mother.”
“Of course. I’m glad you can forgive her,” Emma began, but Megan shook her head.
“There’s nothing to forgive. As Ma said, she did what she had to do. She loves us, and I know she misses us as much as we miss her.”
With that Megan’s brave resolve vanished. She burrowed her head into Emma’s lap and burst into tears.
All day Megan carried the letters in her pocket, and that night she slept with them under her pillow.
With his empty wagon rattling and clattering as it bounced on the hard-packed road, Farley Haskill arrived the next morning. It was a clear, bright day in mid-November with the sun so surprisingly warm that Megan had gladly shed her coat.
Mr. Haskill asked Ben to take care of his livestock while he traveled to St. Joseph and back. “Got to pick up some supplies afore winter sets in,” Mr. Haskill stammered. He looked at his wagon, at the ground, and at the sky, but never directly at Ben or Megan.
“Is everything all right, Farley?” Ben asked.
“Of course everything’s all right!” Mr. Haskill’s voice cracked, and his face turned as red as Goliath’s waggling comb. He climbed to the seat of his wagon and visibly tried to collect himself by gulping a couple of times. Megan was fascinated by the way his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“Got a lot on my mind, I tell you,” Mr. Haskill said. “I just hope it works out right, but I want you to know I’m beholden to you for your help.”
“That’s what neighbors are for,” Ben said.
“Anything you need me to get for you in St. Joe?”
“Nothing I can think of,” Ben said. “We got all that we went after on our own trip to St. Joe.”
“And a bit more,” Farley said, and winked in Megan’s direction.
With a sudden ache in her chest Megan thought about the bustling streets of St. Joseph. It was there she’d last seen Mike and Danny and Frances and Petey and Peg.She could feel Frances’s arms around her, and a sob rose in her throat. Thankful that the men were talking and hadn’t noticed, Megan raced into the house.
Back in the house after the noon meal, as Emma was washing the dishes and Megan drying them, Ben told Emma about Mr. Haskill’s leaving. “I never saw the man in such a stew,” he said.
Emma frowned. “Do you think he’s deserting his farm? Could he be giving up and going back east the way so many others have done?”
“Farley wouldn’t just up and leave without saying so,” Ben said. “His stock is there. I looked into his dugout to make sure it was in good shape, and it’s neat enough to give a party in.”
Emma straightened in surprise, wiping her hands on her apron. “Farley’s no housekeeper. Are you sure you were in the right place?”
“There’s something afoot,” Ben said.
“What could it be? Did he drop any hints?” Emma asked.
“Not a one, far as I could tell.” Ben thought a moment, then added, “He’s due back in five days. Maybe then he’ll let us in on his secret.”
Lady scratched at the back door, and Megan hurried to open it to let her out. The day gleamed with sunlight, and Megan raced into it with Lady, feeling a part of the golden warmth. What a glorious season it had been so far. As much as she missed her family, Megan knew she couldn’t have wanted kinder or more generous people than Emma and Ben to have taken her into their home. Gypsy or no gypsy, it seemed the time for Megan to have some good luck had finally arrived. With Lady at her heels, Megan ran around and around the yard. Her arms became wings as she ran in wider and wider circles,kicking up puffs of dust, swooping and twirling and laughing as Lady tried to keep up.
Suddenly Lady dashed against her legs, and Megan tripped over her and fell sprawling on the ground. Lady was zigzagging back and forth in front of Megan, barking furiously.
Brushing dust from the front of her dress, Megan struggled to her knees to see what had caused Lady to go into such a frenzy. Coiled next to an
“Of course. I’m glad you can forgive her,” Emma began, but Megan shook her head.
“There’s nothing to forgive. As Ma said, she did what she had to do. She loves us, and I know she misses us as much as we miss her.”
With that Megan’s brave resolve vanished. She burrowed her head into Emma’s lap and burst into tears.
All day Megan carried the letters in her pocket, and that night she slept with them under her pillow.
With his empty wagon rattling and clattering as it bounced on the hard-packed road, Farley Haskill arrived the next morning. It was a clear, bright day in mid-November with the sun so surprisingly warm that Megan had gladly shed her coat.
Mr. Haskill asked Ben to take care of his livestock while he traveled to St. Joseph and back. “Got to pick up some supplies afore winter sets in,” Mr. Haskill stammered. He looked at his wagon, at the ground, and at the sky, but never directly at Ben or Megan.
“Is everything all right, Farley?” Ben asked.
“Of course everything’s all right!” Mr. Haskill’s voice cracked, and his face turned as red as Goliath’s waggling comb. He climbed to the seat of his wagon and visibly tried to collect himself by gulping a couple of times. Megan was fascinated by the way his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
“Got a lot on my mind, I tell you,” Mr. Haskill said. “I just hope it works out right, but I want you to know I’m beholden to you for your help.”
“That’s what neighbors are for,” Ben said.
“Anything you need me to get for you in St. Joe?”
“Nothing I can think of,” Ben said. “We got all that we went after on our own trip to St. Joe.”
“And a bit more,” Farley said, and winked in Megan’s direction.
With a sudden ache in her chest Megan thought about the bustling streets of St. Joseph. It was there she’d last seen Mike and Danny and Frances and Petey and Peg.She could feel Frances’s arms around her, and a sob rose in her throat. Thankful that the men were talking and hadn’t noticed, Megan raced into the house.
Back in the house after the noon meal, as Emma was washing the dishes and Megan drying them, Ben told Emma about Mr. Haskill’s leaving. “I never saw the man in such a stew,” he said.
Emma frowned. “Do you think he’s deserting his farm? Could he be giving up and going back east the way so many others have done?”
“Farley wouldn’t just up and leave without saying so,” Ben said. “His stock is there. I looked into his dugout to make sure it was in good shape, and it’s neat enough to give a party in.”
Emma straightened in surprise, wiping her hands on her apron. “Farley’s no housekeeper. Are you sure you were in the right place?”
“There’s something afoot,” Ben said.
“What could it be? Did he drop any hints?” Emma asked.
“Not a one, far as I could tell.” Ben thought a moment, then added, “He’s due back in five days. Maybe then he’ll let us in on his secret.”
Lady scratched at the back door, and Megan hurried to open it to let her out. The day gleamed with sunlight, and Megan raced into it with Lady, feeling a part of the golden warmth. What a glorious season it had been so far. As much as she missed her family, Megan knew she couldn’t have wanted kinder or more generous people than Emma and Ben to have taken her into their home. Gypsy or no gypsy, it seemed the time for Megan to have some good luck had finally arrived. With Lady at her heels, Megan ran around and around the yard. Her arms became wings as she ran in wider and wider circles,kicking up puffs of dust, swooping and twirling and laughing as Lady tried to keep up.
Suddenly Lady dashed against her legs, and Megan tripped over her and fell sprawling on the ground. Lady was zigzagging back and forth in front of Megan, barking furiously.
Brushing dust from the front of her dress, Megan struggled to her knees to see what had caused Lady to go into such a frenzy. Coiled next to an
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