No one in Green Valley, not even
Cynthia's son, could make the huge man understand that he in a sense
was little Jim's keeper; that since Jim could not save himself the
strong men of the community would have to do it for him. George
wondered at the seriousness with which the thing was discussed. He
treated it as a joke. And this attitude was doing more harm than if he
had been bitterly hostile to the idea.
The Civic League was counting the votes, wondering if Green Valley
could go dry over George Hoskins' head. But Grandma Wentworth was
hoping for one more miracle before election day.
"Something'll happen to swing George into line. We Green Valley people
have always done everything together. It would spoil things to have
one half the town fighting the other half. We must do this thing with
everybody's consent or it will do no good. So let's hope for a
miracle."
And then the whole thing was wiped out of everybody's mind by the death
of Mary Hoskins. It was over at last and nobody but the doctor knew
how hard the big man had fought for his wife's life. So nobody quite
guessed the bitterness of the big man's grief. But everybody had heard
that Mary's last words were a plea to have little Jim sing her to her
last sleep and resting-place.
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