Cutler 05 - Darkest Hour

Lynchburg or Richmond because she said she knew he was making side trips to play cards with gamblers. On more than one occasion, I overheard them squabbling about it.
    Papa had a fiery temper and if there was an argument like that, it usually ended with something being thrown against a wall and smashed or doors slamming. Mamma usually emerged with her face streaked with tears. Fortunately, these arguments were infrequent. They came upon us like summer storms, fierce and hard for a short while and then swept away quickly, the calm air returning.
    Three days after I had first gotten sick, it was decided that I was just about fully recovered and could return to school. However, Mamma insisted that for this one time, at least, Henry should hitch up the wagon and drive us there. Emily was upset with the idea when Mamma announced it at dinner the night before.
    "When I was sick last year, I didn't get driven to school," she protested.
    "You recuperated longer," Mamma replied. "You didn't need a ride, Emily dear."
    "Yes, I did. I was dreadfully tired when I arrived, but I didn't complain. I didn't whine and cry like a baby," she insisted, glaring at me across the table. Papa snapped his newspaper. We were waiting for dessert and coffee. He peered over the top of the paper and gave Emily a reproachful glance, which was something else, she would blame on me, I thought.
    "I can walk, Mamma," I said.
    "Of course you can, honey, but there's no sense chancing a relapse just to spare the horses a few miles, now is there?"
    "Well, I'm not going on the wagon," Emily said defiantly. "I'm not a baby."
    "Let her walk," Papa declared. "If that's what she wants to do."
    "Oh, Emily dear, you can be so obstinate for no reason at all sometimes," Mamma cried. Emily didn't reply, and the next morning she was true to her word. She started out a little earlier and walked as quickly as she could. By the time Henry pulled up in front of the house with the horse and wagon, Emily was already long gone down the driveway. I got in beside Henry and we started off with Mamma calling out her warnings.
    "Keep that sweater closed, Lillian honey, and don't stay outside too long during recess."
    "Yes, Mamma," I called back. Henry urged Belle and Babe on. Minutes later, we spotted Emily walking, her head down, her long thin body bent over so she could pound each step vigorously and quickly. When we pulled alongside, Henry called to her.
    "Wants to get up now, Miss Emily?"
    She didn't reply, nor did she look our way. Henry nodded and moved us along.
    "Knew a woman who was that stubborn once," he said. "No one would marry her until this man come along and takes on a bet he can break her stubborn streak. He marries her and they leave the church in their wagon pulled by this ornery mule, which belonged to her. The mule just stops dead in its tracks. He gets out and stands right before it and says, 'That's once.' Then he gets back in the wagon and they go on until the mule stops again. He gets out again and says, 'That's twice.' They get goin' again and then the mule stops a third time. This time he gets out and shoots the mule dead. The woman starts screaming at him that now they got to carry all their things themselves. When she's finished, he looks her in the eye and says, 'That's once.' "
    Henry roared at his own story. Then he leaned down to me and said, "Sure wish someone would come along and tell Miss Emily, 'That's once.' "
    I smiled although I wasn't totally positive I understood the story and what he meant. Henry seemed to have a tale for every occasion.
    Miss Walker was happy to see me. She sat me down toward the front of the classroom and all that day, she broke away from the other children and spent time working with me one on one to get me up to where everyone else was. At the end of the day, she told me I was caught up. It was as if I had not missed a moment. Emily heard her compliment me, but looked away quickly.
    Henry was waiting outside with the wagon to take us home. This time, whether she had seen the foolishness of her stubbornness or she was just plain tired, Emily got in, too. I sat up front and as we started away, I noticed a sheet on the floor of the wagon, only it had a small hump in it and the hump suddenly moved.
    "What's that, Henry?" I cried, a bit frightened. Emily peered over my shoulder.
    "It's a present for ya all," he said, and reached down to lift off the sheet to reveal the cutest all-white kitten I had ever seen.
    "Oh,