"
He handed me a long peppermint stick. "Bandershanks?" he
said.
"Sir?"
"I want you to tell us what all you heard Mister Ward say to
Miss Ophelia this evening when you went down to their spring.
Every word. Understand?"
"Yes, sir." I turned my peppermint stick over and licked the
other side.
"Well? Start telling us."
"Miss Ophelia was crying."
"What had Mister Ward said to make her cry?"
"He said, 'Won't that be a beaut?'"
"What was gonna be so pretty?"
"I couldn't see nothing, Papa. Just the branch. And tadpoles
in the water."
"What else did Mister Ward say?"
"He ain't gonna plant no more cotton. Just corn. And he ain't
gonna buy no sugar from you."
"Sugar? And corn? Hmm. Hon, what did Miss Ophelia say about
the corn and sugar?"
"She said, 'Ward, don't do it.'"
"Don't do what?"
"Don't say nothing about shooting."
"Yeah? Go on! What else?"
"'Don't make the moon shine.'"
"MOONSHINE? Great Jehoshaphat and gully dirt! Nannie, take
this baby home! Don't let her out of your sight!"
"Papa, you mad at me?"
"No, hon.
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