Dovey Coe Read Online Free PDF

she’s just passing the time.”
    â€œI know what you’re saying is true,” I told him, leaning forward in my chair. “But I’ve thought a right long time on this matter, and I can see how she might go and take Parnell up on his proposal. You see, Caroline might start to thinking if she married Parnell, then he’d give us all the money and things we needed. She’d think she was doing us a favor.”
    â€œWhat makes you think Parnell would give us anything?” Daddy asked, the least bit of an edge to his voice.
    â€œHe promised Caroline he would. I heardhim. And, Daddy, if Parnell was giving us money all of the time, he’d figure he could be the boss of us, and he’d send Amos off to one of them homes where we’d never see him again.”
    Daddy set his guitar against the chair next to him. Then he looked at me real hard, like he didn’t much like what he was seeing. “I expect you best think real careful about what you’re saying, Sister.”
    â€œAll I’m saying, Daddy, is that Parnell—”
    Daddy cut me off. “All you’re saying is I’m a man who can be bought by the likes of Parnell Caraway. All you’re saying is I’d let another man do what he pleased with my children. Is that what you think of me, Sister?”
    I was right at the edge of tears. “No, Daddy, I don’t think that way at all!”
    Daddy picked up his guitar. “Get on out of here, Sister. I don’t think I want your company right now.” He started picking at some notes, not paying me any mind, even though I sat where I was for a couple of minutes before going up to my room, the tears running on down my face. It was like I had been made invisible to him.
    Well, I can tell you I felt like the worst person that ever lived. The more I thought on it, the more I could see the error of my ways. Being soworried about what Parnell might do if he got ahold of Amos, I done neglected to consider that Daddy might have some say in the matter. Us Coes are proud people, but I’d gone and let that fact slip right out of my head. I admit that’s my biggest drawback, not thinking things through far enough.
    T he next day Daddy weren’t no friendlier than he had been the night before. He didn’t so much as look at me over breakfast. Amos was fixing to take Tom and Huck up to the mountain to lay out traps for rabbits, and I decided to go along. Maybe if I got out of Daddy’s way for a while, he’d get to missing me and act more kindly next time he saw me.
    Me and Amos gathered up some traps from the barn and took off for the mountain, Tom and Huck right on our heels. Even though the path can be steep in places, usually I don’t take no notice of it. I can climb right far up without having to stop to catch my breath. But on this particular day, I felt like I had a bag of stones strapped to my back. It weren’t the traps that were so heavy, it was my bad feelings about what I had said to Daddy.
    Katie’s Knob ain’t the tallest mountain in these parts, but it’s close to it. You can see it from right far away. It’s mostly pines growing up there, and that smell is as cool and fresh as any you’re likely to come across. If I’m having a particular bad day, I like to go sit in a soft bed of pine needles beneath one of them trees and just breathe in real deep till I come back to my regular self.
    It weren’t unusual for Amos to get ahead of me when we was walking up to the peak. He was right quick, and when he had a plan in mind, he tended to get straight on it. I was more likely to take my time and keep an eye out for tracks in case there was a cougar about. That afternoon, though, Amos let Tom and Huck run on ahead while he stayed at my side. He didn’t have no idea about what had occurred between me and Daddy, but it was like he known how low I was feeling. Amos didn’t go in for much hugging