“It’s three in the morning,” Hiram said. “I just talked to the others, there’s no sign of her anywhere and this rain’s not helping any.”
Will nodded. “I’ll go back and check at the house. You all might as well go home.”
He spat in the direction of Smith’s boots. The young man stepped forward, frowning. Hiram grabbed his son by the arm. Will turned his back and started to walk up along the river in the direction of the Dempsey farm.
“He wasn’t even lookin’ for her, Pa,” Smith said. “Doesn’t even seem to be worried or anything.”
“That’s because the bastard probably knows more than he’s saying. I don’t think Ann put those scratches on his face. Everybody knows she’s been weak as a kitten for months.”
Hiram swiped a match across the back of his pants and lit his cigarette. As he dipped his head, his hat brim poured rainwater at his feet.
“He wouldn’t do anything to his own daughter, would he?” Jack asked.
“I’ll kill him if he has,” Smith said, his voice breaking. He turned his head away. “Something bad’s happened. I just know it.”
“I wouldn’t trust Will Harney as far as I could throw him,” Hiram told them. “Now let’s get the hell home.”
***
The next morning John McDonald returned from Oxford. “Not a sign of her,” he told Will, “but everybody says they’ll keep an eye out.”
Harold Mills had no better luck. “Went clear to Tatamagouche just in case,” he reported to Hiram.
A number of men—volunteers from Pugwash and Wallace—had joined Harold on his return trip to Rockley to help with the search.
“And there’s more on the way later today,” he added proudly. “The whole county will be on the lookout for her by tonight.”
Harold also alerted Constable Ryan, who said he would get in touch with the sheriff in Amherst about Mary’s disappearance.
After church that morning Rita LeFurgey, Elsie MacDonald, and Elaine Clarke arrived at the Dempsey farm. Each carried a basket of food. Rita presented the cake she had made the night before and Elsie brought a large roast.
“This’ll keep you from having to cook much,” Rita told Mabel, who had arrived home a half hour earlier. Fred had gone to Oxford to fetch her.
Mabel shook her head and turned away, not wanting the other women to see the tears welling up in her eyes. Then she took a breath.
“I just don’t know. If it wasn’t for bad luck we’d have none at all. I’m much obliged for the food and the help. I’ll have to tend the two young ones, and Ann besides, now. Where’d that girl get herself to?”
“Mabel, how’s Kay doing? You spent the night I hear,” Rita said.
“She’s fine, had a healthy girl. If Caleb Brown was my man he’d be sleeping in the barn after this.”
Elaine placed teacups and saucers on the table.
“Come and have a seat all of you,” Mabel directed.
“You look worn out. You didn’t have any sleep last night yourself, did you?” Elsie asked.
“Just dozed off and on after the baby came and they all got settled down. But there’ll be no rest now until we find out what happened to Mary.”
“It’ll get sorted out in time. She’ll be found, if not today, then very soon,” Rita reassured her.
Mabel folded her shaking hands on the kitchen table. Rita reached out and covered them with one of her own. She had never seen Mabel so upset. With good reason, she told herself.
Harry and Little Helen ran into the kitchen from outdoors. Elsie grabbed the little boy and swung him up on her knee.
“Would you like a cookie, honey? There’s some nice molasses ones right here.”
The toddler nodded. He grabbed a cookie from Elsie with both hands and bit down.
Little Helen hid her face in Mabel’s apron.
“You’re getting tall, sweetie, and so pretty. What are you now, five?” Rita said, handing her a cookie. Little Helen hesitated and then gently took the treat and stood behind her grandmother’s chair.
“And what do you say, young lady?” Mabel asked her.
“Thank you,” Helen whispered.
“You’re very welcome,” Rita replied, smiling. “Mabel, can I get them some milk?”
“In the pantry behind the door. Glasses are in the cupboard there behind you.”
Rita had just set the milk on the table when they heard someone thumping down the stairs.
“This’ll be something now.” Mabel shook her head.
Ann limped into the room. Rita got up to lead her over to the rocking chair.
“Have a seat, dear.”
Ann still wore the blue nightdress and her hair was uncombed. Rita could see her hands trembling.
“Did Mary come home?” she asked, leaning on Rita.
“Not yet, dear. Can I get you some tea to warm you up? You’re shaking.” Rita took off her shawl and placed it around Ann’s shoulders.
“Mary should be back by now. She’s not far,” Ann said, settling into the chair, looking at the others wild-eyed. She scratched her arms. Harry started to cry and reached for his mother while Little Helen sidled over from Mabel’s chair to Ann’s rocker. She patted her mother on the shoulder.
“Where’s Will? Is he here? He knows where Mary is.” Ann tried to rise from the chair, bracing her feet on the floor and bending forward.
“Stay put,” Mabel commanded her. “Will’s out looking for her right now. He’ll be here later on.”
Elaine rose from the table. “Ann,” she said, “you need to get some food into you. You’re white as a sheet.” She helped Ann to her feet. Harry reached out to his mother again. Ann ignored them all and, turning, moved towards the porch door. “God, woman, you’re stronger than you look,” Elaine said, trying to steer her towards the table.
“I need to find Mary. Mary needs me.”
“She’s going out there barefoot. She’ll catch her death,” Mabel warned and got to her feet.
Ann moved her elbows away from her body and shook both women off.
“Let’s just see what she’s up to,” Rita said, holding Elaine back. “We’re right here. She won’t get far.”
“Crazy, crazy, crazy,” Mabel said and sat back down.
Ann walked out into the yard. Little Helen and Harry, surprised by the novelty of their mother being outside, ran after her, dragging on her nightgown and begging to be picked up. Ann turned right, as if to walk out of the yard and down the lane, but then took another right and walked towards the back of the house, trailed first by her children and then by Rita, Elaine, and Elsie. In less than a minute, she had walked in a complete circle around the house and was at the porch again.
“She’ll go back inside now,” Rita reassured the others. “She just wanted some air.”
But Ann began retracing her steps around the house. Elaine ran ahead and scooped Harry up into her arms.
“Here, little man, I’ll carry you.” She cuddled the crying boy.
“Rita, what’s she saying? She’s talking to herself.”
“I can’t make it out. We’ve got to get her back inside, enough’s enough.”
Rita ran ahead and grabbing Ann by the arm, swung her around.
“Come on back inside, it’s chilly out here. You’ve had your air.”
Ann struggled to get away from Rita’s hold.
“I need to help Mary. She needs help.”
“You won’t help her by catching a cold,” Elsie told her, grabbing her other arm. They pulled Ann towards the porch, while she begged to be let go.
“What a terrible thing for the young ones to see,” Elaine said.
They finally managed to get Ann back into the porch and then the kitchen.
“For someone who hasn’t been well, she’s some strong,” Elsie said, out of breath
as they got Ann seated back into the rocking chair.
“Mabel, is there anything in the house to calm her?” Rita asked, practically sitting on Ann’s knees to keep her down.
“If she hasn’t already drunk it.” Mabel went to the shelf above the sink, picked up a bottle with cough syrup written on the label, and shook it. “There’s a bit left. I put some of it in here, hoping she wouldn’t find it. The minute she gets hold of any, it’s gone.”
She scooped up some water from the bucket with a dipper, poured it into the bottle, shook it, and handed it to Rita.
“This should settle her for a while.”
“Here you go, Ann. This will make you feel better. You need some rest.” Rita gave Ann the bottle. She drank it down.
“All right. Let’s get you to bed.”
“I need to help Mary,” Ann muttered.
“We’ll help Mary, don’t you worry,” Rita reassured her as she and Elsie led Ann back upstairs. “You just have to rest now.”
John came into the kitchen with an armload of firewood. He looked at Mabel and Elaine and forced a smile.
“Mrs. Clarke, it’s nice of you and the other women to come and help Mabel look after things, but it will soon be over and Mary will be back home where she belongs. She’s all right. Young people are headstrong by times,” he said, trying to reassure himself as much as anyone else.
Throughout Sunday the search intensified. Men and boys walked shoulder to shoulder through brush and hayfields, sweeping long sticks before them and occasionally calling out. The Pugwash River and River Philip were both dragged. Three wagon wheels, the carcass of a horse, and old nets and fishing equipment were the only things found.
***
Early the next morning, John rode into Pugwash and telegraphed Beatrice Hennessey.
“Her sister should be with her now,” he explained to Mabel, who didn’t think it was necessary.
“That’s all we need, the two of them around here bawling. My nerves are on edge as it is.”
“Nonetheless, her family has to know from us first before word gets to them another way.”
While in Pugwash John stopped at the home of Philip Jones, the harbourmaster, to ask for his help. They stood on the veranda of Jones’s house that overlooked the harbour filled with cargo ships and fishing boats.
“Yeah sure, I’ll let people know. I’ll tell them to keep a lookout for her or any signs of the punt. It’s yellow, you say.”
“I know there’s little chance of her getting out of the river, let alone into the Strait. That little punt would be swamped in no time. But you never know,” John said.
“She’d have to be awful strong,” Philip said. “And it’s a dangerous thing for anybody to do, never mind a young girl.”
“I appreciate your help.” John tipped his hat as he left.
“I’ll do what I can. And God bless your family.”
By Wednesday morning, with still with no sign of Mary, Rockley residents got back to their normal routines. Women worked in their kitchens and men dug potatoes and brought in their split wood for the coming winter. That afternoon Elaine Clarke, on her way to Bailey’s store, stopped in to visit Freda Mills and to drop off some cranberries and an apron pattern she’d been meaning to return for months. Freda was on the doorstep yelling at her grandchildren, who were doddling along the main road on their way home from school.
“You two fly into this house.”
She shook her head at Elaine and broke into a relieved smile.
“I don’t like to have them out of my sight. Since Mary disappeared I don’t have a nerve left.”
“I know what you mean,” Elaine said.
“I keep thinking Mary ran away on her own, but one never knows. Peter came home from Bailey’s last night and said that word is going ’round that Will may have had something to do with her missing.”
“Nothing surprises me anymore,” Freda replied.
***
Late Wednesday evening, Beatrice knocked on the door of the Dempsey farmhouse. Fred LeFurgey, who had picked her up from the River Philip train station, stood by her side holding a large brown suitcase in each hand.
“You’re not going into that place by yourself,” he had told her as they drove up the lane to the house.
Mabel opened the door.
“So you’re here,” she said, standing aside to let Beatrice into the porch. She opened the kitchen door and nodded at the visitors to keep walking. She glared at Fred.
“I’m staying with her,” he proclaimed, holding tight to the suitcase handles.
“Suit yourself.” Mabel shrugged.
“Where’s my sister?” Beatrice demanded, turning to the older woman. “And where are Little Helen and Harry? And what happened to Mary?”
Beatrice’s eyes were swollen and red. She nodded to John, who, seated at the kitchen table, rose to greet her.
“The young ones are both to bed,” Mabel said. “Been there for just a half-hour. Don’t wake them up. Ann is up in her bedroom, lying around as usual.”
Mabel pointed to the stairs. Beatrice started up.
“Just a minute,” Will shouted. He had been out on the veranda and waited until Beatrice and Fred were in the house before following them. He looked at Fred first. “Get out.”
“Go to hell.”
Will grabbed Fred around the neck with both hands. Fred dropped the suitcases and struggled to remove Will’s grip. At the same time John placed his arms around Will’s torso.
“Jesus,” Will cursed and let Fred go.
“Stop this foolishness,” John shouted as Will made a move towards his uncle, but was prevented when Fred punched him in the stomach. Will doubled over, sinking to his knees.
“For the love of God, stop this,” Beatrice yelled, her hands over her ears.
“You couldn’t get Ann so now you’re sniffing around the old maid,” Will hissed at Fred.
Will looked at Beatrice. “You’re not wanted here,” he told her. “Ann doesn’t need you skulking around here, nosing into our business.”
“Ann is my sister and she and her children are my business.”
“Mine, not yours,” Will said, struggling to his feet. “Now get the hell out of my house.”
Beatrice turned her back and made for the stairs again. This time John reached out and grabbed her arm.
“Miss Hennessey, I’m John, Will’s uncle.”
“Thank you for telegraphing me, Mr. Dempsey. I appreciate it.”
Again she headed for the stairs.
“Just a minute.”
She turned to John once more.
“It’s getting late, Miss Hennessey, and everybody is tired. Is there a place you can stay this evening? Maybe you can see Ann and the kids in the morning.”
“Over my dead body,” Will told them.
“Miss Hennessey can stay with me and Ma tonight,” Fred offered.
Will snickered.
“That’s a good idea.” John nodded and led Beatrice towards the door. “Fred, we’re beholden to your family once again.”
“Bu—” Beatrice started to protest.
John squeezed her elbow and walked her out into the yard. Will and Fred followed behind.
“It’s better that you come back tomorrow, Miss,” John advised her. “You’ll not get anywhere with him tonight.”
“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here.” Fred placed the suitcases back in the surrey.
“Is there a hotel near here?” Beatrice asked as John handed her back up into the vehicle.
“You can stay with us tonight,” Fred told her. “Ma will be pleased to have you.”
“I’ll talk some sense into Will. You’ll see Ann and the kids tomorrow,” John reassured her.
***
On Thursday afternoon, Mary’s disappearance was report
ed in the Chignecto Post, and people from all over the county, throughout the province, and up into New Brunswick began to follow the story. Some of the curious attempted to get a first-hand look.
“Nosey bastards. Look at them, trying to see something as they drive by.”
John, unlike himself, was getting crankier by the day, especially with the coach and wagon traffic clogging up the main road past his house.
“Some of them got enough nerve to drive into the yard and demand to see Mary’s bedroom or want to give us their two-cents’ worth on where she might be,” Mabel said. “Come away from the window, John. Come and get some supper.”
“One of those so-called mediums met me on the road coming home today and said that for ten dollars she would tell me where Mary is.” John shook his head and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve.
***
Beatrice and Ann did not see each other until Sunday afternoon. Will went off to Oxford for the day, warning both his mother and uncle not to let Beatrice near the house. But as soon as Will rode out of sight, John made his way over to the LeFurgeys’ farm and brought Beatrice back in the express wagon. Mabel protested, but John escorted Beatrice up the stairs to Ann’s bedroom. After he deposited Harry and Little Helen there as well, John stood with arms folded, guarding the door. Fred took up his post in the surrey, across the end of John’s lane, determined that Will would not pass while Beatrice was in the house. Mabel stayed in the kitchen, rocking and scowling.
The sisters cried at the sight of each other.
“Oh, Ann.” Beatrice crawled onto the bed and gathered her sister into her arms.
“What’s happened to you? What’s happened to Mary?”
Ann shook her head and tried to remove herself from Beatrice’s grasp.
“Mary ran away.”
“Mary wouldn’t run away without letting someone know where she was. She’s been gone for over a week now.”
“I so wanted to come home when Mother died.” Ann was sobbing again. “But I was so ill, and I still am.”
“You don’t look like yourself at all,” Beatrice agreed. “And where’s Mary? I don’t understand what’s going on.”
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