Suddenly my mother hurried into the room. Hewas
killed in the war, she said briefly.
There are always a lot of peoplein the baggage
room, and it takes Bert forever to check a trunk.
Iaint had no real bread since I went away. But it
was hard to git rid of free niggers befo the war.
Theysat down on a bleached cottonwood log, where
the black willowthicket behind them made a screen.
They were stowed away in a pinewood chestwith a
sloping top.
There had been good skating all through Christmas
week, andshe had made the most of it.
An old man wasplaying a waltz, Hearts and Flowers I
think they called it. They found the river empty, a lonely stretch of blue-grey ice;
all the skaters had gone. Then Till would speak up: Why, aint I told you how
Mr.
This was beforethe days of irrigation from the
Platte; it was then a formidableriver in flood time.
They crossed the bridge andcame up the brick walk
between the boxwood hedges. Father wasdown in his basement tool-room under the
portico steps, tinkeringat something.
The women made social calls, went to the postoffice
and the dressmaker, on horseback.
But todaythere was a high wind from the
west.
He had carried things along pretty far with
MissArkwright. The smell of it is sweeter thanroses to me, Mrs. Jim, he called, will
you give me a turn with Lucy before the sungoes down?
Instead of being a weakness in him,it amounted to a
kind of strength.
The smell of it is sweeter thanroses to me, Mrs.
Drove Flicker into a lathergetting out here after the directors meeting. That story
I could almost havetold her myself, I had heard about them so often.
He had a good physical presence,whether in action
or repose.
He liked pretty girls,even in his own family. You
know he never did like themtwo niggers. More than anything else, Nancy wanted to
know about the last daysof her old master and mistress. After tea, for the hour
before supper, the Mistresspreferred to be alone in the parlour.
They is no real bread but whats made out-a
water-ground flour, he says to me.
Lucy gave her whole attention to the lads who were
so pleased tohave it. Her chief treasure was a brooch, set in pale gold,and under
the crystal was a lock of Mr. Blake with a smile and asked her what hadbecome of
Martin Colbert.
In Lucys car were several boys going back to the
University atLincoln.