Wish You Well(91)

even as the men pushed forward a bit, crowding him. Several of them moved back and

blocked the rear of the car. Cotton started the engine of the Olds, rolled down the

window, and looked at them. "Now, the clutch on this thing is right peculiar. Sometimes

it pops out and this old girl jumps about a country mile. Almost killed a man one time

when it did that. Well, here goes. Look out now!"

He popped the clutch, and the Olds jumped backward, and so did all the men. The path

cleared, Cotton backed out and they headed off. When the rock banged against the

rumble seat of the car, Cotton pushed down on the accelerator and told Lou and Oz to get

down and stay down. Several more rocks hit against the car, before they were safely out

of range.

"What about Louisa?" asked Lou.

"She'll be fine. Travis is most always around, and he's



Wish You Well 301

man not to be beat with a shotgun. And when he's not there, his nurse is just about as fine

a shot. And I warned ♦he sheriff folks were getting a bit riled. They'll keep close watch.

But those people aren't going to do anything to a helpless woman in a bed. They're

hurting, but they're not like that."

"Are they going to throw rocks at us every time we come to visit Louisa?" asked Oz

fearfully.

Cotton put an arm around the boy. "Well, if they do, I suspect they'll run out of rocks

long before we run out of visits."

When they got back to the farmhouse, an anxious-looking Eugene hurried out, a piece of

paper in his hand.

"Man from the town come by with this, Mr. Cotton. I ain't knowed what it is. He say give

it to you quick."

Cotton opened up the slip of paper and read it. It was a delinquent tax notice. He had

forgotten Louisa had not paid her property taxes for the last three years because there had

been no crops, and thus no money. The county had carried her over, as it did with all the

other farmers in similar circumstances. They were expected to pay of course, but they

were always given time. This notice, however, was demanding payment in full

immediately. Two hundred dollars' worth of payment. And since she had been in default

for so long, they could foreclose and sell the land far more quickly than normal. Cotton

could feel Southern Valley's vicious stamp all over the paper.

"Is something wrong, Cotton?" asked Lou.

He looked at her and smiled. "I'll take care of it, Lou. Just paperwork, honey."

Cotton counted out the two hundred dollars to the clerk of the court and was given a

stamped receipt. He trudged back to his apartment and boxed up the last pile of books. A

few minutes later he looked up to see Lou standing in his doorway.

"How did you get here?" he asked.

"I got a ride with Buford Rose in his old Packard. There are no doors on the thing, so it's

a fine view, but you're only one jolt away from flying out, and it's pretty cold." She stared

around at the empty room. "Where are all your books, Cotton?"

He chuckled. "They were taking up too much space." He tapped his forehead. "And,

leastways, I've got it all right up here."

Lou shook her head. "I went by the courthouse. I figured there was more to that paper we

got than you were letting on. Two hundred dollars for all your books. You shouldn't have

done it."

Cotton closed up the box. "I still have some left. And I'd like you to have them."

Lou stepped into the room. "Why?"

"Because they're your father's works. And I can't think of a better person to take care of

them."

Lou said nothing while Cotton taped the box shut.

"Let's go over and see Louisa now," Cotton said.

"Cotton, I'm getting scared. More stores have closed. And another bus full of people just

left. And the looks folks gave me on the street. They're really angry. And Oz got in a

fight at school with a boy who said we were ruining people's lives by not selling."

“Is Oz all right?"

She smiled weakly. "He actually won the fight. I think it surprised him more than

anybody. He's got a black eye, and he's right proud of it."

"It'll be all right, Lou. Things will work out. We'll weather this."

She took a step closer, her expression very serious. "Things aren't working out. Not since

we've come here. Maybe we should sell and leave. Maybe it'll be better for all of us. Get

Mom and Louisa the care they need." She paused and could not look at him as she added,

"Someplace else."

"Is that what you want to do?"

Lou wearily stared off. "Sometimes what I want to do is go up on the little knoll behind

our house, lay on the ground, and never move again. That's all."

Cotton considered this for a few moments and then said, "In the world's broad field of