“Uncle Bill——” her lips shook so they could hardly make his name. “Looka! Fo’ Gawd’s sake!” she whispered. “De medicine must ’a’ been too strong!”
Breeze could scarcely tell what she said, for she ran her words all together and she shook with a chill. Fever makes people so sometimes.
“Do talk hard, Joy. I can’ hear no whisperin’! Who you scared gwine hear you? A sperit?” April scolded.
Breeze’s eyes followed Joy’s to the tub. He stared too. He saw what made her teeth click together——
April’s toes.
They had come loose from his feet, and floated around in the tub. In the clear warm water, sharp-flavored with the strong white medicine. Breeze felt dazed. His head was queer. The room, the walls began to move around and wave up and down.
When April saw the toes he began to laugh. An ugly croaking, high-pitched laugh that chilled Breeze’s blood, and made the water swish in the tub.
The toes, all loose, free from the feet, swam around swiftly and circled and danced. One big toe slid next to a little one and stopped!
April half-rose to his feet and shouted:
“Look! My Gawd! Is you ever see sich a t’ing in you’ life? My toes is come off. Dey runs by deyse’f! Fo’ Gawd’s sake!”