Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Travis’s handwriting. She threw the rest of the letters down and opened it. It was very short, but just the sight of his writing brought a pang to her heart.
Dear Sis,
I’ve had a hard time finding work, but at last I’ve had some luck. I’m signing on with a ship, a steamer, that’ll be leaving here to go to South America. It’s not on a regular run so I don’t know exactly where we’ll be going. I do know we make one stop in Brazil.
I hate to leave the country, but it wasall I could find, and pay is good. I’ll save it all, and as soon as I get back, I’ll come for you. Write me in care of general delivery in Galveston, Texas. I won’t be here to get the letter, but I’ll call at the post office as soon as I get home.
Things have been bad, sis, but God’s going to take care of us. I’ve been thinking a lot about how Mom and Dad served the Lord. I haven’t done that, and I guess you haven’t either, but I’m feeling more and more that I need to.
Take care of yourself. I know it’s hard for you. I’ll be counting the days until we return, and I’ll come as soon as we do.
Love, Travis
Tears came into Joy’s eyes, and she stood there, shaken by the only contact she’d had in months with someone who loved her. She was so overcome she did not hear footsteps before two arms suddenly went around her. She cried out, knowing that it was Witt. She thought he had gone back to town to get his family, but instead, here she was alone with him! She squirmed, but he held her tightly. Raising her foot, she brought her boot down on his toe, and he cried out.
“Stop that! I’m not going to hurt you!”
“Let me go!”
Joy struggled fiercely, frightened by the thought of what he might do to her now that they were alone. “You’ve been running away from me,” he sneered, “but I’ve got you now. Nobody’s here. Go ahead and scream. I’m going to get what I want, Joy. Don’t make me hurt you.”
Paralyzing fear gripped her, for she saw the wildness in his eyes. She fought with all her might, but he wrestled her to the floor. She struck at him with her fists, but he was muchbigger than she, and Joy could no more stop him than she could stop the wind.
Using the only weapon she had, she scratched her fingernails down across his face. One of them struck his eye, and he yelled with pain and released her. Joy scrambled to her feet and dashed across the room, but he was already coming after her, cursing loudly. She grabbed the front-door handle as he reached her, catching the back of her dress. She wrenched herself free, feeling the dress tear.
And then she saw the poker that rested beside the stone fireplace. She made a lunge for it, and as she turned back with the poker in hand, she saw that Witt was headed straight for her. She swung the weapon with both hands like a baseball bat. Witt never saw it coming, and it struck him in the temple. He staggered to one side, his eyes rolling upward, but he quickly recovered his balance and lunged at her again. Joy struck him again, and this time the poker caught him above the eye and blood spurted down his face. He fell to the floor, his legs and arms twitching. Then he became very still.
Panting and petrified at what she had done, Joy dropped the poker. She stood there trembling, waiting for him to move, but he did not.
“I’ve killed him!” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to kill him!” Panicked, she knew she could expect no mercy from her uncle. I’ve got to get away from here!
She ran upstairs and began throwing her clothes together. She had no idea which way to go, but she knew she couldn’t stay here. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think calmly. I’ve got to get away, but where can I go?
And then as if from outside of herself, a thought formed clearly in her mind: The two-thirty freight—it’ll be coming along in half an hour.
The thought galvanized her. She knew that hobos sometimes
Dear Sis,
I’ve had a hard time finding work, but at last I’ve had some luck. I’m signing on with a ship, a steamer, that’ll be leaving here to go to South America. It’s not on a regular run so I don’t know exactly where we’ll be going. I do know we make one stop in Brazil.
I hate to leave the country, but it wasall I could find, and pay is good. I’ll save it all, and as soon as I get back, I’ll come for you. Write me in care of general delivery in Galveston, Texas. I won’t be here to get the letter, but I’ll call at the post office as soon as I get home.
Things have been bad, sis, but God’s going to take care of us. I’ve been thinking a lot about how Mom and Dad served the Lord. I haven’t done that, and I guess you haven’t either, but I’m feeling more and more that I need to.
Take care of yourself. I know it’s hard for you. I’ll be counting the days until we return, and I’ll come as soon as we do.
Love, Travis
Tears came into Joy’s eyes, and she stood there, shaken by the only contact she’d had in months with someone who loved her. She was so overcome she did not hear footsteps before two arms suddenly went around her. She cried out, knowing that it was Witt. She thought he had gone back to town to get his family, but instead, here she was alone with him! She squirmed, but he held her tightly. Raising her foot, she brought her boot down on his toe, and he cried out.
“Stop that! I’m not going to hurt you!”
“Let me go!”
Joy struggled fiercely, frightened by the thought of what he might do to her now that they were alone. “You’ve been running away from me,” he sneered, “but I’ve got you now. Nobody’s here. Go ahead and scream. I’m going to get what I want, Joy. Don’t make me hurt you.”
Paralyzing fear gripped her, for she saw the wildness in his eyes. She fought with all her might, but he wrestled her to the floor. She struck at him with her fists, but he was muchbigger than she, and Joy could no more stop him than she could stop the wind.
Using the only weapon she had, she scratched her fingernails down across his face. One of them struck his eye, and he yelled with pain and released her. Joy scrambled to her feet and dashed across the room, but he was already coming after her, cursing loudly. She grabbed the front-door handle as he reached her, catching the back of her dress. She wrenched herself free, feeling the dress tear.
And then she saw the poker that rested beside the stone fireplace. She made a lunge for it, and as she turned back with the poker in hand, she saw that Witt was headed straight for her. She swung the weapon with both hands like a baseball bat. Witt never saw it coming, and it struck him in the temple. He staggered to one side, his eyes rolling upward, but he quickly recovered his balance and lunged at her again. Joy struck him again, and this time the poker caught him above the eye and blood spurted down his face. He fell to the floor, his legs and arms twitching. Then he became very still.
Panting and petrified at what she had done, Joy dropped the poker. She stood there trembling, waiting for him to move, but he did not.
“I’ve killed him!” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to kill him!” Panicked, she knew she could expect no mercy from her uncle. I’ve got to get away from here!
She ran upstairs and began throwing her clothes together. She had no idea which way to go, but she knew she couldn’t stay here. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think calmly. I’ve got to get away, but where can I go?
And then as if from outside of herself, a thought formed clearly in her mind: The two-thirty freight—it’ll be coming along in half an hour.
The thought galvanized her. She knew that hobos sometimes
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