Signs in the Blood by Vicki Lane Page A

her hair pulled up all puffy like Romarie had taken to doin since Mister Tomlin come to stay.
    Little Sylvie, Daddy called out, you stir yore stumps and get ready for church. Yessir, Daddy, I said, and took off up the stairs. I had some biscuit for Romarie but she just let out a big groan and turned her face to the wall when she seen me. I left the plate there on the floor by her bed and made for me and Clytie's room, a-pullin off my old work rags as fast as I could.
    My Sunday dress was one what Aetha had made for Clytie but Clytie had got too big for it with those bosoms of hern afore she could wear it out. Hit was a pretty pink calico with a fancy ruffle going from each shoulder down to the waist in a big vee like flyin geese. Aetha's a good hand to sew and her man got her one of them sewin machines soon atter they was wed. I hope to have me a sewin machine for my own someday. I do like to work that treadle.
    I unplaited my hair and brushed hit out. I wisht that Clytie would come upstairs and show me how to fix hit like hern but I knowed that she wouldn't. So I just let hit hang. Hit reaches past my waist to where I can sit on hit. I was just about to look in Clytie's box for that powder when Daddy hollered up the stairs, You, Little Sylvie, get on down here. I don't want to miss the preachin.
     
    We walked down our road, Daddy and Clytie in front and me and Mister Tomlin behind. Clytie was a-switchin her bottom like one thing and oncet we had to all stop and wait while she pulled off a briar that was caught in her dress hem. She lifted up her skirt and twisted hit thisaway and that till she made sure Mister Tomlin could see them narrow ankles of hern she's so proud of.
    When we reached the little road that runs up the hill to the graveyard, Daddy said, You uns walk on and me and Clytie'll go up and visit Mama for a minute. I wondered at this, seein he had been in such a hurry to get to the preachin but I just said, Don't you want me to come too, Daddy?
    He give me one of them sharp looks and said, Didn't you hear me right, girl? I said walk on.
    Down on the road that runs along Ridley Branch, I could see a whole gang of them Gentrys a-walkin toward the church house. I quickened my step, thinkin to catch up with them and walk along in company for I was kindly shy of bein alone with Mister Tomlin. But he pulled up and said, Now, Little Sylvie, let's just bide here for a spell so as we don't get too far ahead of your pa.
    They was a big flat rock over to one side of the road and Mister Tomlin he took my hand and led me over to it. He pulled out a white pocket handkerchief and spread it on the rock for me to set on. Now, Little Sylvie, says he. I want to tell you how I'm situated. And he stood there before me, one hand deep in his pocket a-jinglin of the gold coins that was always in there, and he begun to talk. He told me how he was a lonely widder-man in need of a helpmeet to brighten his days. He talked of how much money and property he had and how, oncet that he got his sawmill built, he would build a big house and his wife would be able to take her ease.
    I spoke up and said that it seemed to me a big house would just make for more work and he laughed and patted me on the hand and said, Why, Little Sylvie, I'm well able to hire a servant to do the work. My wife wouldn't have to do a thing in this world but wear pretty dresses and sit on a tuffet and sew a fine seam. His hand rested there on mine and hit seemed like the sun struck sparks offen that ruby in his finger-ring. I knowed now that was the right name for that blood red stone for Clytie had asked him.
    I don't rightly know what is a tuffet, I said, but I do like to sew. Aetha done learned me to use her machine and I can do right good with it.
    Just then Daddy and Clytie come along and Mister Tomlin put out his hand to help me up. We'll talk more about this in a while, he said. But I believe that we can come to an understanding.
     
    All during the preachin I was