Behind him Rose of Sharon moved dizzily out of the tent. “Where’s Connie?” she asked irritably. “I ain’t seen Connie for a long time. Where’d he go?”
“I ain’t seen him,” said Ma. “If I see ’im, I’ll tell ’im you want ’im.”
“I ain’t feelin’ good,” said Rose of Sharon. “Connie shouldn’ of left me.”
Ma looked up to the girl’s swollen face. “You been a-cryin’,” she said.
The tears started freshly in Rose of Sharon’s eyes.
Ma went on firmly, “You git aholt on yaself. They’s a lot of us here. You git aholt on yaself. Come here now an’ peel some potatoes. You’re feelin’ sorry for yaself.”
The girl started to go back in the tent. She tried to avoid Ma’s stern eyes, but they compelled her and she came slowly toward the fire. “He shouldn’ of went away,” she said, but the tears were gone.
“You got to work,” Ma said. “Set in the tent an’ you’ll get feelin’ sorry about yaself. I ain’t had time to take you in han’. I will now. You take this here knife an’ get to them potatoes.”
The girl knelt down and obeyed. She said fiercely, “Wait’ll I see ’im. I’ll tell ’im.”
Ma smiled slowly. “He might smack you. You got it comin’ with whinin’ aroun’ an’ candyin’ yaself. If he smacks some sense in you I’ll bless ’im.” The girl’s eyes blazed with resentment, but she was silent.