Ordinarily the family would have gathered on the front porch during the twilight hours and everything that had happened on the first day at school would have been discussed.
Tonight Joe and Jack had not returned to the house after the evening meal. Jason was in the orchard with Sidney and Joy. Julie and Jill were in the kitchen. The front porch was occupied by Jethro, Birdie and Elsie.
It was almost eight o’clock when Julie lit the lamp and placed it on the table. She sat down to darn socks and Jill brought out a book to read.
“What did she do all day?” Jill asked.
“She set up the ironing board and ironed a few things she’d rinsed out in the wash dish. She spent the rest of the time in Papa’s room.”
“The brat, too?”
“Joy begged her to come and play. She refuses to have anything to do with her.”
“I wish Joy wouldn’t beg her.”
“Joy’s just a little girl, honey. She doesn’t understand why Elsie won’t play with her. Elsie is just a little girl, too. She’s being shaped by her mother’s influence.”
“Where did you learn all that?”
“It’s common horse sense.” Julie grinned at her sister and put her darning back in the basket. “I’ve got to get Joy and Jason in. The mosquitoes will eat them up.”
Later, after Jason had washed and been sent up to bed and Julie was washing Joy, Birdie and Elsie came into the kitchen, followed by Jethro.
“I don’t see how you girls can stand to stay in this hot kitchen.” Birdie smiled rather tightly and fanned herself and Elsie with a feathered fan. “Thank goodness our room is cooler.” She pumped a quantity of water into the tin sink with the hand pump before filling a glass for Elsie. “Say good night to the girls, sugar. Wake me in the morning, Julie, so I can help with breakfast.”
Julie looked from Birdie to her father, who stood behind Birdie, and nodded her head.
The pair went to their room and as soon as Birdie lit the lamp, the door closed.
Jethro stood for a moment looking from one daughter to the other, then, with sagging shoulders, went out onto the back porch.
Just as Julie lifted Joy down from the chair after running the wet cloth over her legs and feet, a piercing scream came from the bedroom. The door was thrown open and Birdie, yelling for Jethro and clutching Elsie, burst from the room.
“What’s the matter?” Jethro came hurrying in from the porch.
“Sn-ake! In there …under the pillow. Oh, God! It was two inches from Elsie.”
“A snake in the house?”
Jethro went into the bedroom and came out holding a green snake just below the head. The snake, about six inches long, was trying to curl itself around his hand.
“It’s just a harmless little old grass snake, Birdie. Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Oh … keep it away! How did it get in? Are there more?”
“I’ve never found one in the house,” Julie said. “I imagine it came in with the clothes she left lying on the porch.”
Jethro went to the porch and flung the snake out into the lilac bushes.
“Did you kill it?” Birdie asked when he returned.
“It’s gone.”
“I don’t know if I can sleep in there tonight.”
“I’ll come in and look around. Like Julie said, it probably got into the clothes you had on the porch and you carried it in.”
As soon as their father and Birdie went to the bedroom, Jill looked at Julie with a happy grin and mouthed, “Jason.”
“Why’s she scared?” Joy asked. “Jason—”
Julie clamped her hand over the child’s mouth and whispered in her ear.
“We’ll talk about it upstairs.”
After Joy was tucked into bed, Julie took the lamp and went into the boys’ room. Jason’s eyes were wide open and he was grinning.
“She yelled loud, didn’t she?”
“Jason Jones, you rascal! You put that snake in there, didn’t you?”
“You didn’t see me.”
“No, I didn’t, but I know you did. Papa better not find out.”
“I wish it’d been a great big rattler.”
“No, you don’t. You scared her good. That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Don’t do anything like that again, or Papa will catch on. Promise?”
“Promise, and … thanks for not telling.”
Julie’s fingers made a twisting movement against her lips. “My lips are locked.”
“You’re the best sister in the whole world.” Jason wound his arms around Julie’s neck. “If Papa marries her, will you stay here? You’ll not go off and leave us?”
Julie kissed him on the forehead. “If I go anywhere at all, you’ll go with me. That’s a promise.”
“Cross your heart?”
“Cross my heart, hope to die, poke a needle in my eye and cut my throat if I tell a lie. Satisfied?” She kissed him again. “Now, go to sleep.”
It was a promise Julie swore to keep should it become necessary for her to leave.
Chapter 21
WHEN IS DOC GOING TO LIFT THE QUARANTINE on Bloom’s place?” Chief Appleby dropped his lanky body down in the chair beside young Dr. Forbes’s desk.
“The boy is no longer contagious, but Doc is going to keep the quarantine on until next week.” Dr. Todd Forbes’s eyes held a roguish twinkle.
“Giving Mrs. Bloom an extended vacation, huh?”
“Something like that.”
“Any new cases of diphtheria?”
“None, thank God. Four is too many for this small town.” The young doctor leaned back in his chair. “Do you think Bloom could be our rapist?”
“No, but I could be wrong. In the first place, he’s dumb as a stump. In the second place, he’s usually drunk. Neither of the girls I’ve talked to have mentioned that they smelled liquor.”
“Logical reasoning.”
“I’d appreciate it if, while you’re visiting around, you would mention Springfield or the southern part of the state and see if anyone admits to having been there. Our fellow may have gone down there during the war and done the same thing he’s doing here.”
“Doc mentioned that you’re from down around Springfield.”
“The girl I was going to marry was raped and murdered while I was in France. I figure she knew who he was and he couldn’t let her live. The same could happen here.”
“And you’ve traced him to Fertile.”
“I wasn’t sure until Doc told me that two or three girls a year were showing up pregnant and being sent away. No telling how many he’s raped who didn’t get pregnant. I’ve been told that once a man starts raping and gets away with it, he doesn’t stop.”
“Anyone special you want me to nose around?”
Corbin pulled a paper from his shirt pocket and laid it on the desk. Dr. Forbes picked it up, scanned the names and then folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
“I’ve not had much experience in this sort of thing.”
“Neither have I. All the police work I’ve done was in the army and this is far different.” Corbin stood. “How’s the ball team shaping up?”
“Not bad. We’ve got two pretty good hitters on the team. I don’t think we’ll get skunked.”
“Practice again tomorrow night?”
“And again Sunday afternoon.” Dr. Forbes grinned. “The banker, Amos Wood, has been after me to come to Sunday dinner. So far my excuse has been I can’t play ball on a full stomach. When this game is over, I’II have to think of something else.”
Corbin laughed. “Trying to reel you in for Miss Zelda? Thank God he and I got started off on the wrong foot. He avoids me like poison.”
“Some fellows have all the luck.”
* * *
On Friday, after an early supper, Jill and Julie washed fruit jars in the big tub on the back porch. By dark, three dozen shining mason jars were turned upside down on a clean cloth on the porch. Early Saturday morning, Joe and Jack picked the ripe
tomatoes and washed and stemmed them, while Julie and Jill sterilized the jars with boiling water.
After removing the skins of the tomatoes by dipping them in very hot water, Julie packed the jars and made them ready for the hot water bath that would seal and preserve them for future use. It was a family project, with everyone doing his or her part, from Jason, who carried the skins and culled tomatoes to the hogs, to Joe and Jack, who kept the fire going under the copper boiler in the yard.
Jethro went to herd their milch cows to the alfalfa pasture; and when he returned, he took a crate of eggs to town. He had asked Jason and Joy if they wanted to go; but when they learned that Birdie and Elsie were going with him, Jason said that he’d stay and help with the canning. Without Jason to watch Joy, she had to remain, too, and had to be consoled with the promise of a ride on Jack’s horse.
Rid of the depressing presence of Birdie, Julie’s mood lightened, as did that of the other members of the family. They worked happily together, and an hour before noon, all the jars were packed with juicy red tomatoes and waiting for the hot water bath. While the oven was hot, Julie stirred up a dessert she had always called Hurry-Up Pudding because it took only a few minutes to prepare. It was her mother’s recipe, one she had written on the back of an envelope.
Julie had just slipped the pan in the oven when she heard Joy squeal. She hurried to the door in time to see Evan scoop the child up in his arms and step onto the porch. Joy clung to his neck and placed kisses on his cheek. He had a huge smile on his face, and something deep inside Julie trembled for a moment.
“If I’d known I’d get this kind of reception, I’d have come over sooner.” His smiling eyes caught and held Julie’s.
“Mornin’,” Julie said shyly, wrapping her hands in her apron and stepping out onto the porch. Oh, Lord! I must look a sight— my hair, my wet apron— “Joe and Jack are out back … some-place.”
“I saw them. I came over to make sure you didn’t forget about tonight.”
“I haven’t forgotten.” Julie pushed the damp hair from her face with the back of her hand. “We’ve been canning tomatoes.”
“Joe said your … company went to town with Jethro.”
“They’ll be back soon.”
Evan searched her face and found lines of fatigue. He wanted to touch her, but with Joy in his arms he could only caress her with his eyes.
“You don’t have to hold her—”
“I know.” He lowered the child to the porch and took a candy stick from his shirt pocket. “A sweet for a sweet pretty little girl.”
“Ohhhh …” Joy squealed. Then, “Can Jason have one?”
“Joy!”
“I already gave Jason one.”
“What do you say, Joy?” Julie prompted.
“Thank you. I’ll give you another kiss if you want one.” She looked up at him with a cocky little grin.
“Well, now, that’s an offer I can’t turn down.” He squatted down and Joy planted a wet, sticky kiss on his cheek.
“Thank you,” he said and stood.
“Evan, I didn’t know you were here.” The screen door slammed when Jill came out of the kitchen. “Did Julie tell you that we got a breather from the witch and her brat?”
“Jill, for goodness’ sake!”
“It’s what she is. I hate her more and more. I think maybe Papa’s beginning to think she’s not all that grand anymore.”
Julie turned to look at her sister. “Why do you say that?”
“For a couple of nights he’s found something to do in the barn after supper. Last night he was sitting out there on a box, not doing anything.”
“Maybe he was tired.”
“Yeah. Sure. Evan, are you courting Julie?”
“For crying out loud! Jill—” Julie wished that a hole would open up and she could drop into it.
“I’m trying to, Jill.” Sparks of amusement glittered in Evan’s eyes as color rose up Julie’s neck to flood her face. “Do you mind?”
“Heavens, no. I think she’s taken a shine to you, too. Oh, gosh, I’d better get out of here. She’s going to kill me after you leave. Come on, brat.” Jill grabbed Joy’s hand, jerked her off the porch and headed for the barn.
“I apologize for—”
“Don’t. I’m glad she feels free to come right out and ask.”
“There …isn’t a bashful bone in her body.”
“How is it going with Mrs. Stuart?”
“It’s like a …standoff. She comes out at mealtime and that’s about all. I don’t know what she finds to do in that room all day. In the evening she sits with Papa on the porch.”
“And fills his head with strange notions?”
“Yes. Did Joe tell you?”
“He told me. What’s important to me is that you didn’t believe her. It’s hard to fight back against a woman, but I have a few cards up my sleeve.”
Julie walked with him out to the fence where he had tied his horse.
“You’re welcome to stay to dinner.”
“Thank you, but I’d better get back home. Walter—” Evan stopped what he was saying and looked up at the sky.
Julie’s eyes followed his, and then she heard the faint drone of an airplane engine.
“It’s a Jennie,” Evan exclaimed. “I’d recognize the sound of that motor anywhere.” He shaded his eyes. “There she is!” He pulled Julie in front of him and turned her. “She’s coming right over town.”
The two-winged airplane descended and flew over the farm. The man in the open cockpit waved something red.
“Good Lord! It’s Wesley!” Evan mounted his horse and raced out into the open pasture, waving his arms at the circling plane.
The horses in the side pasture neighed and ran the fence line. The chickens squawked, and the two big geese ran for the shelter of the lilac bushes. Joe and Jack came running out of the barn with Jason, followed by Jill and Joy.
“That’s an airplane!”
“What’s Evan doing?”
“Is it comin’ back?”
“Will it hit the house?”
No one waited or expected a question to be answered. All eyes were on the plane and on Evan, who was now waving a white handkerchief. The plane soared over Evan and dipped its wings several times. Evan raced back to the house.
“He’s going to land in the pasture,” he said excitedly. “I told him the farm was south of town. He probably thinks that this is the place.”
“Can we see the airplane?” Jason asked.
The Edge of Town Page 30