Part 9 (1/2)
”But Molly Ann an' ether”
”You kin stay aroun' if'n you want, but there's no jobs aroun' here fer you Grafton's the only place”
”What about Molly Ann, then?” Daniel asked
Fitch looked at the girl ”I kin git her a good job in the ht here”
Daniel looked at his sister ”I don' know” He hesitated
”Don' worry, Danl,” Molly Ann said quickly ”I'll be all right”
”I'll look after her m'self, boy,” Fitch said ”Miz Fitch'U see to it that she has a decent place to stay”
Daniel looked at the heavyset man behind the desk, then at his sister He didn't like it But he didn't have much choice Paw had sent theo back and tell hio back to the Widow Carroll's house and ask Ji about the young man that Daniel felt could be trusted It was very different froht,” he said reluctantly
'That's better” Fitch soin' down to Grafton this afternoon You kin ketch a ride on it” He walked to the door of the sht here while I eone ”I don' lak him/' Daniel said sirowin' up too fast, Dan'l,” she said ''But don't fergit, I'htly past ten o'clock when Daniel and Molly Ann were back at the boardinghouse The Widow Carroll came to the door in answer to their knock ”Is Mr Simpson still in, Miz Carroll?” Daniel asked
”He's roun' back in the balance at hiht?”
”No, oin' on to Grafton this afternoon”
”Yer sister too?”
”No, ot a job heah in the mill”
”Well, she cain't stay here,” she said sharply ”Las' night was an exception, but I don' allow girls to stay here Sooner or later there is always trouble”
Daniel looked into the woman's eyes ”We thank you fer your hospitality, ma'am,” he said quietly ”An' we have no intention of abusin' it”
Her eyes fell before his gaze She felt oddly confused ”Of course, if she-”
He interrupted her: ”I trust it won't be necessary, ma'am Thank you kindly”
She watched them walk down the porch steps and around the comer of the house before she closed the door and went back to her cleaning She was right She knew she was right Girls were always trouble Sooner or later the irl froood family Not like the cheap trash that usually worked in the ue silently It had always been her worst fault Angrily, she beganthe dust fly with her broom
Daniel and Molly Ann found Ji with his mule-at least, not thaton so the squeezin's
He was standing in front of a wooden bench which was covered with clear glass pint bottles Under one ar, in the other hand a funnel Quickly, efficiently, with a motion bom of years of practice, he slipped the nozzle of the funnel into the bottle, tipped the jug and let the clear white liquid flow into the bottle When it was full, he moved on to the next
Daniel was fascinated Not so , but by the fact that when he poured the clear 'shi+ne into the bottles, it immediately tu like that before They stood there silently until Ji and reached for another ”Mr Simpson,” he said
Jiokay?”
Daniel nodded ”I guess so” He glanced at the bench 'We don' hed 'They waited this long fer Sier”
”Whiskey?” Daniel was puzzled
Jimmy nodded ”That's what I'm makin' A few drops of sarsaparilla and flavorin' an' you cain't tell the difference between ht Gits a better price'n clear 'shi+ne, too”
Daniel hesitated ''Got a favor to ask, but you already been so kin'-”
''Go ahead an' ask,” Jimmy said quickly ”Anythin' I kin do”
”Mr Fitch says I'ot me a job in a mine down Grafton way”
Jioin' to the mill heah” Daniel looked at Molly Ann ”It's not 'zactly the e thought We thought ould be together Mr Fitch says he'll look after her” He fell silent
Jiaze dropped demurely He saw the faint blush come into her cheeks ”What d'you think?” he asked her
She didn't answer
He turned back to Daniel ”You don' lak Mr Fitch” It was htly cotton to that man,” Daniel admitted ”I'd feel much better in my own mind if'n I knew that you was keepin' an eye out for her rather than Mr Fitch”
Jiain to Molly Ann ”How do you feel about that, Miz Molly Ann?”
Her voice was very soft, but she did not look up at hiht colad to he'p Fust thing to do is fin' you a proper place to live I have soirl jes' married an' they have an eo over there an' fin' out if they're agreeable” He put the fimnel on the bench and started toward them
”But what about your whiskey hed ”Let it set there Haven't you heard that agin' whiskey is the best thing fer it?”
Gresolvent and rubbed the gritty paste into a lather on his face But even after he had rinsed it away and dried hie except that his face hurt frorains in the soap Coal dust had a way of i to the earth No et it out
After wetting his hair and coainst his scalp, he went back to his cot and began to dress The blue work shi+rt and overalls were stiff with coal dust, as were his heavy work boots He picked up the denim miner's cap and checked the lamp fastened to its peak The as soft, and there was enough oil in the can to last through the day Softly he walked to the door He took a last look at the other, sleeping boys before he went out, but made no move to awaken them They were breaker boys, and they didn't have to be on the job until a half-hour after him, at seven o'clock
He closed the door behmd him and went down the narrow staircase to the h the hallway to the kitchen The heavy set cook, her black face already shi+ning with the heat from the ovens, looked at him She smiled ''Mawnin', Mistuh Daniel”