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Show 95 SEVENTEEN After dinner that night, Dyna and the mums waited in the living room for word from Oscar. Dyna had forced herself to get down a few bites of casserole, but refused the hot bisquits Aunt Grace stirred up especially for her. No way could she get a biscuit past her throat tonight. Now Dyna sat in Miss Mary's chair, rocking, not saying much. With all her heart she wished she could trade this Friday night for any number of others. In her mind, Dyna could hear Oscar arriving on their doorstep for gin rummy. "By god, it's cold out there!" he'd say first thing. Then he'd hand Dyna the six-pack of beer to put in the fridge while he shook the snow off the brim of his hat onto the rug. That always made Gram mad. "Land sakes," she'd complain to Dyna in private, "why can't he shake off outside?" Dyna felt her eyes filling up again. She wondered if Gram would walk all right when the time came, or be able to dig in the garden, or go visiting around the neighborhood. Why hadn't she listened and shoveled that walk? Suddenly Dyna was aware that Aunt Grace was talking to her. She wasn't listening any better now than she had this morning. "Pardon me?" she asked, focusing on Aunt Grace. "Did Mary and I tell you how we stole the pony cart one time and nearly killed ourselves? Remember, Sister?" Mary nodded, perching on the edge of the sofa. "Willy never got over our ruinin' his nice cart. But it was Grace who wanted to do it." "You went along, just as pretty as you please. Oh, the two of us could get in so much mischief!" "You two pussy cats?" Dyna rested her head against the high back of the rocker. "Go ahead. Tell me what happened." "Well," Aunt Grace laid down her crewel work, "our older"brother had tied up the pony . . . what'd we name that pony, Sister?" "Baby Brown," Miss Mary said. "Brownie, we kids called him. Anyway, we found him hitched to the old oak up by the house. Will wasn't anywhere in sight, so Mary and I decided we'd go for a ride." Miss Mary giggled. |
