The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty Page A

now," says Uncle Daniel. "Let-a-go."
    "Edna Earle, he said he wouldn't—didn't you hear him?" says DeYancey across Uncle Daniel's little bow tie.
    "You all didn't tell me I was going to have to do so much listening. It ain't good for my constitution," says Uncle Daniel.
    I just drew a deep, big sigh. Sometimes I do that, but not like then, in public.
    "What's this new commotion? Is this a demand to testify I'm about to hear? I expected it," says the Judge.
    I just looked at him.
    "That's what it's mounting up to be, Judge," says DeYancey, and he all but wrings his hands then. "Judge, do you have to let him?"
    "If he so demands," says Judge Waite. "I've been sitting on the bench a mighty long time, son, since before you were born. I'm here to listen to any and all. Haven't been surprised so far."
    "Daniel," DeYancey turns back and says. "If you stand up there, you got to fire me first."
    "I'd hate that," says Uncle Daniel, really sorry. "But I'd rather be up there talking myself than hear you and every one of these other folks put together. Turn-a-loose."
    "Daniel, it looks to me like now you got to choose between you and me who knows best," DeYancey says.
    "I choose me," says Uncle Daniel.
    "Don't you think, Daniel, you need to think that over a minute?" says Judge Waite, leaning down like he's finally ashamed of himself.
    "Not a bit in the world," says Uncle Daniel.
    "Miss Edna Earle's trying her best to say something to you," says Judge Waite.
    "I'm going to beat her if she don't stop. And I'm going to
fire him
," says Uncle Daniel. "DeYancey, you're fired."
    "Here and now?" says DeYancey, like his heart would break, and Uncle Daniel says, "Sure as you're born. Look—my foot was about to go to sleep." And up he rises.
    "Who's going to ask you the questions up there?" says DeYancey, with one last try.
    "
Questions
/" says Uncle Daniel. "Who you think I am?"
    "Wait, Daniel Ponder," says the Judge. "You've been here enough times and sat through enough sessions of Court to know how it's done as well as I do. You got to let somebody ask you the questions before you can do the talking. I say so."
    "Then I choose this gentleman here," says Uncle Daniel—pointing straight at old Gladney, nearly in his open mouth. "I've had my eye on him—he's up and coming. Been at it harder than anybody and I give him a little pat on the back for it. DeYancey's spent most of his time today trying to hold us all down. Run home, DeYancey. Give your grandfather my love."
    The judge just made a few signs with his hands, and threw himself back in his chair.
    There it came: "Mr. Daniel Ponder!"
    Uncle Daniel listened to his name, and just beamed. I wish you could have seen him then, when he walked up there and faced us. He could always show his pleasure so! Round and pink and grand, and beaming out everywhere in his sparkling-white suit. Nobody'd still have a coat on in weather like this—you'd have to be Uncle Daniel, or a candidate.
    They let Uncle Daniel hold up his hand and swear, and old Gladney loped over to him, and eyed him, looking up. Uncle Daniel didn't care to sit down. He'd always rather talk standing up.
    "Mr. Ponder?"
    And Uncle Daniel looked over his shoulder for Grandpa. Nobody had ever called him Mr. Ponder in his life. He was thrilled from the start.
    "Mr. Ponder, what is your calling or occupation?" says old Gladney. "Your line of work?"
    "Work?" says Uncle Daniel, looking all around, thrilled. "What would I want to work for? I'm rich as Croesus. My father Mr. Sam Ponder left me more than I'd ever know what to do with."
    Old Gladney keeps on. "Did you love your wife, Mr. Ponder? I refer to your second wife, Mrs. Bonnie Dee."
    "Yes indeed. Oh, I should say I did. You would have loved her too, Mr. Gladney, if you could have had the chance to know her," says poor Uncle Daniel.
    "You loved Bonnie Dee," says old Gladney, still keeping on. "You expect the Court to believe that?"
    "They've heard it before," Uncle Daniel