The Edge of Town (20 page)

“So he can build a decent shed for his car.”

“Then he’s stayin’ the winter?”

Joe’s eyes caught Julie’s before he answered. “He’s not said anything about leaving.”

During the quiet that followed, Julie put green beans on Joy’s plate and buttered a square of corn bread for herself.

“You boys are getting pretty thick with Evan. Ain’t he a mite old for you to be hangin’ out with?” Jethro looked up briefly, letting his eyes pass over Joe and Jack, then back to his plate.

“We’re not really hanging out with him, Pa. We’ve given him a little help now and then.”

“When did we ever get any help from Walter Johnson?”

“You said yourself that Evan couldn’t be blamed for his pa. I thought you liked Evan,” Jack said. “Besides, he fixed the fenders on the car.”

“I never said I didn’t like him, but just ’cause he fixed the fenders don’t mean I’ve got to kowtow to him.” Jethro’s voice was gruff. “Dammit, you should be chummin’ with the Taylor or Humphrey boys, not with a man who’s been over the mountain and around the bend. Ya don’t know what kind of life he’s led up to now.”

“He learned a lot about motorcars while he was in France,” Jack insisted. “He’s going to show me and Joe how to put in spark plugs, change belts and—”

“He may know all that, but if he’s so all-fired smart, what’s he doin’ on a two-bit farm when he could be livin’ high on the hog in the city? Somethin’ ’bout him don’t ring true.”

“Their farm is hardly two-bit,” Jack mumbled.

It was the habit of the two older boys to keep silent when they didn’t agree with their father on a matter. They did that now. Jill, however, had no qualms about giving her opinion at any time on any subject.

“Evan isn’t like old Walter. He’s nice as pie. He’s been all over and done a lot of things. I like him. I hope I meet a man like him someday.”

“What do you mean, ‘done a lot of things’?” Jethro’s eyes zeroed in on his next-to-eldest daughter.

“He’s … been across the ocean, gone to stage shows and to fancy eatin’ places. He saw girls doin’ the cancan dance in Paris and he even rode on a streetcar. He’s not just a … farmer.” Jill, blissfully unaware that she had just expressed contempt for he father’s occupation, continued to fork potatoes into her mouth. “Ouch!” she cried. “Who kicked me?”

Julie could tell that her usually mild-mannered father was angry … instantly, seethingly angry. He held his knife and fork clenched on each side of his plate. The muscle in his jaw twitched.

“You don’t know horse hockey from apple butter, Miss High and Mighty. It’s the labor of a
farmer
that puts the food in your mouth and the clothes on your back. It’s the labor of a
farmer
that keeps a roof over your head and a quilt on your bed.” The first words that left Jethro’s mouth were equally spaced to give emphasis. The last words were rushed and shouted. He ended his declaration by pounding a fist on the table.

Jill looked as if she had been hit by a thunderbolt.

Jethro’s outburst was so loud and so sudden that Joy began to cry, and Jason leaned closer to Julie.

Julie saw the stricken look on her young sister’s face. She knew that Jill often spoke without thinking.

“Jill didn’t mean that the way it came out, Papa. She wasn’t—”

Jethro’s frosty eyes turned to Julie. “Hush up!” he snarled. “This is between me and her. I’m tired of the know-it-all’s smart mouth. She’s got an opinion about ever’thin’ and ever’body.” He glared at Jill’s crumbling face.

“I didn’t mean …I didn’t mean—”

“You don’t know diddley-squat about how to scrape out a living or anythin’ else. Everythin’ you need is handed to you. It’s about time you were taught to keep your mouth shut when you don’t know what yo’re talkin’ about,” he shouted. “Leave the table.”

Never had their father been so harsh; never had he ordered one of his children to leave the table. They stared at him in astonishment. When Jill moved her chair back to obey, Joe and then Jack got to their feet. Jason followed the older boys. Jill ran up the stairs to her room and the boys went out the back door, leaving only Julie and Joy at the table with their father. Julie hugged the crying child to her, keeping her eyes on the top of Joy’s head.

“Oh, hell!” Jethro’s chair scraped the floor as he got to his feet. He stomped out of the kitchen, crossed the hall and went into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Julie was too numb to do anything but sit at the table holding the small girl. She stared at the uneaten food, the fresh green beans she had snapped and cooked with pieces of leftover ham and the small new potatoes. The platter was still full of the warm, neatly cut squares of corn bread. The gingerbread she had made for a special treat waited on the counter uncut.

Her father had been moody for the past couple of weeks. He had taken Eudora Meadows home after the game Sunday. Jill and Jason had ridden along, while Julie washed Joy and got her ready for bed. Jill reported that the only thing her father said to Eudora was you’re welcome, when she said thank you after getting out of the car.

Was he in love with Birdie Stuart? Did he think that she would reject him because of his children? Julie wondered if he resented Evan because he was free to come and go as he pleased without the burden of a family. Evan was obviously better off financially than her father. Maybe he worried that Birdie was attracted to Evan.

Goodness gracious! If her father got it into his head to marry Birdie Stuart and bring her here, the family would be torn apart. She wanted him to be happy. He had been the best father a girl could have, and she could understand that maybe he was lonely for a woman to share his life. After all, kids grow up and leave the nest.
All but me
, Julie thought.
I’ve grown up and I’m still here
.

How was she going to tell her father that she had promised to go out with Evan on Saturday night? She wondered if he would be angry. On second thought, he might be glad that she and not Birdie would be with Evan. Finally Julie decided that she couldn’t take a chance on another scene like the one tonight. She had to get to Joe and have him tell Evan that she couldn’t go.

After putting a piece of warm buttered gingerbread on a plate for Joy, she went to the back porch. The boys were at the windmill, where Jack was pumping water into the conduit to fill the watering tanks. When she called out to Joe, he came to the porch.

“Whataya think got into Papa?” he asked.

“I don’t know. He’s been moody lately. Jill just said the wrong thing.”

“The kid didn’t mean it the way he took it. We all know that she spouts off without thinkin’. I’ve never seen him blow up like that.”

“Joe, I’ve not told anyone this, but when Evan was here the other night, he came out to the clothesline before he went home and asked me to go to the picture show with him this Saturday night.”

“You’ve got a date with Evan? That’s great. Don’t worry about the kids, I’ll be here.”

“I can’t go. You’ve got to tell him when you go over there.”

“Ya can’t go? Why?” The smile faded.

“I just can’t. Papa may cause some … unpleasantness. I thought he liked Evan, but I guess he doesn’t.” Julie put her hand on her brother’s arm. “Please, Joe. Tell him I can’t go … that I’m sick or something.”

“I’m not goin’ to lie and say you’re sick—”

“Of course not. I’m sorry I put it that way. Just tell him that I changed my mind and I don’t want to go.”

“Aren’t you bein’ hasty? This is only Thursday. Papa may cool off by Saturday.”

“Tell him tonight. I don’t want to be worryin’ about it.”

“Do you like Evan?” Joe asked bluntly.

“I don’t know him very well, but he’s … been nice.”

“Were ya lookin’ forward to goin’?”

“I guess so. He said we’d go to the picture show or to the dance, but—”

“Don’t break the date, Julie. You’ve got a right to go out with anyone you want. Good Lord, you’ve been stuck here takin’ care of the kids and the house and you deserve to do things like other girls. I’d bet my life that Evan would treat you with respect. I’d not let you go with him if I thought different.”

“I’m not worried about that. I may be getting the cart before the horse. He didn’t mention anything about it when he was here Sunday. He may have forgotten about it.”

“Hold off until Saturday morning, Sis. If Pa hasn’t cooled off and you still don’t want to go, I’ll ride over and tell him.”

“I don’t want to get dressed and have him not show up.”

“He’ll be here. But I’ll do whatever you want if you’ll wait until Saturday morning.”

“I’ll wait if you promise to go tell him not to come.”

“I promise. I wouldn’t want him to come over and catch Papa … like he was tonight. I’ve seen him get mad, but he’s never been downright mean as he was to Jill.”

“She’ll be heartbroken that Papa talked to her like that. She says things without thinking. We all know it. I thought Papa did, too. He’s got something on his mind, Joe. I’ve been thinking that he may be …really smitten with Birdie Stuart.”

“I’ve thought the same. Lord, I hope he gets over it before he does somethin’ foolish.”

“Do you think he’d marry her?”

“She’s lookin’ for a place. She had her sights set on Evan. He saw through her right away. Maybe if she can’t have him, she’ll go after Papa. She’s worn out her welcome at the Humphreys’. The kids don’t get along with her kid. Mrs. Stuart complains to Wilbur that they pick on her. Mrs. Humphrey is cross as a bear. The boys said Mrs. Stuart is sweet as pie when Wilbur is around, and when their mother complains about her, he gets all mad and stomps away.”

“Ruth’s patience will run out. I wonder what will happen then.”

“I’m done, Julie.” Joy came out of the house and grabbed Julie’s skirt. “Is Papa still mad?”

“He’s not mad at you, honey. I’ll come and wash you off. Joe, do you boys want to come back in and eat? Papa went to his room.”

“I’m not hungry now. We’ll take Jason along with us over to Evan’s. He can ride with me on Blackjack.”

“Keep your eye on him. I don’t want him anywhere near Walter Johnson.” Julie placed her hand on her brother’s arm. “Promise?”

“Of course, I promise. We seldom see the old coot when we’re over there. He steers clear of Evan.”

“Come to the house before you leave. You might as well take along the pan of gingerbread.”

* * *

On Friday morning the family was subdued when they gathered at the breakfast table, although their father acted as if nothing unusual had happened the night before. He talked with the boys about weaning the piglets and about clearing out some timber at the far corner of the farm and dragging it to the house to saw into firewood.

Jill’s eyes were swollen from crying and Jason was strangely quiet. He kept looking at his father as if he hadn’t known him before. Julie had let Joy sleep. During the meal she came downstairs in her nightgown and crawled up onto Jethro’s lap.

“My little sleepyhead finally got up.”

“Uh-huh.” Joy’s small hand stroked her father’s cheek, feeling the rough whiskers. “You still mad at Jill, Papa?”

Julie held her breath and waited for her father to reply. He breathed deeply before he spoke.

“No, puddin’-pie,” he said softly and kissed her forehead. “You better get over there on your stool so Papa can finish his breakfast.”

Julie brought a wet cloth to the table and wiped Joy’s face and hands before putting a spoonful of scrambled eggs on her plate. This was the papa they had always known, kind and gentle.

As soon as the men were out the door and headed for the barn, the resentment Jill had held in check erupted in a spate of words.

“I wish I didn’t have to live here. I hate it. I hate
him
! He’s mean and ugly. He doesn’t care about us anymore. All he cares about is that floozy over at the Humphreys’. He wants to get in bed with her. Don’t look so shocked, Julie. I’m not so dumb that I don’t know about things like that. Ruby May said that men have got to have …
it
…or they get mean. He’ll be sorry. I’ll run away—”