Grace like a Whisper

by Edna Lee Allen

He placed the letters in the wooden box. Maybe he would have all of them read to him someday. But at least he had them, and they served as reminders of a past filled with great joy and deep regret. Jed slapped the book shut. And for the first time since his mother’s death, tears welled in his eyes.

  ~*~

  Dripping from an unusually warm mid-September day, Jed wiped the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. Grit from the fine dirt brushed his skin.

  Griffin sat on the edge of a stool between the forge and the bellows and pulled on a piece of jerky. “When am I gonna get to beat on something? I feel like hammering after watching you do all this day after day.”

  Jed half chuckled. “When I say so. But it’ll be soon enough.” He pounded the tip of the hot metal until the orange glow lost most of its color.

  “Doesn’t look like you’re doing much there.” The boy paid attention.

  “I’m drawing out the iron.”

  “What’s that mean?”

  “I flatten the iron and then pull it to stretch it out. These shawl pins are a sore spot to make.”

  “Then why do it?”

  “Mrs. Beauregard wants one.”

  Griffin shifted his weight. “She gonna pay ya in real money? Or you gonna give it to her for a half sack of cornmeal?”

  “The apple butter and biscuits you’ve eaten every day this week came from her.” Jed removed the prong from the fire and placed the iron on the anvil. He gave three more deft hits with his hammer. “She makes a good corn chowder too.”

  “Why don’t you just tell ’em you only take money? That’s what I’d do.”

  “Makes no difference. If I get money I turn around and buy food. It all comes out the same.”

  “I’d want money. Ain’t never had much.” Griffin ran his hands over his knuckles. “Just what I won.”

  “Appreciate what you have, and the Lord will give you more.”

  “I don’t know about that. Maybe she’s just sweet on you.” A mischievous smile was plastered on Griffin’s face.

  “That woman is about as wrinkled as Methuselah. And mean too. Always got her nose in somebody’s business,” Jed said.

  Griffin slid off the stool and pumped the bellows. The boy was starting to get the hang of what to do without being told. “So, not the woman of your dreams.”

  She doesn’t exist. Jed pushed the coals around. Griffin’s comment stirred something within him, but he ignored it.

  “So why you ain’t got a woman?”

  “You said you won money. How’d you do that?” Jed looked up.

  Griffin returned to the stool and crossed his arms. His eyes twinkled. “Fightin’.” So that was the story behind the cuts on Griffin’s lips and cheeks and his red and swollen knuckles.

  “I was one of the best on the streets. Only lost a few. But they were bigger’n me.”

  “You’d take them out for their money?”

  “No.” Griffin walked to the other side of the forge. “I ain’t no stealer. They asked me to fight. Said if they liked what they saw they’d toss money at us. When the fight was over, we’d pick up our loot. If the other was too broken to get up, the winner would take it all. Just the way it is.”

  Jed placed the iron on the edge of the anvil and hammered at an angle to form the curve for the pin.

  Griffin dug the toe of his boot into the dirt as his face hardened. “Sometimes I’d shove a coin or two into the loser’s pocket if I thought he deserved it. Someone did that for me once. Or at least I thought it was the fighter. Maybe it was somebody just watchin’. I woke up a few hours later and could barely move. When I finally got up, there was a sack next to me with an apple, a hunk of stale bread, and a piece of dry meat.”

  “You said they asked you to fight.” Jed turned the iron over and gave it a few more swift hits. “Who exactly are you talking about?”

  Griffin shrugged. “Not sure who they were. Men in nice clothes mostly, although some were drunks. An older kid twice my size stole a blanket and some food I had stashed. They saw me take him down, and the next morning found me on the streets. Woke me up, fed me, and told me if I’d fight in the alley while people watched they’d feed me again. So, I snatched that idea real good.”

  “How often did you do that?”

  Griffin shrugged. “Started out every now and again. Then it became several times a week. I slept in the same area so they’d know where to find me. If they didn’t come for a few days and I got hungry, I’d go looking for them. They were nice to me, but I could tell they weren’t men to be reckoned with. Later that fall I saw two of them get taken by the sheriff outside the market area.”

  Jed wondered who the men were and how much money they made staging brawls. “So, you like to fight, then?”

  “I didn’t at first. But I didn’t go hungry. Neither did my buddies.”

  “Where are your friends now?”

  Griffin’s face paled. His gaze drifted across the shop, though he didn’t appear to look at anything. He shuffled toward the door, unlatched the gated rail, and sauntered out.

  Jed went back to work.

  6

  Grace stood inches behind Leisel as he stacked the McGuffey Readers back onto the shelves after he dusted. The boy would spend his next recess time reciting pages from the book if he didn’t stop making fun of others. It was possible that Riley would never come back to school after Leisel laughed at him as he read aloud. And Audrey Norton too. Grace would find a way to convince the poor girl that her red hair was beautiful despite what Leisel chanted.

  “Can I go outside now?” Leisel pushed the last book in and turned, an annoyed scowl plastered to his ruddy face.

  Grace folded her arms and met his icy glare. “No, you may not.”

  “Why not? I did all you asked.”

  “But you don’t seem the least bit sorry about how you behaved.”

  “Didn’t know that was part of the deal.” Leisel’s jaw clamped. “And I didn’t do nothing I ain’t never done before. Everyone teases Audrey. Doubt she’ll be here tomorrow anyway.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because she only comes to school when her ma don’t want her around.”

  “Why wouldn’t her mother want her around?”

  He sighed as if the questioning tried his patience. “Because when her pa gets too much liquor in him he starts acting wild. Her ma sends her to school to keep her away.”

  “And you know this to be true?”

  “Everybody knows that.”

  “What about Riley?”

  “His pa works at the sorghum mill. Only got three fingers on one hand where it got caught in a roller. Now, he just stirs the syrup paddle all day long.”

  “Where do you learn all this?”

  “My pa tells me. He’s a banker and knows who owes him money. Says we’s one of the nicer families in town and should stay away from misfits.”

  “Misfits?”

  “Pa says to just ignore people that aren’t like us, and Ma says you’ll never amount to anything if you go associating with them people.”

  “And that’s why you threw pebbles at Josiah? Because he’s shy and a newcomer?”

  Leisel scrunched his face. “No, that ain’t it.”

  “Well, what is it? He’s just a little boy—”

  “He ain’t no boy.” Leisel growled. “He’s an orphan. And he’s got that ugly scar taking up half his face.”

  “He’s a child. Just like you. And he and his brother didn’t come today.”

  “Don’t know where you come up with that. The whole town knows what those orphans are,” he whispered. “They’re dirty. All them people in New York are. They don’t got no mama or daddy, and they ain’t no good.”

  Her stomach curdled. Texas didn’t seem to be any different than Kansas when it came to accepting people.

  “You wanna know about anybody else or can I go now?”

  Jedidiah Green. But Grace said nothing.

  He craned his neck to look out at the
other children.

  “No.”

  He jerked his head around. “Why not?”

  “Because you haven’t shown remorse for the way you acted. You’ll miss every recess until you do. I’ll give you plenty of work.”

  Leisel stomped his foot. “Well, I ain’t never gonna feel bad.”

  Grace leaned in closer. “Then I’ll have the cleanest blackboards in Texas, and you’ll know your times tables as well as some of those ‘misfits’ who owe your pa money.”

  ~*~

  The pair of gooseneck andirons Mr. Phelps ordered to hold the wood in his fireplace wouldn’t be ready at the end of the day. Only two more hours of sunlight and he was just starting on the second one. Checking on Josiah interrupted his work time. Jed hated not keeping his word. But Mr. Phelps had become more forgetful in recent years, so maybe he wouldn’t show to pick them up.

  Jed used the length of his forearm to gauge the measurements. The first one looked good; he just needed to match the second one exactly so the logs would sit straight.

  “Uh…you needin’ something?” Griffin’s voice interrupted the silence.

  Jed almost dropped his tongs.

  “Hello.”

  She stood just outside the doorway and poked her head into the shop. Her bonnet covered most of her face, but he remembered every detail. Her frame was small with high cheek bones and green eyes.

  She reached into a basket and pulled out three books. “I came to leave Thomas and Josiah books. If they have time after their chores, I thought they might read since they missed school today.”

  And the prettiest smile he’d ever seen.

  Jed’s mind became murky.

  Griffin looked at him and then back at her. He murmured as he reached over the gate to take the books, and then he set them down in the windowsill.

  “A ribbon marks the places for where we read today.”

  Jed spread the fingers of one hand. At least he still breathed.

  She paused as if waiting for Jed to speak, then turned toward Griffin. “The other book, the one with the black spine, is for you, Griffin. I thought you might read whenever you can.”

  “Don’t have much time to read, Miss. And if I did, I wouldn’t.” He returned it to her. “Besides, I can’t. Never learned.”

  She frowned as she took the book from him. “Then I will bring you a different book another time. One that Thomas can read to you.”

  “No need to go to that trouble. I don’t have much to do with them two. They’re the chosen ones. And like I said, readin’ don’t interest me.”

  “But you could learn.”

  “Miss, I’ve gotten this far without schoolin’, and I gotta work in this dark hole all day.” He walked behind Jed and pumped the bellows. “Part of the bargain; ain’t that right, Boss?” Griffin patted Jed on the back.

  “Thomas and Josiah should be there in the morning.” Jed finally found his voice.

  She smiled. “Good. I was worried they were becoming discouraged.”

  Jed belatedly removed his wide-brimmed hat and held it to his chest. “They seemed to take to it all right.”

  “Wonderful.” Her hand brushed the front of her dress. Her big smile revealed two rows of straight teeth, perfectly set between soft, pink lips. “I will look for them tomorrow.”

  Jed nodded.

  “Well, I should be leaving now.” She turned, crisp pleats of her pale yellow dress flowed behind her as she exited the barn. Her sweet voice lingered in the air.

  Jed paused before putting his hat back on, not wanting to forget what it felt like to see her milky skin.

  “Well,” Griffin brought his hands together. “So, you got a little tongue-tied, didn’t ya?”

  Jed stuck the iron back into the coals.

  “Are we a little sweet on the schoolmistress?” Griffin prodded again.

  “I’ll finish this last andiron, and then you’ll make one more trip to the house to check on the boys.”

  “So, does that mean yes?”

  “Yes about what?”

  “Yes, you are a little sweet on her?”

  Jed squeezed the tongs with his left hand and raised his hammer with his right. “Watch and keep your mouth shut.” He removed the iron and laid it precisely on the anvil. Three swift, strong beats, and he prayed he hadn’t embarrassed himself in front of the prettiest lady Sheldon, Texas had ever seen.

  ~*~

  Grace strode to the crest of the hill and cut through a short, grassy meadow.

  A woman stood on the front porch facing Edith, who sat in her favorite rocking chair.

  Although Grace couldn’t decipher the conversation, their voices carried in such a way that Grace could tell one or both of them was quite upset.

  The stranger wore a dark charcoal dress with the waist trimmed in deep cartridge pleats. A hat of the same shade laced with ivory flowers perched high on her head.

  Edith looked toward Grace, and the visitor turned in response. She had broad shoulders and hips, and a full, round face. She curled her hands over the railing and eyed Grace. Her brownish-red hair with flecks of gray had been pulled close to the sides of her head and into a topknot. A fitted bodice with a slight flare over the hips magnified her large frame. The woman straightened as Grace stepped onto the porch. “So, this is her?” Her eyes scanned Grace’s face.

  A peculiar uneasiness feathered through Grace’s spine. “Hello.”

  “You’re the new schoolmistress? Miss Cantrell?” the woman asked.

  “Yes, that’s me.”

  “And how old are you, young lady?”

  “Eighteen.”

  “Hmm. Yes, I can see you’re very young, but we’ve had younger teachers in our school until Mr. Hennessy came along. Some not even with a diploma yet, themselves. But a small town like Sheldon often has to do with what they can get.”

  Edith frowned.

  Grace wondered if their argument had something to do with her.

  The woman inclined her head to the side and looked toward Grace’s feet. “Your skirt is the correct length. About two inches above the ankle. No shorter. And no bright colors.” She bent over and picked up the hem of Grace’s dress. “Two petticoats, I presume?”

  Surprised at the blatant and unexpected scrutiny, Grace stepped back and smoothed her skirt so it released from the woman’s grasp. “Yes, I wear two petticoats.”

  Edith grabbed her cane that leaned against the arm of the chair. “This is my sister, Hortense. You’ll have to excuse her as she has never learned to be very pleasant.”

  Hortense shut her eyes and turned her head partially toward Edith. She let out a breath and returned to Grace. She laced her fingers together. “My name is Hortense Beauregard. My late husband Franklin Miles Beauregard was a member of the school board for Cooper County. I’ve taken it upon myself to visit Mr. Hennessy‘s replacement as schooling is of upmost priority to me, as it was to my husband. ”

  Grace set her basket on the small table. “I agree. Education is very important. The children are delightful. Every one of them.”

  Mrs. Beauregard fondled the long pearls that looped three times around her neck. “Really? Then you must not have the same gathering that Mr. Hennessy had the duty to contain. There’s always a few who don’t comply with rules. But he turned them around, as I expect you will.”

  Grace pulled back her bonnet. “Yes, a few have been a challenge. But they are all a blessing. Each of them special in their own way.”

  Mrs. Beauregard cackled, and her double chin quivered. “Children must have discipline. Structure. Rules. Expectations, Miss Cantrell. The last thing Sheldon needs is a teacher who coddles students who should be learning.”

  Grace’s back stiffened. “On the contrary, I don’t coddle, Mrs. Beauregard. But I do tell them their thoughts are valuable.”

  Mrs. Beauregard puffed out her chest.

  “And I will continue to do so. But I agree with you about rules and discipline. There must be order.”

 
Mrs. Beauregard brought her hands behind her back and paced the length of the porch. “I suppose you know about the orphans that have recently infiltrated this community?”

  Grace pressed her lips together, and her heartbeat quickened.

  Edith shifted her weight and wiggled her cane. “Sister.” Edith stretched out the word as if to plead a warning.

  “The Pollard family took in an infant and a toddler. We won’t need to worry about them for a while, just the two by the town blacksmith.”

  “Yes, I’ve met Mr. Green and his children.” Grace’s stomach fluttered.

  “So, I suppose you know that he’s not married but takes on two young children. The apprentice I understand, but how can he look after two boys and run a blacksmith shop?” She threw her arms open in an exaggerated movement. The lady had quite a dramatic flair, perhaps better fitted for theater than education.

  “I don’t have that answer. But Thomas and Josiah are wonderful children. Very bright and eager to learn.”

  “They are orphans, Miss Cantrell, not normal children.” Her chin lifted as her voice rose. “They were brought here because they were unfit. Nobody wanted them in New York, so they won’t be wanted anywhere else. Sheldon is a nice town. Sometimes harsh things have to be done to keep it that way.”

  “That’s an awful thing to say.” Such confrontational words had never left Grace’s mouth. Her spine trembled but her feet stuck to the earth.

  Hortense’s face fell and Edith straightened.

  “We are all God’s creatures, Mrs. Beauregard.”

  The woman inched very close and whispered precisely. “You will only be here for a year, Miss Cantrell. The former schoolmaster is expected back for the following term, after he’s finished caring for his ailing mother, so there’s no need to make things difficult for yourself. In my opinion, you’ll find the job far above your skill. I had someone else in mind for your position, but the board overruled me, saying she was less qualified. We’ll see who turns out to be right.” Hortense paused. “One year, Miss Cantrell. No more.”

  Grace met her glare with one of her own.

  “You must think of your future. What will you do after that?”

  “That’s my concern, Mrs. Beauregard, not yours.” Grace was offended. “For now, I will watch the orphans carefully, as I do for the others in my care.” She snatched her basket from the table. “And please excuse me. I have chores to tend to before retiring, including getting your sister her evening meal.”