Several days later after the accident, Daisy had finished the laundry and was putting the boy's clothes away. After she put Bo's clothes away into his drawer, she opened the Luke's drawer only to discover the pack of cigarettes under his shirts. Daisy knew that if anyone were smoking on the property, someone would get a whipping. She knew that she had to show her uncle what she had found. When Daisy went to her uncle to show him the cigarettes, Jesse asked her where she had found them. She said, "I found them hidden in one of Luke's drawers when I was putting his clothes away. When Jesse realized that Luke had been smoking and could have caused the fire that almost killed his cousin. He told Daisy that he would have to deal with Luke regarding the cigarettes.
When Luke arrived from visiting his cousin, Jesse was sitting in the front room and said to Luke " BOY, GET IN THIS ROOM THIS MINUTE AND I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING. Luke was afraid of what was going to happen by the tone of his uncle's voice. Jesse said, "DAISY FOUND THESE IN YOUR DRESSER DRAWER WHEN SHE WAS PUTTING YOUR CLOTHES AWAY. NOW I WANT TO KNOW WHY YOU HAVE THIS IN THE HOUSE. I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT THESE FROM THIS INSTANT." Luke answered," I got them from a friend the other day at school." Jesse answered loudly, "YOU GOT THEM FROM A FRIEND AND WERE YOU SMOKING." Luke answered, "Yes, Uncle Jesse." Jesse yelled, " HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO BE SMOKING ON THE FARM. YOU KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE A FIRE, WE WOULD NOT ONLY LOSE THE BARN, BUT ALSO THE FARMHOUSE. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, LUKE." Luke was shocked by the anger from his uncle's shouting said, "I am sorry for bringing the cigarettes home." Jesse answered," LUKE, YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THAN TO SMOKE, HOW STUPID AND CARELESS CAN YOU BE TO BE SMOKING IN OR NEAR THE BARN. YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOUR COUSIN. WHEN COOTER AND I HEARD BO CALLING FOR HELP, I HAD NO WAY OF SAVING HIM AND WHEN COOTER PULLED HIM OUT OF THE FIRE HE WAS BADLY BURNED WHEN THE HAYLOFT COLLASPED BECAUSE YOU SMOKE THE CIGARETTE AND CARELESSLY DROPPED IT. HOW COULD YOU SMOKE IN THE BARN AND SO DAMM CARE LESS? WHERE HAS THE LITTLE BOY THAT I WOULD READ BEDTIME STORIES WITH HIS LITTLE COUSIN GO OR WHAT HAPPEN TO THE THINGS I TAUGHT YOU THAT A PERSON CAN BE SO CARELESS WHEN PLAYING WITH MATCHES. YOU COULD HAVE BURNED DOWN THE FARMHOUSE AS WELL AND WHERE WOULD WE LIVE NOW IF THAT HAD HAPPEN TO US OR WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPEN TO COUSIN. HE COULD HAVE DIED DUE TO YOUR CARELESSNESS. Luke answered, "Yes Uncle Jesse, I am sorry for hiding the cigarettes from you." Then Jesse replied," DO YOU KNOW THAT SMOKING IS A FIFTHLY HABIT THAT CAN CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS FOR YEARS. HOW COULD YOU GO FROM BEING A WELL-BEHAVED YOUNG MAN TO A YOUNG MAN THAT IS TURNING DOWN THE WRONG PATH? WHY DID YOU START THE FIRE, LUKE AND WHY WOULD YOU BURN DOWN THE BARN KNOWING YOUR COUSIN IS INSIDE." Jesse comes up to Luke, grabbing him by both of his shoulders, shaking him and saying, " LUKE, YOU CAN'T BE THAT DAMM STUPID TO START THAT FIRE AND NOT KNOW WHAT A FIRE CAN DESTROY. TELL ME THE TRUTH ON WHY YOU STARTED THE FIRE AND DON'T LIE TO ME." Luke, who was so shook up about what Jesse had said to him, " But Uncle Jesse I did not set the fire. I had gone into town to pick up the supplies when the fire occurred. How could I be there to start it." Jesse replied," DO I HAVE TO GET THE STRAP AND GIVE YOU A WHIPPING YOU WOULD NEVER FORGET. I HOPE YOU HAD BETTER NOT START TO LIE TO ME ABOUT NOT STARTING THE FIRE. " Then Luke answered his uncle, "But I told you already that I didn't start the fire." Finally Jesse got so angry with Luke that he slapped Luke on the left side of his face. Shocked by his uncle slapping him, Luke began to believe that Jesse thought he was stupid and he no longer loved him. Luke was upset because he never remembered his uncle call any of the kids stupid or slap them hard on the cheek. Jesse say, "Luke go to your room and don't come out till I am ready to let you out." During the next few days, Luke stopped talking to his uncle, but only talked to him when spoken. Luke did not tell Bo about the fight that he had with his uncle because he did not want to upset him.