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Chapter 28
Kindafiggershe’sadunghillroosterthesedays,buthe’sagoodsteadyboy.Icouldn’wantforabetterboy.»
«Oh,weain’tcomplainin’aboutAlasafella!Welikehim.ButwhatscaresMis’Wainwrightan’me—well,she’sagrowed-upwoman-girl.An’whatifwegoaway,oryougoaway,an’wefindoutAggie’sintrouble?Weain’thadnoshameinourfamily.»
Masaidsoftly,«We’lltryan’seethatwedon’tputnoshameonyou.»
Hestoodupquickly.«Thankyou,ma’am.Aggie’sagrowed-upwoman-girl.She’sagoodgirl—jes’asnicean’good.We’llsurethankyou,ma’am,ifyou’llkeepshamefromus.Itain’tAggie’sfault.She’sgrowedup.»
«Pa’lltalktoAl,"saidMa.«OrifPawon’t,Iwill.»
Wainwrightsaid,«Goodnight,then,an’wesurethankya.»Hewentaroundtheendofthecurtain.Theycouldhearhimtalkingsoftlyintheotherendofthecar,explainingtheresultofhisembassy.
Malistenedamoment,andthen,«Youfellas,"shesaid.«Comeoveran’sethere.»PaandUncleJohngotheavilyupfromtheirsquats.TheysatonthemattressbesideMa.«Where’sthelittlefellas?»Papointedtoamattressinthecorner.«Ruthie,shejumpedWinfiel’an’bit’im.Made’embothlaydown.Guessthey’reasleep.Rosasharn,shewenttosetwithaladysheknows.»Masighed.«Ifoun’Tom,"shesaidsoftly.«I—sent’imaway.Faroff.»Panoddedslowly.UncleJohndroppedhischinonhischest.«Couldn’donothin’else,"Pasaid.
