Lucy got the kids off to school and got the older boys doin the chores. She didn’t bother Earl because he had come in late and not gotten much rest the previous two days, so she knew he was beat. After she had gotten her early mornin chores done and Earl still hadn’t come out of the bedroom, she went in to check on him. Now, Earl was always the responsible sort, in fact, that was one of the traits that had endeared him to Lucy. He made a wonderful husband, didn’t have to be pushed to get things done, but was always takin initiative and figurin out ways to make the little farm work better.

  When she saw him still sleepin and a bottle of high proof likker almost empty by the bed, she got plumb worried. So she did the only logical thing a worried wife would do. She woke Earl up and asked, “What’s troublin you, Earl? I ain’t never seen you sleepin so late, nor drinkin in the mornin. Lots of men are lazy, ne’er do goods, but that’s not yore way. What is goin on?”

  Now Earl could hold his likker, he was a big man, but then agin he didn’t usually drink a full bottle of high proof moonshine all by himself, neither. He opened his eyes just a squint, to see his lovely bride sittin on the bed beside him, runnin her hand over his forehead and through his hair, lovingly, concerned like. Earl thought about how cruel ol man Moseby was to his wife and started cryin!

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Earl’s shoulders started heaving and he was sobbing great huge sobs! Lucy tried to comfort him and was very concerned since she had never seen him cry before! “Earl, honey, what happened? Are you hurt?”

  “Naw, Bbbrenda,” he said and set to bawlin again.

  “Who is Brenda and what happened to her?” Lucy asked concernedly.

  Earl looked up at her with his eyes drooping and slurred,, “more shine, Lucy. Please?”

  “Earl honey, you’ve had enough. What has got you in such a state and who is Brenda?”

  “Moseby. He killed her and I didn’t know, Lucy. He clobbered her and stabbed her and I didn’t help protect her,” He mumbled and started cryin again.

  “What are you sayin, Earl. Did something happen to ol man Moseby’s wife, Brenda?” Lucy asked, tryin to make sense out of what he was mumbling.

  Earl fell back asleep and Lucy let him be so he could sleep off his drunk and figured she could find out what was goin on later.