The Handsome Road Read Online Free PDF

the wharf. They’ll pay a hundred dollars, fifty dollars apiece insurance.”
    Corrie May put the paper into her pocket. Give it to ma, huh. Ma in her sorrow would lose it. And as for pa, he’d get the money, but he’d spend it for flowers and wine and something fancy for ma to wear, to cheer her up. She’d take care of it herself and see it was used to live on.
    They put the bodies into the wagon and covered them up with a sheet. Corrie May cried a little bit on the way home. Budge was very sweet, putting his arm around her and telling her how sorry he was.
    The boys had a fine funeral. Mr. Upjohn preached the sermon and folks came from all around. They said it was the finest funeral anybody had had since they could remember, and Mr. Upjohn was sure a mighty preacher.
    2
    The day after the funeral Budge brought his wagon for Corrie May again and took her down to the office to get the insurance money. He agreed with her she shouldn’t give it to her parents.
    As they rode to the wharf she asked Budge if it wasn’t hard on him, leaving his cotton so much to help her out. Budge was surprised that she should ask.
    “Why say, honey, you know I think more of you than my cotton. You see—well—”
    “What?” asked Corrie May.
    Budge cleared his throat. “Well, this ain’t no time to be telling you with black still tied to the doorknob and all, but I reckon you know how I been loving you all this time.” His face reddened awkwardly. “You don’t need to tell me nothing till you’s got over grieving, but I’d sho be proud to think you and me could get married before cold weather.”
    Corrie May bit her lip and hesitated. But she felt something warm inside her, something gentle and comforting. “I—I don’t know,” she returned. “I ain’t thought much about getting married.”
    “But you can marry me, sugar,” said Budge. “I’ll look out for you, honest. I got a right nice little place to live in now, and the crops pay the rent, and we could raise all we’d eat. And I sho am crazy about you, honey girl.”
    His voice was urgent. Corrie May fiddled with her bonnet-strings. She had been so sunk with loneliness, and scared. She found herself beginning to choke with tears, and was ashamed.
    “I reckon it would be all right,” said Corrie May faintly.
    “Oh honey lamb, you mean it?” Budge kissed her right there in the wagon. “You sho make me a happy man, Corrie May.”
    She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, and smiled. He was so warm and secure. “You make me right happy too, Budge. There ain’t many girls can get a fine man like you.”
    “Then—before cold weather?”
    “Yes.”
    He looked at her lovingly, as if he was going to kiss her again, but she moved shyly along the wagon-seat. “Not here. People’ll notice.”
    But she felt better, better than she had felt since the boys died. Budge would take care of her. Maybe it wouldn’t be wrong to use some of the insurance money to get a dress and some shoes to be married in. She’d like to show people she took some pride about getting married, not standing up before the preacher barefooted like a nigger.
    When she went into the office on the wharf she was so happy she felt sinful, because it was the insurance money for her dead brothers she had come to get. The man at the desk looked up at her and smiled, and she thought he must think she was a pretty heartless girl, looking happy on an errand like this. His eyes shifted from her to Budge, and he smiled at Budge too.
    “Upjohn,” he said, taking the paper from her hand and consulting a ledger. “Yes, that’s right. You related to them, mister?” he asked Budge.
    “I’m engaged to be married to this young lady,” said Budge, and Corrie May looked down bashfully. “She’s their sister.”
    “Money to be paid only to a member of the family.” He shook his head.
    “I’m their sister,” Corrie May reminded him.
    He looked at her doubtfully, and his brows drew together. “You