God’s Little Acre by Erskine Caldwell

Author:Erskine Caldwell [Caldwell, Erskine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Novela, Drama, Realista
Publisher: ePubLibre
Published: 1932-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XII

“THAT’S BUCK’S WIFE, Griselda,” Ty Ty said.

“I know,” Jim Leslie replied without turning.

“She’s a mighty pretty girl.”

“I know.”

“The first time I saw her I said to myself: ‘Man alive! Griselda is a mighty pleasing dish to set before a man.’ ”

“I know,” he said again.

“It’s a shame your wife ain’t so pretty as Griselda,” Ty Ty said sympathetically. “It’s a dog-gone shame, Jim Leslie, if I do say it myself.”

Jim Leslie shrugged his shoulders a little, still looking at Griselda. He could not keep his eyes away from her.

“They tell me that your wife has got diseased,” Ty Ty said, moving his chair closer to his son’s. “I’ve heard the boys say a lot of these rich people up here on The Hill have got one thing and another wrong with them. It’s a dog-gone shame you had to marry her, Jim Leslie. I feel downright sorry for you, son. Did she get you cornered so you couldn’t worm out of marrying her?”

“I don’t know,” Jim Leslie said wearily.

“I sure hate to see you married to a diseased wife, son. Now just look at those two girls, there. Neither of them is diseased. Darling Jill is all right, and so is Griselda. And Rosamond ain’t diseased either. They’re all nice clean girls, son, the three of them. I’d hate to have a girl in my house diseased. I’d feel so ashamed of it that I’d hide my face when people came to see me at the house. It must be pretty hard for you to have to live with a diseased woman like your wife. Why is it, anyhow, that so many of these rich girls here in Augusta have got the diseases, son?”

“I don’t know,” he replied weakly.

“What is it she’s got, anyhow?”

Jim Leslie tried to laugh at Ty Ty, but he could not even force a smile to his lips.

“Don’t you know the name of it, son?”

Jim Leslie shook his head, indicating that he had no answer to give.

“The boys said she has gonorrhea. Is that right, son? That’s what I heard, if I remember right.”

Jim Leslie nodded his head almost imperceptibly. As long as he could sit there and look at Griselda he was willing to let Ty Ty’s questions pass over his head. He had no interest in them as long as Griselda was there.

“Well, I’m sorry for you, son. It’s a dog-gone shame you had to marry a girl with a disease. I reckon, though, you wouldn’t have done it if she hadn’t cornered you so you couldn’t worm out of it. If you couldn’t get out of it, then that’s something God Himself couldn’t have helped. You deserve a little better, though. It’s a dog-gone shame you had to do it.”

Ty Ty moved his chair closer to Jim Leslie’s. He leaned forward, nodding his head towards Griselda.

“It’s a dog-gone shame about your wife, son, if I do say it myself. Now, just take Griselda, there. She ain’t diseased, and she’s the prettiest girl you can ever hope to see.

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