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Updated: September 6, 2025
Flukey closed his eyes wearily. "Fluke," whispered Flea presently, "ye ought to see that room I slep' in! It were finer'n this one." "This be the promised land, all right, what Scraggy speaked about," said Flukey. "There ain't no more places like it in this here world."
"Ye love her?" "Very much, very much indeed. But she is young yet only a little girl." "Did ye tell her that ye loved her?" "Yes." "Did she say she loved you?" "Yes." Flukey groaned. "Then it's something else than that, because I've known for a long time that Flea loved ye. What's the matter? What's the matter with ye both?"
"Flukey ain't so awful sick, be he?" she questioned fearfully. Ann passed an arm tenderly around her. "Yes, child, he is very ill. My brother and I want to speak to you about him." "But he ain't goin' dead?" Her tone brought Horace nearer. In spite of Flea's somberness, the bouyancy of her youth obliterated the memory of every other girl he knew.
If nothing else had been said, the question would have been answered in the affirmative by the vivid blush that dyed Flea's dark skin. Her embarrassment brought another exclamation from Flukey. "She's a girl, all right! She's only tryin' to save me. She put on my pants jest to get away from Pappy Lon. I'll go to jail; but don't send her!" He swayed blindly, closing his eyes with a moan.
I always asked that Flukey might stay in Tarrytown, and that nothing would ever hurt Mr. Shellington. I never dared pray for myself, because because God had enough to do to help all the other ones, and because I never asked anything for myself till you found me. I want to stay right in the shanty with you, Pappy Lon. I hate Lem oh, how I hate him!" Lem coughed and wheezed.
"Pappy Lon won't let me," sighed Flukey. He sank down on the cabin threshold, and as he spoke drew a blue trouser leg slowly up. "Damn knee!" he groaned. "It gets so twisted! And sometimes I can't walk." "Be ye goin' to steal again tonight?" asked the girl, bending toward him. "Yep, with Pappy Lon and Lem. I hate it all, I do!" he cried impetuously. "What makes ye go?
"Ye think Flukey mightn' get well?" Flea breathed. Ann turned anxious eyes upon the boy, who was muttering incoherently. "Poor little child! May Jesus help him!" she whispered. Flea rose to her feet. "Jesus! Jesus!" she repeated solemnly. "Granny Cronk used to talk about him.
"Yes, after we get to Ithaca," murmured Fledra. "Tell me what ye said to Flukey in yer note." "I told him he could stay with Brother Horace; but that I'd go with you, and " Her slow precise speech made a decided impression upon Lem; for he ceased eating and stared at her open-mouthed. But Cronk brought his fist down on the table with a thump that rattled the tin dishes.
Cronk placed the fish and beans on his plate and, with a shrill cry to Flea and Flukey, sat down to eat. As he stumbled along the rocks to the scow, Lem Crabbe uttered dark threats against the girl who had bitten him. Her temper and the spontaneous deed that had marked his face did not lessen his longing to call her his woman, nor did it take the fever of desire from his veins.
If anyone had asked him during the absence of Flea and Flukey which one of them he would rather have had back in the hut, he would undoubtedly have chosen the girl; for well he knew that she was capable of suffering more than a boy. Still, he moved uneasily when he thought of the soft bed and the kindly hands that were ministering to the son of his enemy.
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