heartache to Dry Lake.
Malinda had caused a lot of division in the community. He couldn’t give Cara that same opportunity. Malinda left a legacy of grief—twice. Even Levina, Malinda’s grandmother, died waiting to hear from her again. Now Cara had returned to what had once been her great-grandmother’s place. Unsure what to think or feel, he watched her. What a mess her life must be in. No car, no house, no husband, no money.
He’d been so sure her mother was turning her life around when she’d left here twenty years ago. She had an Englischer husband, so the community couldn’t make a way for her to leave him by giving her a place to live. Because she was desperate for a safe place for Cara, the community was willing to take in Cara. But Malinda had left here with her and never returned.
The young woman in the tree drew a deep breath and folded her arms, looking as peaceful as she was beautiful. But looks were deceiving. Peacefulness did not describe her, and her beauty masked the troubled waters just below the surface.
In spite of longing to talk with her, he wouldn’t go to her. The community, especially his father, had to be protected. First thing tomorrow he’d go into Shippensburg and buy her a bus ticket. Then he’d fix her a box of things that would make life a little easier on her and her daughter.
As dawn eased the night away, Deborah stood in the laundry room, threading freshly rinsed dresses through the wringer before dropping them into the clean laundry basket.
A driver would arrive for her soon, and she had a lot of clothes to hang out before then. She usually did most of the wash on Mondays, but there had been so much work left over from Saturdays auction, she hadn’t managed to get to it yesterday. Late Saturday afternoon she’d washed the clothes she and her family had worn during the auction to keep the mud from staining them. She’d meant to remove the items a few hours later, but she’d forgotten. So that’d caused her to do something she’d never done before—leave laundry on the line on a Sunday. It wasn’t acceptable to have the appearance of having done laundry on a Sunday. Early Monday morning realization of what she’d done smacked her, and she hurried out to remove them, but her newly sewn teal dress was missing.
One of her friends was certainly playing a trick on her. When she found out who had masterminded this, that person had better watch her back, because paybacks were… fun. She’d begin by watching which of her friends blushed and who giggled the most the next time she saw them. That was a sure giveaway. Then she’d come up with a plan and get the rest of the girls to help her.
After wringing out the last item, she tossed it in the basket. Carrying the clean, wet load, she went through the kitchen on her way to the front door. One glimpse of the room made her stop. Kitchen drawers were open, and utensils were strewn across the countertops. Obviously while she’d been in the laundry room with the wringer washer running, someone had come in search of something. As she headed for the clothesline, she saw Ephraim loading a crate into his buggy. Without seeing her, he climbed in and left.
She grabbed a shirt and shook it. He must be trying to get a head start on the day too. She wondered what he’d been looking for in the kitchen. It had to be him. Almost everyone else in the household was still asleep.
Her stepmother’s sister had arrived last night to help take care of the younger ones so Deborah could go to the hospital this morning. As she reached for a clothespin, she stopped cold. A ten-dollar bill dangled from the line. She laughed at the silliness of it before shoving the cash into her pocket. Money didn’t grow on trees, but it appeared to grow on clotheslines. Whichever friend had come up with this prank had planned rounds for it—one day taking the item, the next day leaving money for it. Maybe she should borrow ten dresses from the instigator and
Malinda had caused a lot of division in the community. He couldn’t give Cara that same opportunity. Malinda left a legacy of grief—twice. Even Levina, Malinda’s grandmother, died waiting to hear from her again. Now Cara had returned to what had once been her great-grandmother’s place. Unsure what to think or feel, he watched her. What a mess her life must be in. No car, no house, no husband, no money.
He’d been so sure her mother was turning her life around when she’d left here twenty years ago. She had an Englischer husband, so the community couldn’t make a way for her to leave him by giving her a place to live. Because she was desperate for a safe place for Cara, the community was willing to take in Cara. But Malinda had left here with her and never returned.
The young woman in the tree drew a deep breath and folded her arms, looking as peaceful as she was beautiful. But looks were deceiving. Peacefulness did not describe her, and her beauty masked the troubled waters just below the surface.
In spite of longing to talk with her, he wouldn’t go to her. The community, especially his father, had to be protected. First thing tomorrow he’d go into Shippensburg and buy her a bus ticket. Then he’d fix her a box of things that would make life a little easier on her and her daughter.
As dawn eased the night away, Deborah stood in the laundry room, threading freshly rinsed dresses through the wringer before dropping them into the clean laundry basket.
A driver would arrive for her soon, and she had a lot of clothes to hang out before then. She usually did most of the wash on Mondays, but there had been so much work left over from Saturdays auction, she hadn’t managed to get to it yesterday. Late Saturday afternoon she’d washed the clothes she and her family had worn during the auction to keep the mud from staining them. She’d meant to remove the items a few hours later, but she’d forgotten. So that’d caused her to do something she’d never done before—leave laundry on the line on a Sunday. It wasn’t acceptable to have the appearance of having done laundry on a Sunday. Early Monday morning realization of what she’d done smacked her, and she hurried out to remove them, but her newly sewn teal dress was missing.
One of her friends was certainly playing a trick on her. When she found out who had masterminded this, that person had better watch her back, because paybacks were… fun. She’d begin by watching which of her friends blushed and who giggled the most the next time she saw them. That was a sure giveaway. Then she’d come up with a plan and get the rest of the girls to help her.
After wringing out the last item, she tossed it in the basket. Carrying the clean, wet load, she went through the kitchen on her way to the front door. One glimpse of the room made her stop. Kitchen drawers were open, and utensils were strewn across the countertops. Obviously while she’d been in the laundry room with the wringer washer running, someone had come in search of something. As she headed for the clothesline, she saw Ephraim loading a crate into his buggy. Without seeing her, he climbed in and left.
She grabbed a shirt and shook it. He must be trying to get a head start on the day too. She wondered what he’d been looking for in the kitchen. It had to be him. Almost everyone else in the household was still asleep.
Her stepmother’s sister had arrived last night to help take care of the younger ones so Deborah could go to the hospital this morning. As she reached for a clothespin, she stopped cold. A ten-dollar bill dangled from the line. She laughed at the silliness of it before shoving the cash into her pocket. Money didn’t grow on trees, but it appeared to grow on clotheslines. Whichever friend had come up with this prank had planned rounds for it—one day taking the item, the next day leaving money for it. Maybe she should borrow ten dresses from the instigator and
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