tone that she was serious and went to the kitchen to make some tea. Marian looked at Hannah and smiled.
"Edward took your easel upstairs. Why don't you see if he needs some help."
She then opened the parlor door and went inside. Hannah stood at the door and tried to hear the conversation from within, and noticed that Marian had left the door slightly ajar. She peeked inside the room and saw a boy sitting on the settee. She saw the skirt of a woman, but couldn't see what she looked like. The boy looked sad and there were dark circles under his large brown eyes. He had long brown hair that looked as though it had not been cut in a long time. He reminded Hannah of a Jenny Frye's Bassett hound.
"Becky tells me you've come to see me on some business," Marian said.
The woman was young, but a hard life had left her looking ten years older than her chronological age of twenty-five. Her bleached blond hair was pulled up towards the top of her head and wrapped into a bun that was loosely pinned. Her blue eyes bore the same dark circles as the boy's, and the lids were darkened with charcoal. The straw hat she wore was from several seasons ago, the edges were frayed, and some of the straw had come apart and stuck out. The style of her dress was also out of fashion and the fabric threadbare. She clutched a small handbag as she spoke.
"I didn't know what else to do," she began.
"What's your name, Miss?" Marian asked.
"Agnes. Agnes Welsh."
"So, what can I do for you, Agnes?"
"It's the boy. He needs things I can't give him."
"Have you asked your church for help?"
Agnes sniggered. "What church would have me?"
Marian was at a loss. She had never seen this woman before and had no idea why she'd come to see her.
"I'm still not sure why you wanted to see me."
"Because it's Randy's boy. I can't take care of him no more. He's Randy's son and since you had his girl, I figured you could keep him."
Suddenly Marian understood what Agnes was saying. The boy was Randall's son.
"You mean to tell me that this boy is Randall's son?"
"Yeah, Randy's son. He told me he'd take care of me, that I had nothing to worry about. Then he goes and gets killed, leaving me with him."
Agnes pointed to the boy with her thumb.
"I can barely keep body and soul together as it is. I can't feed him, too. Since this was Randy's house then he should be able to live here."
"You mean to just leave him here with total strangers?"
Marian was flabbergasted. What kind of mother abandoned her child, and to strangers no less?
Becky, walking to the parlor and holding the tea tray, found Hannah at the door and shooed her away. Edward was descending the stairs and smiled at Hannah.
"That easel took some doing to get set up, but I think I got it right."
"Thank you," Hannah said.
She didn't want to leave the parlor door, but the look on Becky's face drove her up the stairs to her room. Edward had indeed set up the easel -- right in front of her dresser. She'd have to find a place near the window where the light was brighter. She went to the top of the stairs and looked down. Becky wasn't there, so she crept down the stairs and looked around.
"What right have you to come to this fine lady's house and bring your...boy with you?"
"Becky, that's enough," Marian said. "Take the boy to the kitchen and give him something to eat."
Becky was about to protest but the look on Marian's face stopped her.
"Come, boy," she said.
The boy hesitated, but his mother pushed him off the settee and swatted his bottom.
"You mind," she said.
He reluctantly walked to the door where Becky waited, and followed her. His pants were far above his knees and his shirt too short to tuck into his pants. His shoes were torn and his toes stuck out of the end where they had been cut so he could wear them longer. Hannah followed them to the kitchen.
Marian's heart went out to the boy and when she saw Agnes hit him, she decided to
"Edward took your easel upstairs. Why don't you see if he needs some help."
She then opened the parlor door and went inside. Hannah stood at the door and tried to hear the conversation from within, and noticed that Marian had left the door slightly ajar. She peeked inside the room and saw a boy sitting on the settee. She saw the skirt of a woman, but couldn't see what she looked like. The boy looked sad and there were dark circles under his large brown eyes. He had long brown hair that looked as though it had not been cut in a long time. He reminded Hannah of a Jenny Frye's Bassett hound.
"Becky tells me you've come to see me on some business," Marian said.
The woman was young, but a hard life had left her looking ten years older than her chronological age of twenty-five. Her bleached blond hair was pulled up towards the top of her head and wrapped into a bun that was loosely pinned. Her blue eyes bore the same dark circles as the boy's, and the lids were darkened with charcoal. The straw hat she wore was from several seasons ago, the edges were frayed, and some of the straw had come apart and stuck out. The style of her dress was also out of fashion and the fabric threadbare. She clutched a small handbag as she spoke.
"I didn't know what else to do," she began.
"What's your name, Miss?" Marian asked.
"Agnes. Agnes Welsh."
"So, what can I do for you, Agnes?"
"It's the boy. He needs things I can't give him."
"Have you asked your church for help?"
Agnes sniggered. "What church would have me?"
Marian was at a loss. She had never seen this woman before and had no idea why she'd come to see her.
"I'm still not sure why you wanted to see me."
"Because it's Randy's boy. I can't take care of him no more. He's Randy's son and since you had his girl, I figured you could keep him."
Suddenly Marian understood what Agnes was saying. The boy was Randall's son.
"You mean to tell me that this boy is Randall's son?"
"Yeah, Randy's son. He told me he'd take care of me, that I had nothing to worry about. Then he goes and gets killed, leaving me with him."
Agnes pointed to the boy with her thumb.
"I can barely keep body and soul together as it is. I can't feed him, too. Since this was Randy's house then he should be able to live here."
"You mean to just leave him here with total strangers?"
Marian was flabbergasted. What kind of mother abandoned her child, and to strangers no less?
Becky, walking to the parlor and holding the tea tray, found Hannah at the door and shooed her away. Edward was descending the stairs and smiled at Hannah.
"That easel took some doing to get set up, but I think I got it right."
"Thank you," Hannah said.
She didn't want to leave the parlor door, but the look on Becky's face drove her up the stairs to her room. Edward had indeed set up the easel -- right in front of her dresser. She'd have to find a place near the window where the light was brighter. She went to the top of the stairs and looked down. Becky wasn't there, so she crept down the stairs and looked around.
"What right have you to come to this fine lady's house and bring your...boy with you?"
"Becky, that's enough," Marian said. "Take the boy to the kitchen and give him something to eat."
Becky was about to protest but the look on Marian's face stopped her.
"Come, boy," she said.
The boy hesitated, but his mother pushed him off the settee and swatted his bottom.
"You mind," she said.
He reluctantly walked to the door where Becky waited, and followed her. His pants were far above his knees and his shirt too short to tuck into his pants. His shoes were torn and his toes stuck out of the end where they had been cut so he could wear them longer. Hannah followed them to the kitchen.
Marian's heart went out to the boy and when she saw Agnes hit him, she decided to
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