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a hollow voice. "Wasn't yer fault ya lost that baby,

was mine. An so I'll say this one time, and that's all.

I'm sorry."

"T'LAIE T'BE SORRY!" yelled Sarah. "T'late

t'save my baby! Ya killed yer ma when ya killed my

last little one! Hear that! YER MA IS DEAD" Even I, who hated him, was shocked at how

Sarah yelled that out, for if Pa loved anyone but

himself, it had been Granny. I heard him suck in his

&nbs

p; breath, kind of groan, and then he sat down heavily

enough to make the chair crack. . and Sarah hadn't

even finished punishing him.

"Ya had t'play around, when I were here all

t'time, jus yearnin fer ya t'need me. I HATE YA,

LUKE CASTEEL! Hate ya even more fer neva lettin

go a dead woman ya should have let alone anyway!" "Yer turning against me?" he said bitterly.

"Now--when my ma is gone an I'm sick?"

"YER DAMNED RIGHT!" she screamed,

jumping up and beginning to throw his clothes into a

cardboard carton. "Here's all yer rotten, stinkin

clothes--NOW GIT! Git before ya make all of us as

rotten sick as ya are! Neva want t'see ya agin! Not

eva!"

He stood up, seeming humbled, glancing

around the cabin as if he'd never see it again, and I

was scared, so darn scared. I trembled as Pa stopped by Grandpa's chair and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Sorry, Pa. Really sorry I wasn't here on her

funeral day."

Grandpa said nothing, only bowed his head

lower, and the tears from his eyes fell slowly, slowly,

to wet his knees.