w ives , ▁tell ▁each ▁other ▁that ▁J abe ▁Tor rance ▁has ▁just ▁had ▁surg ery ▁in ▁M emph is ▁but ▁is ▁dying . ▁Carol ▁C ut r ere ▁comes ▁in ▁a ▁little ▁later ▁and ▁Val , ▁a ▁ro aming ▁singer ▁and ▁music ian , ▁comes ▁into ▁the ▁general ▁store . ▁Carol ▁fl ir ts ▁with ▁Val , ▁ins isting ▁she ▁has ▁met ▁him ▁before ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans , ▁but ▁he ▁den ies ▁any ▁prior ▁knowledge ▁of ▁her . ▁Lady ▁agre es ▁to ▁h ire ▁Val ▁as ▁a ▁cl erk . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁weeks , ▁Val ▁tells ▁Lady ▁about ▁his ▁wild ▁past ▁in ▁New ▁Orleans ▁and ▁adm its ▁that ▁he ▁once ▁knew ▁Carol . ▁When ▁David ▁enters ▁the ▁store , ▁Lady ▁tells ▁David ▁that ▁she ▁ab orted ▁his ▁child ▁when ▁he ▁left ▁her . ▁Val ▁and ▁V ee ▁are ▁talking ▁about ▁her ▁painting ▁when ▁V ee ' s ▁husband , ▁Tal bot , ▁catch es ▁him ▁kiss ing ▁her ▁hand . ▁Lady ▁allows ▁Val ▁to ▁stay ▁at ▁the ▁store , ▁but ▁Val ▁ste als ▁money ▁from ▁the ▁c ash box ▁when ▁she ▁leaves ▁to ▁get ▁lin ens ▁for ▁the ▁bed . ▁Val ▁returns ▁the ▁money ▁and ▁wants ▁to ▁leave , ▁but ▁Lady ▁beg s ▁him ▁to ▁stay . ▁ ▁On ▁E aster , ▁J abe ▁tells ▁Lady ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁her ▁father ' s ▁death ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁hem or rh age . ▁At ▁sun set , ▁V ee ▁says ▁she ▁has ▁been ▁blind ed ▁by ▁a ▁vision ▁of ▁the