Signs in the Blood by Vicki Lane Page B

thinkin on what Mister Tomlin had said. Hit seemed queer-like but hit appeared that he was a-makin up to me and wanted me for his wife. I looked acrost the church house to the men's side where him and Daddy was settin and seen that Mister Tomlin was a-lookin back at me. My face got hot and I quick looked up at the preacher. Brother Gosnell was goin on about how our church house was too small and in need of a new roof and he was askin the Lord to move the hearts of men to help to build us a new church house. He prayed and carried on and talked of Baby Jesus with no place to lay his head and at last he come right out and asked for folks to stand and say what they would give toward a new church house. If the Spirit moves you, children, he said. Listen if you don't hear the Spirit a-callin on you to do yore part.
    Well, ain't no one round here got much but first one and then another stood and said that he would give so many days of work toward the buildin. One allowed as how him and his ox team could haul rocks for a foundation and the Gentry boys said they'd give so many logs offen their place, but no one offered any cash money. All of a sudden up jumps Mister Tomlin. Most folks knowed who he was for he'd been all up and down the creek offerin to buy timber and they knowed he was namin to buy the old Freeman place down by the river. Most knowed but on the bench in back of me I heared nosy old Granny Plemmons whisper to her daughter, Who is that fine-lookin man?
    Mister Tomlin stood there and looked around the church house. Then he spoke to the preacher. Brother Gosnell, says he, I thank the Lord for bringin me into this country. On Ridley Branch, I believe that I've found all that I was seekin. You good people have made me welcome and quick as I get my mill built, first boards I saw will go to build your new church. I'll undertake to supply all the lumber you need and, what's more, I'll pay for a first-class metal roof.
    Brother Gosnell threw up his hands and hollered Praise the Lord and all of a sudden the men was ever one comin and pumpin on Mister Tomlin's hand. The women was all a-whisperin and Clytie give me the queerest look.
    When preachin broke, we all walked home together, us and the Gentrys. Daddy and Mister Tomlin and Mister Gentry was talkin about the new sawmill and the Gentry girls and Clytie was all actin the fool to see could they get Mister Tomlin to look at them. Billy Gentry kept tryin to pester me and would pull at my hair till I hollered at him to leave off. Him and me had set together the last time we had dinner on the grounds at the church and I had thought he was right good-lookin then but now his face was all spotty, most like he'd gotten into poison oak, and hit seemed like his ears stuck out more than they had used to. I run him off, then his sisters Retha and Margaret come wantin to know was Mister Tomlin married and was it true he had brung a bag of gold double eagles with him from Tennessee.
     
    Hit was but three days later that Daddy come out to the barn while I was doin the evening milkin. Ol Poll was actin ill; first off she wouldn't let her milk down though I washed her tits off with warm water and butted her ol bag with my fist like as if I was her calf. She danced around and almost got her nasty foot in the bucket. I had to put her out some more corn afore she would settle and even then, oncet the milk was a-singin into the bucket, what does she do but wrap her dirty ol tail around my head and slap my face.
    You ol huzzy, I said, I wisht I could be shed of you and your ways. Just then I looked up to see a dark shape there against the evening light. At first I thought hit might be Mister Tomlin, come to talk to me some more, but then I seen hit was Daddy. He leaned against the big logs there in the barn hallway but didn't say nothing for the longest time. When at last I had stripped ol Poll dry and turned her back out to the pasture, Daddy said, Little Sylvie, Mister Tomlin wants you for his