Across the Fruited Plain

parts were hard to replace; so the men were always watching the junkyards for other old Reos. Th

cobble new soles on its tires and patch its innard

to him he said, "Shh! Sounds like her pistons--or maybe it's her va

of the back tires was blown to bits. "Now can we eat?" Dick demanded. Daddy shook his head as he jumped out t

before the familiar bumping stop

ay as well get lunch while I see

the edge. "Well," she said, "you better eat before your hands get any blacker. Dick, you haul that shoe-b

when she had scrambled back.

-Ellen rummaged in the part that was partitioned of

stood staring. "Dick!" he called. "

Gee whiz, Grampa! It was wedge

and as silently the men cut "boots" from worn-out tires and cemented them under the holes in the almost

enly. "My goodness, everyone is

now, and lively enough to keep one person busy. The pale curls all over her head were enchanting, and so was her talk. She had learned Buenos dia

ack of her neck. Then she tried to think of something to say herself. "May

ck-thin voice. "If church was so much, why wouldn

was kind, and tried to make those dreadful camps a little decenter, why, it was Christian folks. There wouldn't hardly anyt

t together and put their foot down they co

urselves," Grandma snapped. "I

with unusual sharpness. "Can't

cing soberly from one to the other, was sorry f

d ripe figs, and those big persimmons that you sort of drown in-but apples are

ject, either. "I'm hun

n another ti

andma said in a thin voice, "Next time we come to any likel

glance at her, Daddy stop

at town and get some bread and maybe wee

could lie down in its shelter. Then they bumped away, leaving the children to mind

gry in all my days,

pavement with the hot air quivering a

men look like . . . look like. . . . They are Gram

" Dick shouted, a

ing her hands against the bulgi

Daddy answered, po

t, Dad?" Dick dem

d. "They called it junk. Well, the g

the trailer and kind of hike along to

ut her gray lips and drew them in again, and her closed eyes were hollow. The other six stood around

e them until a man's voice said, "Sorry, folks, but y

lustered, shaken with anxiety and ange

said, pushing back his coat to show the star on

y, watching the sheriff go. "W

ones some of the grub we bou

ead and cheese that another car came upon them and

em looked like Her, nor even Her No. II--yet Jimmie whispered excit

and in Cissy's onions, they went out through the country to help the people who needed them

of you from Miss Pinkerton," said one young woman. "She said you were the kind of people who deserved a

that it was all questions and answers that grew more and more brisk and eager. It ended in hooking the trailer, which carried the tent

hams in a restaurant, but only to c

nce, and it's all right!"

andma, beginning to be more

a said quickly. "And Miss Joyce here, she's going to tak

they had slept and breakfasted. She looked long at Ca

she doesn't, she does the best she can,"

rail little shoulder an

ard all day, through peach orchards and vineyards where the grapevines were

her rest. "If only a body could settle down, I can't figure any place much n

, with green gardens between them and stately eucalyptus trees shading them, while behind them stretched evenl

round her with bright eyes. "A sitting room!" she said. "A sitting room! Seems like we were real folk

nting to half-past three. "Tick-tock! Tick-tock!" it

k their news. "Gramma, there's a real bathroom!" "Gramma, soon's you feel better you can bake a pie in this gas stove

flowers drifted through open doors and windows, together w

dn't have to move on

den for all our garden sass and to can some." He was ticking off the points on his fingers. "And a chic

sobbing. "I don't want to go on anywhe

o had come, smiling, in at the back door. "You mean. . . ." The word

ance to take root again. It's an experiment they are trying, and we are having the chance to work with them. We can

ven send for the goods we stored at

home? Home?" shr

d with a smile. "Run along and

still a moth-eaten-looking white goat. But now she had a new gleam i

n and white cottage Seth Thomas pealed out twelve chi

nd