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leaned back agianst the flank of the white horse and let out her
breath. "Whew!"
"He knew what the words said. Sadie," said Tommy quietly,"I wish
you would give up seeing Kevin before any worse trouble happens."
"I've no intention of stopping seeing him," she said. "Do you
think I'd give in that easily?"
Tommy sighed and put some more turpentine on the rag.
Next morning, Sadie got up at the same time as her mother. "I'm
going to work early today," she said. "And I'll be late back tonight."
"What's up today?" Mrs Jackson cracked an egg and slid it in to
the frying pan.
"We're going to do some spring-cleaning."
"In July?"
"It doesn't matter when you spring-clean, does it?"
Mrs Jackson shook her head, cracked another egg. Tommy came in
to the kitchen yawning. Sadie combed her hair in front of the mirror
beside the sink,humming a tune inside her head. It was a lovely
mronging, it would be fresh and sweet in the country and she would
have a whole day with Kevin and Mr Blake away from the town and all
the people she did not want to see. "Don't comb your hair in the
kitchen," said her mother, who always combed her hair in front of that
mirror and in fact kept it there for that purpose. Mrs Jackson
set a plate of fried potato bread and an egg on the table for Sadie.
Sadie ate quickly and was finished before Tommy's breakfast was ke
