Mrs. Joyce said timidly, “S’pose we can’t never pay? We ain’t had work for a long time.”
“You’ll pay if you can. If you can’t, that ain’t none of our business, an’ it ain’t your business. One fella went away, an’ two months later he sent back the money. You ain’t got the right to let your girls git hungry in this here camp.”
Mrs. Joyce was cowed. “Yes, ma’am,” she said.
“Git you some cheese for them girls,” Jessie ordered. “That’ll take care a them skitters.”
“Yes, ma’am.” And Mrs. Joyce scuttled out of the door.
Jessie turned in anger on the committee. “She got no right to be stiff-necked. She got no right, not with our own people.”
Annie Littlefield said, “She ain’t been here long. Maybe she don’t know. Maybe she’s took charity one time-another. Nor,” Annie said, “don’t you try to shut me up, Jessie. I got a right to pass speech.” She turned half to Ma. “If a body’s ever took charity, it makes a burn that don’t come out. This ain’t charity, but if you ever took it, you don’t forget it. I bet Jessie ain’t ever done it.”
“No, I ain’t,” said Jessie.
“Well, I did,” Annie said. “Las’ winter; an’ we was a-starvin’—me an’ Pa an’ the little fellas. An’ it was a-rainin’. Fella tol’ us to go to the Salvation Army.” Her eyes grew fierce. “We was hungry—they made us crawl for our dinner. They took our dignity. They—I hate ’em! An’—maybe Mis’ Joyce took charity. Maybe she didn’ know this ain’t charity. Mis’ Joad, we don’t allow nobody in this camp to build their-self up that-a-way. We don’t allow nobody to give nothing to another person. They can give it to the camp, an’ the camp can pass it out. We won’t have no charity!” Her voice was fierce and hoarse. “I hate ’em,” she said. “I ain’t never seen my man beat before, but them—them Salvation Army done it to ’im.”
Jessie nodded. “I heard,” she said softly, “I heard. We got to take Mis’ Joad aroun’.”
Ma said, “It sure is nice.”
“Le’s go to the sewin’ room,” Annie suggested. “Got two machines. They’s a-quiltin’, an’ they’re makin’ dresses. You might like ta work over there.”
When the committee called on Ma, Ruthie and Winfield faded imperceptibly back out of reach.
“Whyn’t we go along an’ listen?” Winfield asked.
Ruthie gripped his arm. “No,” she said. “We got washed for them sons-a-bitches. I ain’t goin’ with ’em.”
Winfield said, “You tol’ on me ’bout the toilet. I’m a-gonna tell what you called them ladies.”
A shadow of fear crossed Ruthie’s face. “Don’ do it. I tol’ ’cause I knowed you didn’ really break it.”
“You did not,” said Winfield.
Ruthie said, “Le’s look aroun’.” They strolled down the line of tents, peering into each one, gawking self-consciously. At the end of the unit there was a level place on which a croquet court had been set up. Half a dozen children played seriously. In front of a tent an elderly lady sat on a bench and watched. Ruthie and Winfield broke into a trot. “Leave us play,” Ruthie cried. “Leave us get in.”
The children looked up. A pig-tailed little girl said, “Nex’ game you kin.”
“I wanta play now,” Ruthie cried.
“Well, you can’t. Not till nex’ game.”
Ruthie moved menacingly out on the court. “I’m a-gonna play.” The pig-tails gripped her mallet tightly. Ruthie sprang at her, slapped her, pushed her, and wrested the mallet from her hands. “I says I was gonna play,” she said triumphantly.
The elderly lady stood up and walked onto the court. Ruthie scowled fiercely and her hands tightened on the mallet. The lady said, “Let her play—like you done with Ralph las’ week.”
The children laid their mallets on the ground and trooped silently off the court. They stood at a distance and looked on with expressionless eyes. Ruthie watched them go. Then she hit a ball and ran after it. “Come on, Winfiel’. Get a stick,” she called. And then she looked in amazement. Winfield had joined the watching children, and he too looked at her with expressionless eyes. Defiantly she hit the ball again. She kicked up a great dust. She pretended to have a good time. And the children stood and watched. Ruthie lined up two balls and hit both of them, and she turned her back on the watching eyes, and then turned back. Suddenly she advanced on them, mallet in hand. “You come an’ play,” she demanded. They moved silently back at her approach. For a moment she stared at them, and then she flung down the mallet and ran crying for home. The children walked back on the court.