Abram's Daughters: The Betrayal Part 12

Mary Ruth spoke up. "She and Aunt Lizzie were out talkin' together earlier."

"Before Lizzie left for Bylers'?"

"Jah, 'bout then." Mary Ruth placed hot pads on the green-checked oilcloth. "I daresay she might've hopped in the buggy with Aunt Lizzie, come to think of it."

Ida dismissed that comment; Lizzie had better sense than to allow that. Besides, Ida didn't think Leah would be interested in a canning frolic at Gideon Peachey's grandparents' place. For that reason alone, she was sure Leah had not gone with Lizzie.

She had noticed Leah picking at her food here lately and wondered if something was troubling her. h that why Leah isn'thome for dinner? she wondered.

"Ain't like her not to tell someone," Hannah said, handing Lydiann to Mamma.

Abram added, "Oh, she'll be along soon enough, I 'spect."

But by dinner's end, Leah still had not come. "Shouldn't one of the girls go lookin' for her?" Ida suggested, beginning to worry.

Abram pulled on his beard, squinting his eyes. "Maybe she got to talkin' to Adah over at the smithy's ... and just stayed round there for lunch." j But Ida doubted that. Leah was being real careful not to = run into Gideon Peachey too often these days. Abram's -= remark was downright silly, and he knew it. 1; They bowed their heads for the after-mealtime prayer, but "1i Ida beseeched the Lord G.o.d heavenly Father for Leah's pro-1 153.

Hi hi, especially if she'd taken herself off to the woods. -p.' n Lnew, Leah ought not to be up there alone.

< niipletely="" off="" course,="" leah="" pursued="" yet="" another="" direc-="" in="" i="" !us="" time="" the="" way="" was="" even="" more="" densely="" overgrown="" h="" heiltfp="" and="" briar,="" leading="" to="" an="" outcrop="" of="" rocks="" and="" the="" den="" smell="" of="" animal="" carca.s.s="" below.="" she="" shook="" her="" head,="" glinted="" she'd="" gotten="" herself="" so="" disoriented="" after="" telling="" aunt="" uzlr="" she="" felt="" right="" confident.="" what="" would="" dot,="" say="" if="" he="">

Ill I 'ill hadn't any idea of her dilemma or that she'd even set p lih i Ik-woods. None of the family did.

I Win didn't I think to tell someone besides Aunt Li^ie? she I The farther she went, the less visible the sun became, its in blocked by thick cl.u.s.ters of branches overhead, webbed in interlocked like an enormous barrier between heaven andIt'll.

-"- y late afternoon Ida was beside herself with concern.

I mini was out running errands, and she didn't dare try to set li u iking for Leah on her own. She wouldn't consider sending I I mil father to search, not with his bad hip, nor the twins, illi Lizzie gone, the only other option was Sadie, but Ida ill i'i feel comfortable sending her eldest off to the dark woods, in 11 her rumschpringe Sadie had always been a home-body, ul Ida hoped to nurture that in her again. Besides, it 154.

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would never do if two of their girls got themselves lost up there.

Pacing back and forth between the barnyard and the kitchen door, she spied Gid strolling through the cornfield big as you please. "Say, Gideon!" she called to him, and the smithy's son came running. When she explained Leah had been gone since morning, "didn't even come home for the noon meal," Gid's face dropped and turned nearly ashen.

The young man sprang to life. "I'll take King along for some company," Gid said, calling to the German shepherd.

Ida was ever so glad; she felt she could rely on Gid to bring their girl home safe and sound. If anyone could, he could. She hoped and prayed it would be so.

The first signs of Leah were a few snippets of creamcolored stationery, torn to shreds. Gid picked up several, noticing the words Dear Jonas in Leah's own hand. Having attended school with her through eighth grade, he could have recognized her handwriting most anywhere. Truth be known, he was more than impressed with her neat writing, not to mention everything else about her, from as early as preschool days on. But lately he'd become more cautious, guarding his heart. He wouldn't allow himself to picture the day Abram's Leah tied the knot with someone other than himself because in his opinion she was the sweetest girl in the Gobbler's k.n.o.b church district. Sometimes he thought he might explore another district just once to see what other girls were available, but he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it, not yet. He couldn't imagine another as pretty and sweet as Leah, nor as kind.

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H I cull's dog sniffed the ground, as if trying to pick up her Him tn the depth of the woods. The dog, though intelligent, Hi) iu t been trained for tracking. Still, Gid was mighty glad Hf King's company today.

H lit? glanced at the torn pieces of Leah's letter, feeling awkHn< i="" with="" them="" in="" his="" hand.="" had="" she="" changed="" her="" mind="" about="" h&u'lhln="" 4="" important,="" tearing="" up="" the="" letter="" this="" way?="" gid="" halted="" the="" idea="" aside.="" after="" all,="" leah="" was="" a="" girl="" who="" knew="" hhtn="" nih'="" wanted,="" always="" had.="" just="" as="" he="" and="" leah="" had="" been="" hi="" inlly="" since="" childhood,="" leah="" and="" jonas="" mast="" had="" also="" been="" httiiiimy,="" though="" even="" closer,="" evidently,="" or="" so="" the="" grapevine="" hiil="" h,="" who="" was="" he="" to="" think="" otherwise?="" h="" iixeept="" now,="" with="" this="" torn="" letter...="" h="" (="" 'upping="" his="" hands="" around="" his="" mouth,="" he="" began="" to="" call="" hhiii'n="" name="" loudly.="" he="" hoped="" she="" was="" safe,="" not="" hurt="" or="" frighthl'il="" in="" any="" way.="" there="" were="" enough="" chilling="" tales="" a.s.sociated="" hili="" i="" his="" forest;="" it="" wouldn't="" do="" for="" a="" young="" woman="" to="" come="" hllult'iing="" up="" here="" alone,="" especially="" at="" night.="" and,="" best="" as="" he="" hull="" i="" estimate,="" dusk="" was="" less="" than="" three="" hours="" away.="" i="" le'd="" heard="" tell="" by="" his="" father="" abram's="" closest="" friend="" i=""> 11 oinething terrible had happened to Lizzie Brenneman " night in the midst of her rumschpringe in these very vvi ii Is. As a result, Lizzie had ended up with child, or so he llmujjht the story went. Providentially, only a handful of folk jyu! been aware of the circ.u.mstances at the time, and Bishop Hun rager had promptly ordered the whole thing hushed up. H Hut now, in the midst of his own "running-around Hhis," Gid was surprised to discover more than a few young Huplc held an alarmed apprehension of the enormous, dark Hohhler's k.n.o.b forest especially the girls. It was as if Lizzie

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Brenneman's secret had slowly trickled out over the years.

Leah, however, must not have heard the warnings, though he didn't see how, being Lizzie's niece and all. How was it possible for the Ebersol girls not to be privy to at least some of the dark rumors? For Lizzie's sake, he certainly hoped Abram's daughters had been protected from the truth. It wouldn't do to harp away on a close relative's painful past, even a shameful sin though thoroughly repented of, to be sure.

When Gid finally found Leah, he had been tramping through the wilds for a good forty minutes or longer. There she was, perched forlornly on a fallen oak tree, a mystified frown on her pretty face. "Did you hear me callin' back to you?" she asked when she saw him. "I heard you ahollerin' ... heard King's barkin', too. Oh, I'm so glad you found me!"

He hurried to her side. "I heard you, all right. I'm glad you're safe."

"I'm just tuckered out, is all. I've been wanderin' round and round in these woods for hours, seems to me."

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked, kneeling in the leaves.

"Past dinnertime, I'm sure."

Knowing Leah as he did, he was fairly certain she was being plucky for his sake. She must have been awful concerned ... and hungry. Then he saw tears well up in her eyes. At once gone were his former intentions, his determined stand against getting too close. Where Abram's Leah was con' cerned, his heart was still tender, though he would have liked

156 157Tke betrayal

[think olherwise. "I could carry you home if ... well, that jijl you're loo wore out to walk."

ft"! >h, I think I'll manage." She looked at him and smiled, fen I'lunccd at her stationery pad in her lap.

I mill1 family is awful worried, Leah. We daresn't delay,"

I m, I, enjoying these stolen minutes more than he cared to i hen I got lost this morning, I realized I'd mistakenly -ily one person where I was goin' ... Aunt Lizzie." She I . I, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. "She must not I ! a k from Gra.s.shopper Level yet."

I i ir as I know, she wasn't." He nuzzled King, too aware of I m'kward silence between them. To break it, he said, "Your my here is a mighty gut companion. And even though he li'i .1 trained hunter, he sure seemed to know where you It I "I Ir prob'ly followed the smell of the barn on me," she I I his brought a peal of laughter, and his heart was singing.

M'< i="" here="" any="" chance="" for="" them?="" any="" at="">

I King went and licked Leah's face, and she put her head U'li nnd talked to him like he was one of the family. Then b looked up at Gid. "I'm so grateful to you," she said, still piling. "And to your dog."

I "I le's yours, don't forget." He watched her face, the (hine.ss in her eyes. No, he thought, groaning inwardly. I km ih'iiy my affection for her. Soon she'll be married to another.

I l;oi now it was enough to see Leah smiling, knowing she'd Ifu lound.

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Sadie watched as Dat, Mamma, Dawdi John, and the twins all stood out in the backyard, eyes trained in antic.i.p.ation on the woods beyond the, barn. She had to wonder if such a fuss would be made over her once she turned up missing. The look of dire consternation in Dat's eyes just now was ever so telling.

"How long ago did you send Gid to search?" Dat asked Mamma, his right hand resting firmly on his lower back, as if in pain.

"More than an hour ago." Mamma shifted Lydiann in her arms.

"Why'd she have to go and get herself lost?" Sadie spoke up.

"Now, daughter..." Dat came walking toward her. He lowered his hat and his voice both at the same time. "You've done things twice as dumb as this," he said so only she could hear.

His remark took the breath clean from her.

She had nothing to say in response and wished she could run fast away. But she waited till they, one by one, headed inside for some cold drinks, Dat declaring up and down for her to holler right quick if she saw Leah or Gid, either one. She stared at the back door, her bare feet planted firmly in the gra.s.s as she peered past the screened-in porch and into Mamma's big kitchen beyond.

Once she was sure they were all preoccupied with ice-cold tea and whatnot, she stole away to the outhouse. Stopping to look back from that vantage point, she checked to see if they'd even noticed she was gone, then hurried on up the mule road, fast as she could go, to the woods herself.

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Out of breath, she stopped for a moment near the old lone wall that surrounded Aunt Lizzie's vegetable and flower i',;iklens. From far in the distance she heard the music of a liiinnonica and spirited laughter, and she caught a glimpse of ( iiil and Leah, the dog on their heels. Carefree-like, they nuide their way down the long rise together.

Sadie stared at the smithy's son and her own sister with unbelieving eyes. She never would've expected to see them like this. Not with Leah planning to marry Jonas here in a lew months, if not weeks.

Yet there they were, Gid, and Leah, holding hands and laughing and talking, looking like they felt awful cozy I ogether.

She crouched behind the ivy-strewn barrier, making sure neither one could spot her.

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I lie family gathered around Leah and Gid, making overhid, " I he lost is found," Dat said, eyes shining. Mamma nod i 11, hovering near.

I liinnah glanced around and noticed yet another sister nilMln^. "Well, now, where's Sadie?" she asked Mary Ruth, wlin Mood close by.

"I just saw her here. But maybe she's up there." Mary Ruth I .. ikftl toward the outhouse.

I laimah didn't think so, but she kept silent. Instead, she Miiinued to stew over Leah having disappeared for so long ill of them thanked Gid repeatedly for bringing her home ..l.-ly.

Dat followed close beside Leah as they headed toward the I muse, his arm out slightly as if he might scoop her up and i.nry her inside. Once indoors, Mamma insisted on sitting I ciih down in Dat's hickory rocker in the kitchen and giving In r some fresh-squeezed lemonade. Then she poured some forivcryone.

162cBt -ly J2t All the while, Gid's face kept changing colors from pink to red and back again, and Hannah wondered what that meant. She kept her eyes wide open, noting how he spoke ever so kindly, if not tenderly, to Leah. And she knew, right then and there, why Dat had set his sights on Gid Peachey for Leah. Such a thoughtful young man he was. What's keptLeah from losing her heart to Gid? she pondered. Did Jonas simply catch her attention first!

Just then Gid began to recount how he'd found Leah in the woods. "King, here, sniffed his way to her, just like a trackin' dog."

"But we know he ain't that!" Dat said, having himself a hearty laugh, surely aware even the dog was fond of Leah, just as they all were.

Especially Gid, Hannah noticed again.

Except for Sadie now being the absent one, it looked as if things might return to normal this evening. She hoped so because she didn't ever want to endure another day like this. She wanted her family, each one, to remain sheltered and altogether free from care. It wasn't good for a body to get as worked up as they all had been.

A few hours after Leah's return, Aunt Lizzie and Sadiecame wandering into the kitchen together. Smithy Gid rnul been gone for quite some time, and the rhythm and routimof the family was as expected, even though supper was to be served much later than usual.163C n e idetrayal I Leah was relieved to be home. Gladly, she helped Mamma Ifiul I he twins with the cooking and took turns keeping IIVIi;inn occupied and happy.

I I Hie to her own difficult decision made while in the Iwni ids, Leah felt her joy had evaporated her month-long IvlNil to Ohio was not to be. Yet she believed her idea was * -.1' lie's best and only hope.

I The minute she and Sadie were alone in their room, she It' coaled Jonas's written invitation and their father's unI' pccted decision. "Dat gave me his blessin'," she said, then l'-msed. "But now ... I'm startin' to think it might be best if I1 ilnn't go at all. Why don't you go instead?"

I Sadie, suddenly wide-eyed, stared at her. "You want me II"'

I "Jah, and stay with the Mellingers' elderly mother you'd Iliiivo a right nice visit."

I "You're giving up your time with Jonas?"

j Slowly at first, Leah opened her heart to her sister, sharing what she felt was of the greatest importance. "The bishop I ln-re might help you, Sadie."