Great Jehoshaphat and Gully Dirt | Page 8

what's going on, 'less somebody comes and tells him."
"Mr. Thad says the weekly's got a right sensible column about this new law they're getting up to let women vote. I left the paper out yonder in my buggy, but I'll go get it."
"That rigamarole is all beyond me, Nannie. I'll never live to vote. Anyhow, that ain't women's business! Set back down, Nannie, just for a minute."
Mama let go of my hand and sat down again in the worn-out chair, the only one in Miss Dink's room.
"Nannie," Miss Dink whispered, raising herself up on her elbows, "I oughtn't to breathe this, but I know you ain't gonna talk it. Nannie, that devil Ward is running after the Bailey girl!"
Mama caught her breath! She grabbed my hand.
"You know which one I'm talking 'bout, Nannie-Wes and Lida Belle's daughter."
"Not Addie Mae!"
"Yeah! The darkies here on the place-Ned and Eulah-I got it straight from them. Folks say the girl is slow-witted. She must be, to be fooling 'round with Ward."
"Bandershanks, baby, you hurry on out front and be climbing into our buggy."
I was so glad to get to leave I didn't even ask Mama why she wanted me to be in a rush.
Old Dale was standing there in the shade of the tree where Mama had hitched him, his ears dropped down, his eyes half closed, all his weight on three feet. Once in a while he would give his tail a swish to scare away the two horseflies that kept settling on his hind legs.
He didn't even notice when I climbed up into the buggy seat and started playing with the reins. I put one forefinger between the flat, slick leather lines and joggled them up and down with both hands. Then, stretching my legs so I could prop one foot up on the dashboard, like Papa always did, I practiced saying "Glick! Glick!" out of the corner of my mouth, just exactly like Papa.
I eased the whip out of its holder and waved it round and round high in the air. That whip was as old as the buggy but it looked brand new, for Papa and Mama wouldn't ever use it. They said Dale was too decrepit to be whipped. The whip's green tassel on the wrist loop was still fluffy and soft as silk.
I was squeezing the tassel to make finger waves in it when I saw Mama coming. I put up the whip quick!
It didn't take Mama long to get Dale untied, waked up, and headed around toward the Drake Eye Springs road.
"What do you know, Bandershanks, Dale actually wants to trot now!'
"How come?"
"His head is turned towards home!"
"Mama?"
"What, hon?"
"Mister Ward's gonna shoot me."
"What?"
"Mister Ward's gonna kill me with his gun."
"Child, what on earth are you talking about?"
"Mister Ward said it!"
"Bandershanks, sometimes I wonder about you! When did you see Mister Ward?"
"I didn't see him good, but-"
"Well, then, you quit imagining things-or telling stories. It's mean to tell stories, and a sin, besides. You don't want the Old Bad Man to get you when you die, do you?"
"No'm!"
Mama had told me a long time before who the Bad Man was. When Brother Milligan preached about him, he called him "that Old Split-Foot Devil." But Mama said "devil" is an ugly word for ladies to use, so she always said "the Bad Man." No matter what his name, I didn't want him to get me and burn me up, so I quit talking about Mister Ward.
Soon we came to the main road, where we turned into what Mama said was the left fork. She told me if we were to go the other way, and kept on riding eight or ten miles, we'd wind up down in Louisiana.
I never had been to Louisiana.
A few minutes later we met Old Mister Hawk in his narrow wagon. Mama said he was the only man for miles who had a one-horse wagon. He didn't have a horse, though, just a mule.
Mister Hawk made his old, bony, gray mule go over in the weeds and grass so there would be lots of room in the road for our buggy. When he said "'Evenin', Miss Nannie," he took one hand and lifted his hat clean off his head.
Next, we came to the Baileys' house. Miss Lida Belle was sitting on the front porch, and she waved and called out for Mama to stop. Mama drew up the reins, slowing Dale to a walk.
"'Evening, Lida Belle."
"Lord, Nannie, here I sit barefooted as a yard dog! You caught me resting my feet! Tie up your horse and come on in!" Miss Lida Belle took her snuff brush out of her mouth and started putting on her shoes.
"I'd love to, Lida Belle, but it's getting on over in the evening. I'll have to come another day."
"Do that,