sun remembers how to shine.” He plopped his soggy hat into place, yanked his jacket collar tight around his neck, and strode from the porch. In moments, the gray sheet of rain swallowed his shadowy form.
Luthenia closed the door and released a sigh. “Can’t say
I’m not pleased to keep you in tonight. When it’s stormin’ like this, best place to be is snug inside a house.” She headed for the kitchen. Edythe trailed on her heels. “I’ll get that chicken to stewin’ now. We’ll have us a nice supper. You gonna take your books up to your room an’ work on next week’s lessons?”
Edythe nibbled her lower lip. “Would you mind if I sat here in the kitchen and worked? I appreciate having the table in my room, but it’s rather lonely up there by myself.”
Luthenia beamed. “I don’t mind at all! Nice to have company.” She waved her hands. “Sit. I’ll be real quiet, so I don’t disturb you.”
Edythe grinned and scooted up to the table. She opened the closest book and bent her head over the pages. Luthenia turned toward the stove, but as she began to ladle water into the waiting stew pot, something else banged on the front door – deep thumps, not sharp raps like a fist would create. “What’n thunder . . . who else’d be callin’ in this storm?” Thump, thump, thump! Luthenia frowned. “They’re tryin’ to break the door down!” She bustled through the parlor.
Edythe, curious and concerned, rose and followed Luthenia. The woman flung the door wide. August Jeffers stood on the front porch again. His arms were filled with the limp, bedraggled form of a young girl.
Edythe gasped. She pushed past Luthenia to grab August’s coat sleeves and drag him over the threshold. She cupped the pale, rain-streaked face of the girl and cried out, “Missy!”
Chapter
ELEVEN
“Uncle Joel, make it stop!”
Joel set aside the Farmers’ Almanac he’d been reading and opened his arms. Robert dashed across the floor, his nightshirt flapping, and burrowed against Joel’s chest. Although fearless to the point of foolhardiness at times, the one thing Robert couldn’t abide was a thunderstorm. The wind, rain, and claps of thunder sent the boy into spasms of fear. Joel suspected Robert’s reaction related to the night the boys lost their ma and pa – the local sheriff had indicated the boys spent a stormy night alone after their folks’ horses got spooked by lightning and overturned the wagon.
Joel understood why Robert shook in terror. But understanding the fear didn’t tell him how to heal it. He rubbed his hand up and down Robert’s quivering back, his heart twisting in sympathy. “Shh, boy. Remember? It’s just noise – that’s all. The clouds are bumpin’ into each other. The boom can’t hurt you.”
Robert wriggled his face into the curve of Joel’s neck. His fingers clung to Joel’s shirt. “But I don’t like it. I want it to stop.”
Johnny stepped into the doorway of the boys’ room, rubbing his eyes. He cringed when thunder crashed overhead. “Is Robert okay?”
Even though only thirteen months separated the boys, at times Johnny seemed years older than Robert, the way he looked after his brother. Joel said, “He’ll be all right. Thunder’s got him spooked.”
Johnny nodded wisely. He pattered across the floor and touched Robert’s back. “Wanna sleep in my bed, Robert? I’ll read to you from Aesop’s Fables , if Uncle Joel’ll let me light the lamp.”
Joel gave Robert a gentle shake. “You hear that, Robert? Johnny’ll read to you – would’ja like that?”
Slowly, Robert lifted his face and looked at his brother. He held his lower lip between his teeth. Tears stained his pudgy cheeks. Joel’d never seen such a look of uncertainty. Crash! Boom! Robert curled into a ball and huddled in Joel’s lap, clinging hard.
Joel patted Robert’s back again. “Johnny, go get the storybook and bring it out here. I’ll read to both of you.”
Johnny scampered to
Luthenia closed the door and released a sigh. “Can’t say
I’m not pleased to keep you in tonight. When it’s stormin’ like this, best place to be is snug inside a house.” She headed for the kitchen. Edythe trailed on her heels. “I’ll get that chicken to stewin’ now. We’ll have us a nice supper. You gonna take your books up to your room an’ work on next week’s lessons?”
Edythe nibbled her lower lip. “Would you mind if I sat here in the kitchen and worked? I appreciate having the table in my room, but it’s rather lonely up there by myself.”
Luthenia beamed. “I don’t mind at all! Nice to have company.” She waved her hands. “Sit. I’ll be real quiet, so I don’t disturb you.”
Edythe grinned and scooted up to the table. She opened the closest book and bent her head over the pages. Luthenia turned toward the stove, but as she began to ladle water into the waiting stew pot, something else banged on the front door – deep thumps, not sharp raps like a fist would create. “What’n thunder . . . who else’d be callin’ in this storm?” Thump, thump, thump! Luthenia frowned. “They’re tryin’ to break the door down!” She bustled through the parlor.
Edythe, curious and concerned, rose and followed Luthenia. The woman flung the door wide. August Jeffers stood on the front porch again. His arms were filled with the limp, bedraggled form of a young girl.
Edythe gasped. She pushed past Luthenia to grab August’s coat sleeves and drag him over the threshold. She cupped the pale, rain-streaked face of the girl and cried out, “Missy!”
Chapter
ELEVEN
“Uncle Joel, make it stop!”
Joel set aside the Farmers’ Almanac he’d been reading and opened his arms. Robert dashed across the floor, his nightshirt flapping, and burrowed against Joel’s chest. Although fearless to the point of foolhardiness at times, the one thing Robert couldn’t abide was a thunderstorm. The wind, rain, and claps of thunder sent the boy into spasms of fear. Joel suspected Robert’s reaction related to the night the boys lost their ma and pa – the local sheriff had indicated the boys spent a stormy night alone after their folks’ horses got spooked by lightning and overturned the wagon.
Joel understood why Robert shook in terror. But understanding the fear didn’t tell him how to heal it. He rubbed his hand up and down Robert’s quivering back, his heart twisting in sympathy. “Shh, boy. Remember? It’s just noise – that’s all. The clouds are bumpin’ into each other. The boom can’t hurt you.”
Robert wriggled his face into the curve of Joel’s neck. His fingers clung to Joel’s shirt. “But I don’t like it. I want it to stop.”
Johnny stepped into the doorway of the boys’ room, rubbing his eyes. He cringed when thunder crashed overhead. “Is Robert okay?”
Even though only thirteen months separated the boys, at times Johnny seemed years older than Robert, the way he looked after his brother. Joel said, “He’ll be all right. Thunder’s got him spooked.”
Johnny nodded wisely. He pattered across the floor and touched Robert’s back. “Wanna sleep in my bed, Robert? I’ll read to you from Aesop’s Fables , if Uncle Joel’ll let me light the lamp.”
Joel gave Robert a gentle shake. “You hear that, Robert? Johnny’ll read to you – would’ja like that?”
Slowly, Robert lifted his face and looked at his brother. He held his lower lip between his teeth. Tears stained his pudgy cheeks. Joel’d never seen such a look of uncertainty. Crash! Boom! Robert curled into a ball and huddled in Joel’s lap, clinging hard.
Joel patted Robert’s back again. “Johnny, go get the storybook and bring it out here. I’ll read to both of you.”
Johnny scampered to
Similar Books
