Page:Scarlet Sister Mary (1928).pdf/25

 a wicked sinner, a crap-shooter, a poker-player, a gambler, a dancer who sang reels, and carried his "box" (guitar) everywhere he went playing wicked tunes for the sinners to dance by at birth-night suppers and parties and playing on Saturday afternoon at the crossroads store for the boys and men who loafed there when the week's work was over. He sang songs with bad words and he was no fit company for Mary to keep. Budda Ben and Maum Hannah wanted her to marry June, July's twin brother, who had loved Mary all her life, and who was hurt to the heart now because she chose July instead of himself.

Mary prized June's devotion for he was steady and kind, a faithful friend, who helped her do all her tasks: bringing in the wood Budda Ben cut at the wood-pile, fetching water from the spring, or bringing broom-sedge out of the old fields for the winter's supply of brooms, setting out plants in the vegetable garden and hoeing the rows clean. June often helped her scour the floors Saturday morning when July went rabbit hunting. He was far more thoughtful than July and as much unlike him in looks as in disposition. July was tall, lean, quick-spoken. June was short, big-chested, heavy, slow.

They fought all through their boyhood, for they were evenly matched, and to this day they