Stage Fright / Goodbye, Sweet Prince / Brotherly Love
Page 21
Only Ruby Mae seemed a bit skeptical. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” she said, arms crossed over her chest. “That George is a most unreliable boy, if’n you ask me.”
“Read the other letter, Miz Christy,” someone urged.
Christy turned to Richard’s letter and read:
Dear Miss Huddleston,
I am writing on behalf of my family to thank you, Doctor MacNeill, the people at the mission, and your parents’ congregation for your help.
Thanks to your generosity, and the generosity of Doctor MacNeill’s fellow physicians, Abigail is now recovering from her surgery of last week. She is in some pain, but the doctors tell us they expect a complete recovery. And Abigail is confident she’ll be up and around by her birthday next month.
And thanks to a contact of your father’s, my father has begun a new job at the railroad office in town. It has been a long time since I have seen him so happy, or so full of hope. And it’s all thanks to this miracle you helped bring about.
It has been a long time since I have felt so hopeful, too.
Thank you again for all you have done.
Yours truly,
Richard Benton
Christy tucked the letter back into its envelope. “Don’t thank me, Richard,” she whispered. “Thank God. He’s the miracle worker.”
Twenty
I just cannot wait to see that charming young man again,” Miss Ida said excitedly as she bustled about the mission kitchen a few weeks later. “I do hope he gets here soon. I have such a feast planned.”
“So you’ve forgiven George for everything?” Christy asked.
Miss Ida grinned. “Well, I was a little miffed about the way he lied to us. But now that the whole story’s out, and he’s being properly punished at school . . . well, it seems like it’s time to forgive and forget.”
“He is a little late,” Christy said, glancing out the window. “It’s nearly dark, and he should have made it here by now. Maybe I should have gone to meet him at the train station.”
“He’ll be here,” said Doctor MacNeill. “Don’t you worry. He wouldn’t dare miss Miss Ida’s cooking.”
“Speaking of missing persons,” said Miss Alice as she finished setting the table, “has anyone seen Ruby Mae?”
“Not for an hour or two,” Christy replied. “Maybe she’s feeding Prince.”
“Or maybe,” a voice called from the parlor, “she’s assisting George the Magnificent in his amazing magical extravaganza!”
“That sounded like . . .” Christy began.
She ran into the parlor. There stood George, dressed in his best suit and wearing a tall, black top hat. Next to him stood Ruby Mae, wearing a sparkling bead turban and pink feather cape.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” said George in his smoothest magician voice, “allow me to introduce my incredible assistant, Ruby Mae the Remarkable!”
Ruby Mae took a low bow.
“But how long have you been here?” Christy cried, rushing over to give her brother a big hug.
“Long enough to prepare a wonderful magic show for your entertainment,” George replied with a wink. “We’ve been practicing over at the schoolhouse. My assistant and I are prepared to delight and amaze you.”
“How about if you delight and amaze us after dinner?” Miss Alice suggested. “Miss Ida’s put together a wonderful meal in your honor, George.”
“How about it, Ruby Mae?” George asked.
“Sounds good to me. My stomach’s arumblin’ somethin’ fierce,” Ruby Mae replied. “Magic is hard work.” She headed for the dining room. “Well, come on, everybody. Let’s dig in!”
As everyone gathered around the table, Ruby Mae tugged on Christy’s arm. “Told ya he’d be back,” she said. She cast George a flirtatious smile. “You’re so lucky to have a brother like him. I just wish he could stay forever. Don’t you, Miz Christy?”
Christy glanced across the table. George was in the middle of telling a joke. As usual, all eyes were on her brother.
He would always be charming. He would always be the center of attention. And he would always be a little unpredictable.
And she would always love him.
“You know, Ruby Mae,” Christy said, “I wish he could stay forever, too.”
About the Author
Catherine Marshall
With Christy, Catherine Marshall LeSourd (1914–1983) created one of the world’s most widely read and best-loved classics. Published in 1967, the book spent 39 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. With an estimated 30 million Americans having read it, Christy is now approaching its 90th printing and has sold more than eight million copies. Although a novel, Christy is in fact a thinly-veiled biography of Catherine’s mother, Leonora Wood.
Catherine Marshall LeSourd also authored A Man Called Peter, which has sold more than four million copies. It is an American bestseller, portraying the love between a dynamic man and his God, and the tender, romantic love between a man and the girl he married.
Another one of Catherine’s books is Julie, a powerful, sweeping novel of love and adventure, courage and commitment, tragedy and triumph, in a Pennsylvania town during the Great Depression. Catherine also authored many other devotional books of encouragement.
THE CHRISTY®JUVENILE FICTION SERIES
You’ll want to read them all!
Based upon Catherine Marshall’s international bestseller Christy®, this new series contains expanded adventures filled with romance, intrigue, and excitement.
VOLUME ONE
(ISBN 1-4003-0772-4)
#1—The Bridge to Cutter Gap
Nineteen-year-old Christy leaves her family to teach at a mission school in the Great Smoky Mountains. On the other side of an icy bridge lie excitement, adventure, and maybe even the man of her dreams . . . but can she survive a life-and-death struggle when she falls into the rushing waters below?
#2—Silent Superstitions
Christy’s students are suddenly afraid to come to school. Is what Granny O’Teale says true? Is their teacher cursed? Will the children’s fears and the adults’ superstitions force Christy to abandon her dreams and return to North Carolina?
#3—The Angry Intruder Someone wants Christy to leave
Someone wants Christy to leave Cutter Gap, and they’ll stop at nothing. Mysterious pranks soon turn dangerous. Could a student be the culprit? When Christy confronts the late-night intruder, will it be a face she knows?
VOLUME TWO
(ISBN 1-4003-0773-2)
#4—Midnight Rescue
The mission’s black stallion, Prince, has vanished, and so has Christy’s student Ruby Mae. Christy must brave the guns of angry moonshiners to bring them home. Will her faith in God see her through her darkest night?
#5—The Proposal
Christy should be thrilled when David Grantland, the handsome minister, proposes marriage, but her feelings of excitement are mixed with confusion and uncertainty. Several untimely interruptions delay her answer to David’s proposal. Then a terrible riding accident and blindness threaten all of Christy’s dreams for the future.
#6—Christy’s Choice
When Christy is offered a chance to teach in her hometown, she faces a difficult decision. Will her train ride back to Cutter Gap be a journey home or a last farewell? In a moment of terror and danger, Christy must decide where her future lies.
VOLUME THREE
(ISBN 1-4003-0774-0)
#7—The Princess Club
When Ruby Mae, Bessie, and Clara discover gold at Cutter Gap, they form an exclusive organization, “The Princess Club.” Christy watches in dismay as her classroom—and her community—are torn apart by greed, envy, and an understanding of what true wealth really means.
#8—Family Secrets
Bob Allen and many of the residents of Cutter Gap are upset when a black family, the Washingtons, moves in near the Allens’ property. When a series of threatening incidents befall the Washingtons, Christy steps in to help.
But it’s a clue in the Washingtons’ family Bible that may hold the real key to peace and acceptance.
#9—Mountain Madness
When Christy travels alone to a nearby mountain, she vows to discover the truth behind the terrifying legend of a strange mountain creature. But what she finds, at first seems worse than she ever imagined!
VOLUME FOUR
(ISBN 1-4003-0775-9)
#10—Stage Fright
As Christy’s students are preparing for a school play, she reveals her dream to act on stage herself. Little does she know that Doctor MacNeill’s aunt is the artistic director of the Knoxville theater. Before long, just as Christy is about to debut on stage, several mysterious incidents threaten both her dreams and her pride!
#11—Goodbye, Sweet Prince
Prince, the mission’s stallion, is sold to a cruel owner, then disappears. Christy Huddleston and her students are heartsick. Is there any way to reclaim the magnificent horse?
#12—Brotherly Love
Everyone is delighted when Christy’s younger brother, George Huddleston, visits Christy at the Cutter Gap Mission. But the delight ends when George reveals that he has been expelled from school for stealing. Can Christy summon the love and faith to help her brother do the right thing?