has to do his job."
"What did the child do?" As he did at crucial times, Pa came out of his private world to join ours. "What must she face up to? Did she steal something?"
"She didn't steal, Pa," Teddy assured him.
"If she didn't steal, leave her be," he mumbled. "She's just a child. You and Louis got into plenty of trouble when you were children. I never whipped you. Don't you dare whip her. Indians don't whip their children."
"Nobody's going to whip her, Pa," Teddy said. "We never whip her."
Pa settled down. "Indians never whip their children," he kept mumbling. But he settled down and went back into his world again.
"Will you come with me?" I asked Teddy.
"No, I think you can handle this alone. Louis is your brother, remember."
"Suppose he sends me to jail?"
Teddy worked hard to hide a smile. "Then you go to jail."
I looked at Louis at the other end of the table. He was busy eating, perfectly becalmed. I left Teddy and summoned all my courage to go and stand next to Louis.
"Louis," I said.
"Yes, sweetie." He took a sip of coffee and set his cup down.
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Same as I do to the other girls."
"What will that be?"
"The law requires punishment. But you all are still underage, so you won't have to go to Marietta for trial."
I felt as if I were going to faint. I gripped the table.
"So, it is up to my discretion. Whatever I decide is necessary."
I looked into his eyes for the warmth of kindness that was usually there, and found it. He reached out a hand and touched the side of my face.
"You're shivering," he said. "Now listen here. This will not do when you come to my office. This is a bad state of affairs and I hate it as much as you. Still, there's nothing for it but that we get through it. We're dear friends, Leigh Ann, but I am bitterly disappointed in you. Still, that's personal, between us, and it won't affect any decision I make today."
Tears came down my face.
He wiped them with his napkin. "Now, now, we haven't time for that. What's done is done. You have distressed me, yes, but I've forgiven you. What concerns me now is this afternoon. Everyone is going to be scrutinizing my actions because my little sister is one of the offenders. And they'll be watching your behavior. I expect you to be strong and brave and respectful. You've done wrong and you're there to face up to it. Can you do that for me and make me proud?"
I drew myself up. I told him yes, I could.
He looked at Teddy. "All the other parents will be present," he said.
"All right," Teddy said. "I'll be there to give you both moral support, but I must get to sleep now." He excused himself and went upstairs, Carol with him. Louis left for work. Pa was still eating. He did eat tremendous amounts of food, my pa. And he was still mumbling.
"Indians never whip their children. I won't have anyone whipping that child."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Teddy came to Louis's office with me and stood with me through the whole session. There were a lot of arguments from the parents of the other girls, especially when Louis imposed his sentence on us.
"I hereby order that each girl serve, every Saturday for the next two months, at the home of an elderly woman who needs help. Either by reading to them, writing letters, having a midday meal with them, or being a companion to them in some way. From the hours of ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. Each girl will be assigned to her woman. By doing this we can hope they will learn compassion and consideration for others, which seem to be lacking in their present makeup."
There was a considerable uproar in the room at that pronouncement. But the parents eventually accepted it and left. After they went out, Louis looked at me.
"I've got more in mind for you," he said. "I want you to bake a cake for Mr. Roche. Then you and I are going to pay him a visit. And you are going to apologize."
"Why must I when the other girls don't have to?"
"Because I said so," he told me mildly.
I
"What did the child do?" As he did at crucial times, Pa came out of his private world to join ours. "What must she face up to? Did she steal something?"
"She didn't steal, Pa," Teddy assured him.
"If she didn't steal, leave her be," he mumbled. "She's just a child. You and Louis got into plenty of trouble when you were children. I never whipped you. Don't you dare whip her. Indians don't whip their children."
"Nobody's going to whip her, Pa," Teddy said. "We never whip her."
Pa settled down. "Indians never whip their children," he kept mumbling. But he settled down and went back into his world again.
"Will you come with me?" I asked Teddy.
"No, I think you can handle this alone. Louis is your brother, remember."
"Suppose he sends me to jail?"
Teddy worked hard to hide a smile. "Then you go to jail."
I looked at Louis at the other end of the table. He was busy eating, perfectly becalmed. I left Teddy and summoned all my courage to go and stand next to Louis.
"Louis," I said.
"Yes, sweetie." He took a sip of coffee and set his cup down.
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Same as I do to the other girls."
"What will that be?"
"The law requires punishment. But you all are still underage, so you won't have to go to Marietta for trial."
I felt as if I were going to faint. I gripped the table.
"So, it is up to my discretion. Whatever I decide is necessary."
I looked into his eyes for the warmth of kindness that was usually there, and found it. He reached out a hand and touched the side of my face.
"You're shivering," he said. "Now listen here. This will not do when you come to my office. This is a bad state of affairs and I hate it as much as you. Still, there's nothing for it but that we get through it. We're dear friends, Leigh Ann, but I am bitterly disappointed in you. Still, that's personal, between us, and it won't affect any decision I make today."
Tears came down my face.
He wiped them with his napkin. "Now, now, we haven't time for that. What's done is done. You have distressed me, yes, but I've forgiven you. What concerns me now is this afternoon. Everyone is going to be scrutinizing my actions because my little sister is one of the offenders. And they'll be watching your behavior. I expect you to be strong and brave and respectful. You've done wrong and you're there to face up to it. Can you do that for me and make me proud?"
I drew myself up. I told him yes, I could.
He looked at Teddy. "All the other parents will be present," he said.
"All right," Teddy said. "I'll be there to give you both moral support, but I must get to sleep now." He excused himself and went upstairs, Carol with him. Louis left for work. Pa was still eating. He did eat tremendous amounts of food, my pa. And he was still mumbling.
"Indians never whip their children. I won't have anyone whipping that child."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Teddy came to Louis's office with me and stood with me through the whole session. There were a lot of arguments from the parents of the other girls, especially when Louis imposed his sentence on us.
"I hereby order that each girl serve, every Saturday for the next two months, at the home of an elderly woman who needs help. Either by reading to them, writing letters, having a midday meal with them, or being a companion to them in some way. From the hours of ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. Each girl will be assigned to her woman. By doing this we can hope they will learn compassion and consideration for others, which seem to be lacking in their present makeup."
There was a considerable uproar in the room at that pronouncement. But the parents eventually accepted it and left. After they went out, Louis looked at me.
"I've got more in mind for you," he said. "I want you to bake a cake for Mr. Roche. Then you and I are going to pay him a visit. And you are going to apologize."
"Why must I when the other girls don't have to?"
"Because I said so," he told me mildly.
I
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