came into her brother’s room, which she called my room now, and sat down on the bed. I turned around and smiled. I set the pen down, and after the ink was dry, closed the journal and got on the bed with her. She was exhausted from the day and had blisters on six of her fingers from two hours of shoveling.
“What are we going to do with her, Mayme?” she said.
“Have you found out where she lives or anything?” I asked.
Katie shook her head with a weary sigh.
“We oughta find out her last name,” I said. “Then I reckon we could ask. Somebody’s bound to know the name and where her daddy lives.”
“But she seems afraid of him. What if he is really as bad as she says?”
I didn’t have an answer to that.
“And who would we ask,” said Katie, “without them asking about us too? We couldn’t go into town and ask Mrs. Hammond or anybody else.”
“I reckon we’ll have to take care of her awhile,” I said. “At least till we can find out more about her.”
Then I started chuckling. “I guess I should say, you’ll have to take care of her,” I added. “She doesn’t like me much.”
Katie smiled a sad, knowing smile and reached out and put a hand on my arm. I knew she felt bad for me.
“How much should we tell her, Mayme?” she said.
I thought about that a minute. I hadn’t considered it before.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Has she asked why nobody else is here? Why there aren’t any grown-ups, only one white girl and two black girls and a baby?”
Katie shook her head. “I don’t know if she’s noticing much of anything. She’s younger than us, Mayme, and she just lost her mother. I’m not even sure it’s hit her yet. Remember how I was when you found me?”
“Do you suppose her father might come for her?”
“How would he know she’s here?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe he knew where they were going, or maybe he followed them and will come here asking about them.”
“What would we do if he did?”
“She’d have to go with him, I reckon. She ain’t an orphan like us. So we don’t want to tell her too much, or she’d tell him, and we’d get found out.”
“You’re right,” said Katie. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell her anything. But I’m too tired to think about it anymore. We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”
Slowly she got off the bed.
“I think I should sleep with Aleta tonight,” she said, walking toward the door. “She might have a nightmare or wake up and not know where she is.—Good night, Mayme.”
“Good night, Miss Katie.”
Just as she left the room, I suddenly remembered. “Miss Katie, Miss Katie!” I said after her. “I almost forgot.”
Katie hurried back into the room, wondering what I was talking about. I jumped off the bed and stood up. I was still wearing my work dress and hadn’t gotten into my nightclothes yet. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the three gold coins.
“Look what Emma found in the cellar when you were gone!”
Katie looked at them lying in my hand, so exhausted from the day and bewildered at what I’d said that the bigness of it didn’t sink in at first. Then slowly her eyes got real big.
“Mayme,” she said, “but … but that’s—”
“Yes, Miss Katie—it’s gold . And it’s yours! She found it in the cellar.”
“But how … why was it there? Where did she find it?”
“I don’t know. But maybe it’s from that uncle of yours.”
“Do you think … Mayme, what if there’s more !”
We were both out of the room like a flash, trying to tiptoe so as not to wake Aleta or disturb Emma. One thing we didn’t need right then was Emma yammering away and following us and asking questions!
We hurried downstairs and a minute later, hearts pounding with anticipation, we were climbing down the steep ladder. I went first holding a lantern, Katie followed with a candle. We went down the rickety steps. It was colder than upstairs, and as the lantern lit up the place it was spooky.
“What are we going to do with her, Mayme?” she said.
“Have you found out where she lives or anything?” I asked.
Katie shook her head with a weary sigh.
“We oughta find out her last name,” I said. “Then I reckon we could ask. Somebody’s bound to know the name and where her daddy lives.”
“But she seems afraid of him. What if he is really as bad as she says?”
I didn’t have an answer to that.
“And who would we ask,” said Katie, “without them asking about us too? We couldn’t go into town and ask Mrs. Hammond or anybody else.”
“I reckon we’ll have to take care of her awhile,” I said. “At least till we can find out more about her.”
Then I started chuckling. “I guess I should say, you’ll have to take care of her,” I added. “She doesn’t like me much.”
Katie smiled a sad, knowing smile and reached out and put a hand on my arm. I knew she felt bad for me.
“How much should we tell her, Mayme?” she said.
I thought about that a minute. I hadn’t considered it before.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Has she asked why nobody else is here? Why there aren’t any grown-ups, only one white girl and two black girls and a baby?”
Katie shook her head. “I don’t know if she’s noticing much of anything. She’s younger than us, Mayme, and she just lost her mother. I’m not even sure it’s hit her yet. Remember how I was when you found me?”
“Do you suppose her father might come for her?”
“How would he know she’s here?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe he knew where they were going, or maybe he followed them and will come here asking about them.”
“What would we do if he did?”
“She’d have to go with him, I reckon. She ain’t an orphan like us. So we don’t want to tell her too much, or she’d tell him, and we’d get found out.”
“You’re right,” said Katie. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell her anything. But I’m too tired to think about it anymore. We’ll worry about it tomorrow.”
Slowly she got off the bed.
“I think I should sleep with Aleta tonight,” she said, walking toward the door. “She might have a nightmare or wake up and not know where she is.—Good night, Mayme.”
“Good night, Miss Katie.”
Just as she left the room, I suddenly remembered. “Miss Katie, Miss Katie!” I said after her. “I almost forgot.”
Katie hurried back into the room, wondering what I was talking about. I jumped off the bed and stood up. I was still wearing my work dress and hadn’t gotten into my nightclothes yet. I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out the three gold coins.
“Look what Emma found in the cellar when you were gone!”
Katie looked at them lying in my hand, so exhausted from the day and bewildered at what I’d said that the bigness of it didn’t sink in at first. Then slowly her eyes got real big.
“Mayme,” she said, “but … but that’s—”
“Yes, Miss Katie—it’s gold . And it’s yours! She found it in the cellar.”
“But how … why was it there? Where did she find it?”
“I don’t know. But maybe it’s from that uncle of yours.”
“Do you think … Mayme, what if there’s more !”
We were both out of the room like a flash, trying to tiptoe so as not to wake Aleta or disturb Emma. One thing we didn’t need right then was Emma yammering away and following us and asking questions!
We hurried downstairs and a minute later, hearts pounding with anticipation, we were climbing down the steep ladder. I went first holding a lantern, Katie followed with a candle. We went down the rickety steps. It was colder than upstairs, and as the lantern lit up the place it was spooky.
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