“I can’t find Jason,” Julie gasped. Then, remembering her manners: “Hello, Chief Appleby.”
Joe stepped off the porch. “Isn’t he in the barn?”
“No. The only place I haven’t looked is the cellar, but he couldn’t lift the door, then close it behind him.”
“Don’t worry, Sis. Joe and I will find him.” Jack set Joy on her feet.
“I’m afraid he’s taken Sidney and run off.”
Jill stood on the porch holding tightly to Joy’s hand to keep her from following Joe and Jack.
“I just knew something like this would happen,” Jill blurted. “I hope
he’s
satisfied.”
“Tell me where to look.” Corbin ran his fingers through his hair to shake out the water. His sharp ears had caught Jill’s words and wondered who the
he
was.
“Jason may have gone over to the Humphreys’,” Jack said.
“He wouldn’t have gone there, knowing that Papa would be there. He may have gone toward town,” Jill said.
“Is Jason lost?” Joy pulled on Jill’s hand.
“We just don’t know where he is,” Jill answered patiently.
“I don’t want Jason to be lost.” Joy began to cry.
“I didn’t meet anyone on the road,” Corbin said.
“Jack, why don’t you take the lane through the woods that comes out at Well’s Point?”
“I’ll get a bridle and grab a horse as I go through the pasture.” Jack darted into the tack room.
Julie clutched Joe’s arm. “Joe, I’m afraid of … you know.”
Corbin saw the fear on Julie’s face and heard her whispered words to her brother. Was she afraid the boy would fall in the river or was there something else frightening her?
“He hasn’t been gone long enough to get far. I’ll get my horse and search the timber between us and the Johnsons’ where we cut the dead trees; and Chief Appleby, if you don’t mind, take a look in the patch of woods between here and town. He may have decided to go that way,” Joe said.
“Sis, you stay here with Jill and Joy; and if he comes back, pull on the lever that starts the windmill. If we see the blades turning, it means he’s been found.”
“Hurry, Joe. Please hurry.”
Julie was afraid that Walter Johnson had come across Jason out in the woods. Would Sidney be able to protect him against a man Walter’s size? This spring the dog had set himself between Jason and a mean bull, giving the boy time to roll under a fence. But a man could pick up a club and knock the animal senseless.
Corbin lingered to speak to Julie. When he had met her before, she had been as tranquil as a harbor in a storm. Today, she was different. She was on edge; her eyes were never still. He sensed that there was something troubling her in addition to not being able to find her brother.
“Are there any pits or wells or areas of quicksand around here the boy could have fallen into?” Fear flickered across her face and he added, “It’s a question that’s asked when a child is missing.”
“There are no pits or wells that I know of. I’ve heard that there’s quicksand down by the river.”
“How far are you from the river?”
“About a mile and a half. Jason … can’t walk very fast.”
“I noticed that he wore a special shoe. Do you think he’s had time to get to the river?”
“I’m trying to think of the last time I saw him. It couldn’t have been more than an hour ago that he was sitting on the porch with Sidney.”
“Sidney is his dog?”
“Papa told him that he had to keep Sidney tied in the barn,” Jill said angrily. “Jason hardly ever goes anywhere without Sidney tagging along.”
“I suppose your father has a reason for wanting the dog tied in the barn.”
“You can bet your sweet patoot he does!”
“Jill, please don’t,” Julie scolded her sister, while her eyes continued to scan the edges of the woods surrounding the homestead.
“I’ll look for him between here and town, Miss Jones.”
“Thank you.”
Corbin took off across the pasture that was used for the ball games. Julie watched him running easily, but her concern for her little brother overwhelmed any further interest.
Oh, God, please don’t let Jason be with Walter Johnson.
Thoughts of Birdie Stuart had fled to the back of Julie’s mind. Jason was hurting, feeling he had been shoved aside by his father in favor of a spoiled little brat he detested. Julie feared that he might have gone to Evan and had encountered Walter instead.
“Julie.” Joy came to lean against Julie. “Did the buggerman get Jason?” Julie looked down at the little tear-streaked face.
“No, honey. He just went off somewhere and forgot to tell me where he was going. Joe and Jack will bring him back.”
“And the runnin’ man?”
“If he finds him, he’ll bring him back.”
“I like Mr. Johnson better’n him.”
“You know Mr. Johnson better. Chief Appleby is a nice man.”
“He didn’t pick me up or swing me like Mr. Johnson does or take me for a ride in his car or buy me ice cream.”
“You shouldn’t like people only for what they do for you.”
“I hope
he
comes back before they find Jason.” Jill, with a mutinous look on her young face, folded her arms across her chest. “It would serve
him
right to see how bad
he
hurt Jason. But I guess
he
don’t care as long as
he
gets what
he
wants.”
“Jill, please.” Julie rolled her eyes down to Joy, who was listening intently to what Jill was saying.
“Is Jason hurt?” Joy asked, eyes filling with tears.
“No, honey. Jason is—” Julie stopped when she heard Sidney’s bark. “Oh, thank goodness,” she breathed when she saw Evan riding along the side pasture fence with Jason sitting in the saddle in front of him. Joe was riding beside them. “Jill, run pull the lever to start the blades turning so that Jack and Chief Appleby will know we’ve found him.”
“Here comes Papa and
her.
”
The car had turned into the lane and stopped beside the front porch by the time Jill pulled the lever and ran back to wait with Julie for the horse bringing Jason home. Thinking it great fun to be following the horses, Sidney ran around them and barked. Joe came on ahead. When he saw the car beside the porch, he knew that the dog would run and bark a greeting. Jumping off his horse, he caught Sidney just as the dog spied the woman and girl getting out of the car.
Joy broke loose from Julie and ran back toward the house. Visitors were more exciting than Jason coming home on a horse. At Julie’s nod, Jill ran to catch up with her.
Evan got off his horse and lifted Jason down.
“Honey, I was so worried.” Julie hugged the boy to her. Looking over Jason’s head to Evan, she said, “Thank you for bringing him home.”
Evan nodded. “He’ll be all right. We were on our way here when we met Joe.”
“Oh, honey, did you run all the way to Evan’s?”
“No. He met me…in the woods. That girl’s here,” Jason said accusingly. “I hate her.”
“It’s your right to dislike her, but try and not let it show in front of Papa. Now go help Joe find a good cool place in the barn for Sidney.” As soon as the boy left them, Julie turned her back to the house and looked up at Evan. “He’s bringing her here to stay until she can go to her in-laws’.” Her lips trembled. Evan wished they were out of sight of the others so that he could put his arms around her.
“Jason told me. He’s torn up about having to keep his dog tied up.”
“That’s why he ran off.”
“He wanted to know if he could live with me.”
“Oh, Evan. The poor little boy. Papa doesn’t know what he’s doing to the family. Jill wants to go the Jacobs’ and stay with Ruby May until she can write to our aunt in Iowa. Papa has demanded that we welcome Mrs. Stuart and her daughter. I don’t know if I can do it.”
“Ah, sweetheart. I wish there was something I could do to help.” The endearment slipped out without either of them noticing it. “All you can do is play her game. She’ll be all sweetness when Jethro is around. You can do the same and then it’ll be her word against yours when she complains about you.”
“That’s what Joe said to do. I don’t know how Jill and Jason will manage that. Jack is supposed to go practice this afternoon. Maybe he’ll take Jason with him.”
“Why don’t I take all of you to watch the game?”
“Evan. You don’t have to. I’ll—”
“I want to. It’ll keep you away from her for a while and give you a little breathing space.” He glanced over her shoulder and saw that Joe was helping his father carry Birdie’s trunk into the house. Evan reached out and squeezed Julie’s hand. “We’ll plan our strategy. It’s what we did during the war.” He smiled, attempting to lighten her mood.
“All right.” Her eyes were still misty bright, her mouth was taut and there was an air of unconscious dignity about her poised head.
“Please. Never hesitate to ask me for help.” He rubbed his fingertips back and forth across her arm. “Remember this, Julie. Mrs. Stuart can’t hold a candle to you. Don’t let her make you feel that you are in any way inferior to her, because believe me, you’re not.” He longed to kiss the bleakness from her eyes. “Promise me?”
“I promise.” She turned her hand over and gripped his. “I’d better go get dinner on. You’re welcome to stay.”
He laughed. “And make matters worse? I’ll get on home, but I’ll be back to take you to the ball game.”
Jack came riding into the yard. “You found him?”
“He was on his way over to Evan’s. Evan brought him home.”
“Hellfire,” Jack swore as he got off his horse. “I don’t know what Pa’s think in’ of. Jason is just a little kid and he loves that dog.”
“Jason is afraid the girl will hit Sidney; and if she does, the dog will bite her.” Evan held on to Julie’s hand even when she tried to pull it away.
“Pa said he’d shoot him. I can’t believe he’d do that, but Jason thinks he would.”
“I’d better go see what Jill’s up to.” Julie tugged on her hand again. “Thanks again, Evan.”
“What time is your game, Jack?”
“Mr. Poole said to be there about three.”
“I’ll be back here at two-thirty, Julie.” Evan reluctantly let go of Julie’s hand. He and Jack watched her hurry toward the house.
“She’ll have a rough time with that woman here.” Jack’s gaze flicked to Evan’s. “You like my sister, don’t you?”
Evan betrayed no surprise at the question. “Yes, I do. Do you mind?” He sensed, rather than heard, the boy sigh.
“I’m glad,” Jack said slowly. “She’ll never leave the kids here. You need to know that.”
“I know it. If she’ll have me, she’ll not have to leave them.”
Jack’s head whipped around. “Are you shittin’ me?”
“No.” Evan laughed. “It’s early for me to say anything, so keep it under your hat.”
“It’s a relief to know she’ll have someone after Joe and I are gone. Joe’ll be glad, too.” Jack’s young face lost its grin. “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with Pa. There are several nice women in town he could have courted. Miss Meadows, the preacher’s sister, is one of them. There wouldn’t be the ruckus there is now if he’d chosen her.”
“There’s a saying in the army that when a man’s pecker get’s hard, his brain gets soft. Let’s hope that while that’s going on, your pa doesn’t marry Mrs. Stuart.”
* * *
Determined to keep her dislike for Birdie under control, Julie went through the kitchen and crossed the hall to stand in the doorway of her father’s room. Birdie was taking clothes out of her suitcase. Her daughter was lying on the bed. Joy leaned against it, trying to get Elsie to go out and play.
“I’ll push you in the swing,” Joy coaxed. “I’ll show you where my red hen lays her eggs.”