Hang the Moon

Chapter 1 begins nine years later—Sallie is now 17. Aunt Faye’s daily routine involves cleaning sheets to earn money. As they wait for the sun to dry the laundry, they spot an unfamiliar green car descending the mountain switchbacks. Sallie recognizes the man who exits the car as Tom Dunbar, a long-lost friend who’s been away at college. His unexpected return hints at “something very good. Or very bad” (16).

Sallie embraces Tom tightly, and he reciprocates. Tom has changed since his return from the war, regaining some vitality that was missing during his previous visit, when he appeared haunted. Sallie knows “that peacock of a car has got to be the Duke’s” (17). Tom reveals that all the Kincaids are gathering at the Big House for Jane’s funeral, and the Duke has sent for Sallie. After nine long years, she had given up hope of returning home, but Jane’s sudden death from influenza, changes things. Sallie always prayed for Jane to have a change of heart and let her return, but despite being tempted, she never wished for Jane’s death.

Sallie tells Aunt Faye about Jane’s passing and the Duke’s intention to bring her back. Aunt Faye hopes she can come along but learns the Duke didn’t mention her. Sallie is not sure she will ever return to Hatfield, and Aunt Faye worries about Sallie’s future without her. Regardless, Sallie decides to pack her belongings, but she leaves her “rifle, [her] most valuable possession” (19) with Aunt Faye for protection. She promises to take care of Aunt Faye one way or another and leaves with Tom for the Big House.

The journey to the Big House is slow, and Sallie’s mind races with conflicting thoughts. She worries about how she’ll be received and feels torn about leaving Aunt Faye behind. When they finally arrive at the Big House, Sallie is struck by its grandeur. The “Big House is a sprawler” (21), with different wings representing different generations of the Kincaid family. Once inside, the familiar surroundings trigger vivid memories. She finds it “all so familiar” yet “a world apart from the life” (22) she has lived at Hatfield.

Sallie follows the sound of the Duke’s voice to the parlor, where Jane’s body rests on the dining table. She smiles and waves at the Duke, who only nods and resumes talking to a mourner. Sallie wonders if her absence has made her unrecognizable, but then the Duke gets up to greet her. Sallie expresses her condolences about Jane’s passing. Her attention shifts to her brother, Eddie, whom she hasn’t seen in years. When she approaches him, he reveals a lingering resentment: “Mother said you almost killed me” (23). Sallie tries to explain her perspective, apologizing for the accident as she did in several letters over the years, but she learns that Jane never delivered them.

Sallie is acutely aware of people sizing her up. She overhears her cousin Ellen and paternal aunt Mattie talking about her; Aunt Mattie questions the Duke’s decision to send for Sallie. Hearing this, Sallie turns around and accidentally crashes into a maid, Nell, carrying a food tray. Food flies through the air, some of it staining Sallie’s dress. The Duke intervenes and dismisses his sister’s opinions. When Sallie inquires if she’s back permanently, the Duke affirms that she is back to take care of Eddie, mentioning Eddie’s future political aspirations. As they converse, Sallie is astonished by the sudden illumination of the Big House, now powered by electricity.

The Duke suggests Sallie borrow one of Jane’s black dresses. She enters Jane’s boudoir, which smells of lilac perfume, quickly finds a dress, and changes. Looking in the mirror, she notices her resemblance to her mother, Annie Powell, and feels compelled to search for remnants of her mother’s belongings. She discovers a necklace “with three ,glowing moonstones” (29), a gift from the Duke to her mother, and slips it into her pocket.

Finding the lilac scent of Jane’s perfume overwhelming, Sallie goes outside, where she encounters Eddie, who angrily notices her wearing his mother’s dress. Their confrontation ignites a heated exchange among the other guests. Suddenly, a knife fight breaks out, resulting in a man’s death. Sallie shields Eddie from witnessing the gruesome scene. The Duke intervenes, clearly “more disgusted than upset” (30). He identifies the victim as Dutch Weber and apprehends the perpetrator, Chalky Hurd.

Sallie joins Eddie at Jane’s grave, which is adorned with flowers. The Duke addresses the gathered mourners, skillfully mixing his grief with humor and invoking laughter from the crowd. Only Eddie remains absorbed in his thoughts.

Following the service, Sallie secretly plucks a rose from one of the abundant bouquets for Jane and puts it on her mother, Ann Powell’s, grave. She recalls heated arguments between the Duke and her mother, and the haunting night when Annie’s laughter was silenced by a loud, ominous crack. Tom arrives and invites Sallie for a ride. He shares his memories of Sallie’s mother and her infectious laugh. Sallie acknowledges that she does recall her mother’s laughter. She then reflects on how her return has not gone as she hoped. Despite this, she decides not to burden Tom with her troubles. Tom brings up the Duke’s desire for Sallie to get married though Sallie is not yet 18 and is scared of marriage. She admits that if she ever decides to marry someone, it would be Tom, but she also advises him “not to wait around” (34) for her.

The Duke asks Sallie to be a witness in the death of Dutch Weber, and they head to the Emporium, where the Duke runs his business, Kincaid Holdings. At the Emporium, the Duke meets with his adviser, Cecil Dunbar, and Mattie’s husband, Sheriff Earl Johnson. He also meets Dutch’s widow, Vera, and Chalky, the man who stabbed Dutch.

As the key witness, Sallie recalls Weber’s physical aggression as he “shoved Chalky Hurd, knocking him down” (38). To protect himself, Chalky took out the knife. The Duke considers it self-defense, but Vera objects, demanding Chalky’s imprisonment. The Duke proposes that Chalky marry Vera and offers him a federal job at the Wrightsville Post Office.

Later, the Duke commends Sallie’s vocabulary and confidence. However, he firmly believes in the traditional roles for women, stating, “if a woman wants to get ahead in this world, she marries well” (39) otherwise she becomes a schoolteacher, a nun, or a sex worker. Sallie proposes working for the Duke, suggesting that Aunt Faye could look after Eddie. The Duke refuses, asserting that her mother’s sister “is not going to raise [his] son” (40), and if Sallie wants to be part of the family, she must never mention her mother again.

Nell welcomes Sallie into the kitchen of the Kincaid house. Upon Sallie’s inquiry, Nell reveals that she has been working at the Big House for six years and is treated well because she is family. Sallie finds it strange to be waited on by a family member and asks Nell to “call [her] Sallie’’ (42). Their conversation is interrupted by melancholy piano music played, which Eddie is playing in the parlor. The Duke enters and instructs Sallie to “start working with Eddie’’ (42) and urges her “to bring out the Kincaid” (42) in him, believing that Eddie was coddled when Jane homeschooled him.

Eddie’s classroom surpasses anything Sallie encountered in Hatfield. Once a lavish parlor, it boasts a marble fireplace, a large slate chalkboard, and many educational resources. When Eddie finds Sallie in the classroom, he dismisses her, asserting his superior intellect. Instead of challenging him, she decides to play the role of a student rather than a teacher. Eddie starts explaining the implications of light having weight and the possibility of becoming light by traveling at its speed. Staring at Jane’s flowers from the window, he adds, “maybe that’s what happened to Mama […] she became light” (46). The conversation ends abruptly as Eddie leaves the classroom and goes straight to Jane’s room. Sallie recognizes that “Eddie needs to be alone” (46) with his mother’s possessions.

Aunt Mattie, now in charge of the Big House, takes her role seriously. Duke, however, struggles with his loneliness. One morning, the Duke unexpectedly returns home, asking about Eddie’s whereabouts and Sallie’s progress in nurturing his Kincaid qualities. Sallie acknowledges that Eddie is smart and talented, but the Duke expresses his concerns about Eddie’s passion for music. Seeing Eddie’s resistance to change, the Duke orders Sallie to secretly burn Jane’s clothes. Sallie tries to propose alternative solutions, but the Duke is determined. After lunch, when the Duke takes Eddie to the Emporium, Sallie, Nell and Mattie burn Jane’s clothes behind the carriage house. Sallie takes Jane’s hairbrush and tucks it under Eddie’s pillow so that he has “something of his mama’s” (53). Mattie suggests they don’t inform Eddie about the burning.

After Jane’s clothes are burned, Eddie withdraws further into his melancholic piano music. The Duke returns from a business trip along with a new wife, Katherine, or Kat. Sallie watches their interaction and finds Katherine affected. Mattie, on the other hand, sees Katherine as someone she can easily manage. The Duke shows Katherine around the house, offering her Jane’s former boudoir. Eddie, witnessing the emptiness of the room once filled with his mother’s belongings, walks away in silence. Sallie refrains from comforting him in front of the others, knowing it would only make matters worse.

The Duke hosts a garden welcome party for Kat and jokes about wooing her with lies, causing laughter. Kat invites Sallie for a walk and expresses her love for swimming. Sallie remains cautious but appreciates the sentiment.

Kat’s arrival heightens Eddie’s detachment from the family. He reveals mixed feelings, acknowledging Kat’s pleasant qualities while recognizing her unintentional replacement of his mother. Kat and Eddie indulge in harmonious piano duets. She also starts joining Eddie and Sallie in the classroom. Although Sallie is not very happy with Kat’s presence in the classroom, she acknowledges that they are in the same boat, trying to “win over the same demanding man and moody boy” (57). The Duke, content with Kat’s presence, commends her conversational skills and considers her “a great listener” (57).

A newspaper article stirs frustration within Sallie as it reprimands women who hold onto jobs needed by men. On the other hand, with Kat’s involvement in Eddie’s studies and piano lessons, Sallie fears her return to Hatfield.

Sallie receives a call from Aunt Faye, who has returned to her waitress job at the Roadhouse. She met a man there, whom she invited to move in with her, but he soon started abusing and stealing from her. When Sallie was 13, she learned that Aunt Faye was a sex worker and the men at the Roadhouse were often violent. Sallie rushes to the Emporium to seek help for Aunt Faye and borrows the Duke’s car and gun. Tom, who is also there, offers to accompany her.

During the drive to Hatfield, they discuss Tom’s engagement and how it might change their friendship. As they arrive at Faye’s place, they find her with a bruised face along with Wayne, the man she has been housing. Faye says that Wayne is “a good man” (64) and the whole incident was her fault. She insists that things have been resolved and encourages Sallie to accept Wayne, leading to an awkward standoff. On the drive back, Tom breaks his wrist as the engine sputters. He suggests that Sallie take his job as a driver or “wheelman” and use the money to help Faye.

Sallie asks the Duke to make her his wheelman, citing her competence and ability to handle the role. After some negotiation, the Duke agrees to let Sallie have the job “for a week” (68) as an experiment, warning her not to expect special treatment and that her tutoring position will be permanently given to Kat once the trial week concludes.

As the Duke’s wheelman, Sallie is responsible for collecting rent, debts, and payment “in kind” from tenants throughout Claiborne County. She admits that it’s a demanding, thankless job, but she enjoys it. During the trial week, she encounters a family named Mead who has fallen behind on their rent due to unexpected medical expenses for their baby. Sallie marks them as one month arrears and offers assistance if needed. She reports the encounter to the Duke, who acknowledges her ability to distinguish “the shirkers from the truly hard up” (70). Sallie seizes the opportunity to request the wheelman job permanently and negotiates a fair wage. At the end of her first week, she receives her pay: $5 for five days of work. She saves $2 for herself and sends the rest to Aunt Faye.

On a Thursday evening, Sallie goes to the Emporium where she encounters Seymour Johnson, Sheriff Earl’s brother, visiting the Duke. He is also Kat’s friend. Seymour, a tall and charming man, greets Sallie in a somewhat unconventional manner, grasping her hand with both hands and maintaining a prolonged gaze. The Duke introduces him as a professional baseball player and invites him to dinner, an offer extended by Kat. After Seymour departs, the Duke hints at the possibility of hiring him and suggests he might make “a good husband” (73) for Sallie.

Seymour joins Kat, Mattie, Sheriff Earl, and Sallie for dinner at the Big House. During dinner, Seymour hints that he would like a job from the Duke and shares baseball stories with Eddie, who’s enthralled. Sallie observes Seymour’s charm and notes how he takes the center stage at the dinner table, which used to be the Duke’s domain. The Duke becomes sullen and withdrawn as Seymour dominates the conversation. He discusses the art of stealing bases in baseball, which the Duke dismisses. A tense moment ensues, with Kat trying to ease the tension. She suggests a picnic at the lake for some relief from the heat.

Kat has organized a lively picnic by Finch Lake for everyone “from the big house” (76). Ellen with her friends, Seymour, Sheriff Earl, his deputies (George and Casey) and Mattie are also there. The atmosphere is charged with excitement and novelty, as men and women rarely swim together in Claiborne County. Seymour arrives fashionably late, wearing a sleek, sleeveless black bathing suit that accentuates his physique. Sallie tries “to look away” (77) but fails. His playful dive draws attention from everyone. Soon, Sheriff Earl’s deputies and even Eddie join in. Sallie also races to the dock’s edge, joining the men in the water. As they swim and play, the other women join in, albeit more cautiously.

The Duke suggests they jump “from the trestle” (78). Everyone, including Eddie and Sallie, agrees. The group proceeds along the lake’s edge. Climbing a steep, rocky slope filled with scrub oaks and thorny vegetation, they make their way toward the base of the trestle. Once on the trestle, they line up along the railway tracks. Suddenly, a distant rumble grows louder, and a “white glare of the locomotive’s headlight appears” (80) from the tunnel. Seymour urges everyone to jump. Sheriff Earl and his deputies dive into the lake below. The Duke implores Eddie to jump, but he hesitates, gazing at the water. Seymour encourages Sallie to go, demonstrating how to position herself. She leaps and emerges from the water, gasping for air, and glances back at the trestle. She spots the locomotive emerging from the tunnel as Seymour grabs Eddie’s hand, and they both leap into the water. Finally, the Duke makes his leap, but something goes wrong, resulting in a violent splash as he hits the water. He “floats there, motionless” (81), as the train passes overhead.