Read On Agate Hill for Free Online Page B

pushed her real hard so she scrambled backward and fell in the corner with the camisole clutched to her chest.
    Girls, girls what is going on in there? Selena called.
    Nothing, I said.
    Molly pushed me . Victoria set up a big fake wail like I was killing her.
    Molly what is going on in there? Selena asked from the door.
    She is just telling a stupid lie, I said.
    Well get up from there now Victoria, Selena said, but Victoria lay on her back like a junebug and bawled like she was dying, and all could see her drawers.
    I said get up . Selena went over and yanked at her shoulder.
    That hurt, Mama, she cried harder.
    Come on now we have got a lot of work to do, Selena said. Instead Victoria scrambled up to her feet and ran out the door past both of us and straight into Bess who said, You stop right there Miss and snatched at the camisole.
    But Victoria held on to it for dear life.
    You are not going to have that now Miss, it belong to Alice Heart. It belong to Miss Molly now, Bess said.
    I dont want it, I said.
    Let go now child, Old Bess said. But she is getting little now, she has got a misery in her back too.
    Oh just give it to her Victoria, for Gods sake, Selena said.
    I dont want it, I said again.
    Miss Fannie done save these things for you by the hardest, Bess said, and I knew this was true, for almost everything else in this house has been torn up and made into clothes even the curtains, and then patched and patched again.
    I dont care, I said.
    Old Bess turned to look at me hard, and in that instant Victoria gave a big tug and the camisole tore right down the middle and she stumbled back against a bed. She clutched the shiny cloth to her chest and cried harder than ever. Bess smoothed the other piece of the camisole over her arm, over and over, looking at me from the doorway.
    What? I said. I hated them all.
    Selena stood still in the middle of the girls bedroom with her hands on her hips and her face on fire. Her black eyes darted everywhere. Her bosom went up and down. She seemed to get bigger and bigger while I watched, like the gods and goddesses of ancent Greece in Nora Gwyns book. I felt she would fling a thunderbolt. Blanche clung to her skirt. Go outside now girls, Selena said finally. She yanked Victoria up off the floor but before you could say spit, Victoria ran back in the closet and came out with one of the hoops. Ooh! I want one, Blanche said and ran in for another.
    Molly? Selena looked at me.
    I dont care, I said
    Go on out then girls, you go too Molly, Selena said.
    You are not the boss of me, I said. I did not bat an eye.
    The girls ran whooping down the stairs.
    Selena looked at me and nodded slightly, just once. Then she pushed back her hair and grabbed her broom. Bess, lets get this done, she yelled from under another bed. You go on down and get them to bring me some more water up here. I want it hot too. Go on now, Selena said, and then, Bess?
    The doorway frame stood empty.
    Bess was gone, and she has not come back yet to help with the big cleaning.
    But Selena proceeded like a house afire.
    I watched her daughters roll those hoops in the yard until I could not stand it any more. Finally I got one for myself and ran out in the yard with it. Like this, Molly! Like this, Victoria said, rolling her hoop toward me, while mine wobbled and fell over. But soon I got the hang of it, and before long I was better at it than they were.
    Look, I called to Old Bess who came walking back from the garden with a mess of greens in her basket, but Bess did not speak. She set her face against me, and went into Liddys kitchen without a word.

June 8, 1872
    Dear Diary,
    Washington and me got to beat out the parlor carpet with sticks, it was a lot of fun. This was Fannies favorite, blue with a gold fleur-de-lee. Dust flew everywhere. You like that dont you Molly? Selena said as we whacked away and this was true but I would not give her the satisfaction of saying it.
    What? I pretended I could not hear.

June 14,