Criminally Spun Out: Book 5 of the Fiber Maven's Mysteries

by J. Traveler Pelton

  First, Old Man Jameson and his brother Sam had decided to retire from their farms and had sold the land to Amish, of all things! There hadn’t been any hereabouts up until now, and it still took some getting used to, seeing them come into town for supplies now and then. The townspeople were mostly friendly to them, but how could selling two farms of about thirteen hundred acres total have caused such an influx? It appeared there were several families of Amish and they seemed nice enough. They didn’t send their children to school, which was odd. Jameson and his brother had never married and had no children to leave their farms to, so when they got up in years, and a good cash offer came, well, thank goodness they didn’t sell to a developer but to good, sturdy, farm folk. Still, the Amish spoke an odd language, they didn’t use electric in their homes, and those clothes!

  Second, the ongoing feud between the five churches kept folks in gossip fodder for years. There had originally been one church, First Congregational on Main Street. Sometime around sixty years ago, there had been a disagreement on replacing the carpet and several families left and built a new church that had improved doctrines and blue carpeting throughout instead of the everlasting burgundy that the old church had. Forty years ago, a traveling Baptist preacher had come in, held a series of meetings, stole sheep from both folds, and now they had a Baptist church over on Vine Street. Fifteen years ago, the youth pastor at First Congregational had an affair with a lady in the congregation and they ran off together, which is a human enough problem, but that split the congregation into those who supported free love and those who didn’t, so now there was a Unitarian church over on Garland Avenue. And finally, ten years ago, a Seventh-day Adventist family moved in, bought the local drug store, and had quietly raised a congregation and had a church building on a piece of land donated to them by a new member. It was a little out of town, in a nice grove of trees and they had a church school. They held occasional Revelation Seminars and had a reputation of being just a little odd, but nice enough folks. They worshipped on Saturday which was an inconvenience as it meant the drug store was closed on weekends, but they had an emergency number for the doctors only; if there was a specific medicine needed according to the doctor, the pharmacist would come in, get it, and deliver it personally.

  So, the five churches did not always get along, but there were enough worship places you’d think the Amish would have found one of them to attend, but they seemed to wander from home to home having services a couple times a month. Still, they were quiet enough, no one really minded them, after all, putting up barns and continuing to use the land as farms kept the local economy stable, the land in good use, and everything seemed secure and peaceful. The Amish had put up a greenhouse and the residents of Fern Springs had been pleased to be able to get their spring plants at a reasonable price from local people; before, the grocer brought in plants from out of county and they were a bit pricey. They’d opened a bakery in one empty storefront and a fabric goods store in another, which also helped the local economy without hurting anyone.

  Lillian and Hazel grew up together in Fern Springs. They both had met their husbands in community college and they both had raised their families here. They loved to read and together headed up the local library book club. Every Wednesday, they met at the library and talked over the latest book. They loved puzzles and hosted small get togethers at home in the winter for friends to come over, drink coffee and put together a puzzle while catching up on town gossip. Of late, they had been taking up reading spy novels and mysteries in the club; Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton had them all fired up and longing for something between the Scottish Highlands and French detectives. They sort of wished for a mystery of their own, but really nothing happened in such a small farming community.

  Within a couple hours, the house was vacuumed, dishes put away, breakfast cleaned up. The cats’ food dishes and water dishes were filled and set up in the back room near the four automatic litter boxes. Lillian saw her friends return with their dogs and smiled. All seemed right in the world this morning. This afternoon was the library meeting and she had just enough time for the notes she wanted to make on the latest Officer Hamish McBeth tale.

  Thank you for reading the trial run!

  But in the meantime, as we complete the editing and design for the Furry Family book series, if you enjoy Christian fiction, you might enjoy the series I completed called The Oberllyn Family Chronicles. It traces the stories of a single family through three centuries in American history, past, present and future, with an eye on warning all those of us who love liberty and love the Lord what could happen to our freedoms if we don't guard them and pay attention to what is happening. The first book in the Series, The Oberllyn’s Overland, deals with the family at the time of the Civil war and the Western Expansion. I’ll be setting it into an omnibus soon, but the individual books are available right now. Here’s the first chapter….

  “Well, Ma, it’s just about all I can stand,” remarked Elijah Oberllyn as he stepped into the kitchen.

  “What happened this time?” answered his wife, Elizabeth. She was busy rolling out the dough for homemade noodles on the wooden kitchen table. Behind her on the woodstove was bubbling a rich broth to cook them in. From the oven came the wonderful smell of peach pie baking, and warm bread stood on the counter, covered in tea towels. Elizabeth was short woman, with her long black hair, just starting to show grey, done up in a bun at the back of her neck, wearing a solid brown apron over a calico brown dress, and she looked capable of taking on the entire army and feeding it at once. Bustling as she rolled out the dough, she reminded you of a wren on a branch, swaying and hopping from task to task, chirping merrily in between.

  “That neighbor Jacks,” began her husband. “He’s let his cattle get into my wheat again. He says he’ll mend the fence but this time he said it was my fault because if I hadn’t planted wheat, his cows wouldn’t have been tempted, and he is talking about suing me for tempting his cows!”

  His wife looked at him and finally said, “You’re serious? He is going to try suing you for tempting cows?” She started to laugh out loud but hushed herself when she saw how angry her husband was. “It appears to me the only person to benefit from that would be the lawyers.”

  “He wants my field to add to his farm. He won’t mend the fences on purpose. He’s expecting me to do his fence. He’s doing the same thing to our son. He offered him a pittance for his orchard, and when Noah wouldn’t sell, he started rumors about him being half crazed since the church kicked him out during the great Disappointment and not being right so some of our own neighbors are questioning us for having our own services and I simply am not sure what to do. It’s bad enough he picks on us but really, taking off after my son is just about all I can stand.”

  Elizabeth considered for a moment, then said quietly to her husband, “It’s not much of a witness to be fighting with the neighbors. Joe wants to go to California to hunt for gold, but Catherine is not about to drop everything for a wild goose chase. Noah seems content here. I haven’t spoken to Mary or Emily about it. I suppose we could consider moving but I hate the idea.”

  “We’ve lived here peaceably with our neighbors for years. It’s only since those Jacks moved into their uncle’s farm we’ve had trouble. Our land is fertile enough, but when Jacks heard we’d tried to buy his uncle’s farm once, he took a dislike to us. And now look.” Her husband poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down, blowing on it to cool it, then looking at is wife with a pensive expression on his face. “California is a right far piece to go,” he started.

  “Elijah! I was only giving you ideas from different members of the family, not saying I wanted to go.” His wife turned with her hands on her hips, a distinctly displeased look on her face.

  “It’s a good idea and I might have to look into it. I don’t want to be run out of town on a rail and that’s just what that Jack’s fellow is going to try and make happen. Besides, it’s getting too crowded around here. It wasn’t so bad before th
at train got put in. Now there are more people coming to buy land and settle in and it’s just too crowded.”

  “Well, you need to pray about anything before you go off half-cocked,” she said firmly. “Now go do your chores whilst I finish up supper.”

  Elijah went back to his barn and finished cleaning out stalls. His wife’s jerseys would be up soon for milking. They’d cost him a pretty penny when he’d gotten them but had proven to be just what Ma’s dairy business needed. They gave rich milk, it made wonderful cheese and butter, and their farm was getting known for its good fruit and cheese. Until that neighbor had moved here, everything had been going along fine. Joe had a good thought, though. Out west, there was plenty of land and it wasn’t crowded. They could worship as they pleased on Saturday and not be accused of being Judaizers or crazy or anything else. He had two more children at home and there’d be no land to give them as a farm of their own if he couldn’t buy up some land. When his son Nathaniel got married, it was a good thing he was a doctor who hadn’t time to farm. The farm was just too divided up as it was, what with Emily and her brood, and Catherine and David over by the creek running the small fruits part of the family business. Miriam’s man Joe being a lawyer had helped; they’d just needed land for a house and little garden for themselves, no real farming involved. Noah and Mary had taken over the fruit orchard and were making a good go of it, and he and Elizabeth still had enough for him to raise the best horses and oxen in the county and keep mom’s dairy running, but they needed more land. It just couldn’t be divided anymore and there was Thomas and Johanna yet to be grown and have a part. He supposed Thomas could inherit their home but where would Joanna go? And that Jacks trying to force them to sell land to him they didn’t have to spare, he and his dirty tricks. Hard to imagine what he’d try next. Maybe Joe had a good idea. I believe I’ll just visit the land office and find out about land west of here. It surely wouldn’t be bad to have a look.

  He came out of the barn and stretched. His son Thomas came dashing up; that child never went anywhere at a walk, always running. “Pa, you got a letter.”

  “Oh? Thank you, son. Let’s have a look.” He took the letter from him. It was an official looking document from the US government. “Haven’t seen one of these since well before you were born.”

  “Was that back when you and Ma lived in New York?”

  “Yes, pretty much when you were a baby, before Grandpa died and we inherited the farm.”

  “Wonder what they want?”

  “Whatever it is, your mother and I will deal with it. You’re supposed to have seen to the goats.”

  “Done. You know the ma angora is going to give birth any day?” he grinned. “Can’t wait to see them. I love the way the babies sprong around.”

  “Well, you keep a good eye on her.”

  Thomas hesitated. “Pa, I saw Mike Jacks over looking at Ma’s sheep. He had this funny look on his face?”

  “Funny like how?”

  “He said his dad doesn’t like sheep; they ruin the field. I told him it wasn’t his field so not to worry about it. He said something under his breath and walked off. I don’t like him much, Pa. I was hoping for a friend that would move in that I could do stuff with, but I don’t think he likes me much.”

  “Don’t worry about him. There are other folks to be with that don’t cause such aggravation. Just be civil and leave him be.”

  “Yes, Pa. He made Johanna cry. Oh!” he covered his mouth.

  “What?”

  “I wasn’t supposed to tell you.”

  “Stop right now. You don’t keep secrets from me, ever. When was Johanna crying?”

  “She went out to get the cows yesterday and Ellie Jacks was waiting and called her a cowgirl and teased her about her hair.”

  “What’s wrong with her hair?”

  “It’s sort of red, I guess. And Johanna was crying when she helped with milking.”

  “I see. And you weren’t supposed to tell me?”

  “Johanna said we were having enough trouble with this family and God wouldn’t want her complaining about it.”

  “I see. Well, you just let me handle this. Must be about time for supper, yes, there’s Ma ringing the dinner bell. Let’s go wash up.”

  Dad and Thomas washed up at the pump and went inside, hanging their hats by the door.

  “That smell sure chirks a fellow up, ma. Can’t wait to have some of your chicken and noodles.”

  Elizabeth smiled. “Johanna, would you mind getting the field tea I made? I put it in the springhouse to get cold.” Johanna nodded and went out the door, coming back with a pitcher covered in a towel.

  “Ma,” she frowned. “I don’t think we ought to use the tea.”

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Somebody’s been in the spring house.”

  “Really? How do you know?”

  “The cheeses are all on the floor and the milk’s spilt.” Ma and Pa rushed outside to the spring house where they found rounds of cheese scattered all over, the five-gallon milk cans flipped, polluting the spring run over. They looked around at the damage.

  Ma shook her head. “I hate to think we’d have to put guards on our home, but this is outrageous.”

  “If we tell the sheriff,” began Thomas.

  “He’ll say it could’ve been done by animals, that someone left the door open. There’s no proof.”

  “Why don’t we make a list of what’s going on at least and ask him to watch out with us?” asked Ma.

  “We can do that. Are the cheeses ruined?”

  “The shelves are broken down, but the cheese ought to be fine. I may have to rewrap some.”

  “Let’s see what we can do. Thomas – call Mick and Mike.” Mike and Mick were the family mastiffs who spent most the time in the back field with the cattle. The dogs came to Thomas’s call. “We’d best keep the dogs close to the yard or at least one of them here.”

  “Then who’s going to protect the cattle from coyotes?” asked Thomas.

  “It’s not the four-legged ones I am worried about just now.”

  Thomas and Dad reset the shelves, and they helped Ma wipe off the wax coated cheeses and set them back. While they did that, Ma set the milk cans up and opened the overflow wide so the water could drain out and run clear. Finally, they stood up and went out. Dad shut the door to the spring house and set Mike by the door, telling him to stay. He took Mick to the barn and set him there and they went inside to eat.

  The meal was a quiet one. Ma and Pa were tight-lipped and Thomas and Johanna were quiet as they passed food around.

  “I don’t care what they say. Johanna, you have got the prettiest hair in the world. It shines in the sun like gold and when you wear your green Sabbath dress I have the prettiest sister in the county.”

  Johanna looked surprised and her eyes welled up. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “I agree with your brother. I am not quite sure why he said it but thank you for noticing,” said Dad. Mom and Johanna just looked confused. Suddenly, there was a loud meow from out back.

  “What on earth!” said Ma, getting up. She went out back where a strange collie dog had her pet cat up a tree. She took a switch and chased it off. The dog ran to the end of the driveway where Mike Jacks was watching.

  “Lady, you’d better not hurt my dog,” he yelled at her.

  “Then keep him on your own land,” she replied.

  “Well, this is going to be our land when my dad gets done with you,” he yelled back. “You’d better not let those sheep overgraze it.”

  Mom picked up a bigger switch and headed down the drive purposefully in his direction and he ran off. A passing wagon stopped.

  “You all right, Mrs. Oberllyn?” said the farmer driving.

  “I don’t know, Zeb. We got neighbor problems. My spring house was attacked, they insult us and we just never did them any harm.”

  “I heard about some of that. Mr. Jacks was in the general store last week boasting he’d ha
ve your land soon. I don’t know what he was talking about but I was coming to tell your husband if he was going to sell out, to call on me. I could use good fields like yours.”

  “I thank you, and I’ll tell Elijah, but we have no interest in leaving our farm. It’s been in the family for over a hundred years.”

  “Thought he might be blowing smoke. But still, keep me and my sons in mind. I’d rather buy from you than Jacks. Oh, and best be careful. There’s some weird rumors going around.” Elijah was on the porch and waved to his neighbor.

  “Rumors?”

  “I’m sure they ain’t true. You say howdy to Elijah for me.”

  “Thank you, Zeb. By the way, did he happen to say why he wanted my land?”