Part 12 (1/2)
” 'Bout three, four dollars, I reckon”
Molly Ann sighed ”Soit one fer my maw I bet she would love it”
”Thank you,” she said ”Now go back to the kitchen I fixed us a picnic basket”
”You did? How'd you knoould be a nice day?”
She laughed ”I looked out the , silly Hurry up, now The day's gittin' shorter”
A few minutes later, he was on the seat beside her and the ot yer druthers,” he said ”There's a picnic at the Fairgrounds, a Holiness Church revival an' the party at Woodfield Brook”
”The party at Woodfield Brook?” she asked ”I didn' hear 'bout that one What's goin' on?”
”Nothin',” he said ”Only us”
She slipped her arh his and smiled ”That's my druthers”
He finished off the last piece of apple pie and leaned back on one elbow and looked at her ”That was the best victuals I ever et,” he said
She smiled ”Go on, noas nothin' Jes' some ol' fried chicken and coot the pink leht to spend all that money You work too hardferit”
She looked at hihed ”Maybe you're right”
”Did you git up to see my paw?” she asked
”Yes,” he answered ”They was all fine, an' they send you their best”
”Li'l Masenow,” she said
”He is You should see his”
Her voice istful ”I wisht I could see 'eive you next Satiddy off We kin go up there an' cohtened ”That would be nice” Then the brightness was gone 'But she wouidn' do it They runnin' behin' and we're all workin' extra hours”
They were silent for a ain ''Maybe when the new s'11 be easier”
'New mm?” he asked ''What new mill?”
”The one Mr Fitch was talkin' 'bout I was in his store yestiddy to put some into et me a forelady's job when the new e hard edge that had not been there before ”Was there anything special you had to do to get the job?”
She looked at hiht it better not to mention that part of the conversation ”No He jes' said that when the time came I should see him”
Jihtfully A new mill He wondered where it would be built Probably Old Man Fitch had already bought up the property fro that she spoke again
”Is there anything wrong, Jimmy?”
He shook his head ”No” Then his voice turned bitter ”When are the people o' this town goin' to git wise to that man? Cain't they see he's bleedin' their life away and suckin' their blood?”
”Jis like that?”
”Because it's true!” he answered hotly ”Look, you give him money ever' week for your pappy's account, don't you?”
She nodded
”You ever ask him what your balance is?”
”No That's not my affair That's my paw's”
”Ifn you put that money in a bank, they'd pay you interest,” he said ''He don' give you nothin', an' I bet he steals the money I bet if'n yer paw should ask him the balance, there wouldn' be none”
She didn't speak
”How ot doin' what you're doin'? Maybe ot without doin' anythin' fer it” He laughed harshly ''An' all you hillbillies are grateful to 'iittin' you jobs so that you kin starve to death bein' in debt to him But jes' you step out of line an' you'll fin' out how much of a friend Sa comes the sheriff with a writ, an' then no more house an' Ian' or place to live Jes' Uke happened to the Craigs on the bend of the river Forty acres one day The next, nothin'” He stopped suddenly as he realised what he was saying ”damn!” he exploded ”That's it!”
”Don't blaspheme,” she said sharply
He stared atlier ”That's jes' what happened Don't you see? He's been plannin' this ferkids lost their jobs in the lass factory As if in one week they'd all turned bad A few ht their property fer a li'l more'n they owed him an' they moved away”
”I don't understand,” she said
”The new oin' to be On the old Craig place It's got ever'thing Water Power An' rooittin' all het up about?” she asked ”It's got nothin' to do with us”
He looked at her ”Maybe it hasn't Not now But in tiitsin the valley, includin' tl people”
She stared at him for a moment, then reached for the pitcher ”Here Have soittin' all riled up fer nothin'”
He took the glass fro into a sh it at the sun ''You're a lovely, innocent child, Molly Ann,” he said ''And solass shot from his hand; the pink lerily to her feet ”I'm not a child! I'm past sixteen an' I'h to ask me or else you kin take er made her even more beautiful He felt his heart well up inside him almost as if it would burst his sides His own voice sounded strange in his ears ”I'm askin', Molly Ann”
It was her turn to be surprised She was speechless
”I'm askin', Molly Ann,” he repeated ”What is your answer?”
”Oh, Ji to her eyes ”Yes, yes, yes!”
They were married a little over a month later on the first of May, 1915, at the First Baptist Church of Fitchville All her family was there, down from the hills, dressed in their Sunday best All except Daniel He could not get tian clearing the land on the old Craig farm to build the new mill