wasn’t fancy, but it was a good filling meal.
When it was time to sit down for supper, and Mary still wasn’t there, Kristen began to worry a bit. Samuel’s eyes met hers as she settled the girls at the table. He whispered, “Are you worried?”
She nodded slightly. “Maybe you could go to the rooming house after supper and see what time she left there? Or maybe she’s still working there?”
He nodded before moving around to his chair and sitting down, bowing his head to pray for the meal. The girls kept up a constant stream of chatter while they ate, obviously content. “Are you girls going to help me with the dishes after supper?” she asked. “Pastor Benner is going to help a friend for a few minutes.”
The girls nodded eagerly. Edwina smiled happily. “I love helping you with dishes. You never yell at us like Mama does!”
Kristen looked at the young girl for a moment. “I’m sure your mama doesn’t mean to yell at you. She’s having a hard time now that your Papa died.” She paused, searching for just the right words. “Your papa was her best friend in the whole world, and when he died, she felt like her life was over too.”
Edwina nodded. “She never laughs or smiles anymore. And she doesn’t hug us either. She just cries a lot.”
Beatrice sat beside her older sister, nodding her head, her pale blond curls bouncing up and down with her head motions.
Kristen’s eyes met Samuel’s and there were tears shining in hers. Samuel nodded slightly as if to say he understood exactly what she was thinking. She sighed.
When they were finished, Samuel kissed her cheek and hurried out the door, going to check on Mary. “I’ll be back soon.”
Kristen made a game out of doing the dishes. Edwina dried them for her, while Beatrice brought the dirty dishes from the table and then swept under it. Kristen knew she’d have to sweep it all over again once the girls were gone, but she didn’t mind. They wouldn’t learn unless they practiced.
After the dishes, Kristen looked at the clock again. Samuel had been gone for a half hour. It shouldn’t be taking him so long. She sat on the couch, and took down a book of Bible stories that she’d had since she was a little girl. “Which Bible story do you want to hear first?” she asked, her voice filled with excitement to cover the fear she was feeling.
“Noah!” Edwina suggested.
“Jonah!” Beatrice insisted.
Kristen smiled. “How about this…We’ll start with Jonah because Beatrice is the youngest, and if we have time, I’ll read both! If we don’t have time, I’ll read Noah the next time you come over.”
Edwina nodded reluctantly. “That would be okay, since she’s the baby .” Edwina emphasized the last word to make it clear that her sisters was much too young to have much expected of her.
Kristen opened the book and sat between the two girls on the sofa, reading to them softly. She was almost finished with Noah’s story when Samuel finally came in the door, his eyes sad and tired. She read the last two paragraphs before standing up. “Why don’t you girls look at the pictures while I talk to Pastor Benner? I’ll be right back.”
Kristen was frightened by the time they were on the front porch with the door closed so the girls couldn’t hear them. “What happened?”
Samuel was shaking, his eyes wide with sorrow. “She never went to her interview this morning.” He took deep gulping breaths. “She put her husband’s revolver in her mouth and pulled the trigger.” He didn’t add that he’d found her body, but it was there in his body language.
Kristen’s hand covered her mouth and she sagged against the door. “What? No! What about the girls?”
“I think she was just waiting until she found someone she could trust with them before killing herself.” He pulled a note from his pocket. There was a small spot of blood on it,
When it was time to sit down for supper, and Mary still wasn’t there, Kristen began to worry a bit. Samuel’s eyes met hers as she settled the girls at the table. He whispered, “Are you worried?”
She nodded slightly. “Maybe you could go to the rooming house after supper and see what time she left there? Or maybe she’s still working there?”
He nodded before moving around to his chair and sitting down, bowing his head to pray for the meal. The girls kept up a constant stream of chatter while they ate, obviously content. “Are you girls going to help me with the dishes after supper?” she asked. “Pastor Benner is going to help a friend for a few minutes.”
The girls nodded eagerly. Edwina smiled happily. “I love helping you with dishes. You never yell at us like Mama does!”
Kristen looked at the young girl for a moment. “I’m sure your mama doesn’t mean to yell at you. She’s having a hard time now that your Papa died.” She paused, searching for just the right words. “Your papa was her best friend in the whole world, and when he died, she felt like her life was over too.”
Edwina nodded. “She never laughs or smiles anymore. And she doesn’t hug us either. She just cries a lot.”
Beatrice sat beside her older sister, nodding her head, her pale blond curls bouncing up and down with her head motions.
Kristen’s eyes met Samuel’s and there were tears shining in hers. Samuel nodded slightly as if to say he understood exactly what she was thinking. She sighed.
When they were finished, Samuel kissed her cheek and hurried out the door, going to check on Mary. “I’ll be back soon.”
Kristen made a game out of doing the dishes. Edwina dried them for her, while Beatrice brought the dirty dishes from the table and then swept under it. Kristen knew she’d have to sweep it all over again once the girls were gone, but she didn’t mind. They wouldn’t learn unless they practiced.
After the dishes, Kristen looked at the clock again. Samuel had been gone for a half hour. It shouldn’t be taking him so long. She sat on the couch, and took down a book of Bible stories that she’d had since she was a little girl. “Which Bible story do you want to hear first?” she asked, her voice filled with excitement to cover the fear she was feeling.
“Noah!” Edwina suggested.
“Jonah!” Beatrice insisted.
Kristen smiled. “How about this…We’ll start with Jonah because Beatrice is the youngest, and if we have time, I’ll read both! If we don’t have time, I’ll read Noah the next time you come over.”
Edwina nodded reluctantly. “That would be okay, since she’s the baby .” Edwina emphasized the last word to make it clear that her sisters was much too young to have much expected of her.
Kristen opened the book and sat between the two girls on the sofa, reading to them softly. She was almost finished with Noah’s story when Samuel finally came in the door, his eyes sad and tired. She read the last two paragraphs before standing up. “Why don’t you girls look at the pictures while I talk to Pastor Benner? I’ll be right back.”
Kristen was frightened by the time they were on the front porch with the door closed so the girls couldn’t hear them. “What happened?”
Samuel was shaking, his eyes wide with sorrow. “She never went to her interview this morning.” He took deep gulping breaths. “She put her husband’s revolver in her mouth and pulled the trigger.” He didn’t add that he’d found her body, but it was there in his body language.
Kristen’s hand covered her mouth and she sagged against the door. “What? No! What about the girls?”
“I think she was just waiting until she found someone she could trust with them before killing herself.” He pulled a note from his pocket. There was a small spot of blood on it,
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