A store mouse likes to nibble on
candy."
"Mister Jodie, come look at the man! He gwine t' fall own his
hoss. He drunk. That hoss, he know when Mister Ward's done been
at the bottle. He walk easy with him. I's done seen him afore.
What's I gwine t' do?"
"Just act natural, Ned. I won't let on to a thing. Anyhow,
Mister Ward's probably already seen your donkey, and there lies
your mammy dog. He'll know her."
"Yes, suh."
"I'll walk out on the porch. Then, when he staggers in. you
just hold your tongue, 'less he asks you something."
Ned must have followed Papa out to the porch, for I could
still hear talking. I slid farther down in my corner and put a
purple jawbreaker in my mouth. Then, a green one. The others I
stuffed into my pocket. I wondered why Papa had decided to let me
have so much candy, and why he wanted me to play cat and mouse.
Ned sounded excited about something. Glad, too.
"Praise the Lawd! Look, Mister Jodie, he ain't gwine t' stop
here! That horse ain't turning to come up the trail. Praise the
Lawd!"
"Yeah, he's going on somewhere else.
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