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"There's more to this story, Jack Landry," Mama said, focusing her eyes on him so intently, he couldn't look at her. "'What is it, Jack?"

"Nothin' else. He's a strapping young man, tall, about my height, rich dark hair. . ."

"How come he hasn't asked anyone to marry him, and how come he's not in the army, Jack? Mechanics ain't being excused."

"Well . . he was in the army," he replied quickly.

"Was? What happened?"

"He got accused of something, but he swears he was innocent."

"Accused of what, Jack?" Mama said. Daddy hesitated. "This is worse than pulling ticks out of a child's hair."

"Attacking a nurse. Now, don't that sound stupid?"

"Attacking? You don't mean sexually, do you, Jack? You do," Mama said, answering her own question. "And you want Gabriel to meet this man after what's happened to her?"

"He was innocent. The woman was one of them, you know, one of them who likes men, all men, and he refused her, so she accused him and--"

"And they threw him out of the army?"

"After he served his time in the brig unfairly, yes. He's better off anyway. Probably would have been killed. He's a good boy, Catherine. I'll vouch for that."

"It's like the devil swearing for Judas."

"What's that?"

"Nothing. And how much did Jed say his brother would give you if you arranged this marraige, Jack?"

"How much . . . ! How could you accuse me of that?"

"Easy," Mama said. "Now I know why you were so eager to get us to this fais dodo," she added, her voice thick with disappointment.

"Why, that's a downright lie."

"Just tell us how much money you were promised and get it all out, Jack, so we don't discover nothing under a rock later."

"It ain't that he's paying me anything. He just said he would be sure we had something for our own nest egg. He's just a generous man when it comes to those who are members of his family," Daddy explained. "Now, ain't that a nice family to marry yourself into?" he asked.

"Jed Atkins's family can't be much to holler about," Mama replied.

"There you go, putting my friends down again. You don't let a man breathe, Catherine."

"Breathing is not what worries me about them; it's what they do with their breath and how it stinks," Mama said with a knowing, small smile.

"Nevertheless, Gabriel," Daddy said, leaning over to speak to me, "we ain't folks who look down on other folks because they've had some bad luck, are we?"

"No, Daddy."

"Tell your mother. It ain't like we don't have our own skeletons to keep in the closet, right?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"All I ask is you give the boy a chance. He's a shy one, which goes to prove he couldn't do what they accused him of doing in the army."

Mama smirked. "Why did I let myself get talked into this?" she muttered. "I should have known."

"Just relax, Catherine. Relax and let's have a good old time of it, no?"