Arkansas State press., 1942-06-05
Chapter l6

Chapter l6
When he got to the driveway he
saw that the car was standing
just as he had left it, but all
covered with soft coat of snow.
The house looked white and silent.
He Unattached the gate and went
past the car, seeing before his
eyes an image of Mary, her bloody
neck just inside the furnace and
her head with its curly black hair
lying upon the soggy newspapers,
he paused, He could turn round
row and go back. He could get
into the car and he miles from
here before anybody knew it.
But why run away unless there
was good reason? He had some
money to make run for it when
the time came. And lie had his
gun. His fingers trembled so that
he had difficulty in unlocking the
door; hut they were not trembling
from fear. 1t was a kind of Gag
erness he felt, q confidence, a full
ness, freedom, his whole life
was caught up in a supreme
and meaningful act. He pushed
the door in, then was stone still,
sucking his breath in saftly. In
the red glare Of the furnace stood
a shadowy figure, Is that Mrs
Dalton? But 1t was taller and
stouter than Mrs, Dalton, Oh, II
was Peggy! She stood with her
back to him, a little bent. She
seemed to be peering hard into
the furnace. She didn't hear me
come in, he thought, Maybe !
ought to go! But before he could
move Peggy turned round.
Oh good morning, Bigger He
did not answer.
"I'm glad you came. was just
about to put more coal into the
furnace"
"Ill fix It, man,"
He came forward, straining his
eyes to see if any traces of Mary
were in the furnace. When he
reached Peggy's side he saw that
she was staring through the cracks
of the door at the red bed Of i il
Goals.
"The fire was very hot last
night Peggy said, "But this
morning it got low"
an fix it," Bigger said, stand
ing and not daring to- open the
door of the furnace while she stood
there beside him in the red dark
ness. He heard the dull roar
of the draft going upwards and
wondered if she suspected any
thing. He knew that he should
have turned on the light; but
what if he did and the light re-
vealed parts of Mary in the fur
mace?
"I'll fix it, man," he said again
Quickly, he wondered if ne
would have to kill her to keep her
from telling II she turned on the
light and saw something that
made her think that Mary was
dead? Without turning his head
he saw and iron shovel resting in a
nearby corner. His hands elench-
ed Peggy moved from his side
toward a light that swung from
the ceiling at the far end Of the
room near the stairs.
an give you some light she
said.
He moved silently and quickly
toward the shovel and waited to
see what would happen. The light
came on, blindingly bright; he
tlinked. Peggy stood near the
steps holding her right hand
tightly over her byeasf. She had
on kimono and was trying to
hold it closely about her. Bigger
understood at once. She was not
even thinking of the furnace; she
was just a little ashamed of hav-
ing been seen in the basement IL
her kimono.
"Has Miss Dalton come down
yet?" she asked over her should
err as she went up the steps.
"No'm, | haven't seen her. :.
"You just Gomez "Yessum."
She stopped and looked back at
him.
"Bu. the car, it's in the drive
way"
"Yessam,' he said simply, not
volunteering any information.
"Then it stayed out all night9"
II don't know, man,
"Didn't you put it in the gar