Part 25 (2/2)
she objected, her sullenness a patent defiance.
He stared at her for a full two minutes. She could hear the breath whistling between his teeth; the sound of it frightened her.
”Don't lie to me!” he said, now a trifle hoa.r.s.e. ”It isn't necessary, and it doesn't do anybody any good--you or Perry either.”
She began to whimper.
Looking at her, he was conscious of being absorbed in the attempt to keep his temper instead of eliciting what she had to tell. He smiled.
”Stop that sniffling, and tell me what you know about Monday night! Don't you remember that Perry told you he was going to Mrs. Withers' house and steal her jewelry?”
”I done tole you I don' remembuh nothin'.”
He took a step toward her and lifted his open hand as if to strike her in the face. Without waiting for the blow, she slid from the chair and fell sprawling to the floor, where she lay, moaning.
”Get up!”
She obeyed him, her arms held folded over her head as a s.h.i.+eld against expected blows. She was still sullen, uncommunicative, her head down.
He limped swiftly to the door, left the room and went to the front part of the house. He paced the length of the living room several times, his fists clenched, his protuberant lip grown heavier.
He called to Mattie, who was in the kitchen.
”I wish,” he directed, ”you'd go down to Sterrett's and get a dozen oranges.”
”Yes, suh. Right now, Mistuh Bristow?”
”Yes; hurry. I want some orangeade.”
He returned to the bedroom and closed the door. Lucy was bent forward on the chair, moaning.
”Stop that!” he said, feeling now that he had himself and her under control. ”If you don't stop, you'll have something real to sniffle about before I'm through with you! Now begin. What about Perry last Monday night?”
”Please, suh,” she changed her tone, ”lemme go. I ain' got nothin' to say. I feels like I might say somethin' dat ain' so. I'se kinder skeered you might make me say somethin' whut I don' mean to say.”
Moving deliberately, a fine, little tremor in his fingers, he took off his coat and vest and hung them on the back of a chair. He had just noticed that it was warm and close in the shut-up room. There was a ringing in his ears. He kept repeating to himself that, if he lost his temper, she would never become communicative.
He began all over again, patient, persistent----
When Mattie came back with the oranges, she met Lucy just outside the kitchen door. There were no tears in the Thomas woman's eyes, but she seemed greatly distressed.
”Whut'd he want offen you?” Mattie asked, with the negro's usual curiosity.
”Nothin' much,” replied the other, looking blankly out across Mattie's shoulder. ”He jes' axed me whut I knowd 'bout Perry dat night.”
”I tole you dar warn't nothin' to be skeered uv him foh,” said Mattie.
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