“But, goodness, gracious sake, you’re pretty, pretty as a picture! I ’lowed yo’ had a man scoutin’ aroun’. Why somethin’ mout happen to a lady, if she didn’t have a man or know how to take cyar of herse’f.”
Nelia shrugged her shoulders. Mrs. Tons, the river woman, gazed for a minute at the pretty, partly averted face. It was almost desperate, quite reckless, and by the expression, the river woman understood. She thought in silence, for a minute, and then looked down the eddy at a boat some distance away.
“Theh’s a boat. Like the looks of it?”
“It’s a fine boat, I ’low,” Nelia said. “Fresh painted.”
“Hit’s new,” the woman said.
“Is it for sale?”
“We’ll jes walk down thataway,” the river woman suggested. “Two ladies is mostly safe down thisaway.” 19
“My name’s Nelia Crele. We used to live up by Gage, on the Bottoms––”
“Sho! Co’se I know Ole Jim Crele, an’ his woman. My name’s Mrs. Tons. We stopped in thah ’bout six weeks ago. I hearn say yo’d—yo’d married right well!”
“Umph!” Nelia shrugged her shoulders, “Liquor spoils many a home!”