The Betrayal

by Beverly Lewis

  ‘‘Books like that have plenty of truth in them. Sometimes it’s what the characters learn from goin’ through a trial; other times it’s—’’ ‘‘My dear girl,’’ Mamma interrupted, ‘‘you best be holdin’ your tongue.’’

  ‘‘Aw, but, Mamma, you could see for yourself.’’ She hurried to her mother’s side and removed Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book from the pile. ‘‘Just look.’’ She opened the pages to the beginning, hoping against hope Mamma might give her an opportunity to explain.

  Her mother gave her a stern look. ‘‘You must return the books before they start you thinkin’ like the English.’’

  ‘‘All the books, Mamma?’’

  ‘‘If they ain’t for studyin’, then I’m ’fraid so.’’

  That was the last word on the subject. Mary Ruth knew better than to continue to argue. She collected the four novels from Mamma’s hands. Suddenly she thought of a place she might store them till it was time to return them to the library. Would Dottie Nolt mind if she kept some books at her house? Since she was headed to the Nolts’ after the noon meal tomorrow, the timing was altogether perfect.

  ‘‘Will you be tellin’ Dat?’’ Mary Ruth hoped to be spared his wrath.

  Mamma’s eyes softened. ‘‘Your father has enough on his mind now, what with Sadie off in Ohio. As long as there are no more books like that kind in this house, he won’t know this time.’’

  Sighing, Mary Ruth thought yet again of Dottie, who was as understanding a woman as any she’d known—even if Dottie was an Englisher.

  Leah took Dawdi John to another appointment with Dr. Schwartz late in the afternoon. If she got the chance today, she would thank the doctor yet again for allowing her to use his office telephone before clinic hours to make her longdistance call to Jonas. He had even been kind enough to step out of the small room, giving her a bit of privacy. Carefully following Sadie’s instructions to tell the phone operator David Mellinger’s name and home address, Leah had thought placing the call had been nearly as easy as preparing a picnic. She had been rather astonished at how much Sadie knew about the English world, though in this case, her sister’s understanding of the telephone had turned out to be downright helpful.

  Until Dawdi would return to the waiting room, Leah wandered over to the bulletin board near the receptionist’s alcove. There she scanned the many personal ads—baby-sitting needed, lost dog, and suchlike.

  It was the typewritten notice regarding fall cleaning, a request for window washing, that caught her eye. When she looked closer, she saw the person posting it was none other than Dr. Schwartz. Then and there, she decided if he was willing to hire her to wash the clinic windows, she could earn back the money she’d borrowed from Mary Ruth. In short order, maybe. Truth be told, she was also downright curious about the doctor, who seemed altogether kind and gentle—a far cry from his son, if it was his Derry who had fathered Sadie’s baby.

  When Dawdi John came out of the examining room leaning on the doctor’s arm, she quickly went over and asked what she must do to apply for the job. She turned and pointed to the bulletin board.

  Dr. Schwartz lowered his glasses and smiled, narrowing his gaze to focus on her alone. ‘‘I’d like to think I’m a man who knows an honest face when I see one.’’ He turned to Dawdi. ‘‘Can you vouch for your granddaughter?’’

  Dawdi John beamed from ear to ear. ‘‘Leah’s one responsible young woman.’’

  ‘‘Then, I say she has the job.’’

  ‘‘When would you want me?’’ she asked, feeling good about this already.

  ‘‘This Saturday, first thing.’’

  She said she must first help her father with the morning milking but that she could arrive shortly thereafter. ‘‘Is that agreeable to you?’’

  He seemed pleased. ‘‘I’ll look forward to having clean windows.’’

  ‘‘Awful nice of you to lend me your telephone before,’’ she remembered to say as she helped Dawdi to the door.

  ‘‘Anytime,’’ the doctor replied.

  On the ride home, Dawdi asked, ‘‘Do you think your father will approve of you working for Dr. Schwartz? He’s English, after all.’’

  ‘‘Well, why not?’’ she replied quickly. ‘‘Mary Ruth is lots younger, and Dat lets her work for Englishers. Besides, it’s just a one-time job, not every week like Mary Ruth’s work at the Nolts’.’’

  That evening when Leah approached her father about the job at the clinic, Dat said he didn’t mind if she wanted to earn a bit of pocket change. She was both glad and relieved, for she desired to continue her peaceable working relationship with Dat. But, more and more, she felt it wrong to hold out on both him and Mamma regarding Sadie’s plight.

  Her baptism day was soon upon her—hers and Jonas’s— and it was time to be honest with herself about just what sort of girl she truly was, deep down. Far as she was concerned, she’d had no right to speak out pointedly to Sadie about repenting, not with her own heart so tainted.

  She swept out the barn, then went out to the pasture, fixing to bring home the cows for milking. All the while she battled within herself, feeling more wicked with each passing hour. Here she was learning from the ministers all the Scriptures pertaining to baptism, even memorizing the articles of faith, and what was she doing but concealing a secret sin. Not her own, true, but in a way it might as well have been. The secret pact she’d made with her sister had come between herself and the Lord God. This she knew, sure as the harvest.

  Almost immediately on this first full day in Millersburg, Sadie made the surprising discovery that the area postman delivered the mail at four o’clock of an afternoon—the Mellinger spread being the last house on his route. The Widow Mellinger had written out a list of chores for Sadie to do, ‘‘once you’re settled in a bit.’’ One of the things expected of her was to bring in from the mailbox the widow’s many letters coming from Sugarcreek and Walnut Creek, Ohio, and even some from Shipshewana, Indiana. Edith loved hearing from her Friendship Circle, all of them Plain, including several Old Order River Brethren women. Sadie didn’t blame Edith— after all, the woman could scarcely move about the Dawdi Haus, what with her asthma acting up. Still, Edith Mellinger went at her correspondence as if her very existence were in jeopardy if she would but dally only a few hours before responding to her beloved pen pals.

  David and Vera Mellinger’s farmhouse was laid out much like the Ebersol house, with several exceptions, one being a connecting doorway between the large kitchen in the main house and the small kitchen in the Dawdi Haus, where David’s mother, Edith, resided. Back home, the connecting doorways were between the two front rooms, making it a longer trek for Dawdi John to get from his rocking chair to Mamma’s table.

  Sadie’s bedroom was situated on the second floor of Edith’s Dawdi Haus—a secluded sanctuary, to be sure, since Edith could barely negotiate the main-level rooms, let alone the stairs. Once Sadie ascended the wood staircase in the evening, she felt as if she were heading off to a vacation of sorts, and glad of it.

  Graciously, Vera had urged her to come over ‘‘next door’’ any time at all and help herself to whatever she could find in the icebox. Sadie had felt altogether comfortable around both David and Vera from the start. The three Mellinger children were as delightful and well behaved as any youngsters she’d known. Jonas, too, seemed to be going out of his way to be kind, beginning with his warm smile when he greeted her at the pint-sized train depot.

  Today she had just opened the icebox to get some ice cubes for the sun tea Vera had set out on the back porch when here came Jonas into the kitchen. ‘‘Would you care for some tea?’’ she asked.

  He nodded. ‘‘How’d you know that’s what I wanted?’’

  ‘‘By the thirsty look on your face.’’ She felt a little silly saying so.

  He chuckled at that. ‘‘David sent me in for a Thermos full.’’

  ‘‘I’ll be glad to fill it for you anytime,’’ she offered.

  He stood there, still
smiling. ‘‘First time away from home?’’ he asked.

  The peace of Millersburg had caught her off guard, and so had Jonas Mast. ‘‘Well, jah, I s’pose it is.’’

  ‘‘Anytime you’re homesick and want to take a walk, just let me know. After all, we’re soon to be brother and sister, ain’t?’’

  She was a bit startled by his disarming smile and cordial ways. ‘‘Denki,’’ she managed to say. ‘‘I’ll let you know.’’

  Weary from a long and busy day cleaning the clinic windows, Leah headed upstairs after evening prayers and was quite surprised to discover a small notebook lying open on her bed.

  ‘‘What’s this?’’ she whispered, picking it up and realizing it was the makeshift diary Hannah wrote in most every day. The note, attached with a paper clip, caught her eye.

  Dear Leah,

  I feel anxious and peculiar asking you to read one of my recent diary entries, but when you do, I hope you’ll understand. I’ve wanted to share this with you for a few days now, but I’ve been back and forth with the notion . . . ever so confused, really.

  Maybe we should talk privately after you read this.

  With love,

  Your sister Hannah

  Well, she’d never encountered this before. What could be so important her shyest of sisters should invite a peek at her secret musings?

  Dear Diary,

  This is a sad day for our family. How awful strange not to know what to think or do first. So I’m writing what I know, or believe to know, in this notebook.

  To begin with, I innocently overheard my eldest sister say some frightening things to baby Lydiann this morning while Mamma was gone from the house. Sadie was holding Lydiann in her arms, talking ever so softly about another baby. A baby boy Sadie had supposedly birthed—but he had died for some reason, she said. I’m guessing I must’ve heard wrong. Surely none of this is true. Is my Sadie suffering in the head? I’m ever so worried for her!

  Now I fear I must tell Mamma . . . or Leah, maybe. Otherwise, I cannot live with this knowledge. Please, dear Lord God heavenly Father, may Sadie understand that by my recording these words here, I am doing what I believe to be right for her sake. Not for any other reason would I reveal any of this.

  Respectfully,

  Hannah Ebersol

  Leah looked around the room she’d shared with Sadie her whole life. The place seemed too empty just now. What am I to do? she wondered.

  But she knew she must nip in the bud those things Hannah had overheard. She took the diary notebook with her and headed down the hall to Hannah and Mary Ruth’s bedroom.

  Leah knocked and poked her head in after one of them said, ‘‘Come in.’’ Turned out both twins were dressed for bed, and Mary Ruth had begun brushing her strawberry blond locks.

  Hannah was sitting on the cane chair near the dresser, removing her white head covering. ‘‘What is it?’’ she asked, glancing nervously at Mary Ruth.

  Leah motioned with her finger, trying not to call too much attention to herself, carefully keeping Hannah’s diary behind her back. ‘‘Can you come to my room for a minute?’’ She hoped Mary Ruth wouldn’t trail along as she often did. Where one twin went, the other seemed content to follow.

  Once Leah had quietly closed her door, she opened Hannah’s notebook to the revealing page. ‘‘I just read this. You did the right thing, sharin’ with me this way.’’

  Hannah was silent, brown eyes blinking.

  ‘‘Best keep mum about this for now.’’ She paused. ‘‘No need worryin’ Mamma and Dat.’’

  Hannah nodded, seemingly willing to keep both her diary closed and her lips locked tight.

  Such a sorry situation this was. Not only did Naomi Kauffman and Adah Peachey know something of Sadie’s sin, but now Hannah knew—and knew the worst part of it. Goodness’ sake, Leah thought, it won’t be long before everyone knows!

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ida sat next to Abram in the front seat of the open spring wagon, brooding over Sadie, now absent more than a week. The sun was exceptionally warm for the second to the last day of August, and there was precious little breeze as they rode to Grasshopper Level for a Saturday afternoon visit with Peter and Fannie Mast. Ida was awful glad to have received word from Millersburg, though not directly from Sadie. Vera Mellinger, David’s wife, had taken time to pen a quick note, saying, All is well here with your eldest. We’ll take care to see she attends church with us, as well as Bible study on Wednesday nights.

  Neither Ida nor Abram had figured Jonas was involved in such a forward-looking church. The Amish here shied away from organized study of the Bible. So now Sadie, too, would be attending a more open-minded community. Still, Leah had said Jonas spoke favorably of the bishop there, so Ida tried to set aside her concerns and simply look forward to Sadie’s return in time for the Mast-Ebersol wedding. She would pray all was well with her dearest girl.

  In the second seat of the wagon, Leah and Aunt Lizzie sat together, with Hannah and Mary Ruth on the bench behind them. The wide cart was still full despite having a bit more breathing room, given Sadie was absent and Dawdi John had decided to stay home and rest. In no time Lydiann fell asleep in Mamma’s arms, lulled by the swaying and the peaceful clipclopping of the horse’s hooves.

  Leah watched the landscape drift slowly by—plentiful trees, songbirds, grassy fields, and acres of cornstalks standing sentry. She wished she might relive the day she’d gotten herself so mixed-up in the forest—embarrassingly lost. Thinking back on it, she felt downright peculiar about Gid making over her like he had. She hoped to goodness he hadn’t gotten the wrong notion from her. Still, it was awful kind of him to find her and help her home, weary as she’d been.

  Sighing, her thoughts flew to Sadie, as they often did now, and her sister’s final words to her at the Strasburg trolley. I’ll be missing your baptism. . . . Sadie had said it so convincingly, as if it truly mattered she wouldn’t be a witness to Leah’s life covenant.

  She wondered how long before a letter from her sister might arrive. After all, Sadie had offered to write, and Leah was glad about that. She felt she might burst into tears, the whole of it was such a troubling thing, even now.

  Aunt Lizzie touched her arm, patting it gently. ‘‘Best not fret, Leah,’’ she whispered.

  Leah knew she must trust in the Lord God heavenly Father on behalf of Sadie. She would try harder to pray more often for her sister. That and encourage Jonas—in her very next letter—to look after Sadie, though there was little time before he’d be home for his baptism. She could hardly wait! Having Jonas back even for a weekend would lift their spirits— all of them—for he would surely tell how Sadie was getting along at the Mellingers’.

  As the minutes wore on she watched the clouds glide across the sky. How eager she was to see and hold Cousin Fannie’s twin babies. She and Mary Ruth would be the ones most captivated by the twins’ sweet babyhood, she was sure. Hannah, on the other hand, was somewhat unsure of herself around young ones, infants especially.

  Mamma must have been thinking along the same lines, for she said, ‘‘Girls, be extra careful if you hold either of Fannie’s babies. ’Specially Jake. He’s not nearly as robust and healthy as his sister Mandie. Nor Lydiann, neither one.’’

  ‘‘We promise to be gentle, Mamma,’’ Mary Ruth quickly replied from the back of the spring wagon.

  Once they arrived Dat let them off within a few yards of the back door, then drove up to the barn. Peter Mast was waiting there to help unhitch and water the horse. ‘‘Hullo, Abram. I see you’ve got one less mouth to feed,’’ Peter was heard to say.

  Leah paid little mind to his comment and walked across the yard and up the back steps, along with Mamma, Aunt Lizzie, and the twins. Cousin Fannie, all rosy cheeked, greeted them splendidly as always. Leah had to grin, wondering why they didn’t visit here more often, so pleasant it was. Fannie, her mother-in-law-to-be, was smiling at each of them, offering some ice-cold peppermint water for ‘‘whoever’s th
irsty.’’ Imagining the wedding-day feast they’d be putting on before long, Leah clasped Fannie’s outstretched hands.

  ‘‘Just look at you,’’ Fannie said, eyes aglow. ‘‘How’s our next young bride?’’

  Leah felt her cheeks turn instantly warm, and Mamma spoke up right softly. ‘‘Best not be sayin’ such things just yet.’’

  Fannie gave a nod of the head. Leah, ever so glad none of the Mast boys were within hearing distance, went and sat at the table with her cousins Rebekah and Katie. Young Martha came over quickly and perched herself on the edge of the long bench, eyes alight with curiosity. Surely Jonas’s family had some idea of their plans to marry, though it wasn’t their custom for couples to speak openly of their engagement this many weeks before the wedding season.

  ‘‘Didja pick your bridesmaids?’’ Rebekah piped up, surprising them all.

  Thankfully Mamma intervened yet again. ‘‘Now, Becky . . .’’ Her eyes turned solemn and her voice a bit prickly.

  Aunt Lizzie added more tenderly, ‘‘Let’s just wait on that,’’ with a peculiar, even restrained, smile.

  Jonas and the upcoming wedding aside, the high point of the visit was all of them tiptoeing upstairs to have a look-see at Jacob and Amanda. ‘‘Ach, they’re but wee ones,’’ Aunt Lizzie was first to say, reaching with outstretched arms for fair-haired Mandie. She received her from Fannie and set to cooing like a contented mamma chick. Mamma’s arms were full up with Lydiann, who looked nearly twice as big as Fannie’s twins, though she was younger.

  Leah was hesitant to step up when Fannie held up the next bundle, one a mite smaller—tiny Jake. ‘‘Do you mind if I hold him first?’’ she asked Hannah and Mary Ruth.

  Fannie clucked warmly at this, and Mary Ruth frowned, as if impatient for her turn.

  Jake’s awful cute, Leah quickly decided, cradling him and looking down at his miniature button nose, closed eyes, and wee, oval-shaped mouth. His fingers were the smallest she’d ever seen, his nails nearly the size of raindrops.