g; ain’t; one day for everybody?’
‘I pray;’ he said; ‘it finds you ready; sister。’
‘Is it going to find you ready?’ she asked。
‘I know my name is written in the Book of Life;’ he said。 ‘I know I’m going to look on mySavior’s face in glory。’
‘Yes;’ she said; slowly; ‘we’s all going to be together there。 Mama; and you; and me; andDeborah—and what was the name of that little girl who died not long after I left home?’
‘What little girl who died?’ he asked。 ‘A lot of folks died after you left home—you leftyour mother on her dying bed。’
‘This girl was a mother; too;’ she said。 ‘Look like she went north all by herself; and had herbaby; and died—weren’t nobody to help her。 Deborah wrote me about it。 Sure; you ain’t forgottenthat girl’s name; Gabriel!’
Then his step faltered—seemed; for a moment; to drag。 And he looked at her。 She smiled;and lightly touched his arm。
‘You ain’t forgotten her name;’ she said。 ‘You can’t tell me you done forgot her name。 Isyou going to look on her face; too? Is her name written in the Book of Life?’
In utter silence they walked together; her hand still under his trembling arm。
‘Deborah didn’t never write;’ she at last pursued; ‘about what happened to the baby。 Didyou ever see him? You going to meet him in Heaven; too?’
‘The Word tell us;’ he said; ‘to let the dead bury the dead。 Why you want to go rummagingaround back there; digging up things what’s all forgotten now? The Lord; He knows my life—Hedone forgive me a long time ago。’
‘Look like;’ she said; ‘you think the Lord’s a man like you; you think you can fool Himlike you fool men; and you think He forgets; like men。 But God don’t forget nothing; Gabriel—ifyour name’s down there in the Book; like you say; it’s got