come out.”
Matthew put an arm around Ellie and the baby and pulled them close. “I’ll be back quick as I can.” His beard scraped her face when he kissed her temple.
“Hurry!” Ellie knew it would take almost an hour to ride the two miles to town, fetch the doctor, and return. “Please, God, let Karl be in his office . ” Her stomach clenched as she fought fear-induced nausea.
She slumped in the kitchen rocker. “Mama’s here,” she whispered against Julia’s silky hair. “Uncle Karl’s coming to take care of you.” Her foot tapped against the floor as the chair rocked back and forth. “You’re going to be right as rain in no time.” After she ran out of words, she hummed a lullaby.
Maria busied herself around the room, taking baked bread from the oven and sweeping spilled flour off the floor. Between chores she paused beside Ellie’s chair and dropped kisses on Julia.
Ellie’s eyes rested on her older daughter. “You’re my good right hand. Thank you for helping.”
Maria’s blue eyes shone at the compliment. She ducked her head. “You’re welcome, Mama.” After a pause she said, “Julia’s not going to die, is she?”
“No! Don’t even think it.”
The words had no sooner left her mouth when they heard a hesitant tap at the door. Maria opened it to find Aunt Ruby on the threshold.
Ellie gasped. The sight of her aunt broke the dam that had been holding her tears at bay. “I’m so glad to see you,” she choked between sobs.
Aunt Ruby tossed her shawl over a peg near the door and bustled to the rocker. “Matthew stopped by and told us about Julia. Arthur’s tying the horse to the hitching rail. He’ll be right in.”
She bent over the chair and kissed Ellie’s cheek. Her arms reached out to take the baby, but in an unthinking reflex Ellie pulled Julia closer to her chest.
“No.”
A shadow of hurt darkened her aunt’s face. “I won’t harm her. Surely you know that.”
Ellie brushed at her tears and gazed down at the baby in her arms. Even the commotion of having someone new come into the room failed to attract Julia’s interest. Her head lolled against her mother’s shoulder.
Ellie spoke in a ragged whisper. “I can’t let her go.”
After an impulsive stop at the Newberrys’, Matthew urged his horse to a gallop. He hadn’t planned to detour to their house, but when he approached their lane he felt impelled to ask Ruby’s help. The question in Ellie’s eyes when he left spoke more clearly than words.
Now he slapped at his horse’s side, trying to get more speed out of an animal that was already running full out. Christ’s words on the cross filled his mind. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
“I’ve served you faithfully since I was eighteen years old.” Matthew bargained over the thumping of hooves. “Please. Don’t take this child from us.” Sky the color of sharpened iron closed over his head. If there was comfort from heaven, he didn’t feel it.
When he reached town he turned his horse right on Adams Street and reined to a stop in front of Spengler’s house. A quick glance at Karl’s horse standing in the stable told him the doctor was probably there, and not out on a call. Matthew sprinted around the corner of the house and burst into Karl’s office.
Startled, Karl turned away from a microscope poised over a rectangular slip of thin glass. “Matt. Take a look at—” He stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Julia. She’s taken a bad turn. Can you come?”
He pushed his chair away from the low table at which he had been working. “Of course.” He opened the door leading to the living quarters and hollered down the hall. “Molly. I’m off to Matthew’s. Baby’s sick.”
She hurried down the hallway, concern in her eyes. “Oh no. What is it?”
“We don’t know.” Matthew crushed his hat brim in his hands.
“Shall I come with you?”
“Best stay with the children,” Karl answered. “I’ll come get you if
Matthew put an arm around Ellie and the baby and pulled them close. “I’ll be back quick as I can.” His beard scraped her face when he kissed her temple.
“Hurry!” Ellie knew it would take almost an hour to ride the two miles to town, fetch the doctor, and return. “Please, God, let Karl be in his office . ” Her stomach clenched as she fought fear-induced nausea.
She slumped in the kitchen rocker. “Mama’s here,” she whispered against Julia’s silky hair. “Uncle Karl’s coming to take care of you.” Her foot tapped against the floor as the chair rocked back and forth. “You’re going to be right as rain in no time.” After she ran out of words, she hummed a lullaby.
Maria busied herself around the room, taking baked bread from the oven and sweeping spilled flour off the floor. Between chores she paused beside Ellie’s chair and dropped kisses on Julia.
Ellie’s eyes rested on her older daughter. “You’re my good right hand. Thank you for helping.”
Maria’s blue eyes shone at the compliment. She ducked her head. “You’re welcome, Mama.” After a pause she said, “Julia’s not going to die, is she?”
“No! Don’t even think it.”
The words had no sooner left her mouth when they heard a hesitant tap at the door. Maria opened it to find Aunt Ruby on the threshold.
Ellie gasped. The sight of her aunt broke the dam that had been holding her tears at bay. “I’m so glad to see you,” she choked between sobs.
Aunt Ruby tossed her shawl over a peg near the door and bustled to the rocker. “Matthew stopped by and told us about Julia. Arthur’s tying the horse to the hitching rail. He’ll be right in.”
She bent over the chair and kissed Ellie’s cheek. Her arms reached out to take the baby, but in an unthinking reflex Ellie pulled Julia closer to her chest.
“No.”
A shadow of hurt darkened her aunt’s face. “I won’t harm her. Surely you know that.”
Ellie brushed at her tears and gazed down at the baby in her arms. Even the commotion of having someone new come into the room failed to attract Julia’s interest. Her head lolled against her mother’s shoulder.
Ellie spoke in a ragged whisper. “I can’t let her go.”
After an impulsive stop at the Newberrys’, Matthew urged his horse to a gallop. He hadn’t planned to detour to their house, but when he approached their lane he felt impelled to ask Ruby’s help. The question in Ellie’s eyes when he left spoke more clearly than words.
Now he slapped at his horse’s side, trying to get more speed out of an animal that was already running full out. Christ’s words on the cross filled his mind. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
“I’ve served you faithfully since I was eighteen years old.” Matthew bargained over the thumping of hooves. “Please. Don’t take this child from us.” Sky the color of sharpened iron closed over his head. If there was comfort from heaven, he didn’t feel it.
When he reached town he turned his horse right on Adams Street and reined to a stop in front of Spengler’s house. A quick glance at Karl’s horse standing in the stable told him the doctor was probably there, and not out on a call. Matthew sprinted around the corner of the house and burst into Karl’s office.
Startled, Karl turned away from a microscope poised over a rectangular slip of thin glass. “Matt. Take a look at—” He stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Julia. She’s taken a bad turn. Can you come?”
He pushed his chair away from the low table at which he had been working. “Of course.” He opened the door leading to the living quarters and hollered down the hall. “Molly. I’m off to Matthew’s. Baby’s sick.”
She hurried down the hallway, concern in her eyes. “Oh no. What is it?”
“We don’t know.” Matthew crushed his hat brim in his hands.
“Shall I come with you?”
“Best stay with the children,” Karl answered. “I’ll come get you if
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