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“I know, child”

“You don’t knohat happened yesterday I was bringin’ the basket of ironing back to Miz Cooper, you know she got that boy Dillard, he’s not right in the head Well, he out there pulling weeds in the kitchen garden He looked at me All I said was, “Howdy, Dillard,” and he says soo with nored hirabmy titties”

“Hush,” said Abraham sternly

“It’s what happened, Papaw,” she said “Then he says ‘Aw coirl, and ever’body knows that is all a nigger girl wants’ ”

And with that, she couldn’t keep the tears in She folded her arms on the table and buried her head Hiram stroked her neck

I spoke softly: “We’re going to do sorandfather”

There was silence Then Moody looked up at ry

“Go home, Mr Corbett That’s what you could do Just pack up your bag, and go home”

Chapter 39

“I GUESS YOU PRAYED for mail, Mr Corbett,” Maybelle said as I walked past the kitchen of the roo “And the Lord answered”

She held out a plate with a pair of blackened biscuits and another plate with three envelopes My heart lifted But h the letters and found that none of theton

I smiled down at the biscuits, thanked Maybelle, and put them aside for disposal later

On h theme to a “social and covered dish supper” at the Unitarian church in Walker’s Bridge, one toest of Eudora In the right-hand in was a handwritten addition: “Ben—Hope to see you at the supper Elizabeth”

The next envelope also held an invitation This one was a good deal fancier than the first, engraved on heavy paper, wrapped in a piece of protective tissue

Mr and Mrs L J Stringer