Mama and Papa soon quit talking about Moolie and started talking about my big brothers. "Nannie, quit fretting over the boys! Like as not, the war'll be over before the army gets either one of them trained. You mustn't let it drive you to distraction. Ah, here's Pa." Grandpa jammed his hat on the peg next to Papa's and wiped the back of his hand across his beard. "Whew!" "'Evening, Pa." "Mercy me, I thought I'd never get away from Ming tonight! Jodie, you know how your ma is some days. She lies there in that bed, thinking up a thousand things for a-body to do. Right at sundown she took a notion for me to fix all three lamps." "Yes, sir, Pa. I know. Here, take your chair." Grandpa eased himself down at the head of the table and hooked his walking stick on the back of his chair. Mama looked around the kitchen. She waited a minute for Wiley to slide back into his place and for Mierd and Irene to get quiet. "Pa, will you return thanks?" I wondered why Mama always asked Grandpa if he'd say grace. We all knew he would—three times a day. He never changed it a bit. I liked that 'cause I could remember every word. We bowed our heads and squinted our eyes shut. Merciful Father, smile on us; Pardon our many sins; Make us thankful for these And all Thy favors, We ask in the Redeemer's name. Amen. "Grandpa, guess what?" Wiley blurted out before we could even raise our heads. "What?" "I rode on it!" "Naw!" Grandpa looked at Wiley as if he could hardly believe such a thing. "Well! Now that's something to crow about!" "Rode on what?" Irene asked. "A automobile!" "When did you ever ride a automobile?" "Just this morning, up at Papa's store. All y'all just ought to 've seen me!" "What was it like?" "Irene, it was sorta like being in a buggy—only smoother and a whole lot faster! It was real, real fast!" "Son, how'd you happen to get to ride?" Grandpa asked. "Well, sir, that man said, 'Sonny Boy, you want to take a little spin?' I ain't 'Sonny Boy,' but I was dying to get on that thing, and Papa said I could. So, I did! He rode me all the way up to Doctor Elton's and Miss Maime's house and then wheeled around and brought me back to the store. We just went a-skimming along—like a bird!" Wiley flung out his arms to show how a bird flies. "Whoops!" "Watch out, Wiley!" Mierd screeched. "Look what you've done! You've knocked over the syrup pitcher with one clumsy hand and Irene's buttermilk with the other!" "Irene, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. Gee, it's running down all over your dress." "That's all right." Mama rubbed the spot on Irene's skirt with a damp cloth till it looked fine. "What I'm waiting to hear is what make automobile that was," Grandpa said, turning to Papa. "It wasn't one of the Ford tin lizzies, was it, Jodie?" "No, sir. It was a Chevrolet. It—" _"_It was a 'Four Ninety'! That's what it was" Wiley hollered out. "It cost four hundred and ninety dollars!"