Wilbur, let me know, and me and the boys will be over to give you a hand.” Jethro stepped forward to lift Elsie Stuart up into the wagon to sit beside her mother.
“It’ll be a few days.”
“Have you been to the revival, Julie?” Ruth asked.
“No. I’m not much for revival meetings.”
“We’re going Saturday night. If you want, we’ll stop by for you.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll go.”
“The young people meet just before the service. This and That are going. They’ve got their eyes on a couple of girls,” Ruth said with a wink.
“You ort to go, Sis,” Jethro spoke up quickly. “I hear they got a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher.”
“Then you go, Papa.” Julie’s words came out stronger than she intended and Jethro frowned.
“Maybe I will,” he mumbled.
“We’ll stop by anyway, Julie. We had a good time.”
“So did we. ’Bye. See you Sunday if not before.”
* * *
On Saturday morning Jethro and Jack loaded two hogs in the wagon and took them to town. The sale of the hogs would clear up the bill at Oakley’s grocery store with money left over. Julie had sent a list with Jack to be filled at the store: sugar for canning, jar lids, salt and vinegar for making hominy and lye for making bar soap for washing. Julie and Jill worked in the garden after the kitchen was tidied, and Joe went over to help Evan work on his windmill.
Julie had decided to tell only Joe about her encounter on the road with Walter Johnson and about his threats to harm Jill and Jason. So far she’d had no opportunity to be alone with him. Her father had been quiet and moody lately, as if he had a lot on his mind. Julie decided not to add to his problems. He’d even been short with Joy and had made her cry, which was unusual because he doted on the child.
While Julie and Jill were setting the table for the noon meal, the wagon came down the lane.
“Jack’s comin’,” Joy yelled and raced through the house to the back porch. Joy never walked if she could run.
“Don’t set a place for Joe. If he was coming for dinner he’d be here now,” Julie said to Jill.
“I wouldn’t want to eat at that old Mr. Johnson’s.” Jill placed the extra plate back on the shelf.
“Are you talking about the son or the father?”
“Old Mr. Johnson. Evan is … kind of handsome and not so old.”
“But too old for you.”
“Why do you always say that? I read that back in the olden days girls got married at twelve.”
“And died during childbirth at thirteen.”
“Is that what Mama died of? She had Joy, then died.”
“Mama was weak from influenza. But tell me, has Walter Johnson ever bothered you?” Julie was suddenly breathless as she waited for her sister to answer.
“No. Katie McDonald said he pinched her sister on the butt.”
“Well, for goodness’ sake. Isn’t her sister the teacher over at Well’s Point? What was he doing way over there?”
“It’s where all the bootleggers hang out.”
“How do you know so much about it?”
“I ain’t deaf, Julie,” Jill said disgustedly. “I hear things.”
“You … ain’t?”
“I’m not.” Jill rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
“If that Walter Johnson comes near you, you scream your head off. Hear? Don’t let yourself get into a place where he could catch you alone, like when you’re walking over to the Jacobses. If you’ve got to go, ask Jack or Joe to take you on the horse.”
Jill paused and put her hands on her hips. “You know what they’d say if I asked them to take me to the Jacobses? They’d say, ‘You got two legs. Use ’em.’ ”
“You won’t have to ask them. I will.”
“Ruby May says that Mrs. Stuart has set her cap
“It’ll be a few days.”
“Have you been to the revival, Julie?” Ruth asked.
“No. I’m not much for revival meetings.”
“We’re going Saturday night. If you want, we’ll stop by for you.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll go.”
“The young people meet just before the service. This and That are going. They’ve got their eyes on a couple of girls,” Ruth said with a wink.
“You ort to go, Sis,” Jethro spoke up quickly. “I hear they got a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher.”
“Then you go, Papa.” Julie’s words came out stronger than she intended and Jethro frowned.
“Maybe I will,” he mumbled.
“We’ll stop by anyway, Julie. We had a good time.”
“So did we. ’Bye. See you Sunday if not before.”
* * *
On Saturday morning Jethro and Jack loaded two hogs in the wagon and took them to town. The sale of the hogs would clear up the bill at Oakley’s grocery store with money left over. Julie had sent a list with Jack to be filled at the store: sugar for canning, jar lids, salt and vinegar for making hominy and lye for making bar soap for washing. Julie and Jill worked in the garden after the kitchen was tidied, and Joe went over to help Evan work on his windmill.
Julie had decided to tell only Joe about her encounter on the road with Walter Johnson and about his threats to harm Jill and Jason. So far she’d had no opportunity to be alone with him. Her father had been quiet and moody lately, as if he had a lot on his mind. Julie decided not to add to his problems. He’d even been short with Joy and had made her cry, which was unusual because he doted on the child.
While Julie and Jill were setting the table for the noon meal, the wagon came down the lane.
“Jack’s comin’,” Joy yelled and raced through the house to the back porch. Joy never walked if she could run.
“Don’t set a place for Joe. If he was coming for dinner he’d be here now,” Julie said to Jill.
“I wouldn’t want to eat at that old Mr. Johnson’s.” Jill placed the extra plate back on the shelf.
“Are you talking about the son or the father?”
“Old Mr. Johnson. Evan is … kind of handsome and not so old.”
“But too old for you.”
“Why do you always say that? I read that back in the olden days girls got married at twelve.”
“And died during childbirth at thirteen.”
“Is that what Mama died of? She had Joy, then died.”
“Mama was weak from influenza. But tell me, has Walter Johnson ever bothered you?” Julie was suddenly breathless as she waited for her sister to answer.
“No. Katie McDonald said he pinched her sister on the butt.”
“Well, for goodness’ sake. Isn’t her sister the teacher over at Well’s Point? What was he doing way over there?”
“It’s where all the bootleggers hang out.”
“How do you know so much about it?”
“I ain’t deaf, Julie,” Jill said disgustedly. “I hear things.”
“You … ain’t?”
“I’m not.” Jill rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
“If that Walter Johnson comes near you, you scream your head off. Hear? Don’t let yourself get into a place where he could catch you alone, like when you’re walking over to the Jacobses. If you’ve got to go, ask Jack or Joe to take you on the horse.”
Jill paused and put her hands on her hips. “You know what they’d say if I asked them to take me to the Jacobses? They’d say, ‘You got two legs. Use ’em.’ ”
“You won’t have to ask them. I will.”
“Ruby May says that Mrs. Stuart has set her cap
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