check, and Larry had managed to do that when nobody else could. And even though Larry regretted that he had been unable to get Dean a job at the factory, he had found that he was not sorry that Dean had broken off their friendship because of it. It was as much a relief to him as to Rachel - she particularly had not liked to see Dean around the children, though she never said why.
Today was the first time Larry had seen Dean since long before he had left for Fort Rucca. Larry sighed heavily on the slow drive home: Dean Howell might just as well be dead. / never worked on a farm , he told himself ruefully, but I think I know a vegetable when / see one.
Larry Coppage's house was a two-storey frame structure about a mile away from the Howell home, in the very best two blocks north of Commercial Boulevard. Situated on a large corner lot, the building was neat but not imposing. It had been a wedding gift from his father, when he returned from the University of Alabama with his young bride.
When Larry Coppage returned home after visiting Dean Howell, he walked distractedly up the sidewalk to his front door. Several small children, most of them his own, were playing about the front steps, and he saw his wife glance at him out'the living room window. He was late, and she was waiting for his return. Larry had not told Rachel that he would be stopping at Dean and Sarah's. His going there had been an act of courage and that morning, before he had left the house for work, he had not been certain that he would go through with it.
Thrusting his car keys into his pocket, his fingers knocked against the strange gift that Jo Howell had given him for his wife. He pulled the necklace out and examined it briefly in the light of the declining sun. Two of the children, one of them his youngest girl, the other a little boy totally unfamiliar to him, noisily grabbed for the swinging, shiny metal, but he lifted it out of their reach.
Rachel Coppage opened the wooden front door to her husband, and talked to him through the screen. 'What you got, Larry?'
Standing a few feet away from her, he held the piece up for her to see. She opened the screen a little, so as not to let in flies, reached round, and snatched the necklace from his grasp. 'Where'd you get it?' she asked.
'Present for you', he smiled.
Rachel looked at Larry sarcastically. 'Where'd you get it?' she repeated.
'Dean Howell's mama gave it to me.'
Rachel said, 'Larry, you can't wear a necklace, look like a hippie. You and me and all five kids would be laughed right out of town.'
'Rachel', said Larry patiently, 'I said this was for you. A present for you. Miz Howell said for me to give it to you.' Rachel was a good wife in many respects, but she had a habit of chafing her husband. She looked closely at the pendant, traced her finger round the circle of gold. 'Jo Howell hasn't spoke to me since 1958 when my daddy bought their farm when old man Howell died so funny.'
'Well', said Larry, 'I don't know about that, but she and Dean wanted you to have it.' Then, as an afterthought, he added, it wasn't funny. It was just a snake, some old snake out in the corn, bit him on the ankle
Rachel disregarded her husband's remark. 'I don't know why she would have gotten mad at me, 'cause it was Daddy that bought the farm, not me. I didn't have anything to do with it, and besides, she hated the place and was just dying to get off it. And you say Jo Howell give this to you to give to me?'
Lariy nodded.
'Will wonders never cease', Rachel commented, and shook her head pensively. 'Next thing you know she'll start coming to Sunday school and choir practice.'
Rachel opened the screen door, and allowed her husband entrance. A couple of their five children also asked to be let into the house, but she shouted, 'No, no! You stay out here till I call you in to supper! I don't clean this house so you kids can trample all over the floors!'
Larry followed Rachel into the kitchen, where she examined the
Today was the first time Larry had seen Dean since long before he had left for Fort Rucca. Larry sighed heavily on the slow drive home: Dean Howell might just as well be dead. / never worked on a farm , he told himself ruefully, but I think I know a vegetable when / see one.
Larry Coppage's house was a two-storey frame structure about a mile away from the Howell home, in the very best two blocks north of Commercial Boulevard. Situated on a large corner lot, the building was neat but not imposing. It had been a wedding gift from his father, when he returned from the University of Alabama with his young bride.
When Larry Coppage returned home after visiting Dean Howell, he walked distractedly up the sidewalk to his front door. Several small children, most of them his own, were playing about the front steps, and he saw his wife glance at him out'the living room window. He was late, and she was waiting for his return. Larry had not told Rachel that he would be stopping at Dean and Sarah's. His going there had been an act of courage and that morning, before he had left the house for work, he had not been certain that he would go through with it.
Thrusting his car keys into his pocket, his fingers knocked against the strange gift that Jo Howell had given him for his wife. He pulled the necklace out and examined it briefly in the light of the declining sun. Two of the children, one of them his youngest girl, the other a little boy totally unfamiliar to him, noisily grabbed for the swinging, shiny metal, but he lifted it out of their reach.
Rachel Coppage opened the wooden front door to her husband, and talked to him through the screen. 'What you got, Larry?'
Standing a few feet away from her, he held the piece up for her to see. She opened the screen a little, so as not to let in flies, reached round, and snatched the necklace from his grasp. 'Where'd you get it?' she asked.
'Present for you', he smiled.
Rachel looked at Larry sarcastically. 'Where'd you get it?' she repeated.
'Dean Howell's mama gave it to me.'
Rachel said, 'Larry, you can't wear a necklace, look like a hippie. You and me and all five kids would be laughed right out of town.'
'Rachel', said Larry patiently, 'I said this was for you. A present for you. Miz Howell said for me to give it to you.' Rachel was a good wife in many respects, but she had a habit of chafing her husband. She looked closely at the pendant, traced her finger round the circle of gold. 'Jo Howell hasn't spoke to me since 1958 when my daddy bought their farm when old man Howell died so funny.'
'Well', said Larry, 'I don't know about that, but she and Dean wanted you to have it.' Then, as an afterthought, he added, it wasn't funny. It was just a snake, some old snake out in the corn, bit him on the ankle
Rachel disregarded her husband's remark. 'I don't know why she would have gotten mad at me, 'cause it was Daddy that bought the farm, not me. I didn't have anything to do with it, and besides, she hated the place and was just dying to get off it. And you say Jo Howell give this to you to give to me?'
Lariy nodded.
'Will wonders never cease', Rachel commented, and shook her head pensively. 'Next thing you know she'll start coming to Sunday school and choir practice.'
Rachel opened the screen door, and allowed her husband entrance. A couple of their five children also asked to be let into the house, but she shouted, 'No, no! You stay out here till I call you in to supper! I don't clean this house so you kids can trample all over the floors!'
Larry followed Rachel into the kitchen, where she examined the
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