"At that, he tear out for the doctor! Doctor Elton, he rush over and make her swallow somethin' he call 'Ergot.' Then he tell me to hold tight 'gainst Miss Addie Mae's bottom stomach with both my fists. That help. Miss Addie Mae dozed off to sleep. We stays there with her all night. Just 'fore daylight, the doctor say she gwine t' live." "Did Doctor Elton see the baby?" "Yes'm. Huldie, she done cover the baby with her cook apron. The doctor, he uncovers hit hisself. He say, 'God damn! Ward Lawson's!' He puts the apron back and walks out the front door!" "I declare to my soul!" Doanie and Mama stopped talking. At first I thought it was because they didn't have anything else to say, but it wasn't that. They came hurrying into the room where I was to look out the front window 'cause both of them had heard a horse galloping up our road. "That's Mister Jodie comin' yonder!" "Goodness, I wonder what's the matter! He hasn't been gone an hour!" Mama ran to open the door. It was Papa, all right. "Nannie! Nannie!" He started calling her before he even got off his horse. "What's wrong, Jodie?" "He's dead! They just found him!" "Who?" "Ward! Ward Lawson's dead!" "Oh, the Lawd have mercy!" Doanie screamed. She threw up her hands and ran for the back door. "Doanie! Papa called her back. Doanie let the door slam and came running back inside. "Is Sun Boy at home?" "Yes, suh. He home." "Tell him to come up here quick." "Yes, suh." "I've got to go over to the Lawson place. Miss Nannie will have to go too. You tell Sun Boy to hitch up the buggy for Miss Nannie, and y'all help her load up some vittles and stuff to take." "Yes, suh." Doanie started to leave. "And, Doanie, send one of your boys to tell Bett to come. She can cook today for Pa and Ma. Me and Miss Nannie may not get back before night, so tell Bett for her and Hollis to milk and feed the livestock." "Yes, suh. I tell her." Mama was rushing around, gathering up my clothes. She seemed in the biggest kind of hurry, but she whispered that I ought to look out the side window to see the icicles. I was still watching the icicles when Doanie flew out the yard gate, running as fast as she could go. One corner of her white head rag came untied before she got as far as the well, but she didn't stop to fasten it back in place. To keep it from flapping in her eyes, she jerked it off her head as she disappeared around the side of the garden. "Jodie, what happened?" "I don't know yet. Wes phoned me. He'd just heard it. Said Ward was shot—stayed out in all the freezing drizzle last night. His shotgun was lying on the ground by the barn fence, and Ned told Wes it looked like maybe Ward was trying to crawl under the barbed wire when his gun went off."