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Chapter 8
"Tommy,Igottoaskyou—youain’tmad?"
"Mad,Ma?"
"Youain’tpoisonedmad?Youdon’thatenobody?Theydidn’donothin’inthatjailtorotyououtwithcrazymad?"
Helookedsidewiseather,studiedher,andhiseyesseemedtoaskhowshecouldknowsuchthings."No-o-o,"hesaid."Iwasforalittlewhile.ButIain’tproudlikesomefellas.Iletstuffrunoff’nme.What’samatter,Ma?"
Nowshewaslookingathim,hermouthopen,asthoughtohearbetter,hereyesdiggingtoknowbetter.Herfacelookedfortheanswerthatisalwaysconcealedinlanguage.Shesaidinconfusion,"IknowedPurtyBoyFloyd.Iknowedhisma.Theywasgoodfolks.Hewasfullofhell,sure,likeagoodboyoughtabe."Shepausedandthenherwordspouredout."Idon’knowalllikethis—butIknowit.Hedonealittlebadthingan’theyhurt’im,caught’iman’hurthimsohewasmad,an’thenex’badthinghedonewasmad,an’theyhurt’imagain.An’purtysoonhewasmean-mad.Theyshotathimlikeavarmint,an’heshotback,an’thentheyrunhimlikeacoyote,an’hima-snappin’an’a-snarlin’,meanasalobo.An’hewasmad.Hewasn’tnoboyornomannomore,hewasjus’awalkin’chunkamean-mad.Butthefolksthatknowedhimdidn’thurt’im.Hewasn’madatthem.Finallytheyrunhimdownan’killed’im.Nomatterhowtheysayitinthepaperhowhewasbad—that’showitwas."Shepausedandlickedherdrylips,andherwholefacewasanachingquestion."Igottoknow,Tommy."
