He told us it was a private conversation.â
âHmmm,â Joe said. âThey probably didnât want to discuss everything in front of you.â
âWhat do you mean?â Irene asked.
âYes, exactly what do you mean?â Mandie added.
âWell,â Joe replied hesitantly, âIâm not sure I should tell yâall.â
That made Mandie really curious. âJoe Woodard, what is going on?â she asked.
âYou see, since my father is the doctor around here, I learn all kinds of things about everybody, and Iâm not supposed to ever repeat any of it,â he said, looking at Mandie and then at Irene.
âNow you have to explain, orâor Iâll just take away your chocolate cake,â Mandie said, reaching for his plate. But Joe was too quick and moved it out of her reach. âJoe, please tell us whatever it is that you know.â
âBoth of you promise not to let anyone know I told you?â Joe asked, looking from Mandie to Irene.
âI promise,â Mandie said eagerly.
âI do too,â Irene added.
At that moment Mrs. Shaw came back into the kitchen. âI just need to get coffee to take into the parlor,â she explained as she carried the cups to the stove.
âIâll help you, Mama,â Mandie offered, quickly rising and getting a serving tray from the cupboard.
Mrs. Shaw reached for the tray and placed the cups of coffee on it.
âDonât yâall want any chocolate cake?â Mandie asked as her mother started out of the room.
âNo, not right now,â Mrs. Shaw said, going through the doorway toward the parlor. Looking back, she added, âWe might later, so donât eat it all up.â
âWe couldnât possibly eat all that cake,â Mandie told her, giggling.
As soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Shaw, Joe said, âIâm glad she didnât catch me in the middle of what I was going to tell yâall.â
âOh, Joe, hurry up and explain,â Mandie urged him.
Joe began talking in a low whisper. âAs I said, since I am the doctorâs son, I learn lots of things. What I was going to tell yâall was that Mrs. Lester had a baby last nightââ
âJoe!â Mandie interrupted.
Both girls stared at him in astonishment. That topic was not discussed between boys and girls. It was considered improper.
âAll right, if you donât want to know what happened, I wonât tell yâall, but you said you did want to know,â Joe replied, frowning at them.
âAll right, weâll listen, you do the talking,â Irene answered.
âLike I just said, Mrs. Lester had a baby last night and it died,â Joe replied.
The two girls were shocked again.
âWhy? Why did it die?â Mandie asked.
âMy father said it came too early, wasnât supposed to get here until June, and this is just March,â Joe said, his expression grim.
âOh, how awful!â Mandie exclaimed, tears flooding her eyes.
âI didnât know Mrs. Lester was going to have a baby,â Irene said. âAre you sure she did?â
âYes, I am. My father discusses all his cases with my mother, and sometimes I hear the conversation,â Joe replied. âAnd I heard everything about Mrs. Lester.â
âThat explains why the Lesters werenât at church,â Mandie said.
âTommy never told me a word about his mother going to have a baby,â Irene said, frowning.
âIrene, it would not be proper for him to tell such things,â Mandie reminded her.
âNow with all this happening, my father wonât be able to take Mrs. Chapman to Tellico for her interview this week,â Joe said.
âYour father was going to take her?â Mandie asked.
âYes, he was going to visit some of his patients over there and had offered to take Mrs. Chapman and Faith along,â Joe replied.
âFaith is going with her grandmother?
âHmmm,â Joe said. âThey probably didnât want to discuss everything in front of you.â
âWhat do you mean?â Irene asked.
âYes, exactly what do you mean?â Mandie added.
âWell,â Joe replied hesitantly, âIâm not sure I should tell yâall.â
That made Mandie really curious. âJoe Woodard, what is going on?â she asked.
âYou see, since my father is the doctor around here, I learn all kinds of things about everybody, and Iâm not supposed to ever repeat any of it,â he said, looking at Mandie and then at Irene.
âNow you have to explain, orâor Iâll just take away your chocolate cake,â Mandie said, reaching for his plate. But Joe was too quick and moved it out of her reach. âJoe, please tell us whatever it is that you know.â
âBoth of you promise not to let anyone know I told you?â Joe asked, looking from Mandie to Irene.
âI promise,â Mandie said eagerly.
âI do too,â Irene added.
At that moment Mrs. Shaw came back into the kitchen. âI just need to get coffee to take into the parlor,â she explained as she carried the cups to the stove.
âIâll help you, Mama,â Mandie offered, quickly rising and getting a serving tray from the cupboard.
Mrs. Shaw reached for the tray and placed the cups of coffee on it.
âDonât yâall want any chocolate cake?â Mandie asked as her mother started out of the room.
âNo, not right now,â Mrs. Shaw said, going through the doorway toward the parlor. Looking back, she added, âWe might later, so donât eat it all up.â
âWe couldnât possibly eat all that cake,â Mandie told her, giggling.
As soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Shaw, Joe said, âIâm glad she didnât catch me in the middle of what I was going to tell yâall.â
âOh, Joe, hurry up and explain,â Mandie urged him.
Joe began talking in a low whisper. âAs I said, since I am the doctorâs son, I learn lots of things. What I was going to tell yâall was that Mrs. Lester had a baby last nightââ
âJoe!â Mandie interrupted.
Both girls stared at him in astonishment. That topic was not discussed between boys and girls. It was considered improper.
âAll right, if you donât want to know what happened, I wonât tell yâall, but you said you did want to know,â Joe replied, frowning at them.
âAll right, weâll listen, you do the talking,â Irene answered.
âLike I just said, Mrs. Lester had a baby last night and it died,â Joe replied.
The two girls were shocked again.
âWhy? Why did it die?â Mandie asked.
âMy father said it came too early, wasnât supposed to get here until June, and this is just March,â Joe said, his expression grim.
âOh, how awful!â Mandie exclaimed, tears flooding her eyes.
âI didnât know Mrs. Lester was going to have a baby,â Irene said. âAre you sure she did?â
âYes, I am. My father discusses all his cases with my mother, and sometimes I hear the conversation,â Joe replied. âAnd I heard everything about Mrs. Lester.â
âThat explains why the Lesters werenât at church,â Mandie said.
âTommy never told me a word about his mother going to have a baby,â Irene said, frowning.
âIrene, it would not be proper for him to tell such things,â Mandie reminded her.
âNow with all this happening, my father wonât be able to take Mrs. Chapman to Tellico for her interview this week,â Joe said.
âYour father was going to take her?â Mandie asked.
âYes, he was going to visit some of his patients over there and had offered to take Mrs. Chapman and Faith along,â Joe replied.
âFaith is going with her grandmother?
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