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"Who told you that?"

"Old rave OldOld man hates dancers Old man says only I am fit to rule in his place"

Dad was listening intently I was re with the boy; pretend to believe everything he says, no e a child can believe in al, so let him express himself in the only safe way he's found so far When the 'oldof what bothers him most"

"Bart," said Dad, "listen to me carefully If your , and I was there but looking the other way-- would you tell me so I could jump in and save her?"

Any son should have said yes ihing his anshen it should have come spontaneously

Finally he answered "You wouldn't have to do anything to save Mo, Daddy, if Momma was pure and without sin God would save her"

Judgment Day

Nobody understoodto explain Had to do it all on my own I slipped away from Daddy, from Jory, from all those people who saw me as bad and unnecessary in their lives I had coo, and it wouldto help right all the wrongs they'd done before I was even born, and all those done after I was born

Sin The world was full of sin and sinners Wasn't h it did worry me some why God didn't want Daddy included in the punishment

John As Heroic things like going off to war and doing brave deeds No s and arms were shot off--was a far-far better way to suffer than what God had in mind for women

Got to thinking hard on the subject, What if the pearly gates of heaven didn't open to receive my momma's purified soul? "Go forth and sin no olden staff on heaven's golden floor and struck a huge boulder far below so it split wide open and I could write on it h) Wonder how I could split open the Pacific and let all the righteous escape the heathens that were fast on their heels?

Gee, thinking like this s, and it made my hands and feet cold Moo and live with your brother and put the burden of your death on me?

Jory was outsideonto find out what I was up to I'd ignore him and concentrate on ood food for their last meal Every prisoner had her favorite randmother What did they like to eat most? I liked sandwiches best, so maybe they did too Sandwiches, pie and ice cream should be just fine Just as soon as everyone was in bed, I'd slip their last meal over to them

Black night ca was very, very quiet What was that? Was it snoring I heard across the hall, in the guest roo

I slapped turkey between slabs of Emma's homemade cheese bread With two slices of cherry pie and a quart of ice cream inas quiet as a mouse