"
"Looks to me like Wes and Lida Belle would've had Addle Mae
come home for Christmas. There's something mighty strange about
them letting her stay down in Louisiana so long."
"I reckon that's their business, Nannie."
Chapter 9
We heard the organ squeak. I turned quickly to watch Bess as
she started pumping on the foot pedals. I knew she would wait
just a little before she began pressing down the black and white
keys. She had to get a sackful of air into the organ before it
could make music. She had explained that to me lots of times.
In a minute Bess began playing. Mama and Papa quit whispering
to each other, and everybody else got quiet, too. The organ's
pedals and bellows sounded louder than ever, but Bess kept
pumping her feet up and down, faster and faster. She pulled out
more and more stops till the music drowned out the organ's
whining and wheezing.
"That pump organ's gotta be fixed, Jodie!" Mama whispered.
"Yeah, I know."
Aunt Vic stepped out from between the center curtains. Bess
stopped playing.
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