Fervent Charity by Paulette Callen Page B

Bull’s son. He’s at my place. He rode all night to get here and tell Jordis. He’s sleeping now, but if you could look in on him I’d be grateful.”
    Mary responded, “Well, he can’t stay out there by himself. I’ll bring him back here.”
    Gustie had discovered the hard way the invisible wall that separated the whites from the Indians in Charity. Once, Dorcas and Jordis, forced to stay overnight in Charity, were invited to sleep in someone’s barn. No one else, not even Dorcas or Jordis, had reacted with outrage. Only Gustie. She looked at Mary with alarm. Leonard was better off alone in her house than here in Mary’s barn, if that’s what she had in mind. Mary read her face.
    “Oh fiddle! I’ll tuck him up in our extra room. He’ll be snug as a bug. Don’t worry.” Mary laughed. “You go on now. Gustie?”
    “Yes?”
    “Take care of yourself now.”
    “I will. Thank you, Mary.”
    Gustie’s next stop was O’Grady’s store. Both Kenneth O’Grady and his son Morgan were there already. They didn’t always open this early. “Have you heard?”
    From behind the counter, Kenneth nodded and peered over his glasses. He was, as usual, poring over his account book.
    “I’m going out there. I need some things.” Gustie felt strangely disoriented, almost wringing her hands. With all she had been through, this was brand new. “I don’t know what would be useful, really. Food, blankets…” she trailed off. Kenneth nodded to Morgan who disappeared into their stock room. She heard him carry something out the side door to her wagon and come back for more. She turned to the senior O’Grady. “I can’t wait till the bank opens, Kenneth. Could I charge these things, please?” Gustie had never charged anything before, though she knew most of Charity’s residents did.
    Kenneth shook his head gravely. She heard the door bang again as Morgan came back for yet another load for her wagon. Kenneth said, “Nope. Fraid not.”
    Gustie’s heart sank. She had given Kenneth good business since she had come into her inheritance. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t feel anger, just a huge lump of despair lodged in her throat. She would have to wait then till the bank opened. Almost three hours from now.
    “Oh, Kenneth…”
    She was about to plead with him when he said, “Your money’s no good here today, Miss Augusta. On the house. Take what you need.”
    The lump in her throat dissolved and tears filled her eyes. She nodded her thanks and walked briskly to the door. He called after her. “Hey, your friend still have a sweet tooth?”
    She turned around in time to catch a brown bag of candies sailing through the air in her direction. When she bought her supplies to take out to the reservation, she had never failed to add a bag of candy for Dorcas. He remembered.
    “Thank you, Kenneth.” He nodded, pushed his glasses up his nose and went back to his account book.
    Gustie traveled south to her last stop. She couldn’t leave town without seeing Lena. Like everyone else, Lena had been awakened before dawn. Fritz Mulkey had ridden like Paul Revere, knocking on doors south of the tracks. Will was already on his way to Gethsemane. Lena was dressed and Gracia was in her highchair.
    In few words, Gustie explained that Jordis was already on her way to the reservation. Mary was going to look after Leonard, and Gustie was taking her wagon-load of supplies out now. She shed a few tears when she told how Kenneth knew what she needed and had given it freely. Lena looked at the back of the wagon where cartons of canned goods were neatly stacked next to bundles wrapped in brown paper that looked to be sheets and blankets. There were bags of flour and salt, sugar and coffee, a pail of eggs and another of butter.
    Lena ran in and brought out several jars of her rhubarb sauce. She placed them in among the parcels so they wouldn’t get banged around. Then she looked at Gustie. “I’ll bet you didn’t have a thing to