Summary

James carefully watches Sadie, trying to ensure she does not damage the new grafts. One morning in the past he woke to find that her feet were muddy. He rushed outside and found the cow had destroyed seven of his 15 grafts. He did not wake or beat Sadie, but regrafted with scions he had hidden in the woods. He hoped that Sadie might not even notice.

Sadie talks about Martha, who goes about her day humming hymns that she must have learned from a neighbor, Hattie Day, “who knows her hymns and how to lord em over us” (34). Sadie waits until Martha leaves the room for a moment, then grabs the bottle of applejack and drinks it. She says she is not certain why she hides the drinking from Martha. When Martha returns with the apples, Sadie sees...