Part 17 (1/2)
Richard, with the superiority of his eleven years, answered, ''When they're dead, nobody coood ghost or a bad ghost?” Alice wanted to know, Rachel, now the oldest daughter, answered in an annoyed tone of voice, ”There is no sech things as ghosts Besides, Molly Ann is now an angel in Heaven at God's side An' he ain't about to let her come back”
By that time Marylou and the children were down the hill out of earshot Jeb turned to the two ht be of he'p”
Preacher Dan nodded ”Gain't hurt none I'm bone-dry”
”Poller me up to the still,” Jeb said ”I'll lead the way”
After lunch, Jeb and Roscoe went out front, while Preacher Dan remained in the kitchen to speak to Marylou The ars ”I don' unnerstan',” Jeb said
Roscoe looked down at the ground ”It was the on'y way they could break the strike Ever'body trusted Jione, they's nobody Already sooin' back to the mill”
”I don' know 'bout that,” Jeb said ”The Richfields alius been good friends Why'd Glint do a thing like that?”
'His pappy's a h the strike”
''That's no cause fer killin',” Jeb said ”We never done no thin' to thelanced at Jeb The mountain man had no conception of the differences between the workers and thewas translated into very personal terrown up with that; the strike was soain, he couldn't blame Jeb He himself had not understood until after his father and his eldest son had been killed At first, he too had been fighting a very personal war But then he had come to understand just what it really was It was obvious to hi on the labor of people to create more power and money for itself
''I kno you feel, Jeb,” he said aardly I los' my paw and my oldest to them”
Jeb looked at him ''And what did you do?”
”You knohat I did,” Roscoe answered ”I fought back But now I don' know”
”Don' knohat?”
”We been talkin', my woman an' me,” Roscoe said ”We don' see no chance here now Mebbe we'll go up Detroit way We hear the auto companies are hirin'”
Jeb was silent After a moment he spoke ”I don' know as you'd be content up there Yer farot?” Roscoe questioned ”It's betorkin' an' starvin' My woood money up there Three dollars a day, so while Finally, Jeb spoke ”I'll be comm' down to town”
Roscoe looked at him Jeb's face was impassive ”When?” he said
”Tomorrow momin'” Jeb looked at Roscoe ”Kin I count on you?”
Roscoe didn't say anything for a moment, then nodded slowly ''You know you kin”
She heard hiht Then she felt him leave the bed and walk silently froer She got out of bed and went into the kitchen It was empty
She opened the door and looked out into the yard He wasn't there either She went out into the chill night air and looked up the hill to the s down at the graves The night chill ran through her
Quickly she went back into the house and wrapped a warm shawl around her, then went up the hill to him He heard her footsteps but did not look up The sht
After a moment he spoke 'There was no reason fer Clint Richfield to shoot her She was on'y a girl an' no part of their fight”
”You musn't dwell on it,” she said ”I'm tryin' not to”
”The Richfields 'n' us'n has alius been friends It don' ot to count our blessin's We got the other children, an' Dan'l's doin' us proud We got to be thankful fer that”
He turned to her ”Yer soundin' like Preacher Dan”
She looked up into his face ”He makes sense Look to the future, not the past, he says”
”It's easy fer hihter lay in' in that grave” Abruptly he started back down the hill to the house
She watched hirave for adown the hill after hi at the table with the shi+ny black Win- Chester rifle in his hand and was slipping shells into the azine A cold dread came over her ''No, Jeb,” she said ''Don' doit”
He looked at her with the distant eyes of a stranger He didn't answer
”No'er back”
”You don't unnerstan',” he said ”It's a it aith it?”
”I don' care hoould look!” she saicl passionately ”You prove nothin' startin' a blood feud with the Richfields They'll coo after them an' soon there'll be none of us lef to matter”
”I didn't start it by killin' one of them,” he said stubbornly
”It don' ot other children to think about I don' want 'eoin' to kill me,” he said
”How can you be sure?” she cried
He didn't answer for a ot to his feet ”Better I'd be dead an' layin' in a grave up there beside hter then to have the worl' lookin' down onherself against hi his shi+rt ”We kin have another baby, Jeb,” she whispered ”Another Molly Ann”
He took a deep breath and slowly unfastened her hands and placed theently ”That's not the answer neither, an' you know it”
Through a blur of tears, she watched him walk to the door He stopped and looked back at her ”I'll be back by nightfall tomorrow,” he said
Somehow she found her voice ”Better wear soht air is cold”
He nodded ”Fone, and she sank nu softly to the on as they went out of the yard onto the dark night road
down, spreading the papers in front of hi laboriously on the sheets This was the worst part of the job Too overnment What business was it of theirs ent on in his county anyway?
Concentrating on his paperwork, he almost jumped out of his skin when the outside door burst open and Clint Richfield cains is in town!”