Without being obvious, Julie paid close attention to Birdie. She was quiet and soft-spoken and didn’t appear to be paying more than normal attention to Jethro. Julie didn’t think that she was a woman who would take to the hard work on a farm. Her hands were soft, her nails shaped and buffed. Her clothes were of good quality, indicating she had been well provided for. Julie wondered if she would be able to dress chickens, make head-cheese, wash overalls …
Feeling a little unsettled by her discovery, Julie went to the kitchen for another chair. Iona Birch was still in the swing on the porch.
“I’ll get a cushion for the chair, Iona, if you want to come watch the game. We’ll sit in the shade.”
“I think I’ll stay here for a while. I canned beans today. The girls help, but they’re not like having a woman around. Lucky Ruth, to have Mrs. Stuart to help her.”
“Ruth said Mrs. Stuart came to live with them. Is she a widow?”
“She just appeared on their doorstep and told them that her husband had died. Wilbur hadn’t seen her in fifteen years. He didn’t know that she was married or that she’d had a child. She said that her husband had been a traveling man and they had lived in many different places. What could they do but take her in?”
“If she’s always lived in the city she may not be happy living on a farm.”
“She’s looking for a man to take care of her,” Iona said bluntly. “I mean that she and Ruth are looking. Ruth thinks Evan Johnson would be a good catch. She’s heard that he has a house in St. Joe and won’t be hanging around here for very long. I think she’s hoping that Evan or someone will marry Birdie and take her and the girl with him.”
“How does she plan to accomplish this?”
“She’s working on it. Started with the custard pie.” Iona laughed. “Just watch her.”
“Sounds to me like she’s not too happy having a sister-in-law in the house.”
“She’s got her hands full over there without having extras piled on her. From the looks of Birdie Stuart, she’s not too fond of hard work.”
“The game’s started.” Jill and Ruby May came around the corner of the house on the run. Jill threw the words back over her shoulder. “Jack’s gonna pitch.”
“Game’s started.” Joy came out of the house on the run, her friend Sylvia Taylor behind her. “Mama, the game’s started.”
Julie looked quickly at Iona Birch and saw the puzzled look on her face.
“She does that sometimes when she’s around other children who are talking about their mamas. She’s asked me where her mama is.”
“Poor little thing,” Iona said sadly. “It’s a good thing she has you, Julie.”
Regardless of their age, everyone who came to the neighborhood ball games played if they wanted to. The men and the older boys were wonderfully patient with the younger players and divided them between the two teams. Julie was pleased to see that Jason was on Jack’s team.
She sat on the quilt beside Myrtle Taylor and watched anxiously when it was Jason’s turn to bat. Jack was set to run for him if he hit the ball. Pete Birch pitched. Jason swung and missed the first pitch but gripped the bat with determination. When Pete threw another ball, Jason’s bat connected. The ball soared over the head of the outfielder and landed in the bushes that grew along the edge of the field. Knowing there was plenty of time for Jason to reach first base, Jack stepped aside so Jason could run.
With a victorious grin lighting his freckled face, Jason ran as fast as he could and stood proudly on first base as Evan came to bat.
“Hit a homer, Mr. Johnson,” Jason called.
On the first pitch Evan hit the ball far out into center field. Jason ran the bases. Yelling encouragement, Jack urged him on.
“Come on, Jason! Run! You’ll make it!”
When Jason crossed home plate, Jack caught him up and swung him around. The boy was so excited he failed to notice that Evan, running slowly along behind him, was forced to stop on third base.
“Did ya see that, Joe?” Jason yelled. “I made a score.” When his excitement cooled down, he ran down the sideline to where Evan stood on third. “That was a whopper of a hit, Mr. Johnson.”
“You didn’t do too bad yourself.”
“Mr. Taylor’s comin’ up to bat. He’s a good hitter. We’ll be ahead if you can get to home base.”
“Then you’d better hang around and tell me when to go.”
“You bet.”
Julie’s heart swelled with joy for her little brother, who tried so hard to be like other boys in spite of his crippled foot. He had been only six years old when their mother died. Not much more than a child herself, Julie had tried to fill the void.
The game was called after seven innings in order to give the neighbors time to get home before night settled in. Jason’s team won and he was ecstatic.
Joe brought out the big granite coffeepot from the kitchen and filled cups while the women cut the cakes and pies and handed out the slices. Men squatted on the grass with cups of coffee and slabs of cake in their hands. The children gobbled down the first serving and came back for more.
“Wait until everyone has been served, then you can have more.” Grace herded the Birch children, hers and lona’s, into a line.
Julie noticed that Evan had chosen a piece of Birdie Stuart’s custard pie, as had her father, who had passed up the coconut cake and the raisin pie, which was his favorite. Evan had taken his pie and gone back to sink down on the grass beside Joe, but her father had stayed to talk with Birdie.
He’s making a fool of himself by being so obvious, Julie thought when she noticed Ruth watching him as he lingered to talk to her sister-in-law. Then a thought hit her that almost sent her reeling. What if Papa marries Birdie Stuart and brings her here to live? She took a deep quivering breath. She knew that it was his right to marry whomever he pleased, but what would she do? The house and the children would no longer be hers.
Pushing these disturbing thoughts to the back of her mind, she loaded a plate with slices of cake and carried it to the men sitting on the grass. By the time she reached Joe and Evan, all that was left on the plate were pieces of her spice cake.
“Cake, Mr. Johnson?”
“Hold it, Evan.” Joe grabbed Evan’s wrist when he reached for a slice. “Julie made that cake. Ain’t no tellin’ what’s in it. Could be mouse droppin’s.” His teasing dark eyes glinted up at Julie.
“Joseph Jones!” Julie kicked her brother’s foot. “Mr. Johnson will think you mean it.”
“I do mean it. She’s sneaky, Evan.”
“Guess, I’ll just have to risk it.” He reached for a piece of the cake, and for the first time she saw him smile. Julie’s heart thumped until she saw his eyes shift past her and realized that Birdie was beside her holding out the last piece of custard pie.
“I saved it for you, Mr. Johnson.” Birdie’s voice was no more than a husky whisper. Julie caught a whiff of Lily of the Valley perfume.
Julie stepped aside. She felt big and awkward beside the petite woman.
“Well, thank you, but I’ve had my share of custard pie tonight. Joe was complaining he’d not had any.” Evan took the pan from Birdie’s hand and held it out to Joe.
“You sure?” Joe said, but he was already dipping his hand into the pie dish.
Julie moved away and offered cake to the circle of men seated on the ground. Their talk and the squeals of the children chasing fireflies prevented her from hearing what else Birdie Stuart had to say to Evan and Joe. Birdie didn’t linger, Julie noticed. She was back at the picnic table when Julie returned with her empty plate. Her father had gone to squat down beside Wilbur Humphrey, Birdie’s brother.
Julie was aware that none of this had escaped the attention of Ruth Humphrey.
Chapter 5
THE TAYLORS WERE THE FIRST TO LEAVE and the Humphreys the last, after it was decided to have another ball game on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ll be here,” Ruth called gaily as she lifted her t
wo-year-old up onto the wagon bed.
“If you need help putting the roof on that cow shed, Wilbur, let me know, and me and the boys will be over to give you a hand.” Jethro stepped forward to lift Elsie Stuart up into the wagon to sit beside her mother.
“It’ll be a few days.”
“Have you been to the revival, Julie?” Ruth asked.
“No. I’m not much for revival meetings.”
“We’re going Saturday night. If you want, we’ll stop by for you.”
“Thank you, but I don’t think I’ll go.”
“The young people meet just before the service. This and That are going. They’ve got their eyes on a couple of girls,” Ruth said with a wink.
“You ort to go, Sis,” Jethro spoke up quickly. “I hear they got a hellfire-and-brimstone preacher.”
“Then you go, Papa.” Julie’s words came out stronger than she intended and Jethro frowned.
“Maybe I will,” he mumbled.
“We’ll stop by anyway, Julie. We had a good time.”
“So did we. ’Bye. See you Sunday if not before.”
* * *
On Saturday morning Jethro and Jack loaded two hogs in the wagon and took them to town. The sale of the hogs would clear up the bill at Oakley’s grocery store with money left over. Julie had sent a list with Jack to be filled at the store: sugar for canning, jar lids, salt and vinegar for making hominy and lye for making bar soap for washing. Julie and Jill worked in the garden after the kitchen was tidied, and Joe went over to help Evan work on his windmill.
Julie had decided to tell only Joe about her encounter on the road with Walter Johnson and about his threats to harm Jill and Jason. So far she’d had no opportunity to be alone with him. Her father had been quiet and moody lately, as if he had a lot on his mind. Julie decided not to add to his problems. He’d even been short with Joy and had made her cry, which was unusual because he doted on the child.
While Julie and Jill were setting the table for the noon meal, the wagon came down the lane.
“Jack’s comin’,” Joy yelled and raced through the house to the back porch. Joy never walked if she could run.
“Don’t set a place for Joe. If he was coming for dinner he’d be here now,” Julie said to Jill.
“I wouldn’t want to eat at that old Mr. Johnson’s.” Jill placed the extra plate back on the shelf.
“Are you talking about the son or the father?”
“Old Mr. Johnson. Evan is … kind of handsome and not so old.”
“But too old for you.”
“Why do you always say that? I read that back in the olden days girls got married at twelve.”
“And died during childbirth at thirteen.”
“Is that what Mama died of? She had Joy, then died.”
“Mama was weak from influenza. But tell me, has Walter Johnson ever bothered you?” Julie was suddenly breathless as she waited for her sister to answer.
“No. Katie McDonald said he pinched her sister on the butt.”
“Well, for goodness’ sake. Isn’t her sister the teacher over at Well’s Point? What was he doing way over there?”
“It’s where all the bootleggers hang out.”
“How do you know so much about it?”
“I ain’t deaf, Julie,” Jill said disgustedly. “I hear things.”
“You … ain’t?”
“I’m not.” Jill rolled her eyes to the ceiling.
“If that Walter Johnson comes near you, you scream your head off. Hear? Don’t let yourself get into a place where he could catch you alone, like when you’re walking over to the Jacobses. If you’ve got to go, ask Jack or Joe to take you on the horse.”
Jill paused and put her hands on her hips. “You know what they’d say if I asked them to take me to the Jacobses? They’d say, ‘You got two legs. Use ’em.’ ”
“You won’t have to ask them. I will.”
“Ruby May says that Mrs. Stuart has set her cap for Evan Johnson. Mrs. Humphrey will help her get him or any other man, for that matter.”
“How does Ruby May know that?”
“She heard her mother and Mrs. Humphrey talking. Mrs. Humphrey wants her out of the house. The only way she’s going to do it is get her married off. That kid of hers is a brat. Ruby May says she throws a fit if a dog comes near her.”
“She probably can’t help being afraid.”
“Bullfoot,” Jill snorted. “Mrs. Humphrey told Mrs. Jacobs that her sister-in-law was lazy and only worked when Mr. Humphrey came into the house.”
“Ruby May shouldn’t be spreading gossip.”
“Ruby told me not to tell anyone. But … oh, poot! If I can’t tell my very own sister—”
“Papa didn’t come back with Jack,” Jason announced from the back door. “Jack won’t say where he went, but he’s smilin’ real big and keeps sayin’, ‘Just wait, just wait.’ Make him tell, Julie.”
“Open the door, stinkpot.” Jack came in with a fifty-pound bag of sugar on his shoulder. “Where do you want this, Sis?”
“Leave it there by the door for now. Jill and I washed the big flour and sugar tins this morning, and they might not be completely dry yet.”
“What are you grinning about?” Julie studied the smile on her brother’s freckled face.
“You’ll see. Want me to take the vinegar to the cellar?”
“No. That’s my white pickling vinegar. I’m afraid someone will come along and dump it in with that old stuff in the barrel. When will Papa be back?”
“Soon.”
“Shall I set a place for him or not?”
“I don’t know.” Jack winked at Jason and hurried out.
“See? Julie, make him tell.”
“For crying out loud!” Julie exclaimed. “What’s got into you two?”
“Car comin’. Car comin’.” Joy pushed roughly past Jason, almost upsetting him, brushed against Julie and headed for the front of the house.
“That …that little … brat!” Jason sputtered.
“See who’s coming, Jason. Lord, I hope it isn’t someone we’ll have to invite to dinner. This is a skimpy meal.”
“It’s comin’ ’round—” Joy ran back through the kitchen. She was out the door and onto the porch.
“Grab her, Jason,” Julie shouted. “She might run right out in front of it.”
“Papa’s drivin’ a … car!” Jill squealed.
“Papa’s … drivin’ a car,” Joy repeated in a shrill voice over the excited barks from Sidney.
“Whose car is it?” Jill moved off the back porch and into the yard.
Julie stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on her apron.
“Well, whatta ya think?” Jack’s grin spread all over his face.
The Edge of Town Page 6