Did Mary knock him out or just stun hiure out how much time we have

"He was just stunned but still drunk Mary wouldn’t coed her, but she wouldn’t She just stood over hiet a train to Balti a locoht Willia and outbursts were the result of stress, but I’ to think he has a ht it out of hi on "

The rain starts up again, slashing the house at an angle It roars so loud we have to raise our voices With the storry husband, with or without the sheriff, will co

I take a deep breath "Can you eat, Katherine? We have food on the stove William won’t come for you until the rain stops The weather’s too bad By the et you somewhere safe" I say this authoritatively, but aedourselves in way too deep," Bitsy ht We are sitting at the kitchen table eating our reheated fried potatoes Katherine is upstairs exhausted, sleeping in my bed with little Willie

"What?"

"Black folks don’t need to get involved with the law"

"Well, we can’t just send Katherine and the baby out in the storers’ or run to the sheriff This isn’t going to end good"

I’m surprised and a little miffed at this turn in my friend "How about your mom? She didn’t hesitate to help Mary hit Mr Mac-Intosh in the head to save Katherine"

"You think she’ll have a job tomorrow? She’ll be lucky not to be arrested for assault A black wo on a white man?" Bitsy pushes her chair back, drops her plate into the sink, and sto

More Trouble

All night, I lie wide awake on the sofa, staring at the crack in the ceiling, trying to figure out what to do We’ve got Willia well and I’d be afraid to drive it to Torrington What if we lose control and run into a ditch? There’s that bad place along the river with the steep bank Can I ask Hester for a favor again? Who else is there? Where e hide Katherine if the law co flashes far off to the east Dawn The sound of the dogs barking The distant roar of a vehicle Dalasses, hat little sleep I got out ofthe Maddocks’ place, a black sedan churns slowly uphill It slides back and forth, rolls into aon