time.”
Miriam couldn’t help but admire her father for hisoptimistic attitude, but try as she might, she couldn’t seem to emulate it.
I
That Sunday, church services were held at Andrew and Sarah’s home. Their farm was only three miles away, so the ride by horse and buggy was rather short compared to some.
After Papa helped Mom down from the buggy, he and Lewis joined his two married sons, Jonas and Andrew, behind the barn where the horses had been put in the corral. Miriam and her mother made their way to the front porch to visit with Sarah, Crystal, and some of the other women who had already arrived. The twins were playing on the front lawn with their cousins, Rebekah and Simon, and several other small children.
“I’m going to step inside the kitchen for a drink of water before the service starts,” Miriam whispered to Sarah.
Sarah, who was rocking baby Nadine, answered, “Help yourself. There’s a pitcher of lemonade in the refrigerator if you’d rather have that.”
Miriam shook her head. “Water will be fine, danki.”
“Jah. Suit yourself.”
When Miriam first entered the kitchen, she thought it was empty, but then she caught sight of someone across the room near the sink. Amos Hilty was bent over Mary Ellen, scrubbing her face with a wet washcloth. The child wiggled and squirmed, and she heard Amos say, “Mary Ellen, please stop
rutschich
.”
“Sorry, Papa. I don’t mean to do so much squirming.” When the child spotted Miriam, she squealed and ran toher side. “Teacher Mim! You look schee today. Doesn’t she, Pappy?”
Miriam looked down at her dark blue cotton dress with a white apron worn over the front. She wondered what there was about her that the child thought was pretty, and then she remembered Nick McCormick’s comment about her being beautiful. Her gaze met Amos’s, and he smiled.
“Your teacher’s a fine-looking woman,” he said, nodding at Mary Ellen.
Miriam made no reply.
Amos shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Mary Ellen sampled some raspberries from Sarah’s garden when we first arrived. She had sticky red juice all over her face.”
Miriam nodded. “I came in for a drink of water. I’ll get it and be out of your way.”
Amos stepped away from the sink. “Help yourself. I’ve done about as well as I can with this little scamp’s dirty face anyway.”
Miriam hurried over to the cupboard and got out a glass; then she went to the sink and filled the glass with enough water to quench her thirst. She wished Amos would leave the room instead of standing there, watching her.
“Mary Ellen, why don’t you run outside and play with some of your friends?” he said. “I want to speak with your teacher a few minutes.”
The child gave him a questioning look, but obediently, she went out the back door, looking over her shoulder to flash Miriam a dimpled smile.
The last thing Miriam wanted was to be alone withAmos Hilty. She looked around the room, hoping someone would come into the kitchen and rescue her.
Amos pulled out a chair and motioned her to sit down. Reluctantly, she obliged, and Amos took a seat directly across from her.
“Church will be starting soon,” Miriam reminded.
Amos glanced at the battery-operated clock hanging on the far wall. “We still have some time yet. I wanted to discuss something with you.”
“About Mary Ellen?”
“No, about us.”
“Us?” Miriam’s voice sounded high-pitched, even to her own ears.
“Jah. It–it’s about our relationship.”
Miriam looked into Amos’s coffee-colored eyes to see if he was serious, while she cleared her throat to stall for time. She wanted to be sure her words were well chosen. “The only relationship we have is the fact that your daughter is one of my students. So, if this isn’t about Mary Ellen, then what?”
Amos stood and began pacing the kitchen floor. “Miriam, surely you’ve been able to tell that I have an interest in you.”
Her mouth dropped open. Amos
Miriam couldn’t help but admire her father for hisoptimistic attitude, but try as she might, she couldn’t seem to emulate it.
I
That Sunday, church services were held at Andrew and Sarah’s home. Their farm was only three miles away, so the ride by horse and buggy was rather short compared to some.
After Papa helped Mom down from the buggy, he and Lewis joined his two married sons, Jonas and Andrew, behind the barn where the horses had been put in the corral. Miriam and her mother made their way to the front porch to visit with Sarah, Crystal, and some of the other women who had already arrived. The twins were playing on the front lawn with their cousins, Rebekah and Simon, and several other small children.
“I’m going to step inside the kitchen for a drink of water before the service starts,” Miriam whispered to Sarah.
Sarah, who was rocking baby Nadine, answered, “Help yourself. There’s a pitcher of lemonade in the refrigerator if you’d rather have that.”
Miriam shook her head. “Water will be fine, danki.”
“Jah. Suit yourself.”
When Miriam first entered the kitchen, she thought it was empty, but then she caught sight of someone across the room near the sink. Amos Hilty was bent over Mary Ellen, scrubbing her face with a wet washcloth. The child wiggled and squirmed, and she heard Amos say, “Mary Ellen, please stop
rutschich
.”
“Sorry, Papa. I don’t mean to do so much squirming.” When the child spotted Miriam, she squealed and ran toher side. “Teacher Mim! You look schee today. Doesn’t she, Pappy?”
Miriam looked down at her dark blue cotton dress with a white apron worn over the front. She wondered what there was about her that the child thought was pretty, and then she remembered Nick McCormick’s comment about her being beautiful. Her gaze met Amos’s, and he smiled.
“Your teacher’s a fine-looking woman,” he said, nodding at Mary Ellen.
Miriam made no reply.
Amos shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Mary Ellen sampled some raspberries from Sarah’s garden when we first arrived. She had sticky red juice all over her face.”
Miriam nodded. “I came in for a drink of water. I’ll get it and be out of your way.”
Amos stepped away from the sink. “Help yourself. I’ve done about as well as I can with this little scamp’s dirty face anyway.”
Miriam hurried over to the cupboard and got out a glass; then she went to the sink and filled the glass with enough water to quench her thirst. She wished Amos would leave the room instead of standing there, watching her.
“Mary Ellen, why don’t you run outside and play with some of your friends?” he said. “I want to speak with your teacher a few minutes.”
The child gave him a questioning look, but obediently, she went out the back door, looking over her shoulder to flash Miriam a dimpled smile.
The last thing Miriam wanted was to be alone withAmos Hilty. She looked around the room, hoping someone would come into the kitchen and rescue her.
Amos pulled out a chair and motioned her to sit down. Reluctantly, she obliged, and Amos took a seat directly across from her.
“Church will be starting soon,” Miriam reminded.
Amos glanced at the battery-operated clock hanging on the far wall. “We still have some time yet. I wanted to discuss something with you.”
“About Mary Ellen?”
“No, about us.”
“Us?” Miriam’s voice sounded high-pitched, even to her own ears.
“Jah. It–it’s about our relationship.”
Miriam looked into Amos’s coffee-colored eyes to see if he was serious, while she cleared her throat to stall for time. She wanted to be sure her words were well chosen. “The only relationship we have is the fact that your daughter is one of my students. So, if this isn’t about Mary Ellen, then what?”
Amos stood and began pacing the kitchen floor. “Miriam, surely you’ve been able to tell that I have an interest in you.”
Her mouth dropped open. Amos
Similar Books
