behind the roofed, but open area Daniel used to fix wagons. The sound came again, and Daniel saw Amelia take several steps toward the noise. He followed with a smile on his lips. The sound was familiar to him. It was Susie playing.
A small figure ran back and forth in the yard on the side of the building. Amelia got a quick mental picture of dark hair, dirty face, and dirty clothes. She hurried forward as the figure disappeared. In a moment, the figure ran past again. Amelia realized, from the size, that it was a child.
She went out to the edge of the building and saw the child, singing and playing and howling shrilly, apparentlyengaged in some kind of game. It was a young girl, she realized. Amelia watched her a few minutes, wondering where the little girl came from.
She sensed Daniel’s presence behind her. Amelia was appalled at the child’s condition. She looked a mess.
“Who is she?” Amelia asked without turning. “A better question is why she’s here. Surely, this is no place for a child. Where are her parents? And look at her, I’ll bet she hasn’t had a bath in well over a month.”
She felt Daniel tense as he moved to her side. After a brief glance in his direction, she was surprised by the anger in Daniel’s expression. “I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything, but it bothers me to see a child that way.”
“What way?” he asked tightly. “Happy?”
She gazed at him in astonishment. “You think it’s appropriate for a little girl to be covered with mud and screaming like a wild Indian?”
“What I think is that you’re too quick to judge. You’re in unfamiliar territory. You understand little about our life here. We find our happiness in simple things. Susie is having a wonderful time at play. What’s wrong with that?”
“Who is she?” Amelia asked a second time. She got her answer when the little girl suddenly turned and spied the adults.
“Pa!” she cried. She ran and launched herself into the man’s arms.
Amelia froze in surprise. Pa? The child was Daniel’s daughter? She closed her eyes as she realized that she’d offended Daniel once again. When she opened them again, it was to see Daniel slowly, carefully lowering the little girl to the ground. Amelia bit her lip as she watched father and daughter. On close inspection, she could see the resemblancebetween the two as Daniel smiled and ruffled the child’s hair.
“Been playing in the dirt again, Susie?”
She nodded briskly. “I was playing warrior, Pa. Practicing for when I visit Conner. Last time Conner’s grandma made us finger cakes, and we got to eat them outside.”
Daniel winced. “1 hope that your hands were cleaner when you ate than they are now.”
Susie smiled up at her father and nodded. As if she had just suddenly become aware of Amelia’s presence, the little girl turned and locked gazes with her. Amelia found herself staring into eyes so like Daniel’s that it took her breath away.
Five
“Hello,” the child said.
“Hello,” Amelia replied. Daniel is married with a child, she thought. It was a sobering revelation. She hated the disappointment she felt.
“Amelia, this is Susie,” Daniel said, watching her intently. He had his arm about the little girl. “Susie, this is Miss Dempsey.”
“But, Pa, didn’t you just call her Amelia?”
To Amelia’s amazement, Daniel’s cheeks reddened. “I’m an adult. Adults sometimes call each other by their first names. You’re a child. Children should call adults by their proper name, using Miss or Mister.”
“I call Jack Jack and Rebb Rebb,” Susie pointed out.
“That’s because Jack and Rebb gave you permission,” Daniel said. “Miss Dempsey hasn’t given you leave to do so.”
Amelia smiled as Susie stared at her as if considering. “You may call me Miss Amelia, if you’d like,” she said.
Susie grinned at her, then turned a gaze full of satisfaction toward Daniel. “She has given me leave, Pa.”
Daniel nodded.
A small figure ran back and forth in the yard on the side of the building. Amelia got a quick mental picture of dark hair, dirty face, and dirty clothes. She hurried forward as the figure disappeared. In a moment, the figure ran past again. Amelia realized, from the size, that it was a child.
She went out to the edge of the building and saw the child, singing and playing and howling shrilly, apparentlyengaged in some kind of game. It was a young girl, she realized. Amelia watched her a few minutes, wondering where the little girl came from.
She sensed Daniel’s presence behind her. Amelia was appalled at the child’s condition. She looked a mess.
“Who is she?” Amelia asked without turning. “A better question is why she’s here. Surely, this is no place for a child. Where are her parents? And look at her, I’ll bet she hasn’t had a bath in well over a month.”
She felt Daniel tense as he moved to her side. After a brief glance in his direction, she was surprised by the anger in Daniel’s expression. “I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have said anything, but it bothers me to see a child that way.”
“What way?” he asked tightly. “Happy?”
She gazed at him in astonishment. “You think it’s appropriate for a little girl to be covered with mud and screaming like a wild Indian?”
“What I think is that you’re too quick to judge. You’re in unfamiliar territory. You understand little about our life here. We find our happiness in simple things. Susie is having a wonderful time at play. What’s wrong with that?”
“Who is she?” Amelia asked a second time. She got her answer when the little girl suddenly turned and spied the adults.
“Pa!” she cried. She ran and launched herself into the man’s arms.
Amelia froze in surprise. Pa? The child was Daniel’s daughter? She closed her eyes as she realized that she’d offended Daniel once again. When she opened them again, it was to see Daniel slowly, carefully lowering the little girl to the ground. Amelia bit her lip as she watched father and daughter. On close inspection, she could see the resemblancebetween the two as Daniel smiled and ruffled the child’s hair.
“Been playing in the dirt again, Susie?”
She nodded briskly. “I was playing warrior, Pa. Practicing for when I visit Conner. Last time Conner’s grandma made us finger cakes, and we got to eat them outside.”
Daniel winced. “1 hope that your hands were cleaner when you ate than they are now.”
Susie smiled up at her father and nodded. As if she had just suddenly become aware of Amelia’s presence, the little girl turned and locked gazes with her. Amelia found herself staring into eyes so like Daniel’s that it took her breath away.
Five
“Hello,” the child said.
“Hello,” Amelia replied. Daniel is married with a child, she thought. It was a sobering revelation. She hated the disappointment she felt.
“Amelia, this is Susie,” Daniel said, watching her intently. He had his arm about the little girl. “Susie, this is Miss Dempsey.”
“But, Pa, didn’t you just call her Amelia?”
To Amelia’s amazement, Daniel’s cheeks reddened. “I’m an adult. Adults sometimes call each other by their first names. You’re a child. Children should call adults by their proper name, using Miss or Mister.”
“I call Jack Jack and Rebb Rebb,” Susie pointed out.
“That’s because Jack and Rebb gave you permission,” Daniel said. “Miss Dempsey hasn’t given you leave to do so.”
Amelia smiled as Susie stared at her as if considering. “You may call me Miss Amelia, if you’d like,” she said.
Susie grinned at her, then turned a gaze full of satisfaction toward Daniel. “She has given me leave, Pa.”
Daniel nodded.
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