The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Back at home, Cussy Mary and Pa discuss Loretta. He is going to work; she thought he was not working that day, but he has taken a shift for a man whose wife is having a baby. Doc came by earlier and left a basket of food for them. Cussy Mary takes an apple from it. She and Pa discuss noises she has heard in the yard, which she thinks come from people, rather than animals. Pa responds that he’ll look in the morning. She begins to tell him about Pastor Frazier, but he has already left. Cussy Mary goes through the food basket, does chores, and puts Henry’s Life Saver away by her mattress, thinking about Henry’s hunger. She thinks about money, how Pa spoiled her by buying the mattress because he is mostly paid in Company “scrip,” or coupons, rather than cash, and how the Company gouges the workers. Pa spends most of his money on medicines from the store, rather than the doctor, for his lung illness. This medicine allows him to continue working in the mines. Cussy Mary thinks about how hunger is a disease as well and prays for Pa, Henry, and others.

Cussy Mary goes to the mountain in the morning, two days after she last saw Pastor Frazier. Because of the dangerous terrain, she has to go mostly on foot. She wonders if she will see Queenie there as she approaches the fire tower. There, she meets her client R.C. Cole, who is part of the Civilian Conservation Corps and who wants weather and forest reading materials so he can become a forest ranger. Because he’s watching a possible fire in progress, Cole tells Cussy Mary to come up. She does, looking through the Firefinder. It’s near Jewel Creek, but it could be fog. Cussy Mary gives him Forest & Stream, which he’s already read a few times. He asks her to send two letters, and she tells him that she’ll be at the outpost next week. However, he wants them sent sooner as he’s writing to his girlfriend’s father, Mr. Beck, to ask for her hand in marriage. Cussy Mary tells him that Mr. Beck works in the mine with her father and she will ask him to give the letter to Mr. Beck.

Back on the trail, Cussy Mary takes a break, reading from the grammar book to Junia. Queenie approaches, saying she should be reading the Bible to the mule instead. This comment makes Cussy Mary think about Frazier, though he doesn’t go after Queenie in the same way. They talk, particularly about words; Queenie has a “thirst” for this kind of knowledge, like her and her father. Queenie opens her dictionary and reads out some words, then gives Cussy Mary the dictionary as a loan. She asks if Cussy Mary would ever leave the area, but Cussy Mary doesn’t know where else she would go. Queenie reveals her plan to go to Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, where a position for a librarian’s assistant has opened up, a post for which he’s applied. Harriett alerted her to the posting, hoping to get rid of her. Queenie continues discussing the relief board and librarians, hoping that they are creating a new world. Cussy Mary doesn’t believe this is possible for Blues.

Cussy Mary continues on her route, visiting the Evanses. The Postmaster has given her a letter from their son in Nebraska. Mrs. Evans calls to Cussy Mary, claiming she needs help reading the letter because she can’t find her glasses and Mr. Evans is out, though it’s possible this is just an excuse for illiteracy. Cussy Mary reads it, giving Mrs. Evans the money inside and the news that her son has just had his first daughter, named Abigail after her. Thanking Cussy Mary, Mrs. Evans gives her crackling bread, but it’s valuable and Cussy Mary feels bad accepting it.

At Ironwood Creek, Cussy Mary waits for Timmy Flynn. His mother refuses to let the library service into the house, so they wait by the tree. A stone hits her; Timmy is there. She has brought him Ask Mr. Bear, his favorite book. She tries to give him Mrs. Evan’s bread but has to trick him so the gift doesn’t offend him. She tells him she is already too full, and he eats it so fast he almost chokes. She wants Mrs. Flynn to see one of her scrapbooks and tells Timmy her sack is too full, asking him if he could take it home. He thinks he can put it in the privy. She tells him there is a sugar pie recipe in there, and he is so excited about it, he calls out about the recipe to his mother on the way home.

Cussy Mary wakes in the middle of the night, hearing Junia’s cries and the sound of a shotgun outside. Her father is there, with the light on his miner’s helmet on. He stands next to a body with Junia nearby, telling Cussy Mary to get the mule away. The body is Vester Frazier; he is alive but hurt. Junia’s rump is also wounded. Nearby is Frazier’s hunting knife and an extinguished lantern. Cussy Mary explains that Frazier has been hunting her, though he never hurt her. She worries that they’ll get in trouble if they don’t let him live. Pa gets Cussy Mary to help him get Frazier inside, then sends her for the doctor.

Examining Frazier, Doc states, “His body done broke” and says that the mule is dangerous (113). Frazier is now dead, covered with a sheet. The doctor notices that Pa gave Frazier foxglove, but Pa explains both that Frazier was going to hurt Cussy Mary and that he gave him the foxglove for his hemorrhaging. Doc warns him to shoot the mule before the town does, stating that with two Fraziers dead, there will be problems; they may burn the house or hang them. Cussy Mary says they could explain what happened to the sheriff, but Pa remembers that the sheriff is related to Frazier, and Doc says that the Fraziers are also clannish. Cussy Mary thinks about saying that Frazier tried to violate her, but she’d get in trouble herself. Even though Frazier was on their land, Doc warns that people will think the worst. Pa tells Cussy Mary to get the men whisky and to go check on the mule.