Read Ellie Online

Authors: Mary Christner Borntrager

Tags: #Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #test

Ellie (14 page)

 
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Prayer,' " said Sam. Annie just wrinkled her nose at him. They all joined in and sang heartily.
"Let's sing 'In the Sweet By and By,'" requested Sam.
"I knew it," teased Annie. And so they sang on until it was almost too dark to see the words.
"Someone must be burning leaves," remarked Fannie. "I smell smoke."
"It doesn't smell like smoke from leaves," said Roy.
"Listen," Ellie quieted them, "I hear music. It sounds like it's coming from down by the creek. What can it be?"
The big collie dog heard it, too. He perked up his ears, and a low growl escaped from deep within his throat. The boys decided to take their flashlights and do some investigating.
"Be careful," warned Ellie. "Take Shep along."
Ellie and the twins went back into the house and waited. After some time, they heard Shep bark. Then all was quiet. Not even the music could be heard anymore. The girls hoped no harm had come to their brothers. They kept watching for the shine of a flashlight. By and by they saw a small flicker through the tree branches along the lane.
"Here they come," exclaimed Annie, bounding out to the porch to meet them.
"What was it?" all three girls asked in chorus.
"A band of gypsies. They are just sitting around a campfire and playing violins."
"How many are there?" Fannie wondered.
"Oh, maybe twenty-four or so. I didn't count
 
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them. There are some small children in the group, too."
"Do you think they will bother us?" asked Ellie.
"Not tonight, anyway," Roy surmised.
"We had better go to bed. Morning will be here before we know it," Sam said. He was right. The gypsies did not disturb them that evening. Ellie lay awake for a long while, listening to the sweet, plaintive sound of the violins. It made her feel rather sad and lonely, yet it was beautiful, too.
Next morning, Ellie checked first thing to see if the eggs under the setting hens were hatching. She knew even before she lifted the hen from her nest, for she heard soft peeps coming from the corner. Three eggs had hatched in one nest, and one chick from the other batch. She knew that by noon they would probably all be out of the shells.
The girls were just finished with the dishes and Ellie was sweeping the porch when around the bend in their drive came the whole gypsy caravan.
"Quick, Annie, go out to the barn and get the boys," Ellie told her sister.
Annie ran as fast as she could. By the time the long line stopped by their gate, Roy and Sam met them there.
"Lady, come here, lady," requested one of the older gypsy women. She pointed to Ellie. "Come now, I tell your fortune." Ellie didn't move. So the woman walked to the porch where she stood and took her hand. Shep came into view and showed his disapproval.
"Call off dog. I no want trouble. I not hurt you."
 
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Roy called Shep over to his side, but both boys and the dog kept their eyes upon this dark, mysterious woman.
"No," said Ellie, pulling her hand away. "I don't want my fortune told. We do not believe in it."
"Oh, but you pretty girl. I see a happy future for you."
"Only God knows our future. He numbers our days, and our life is in his hands," Ellie told her.
"Well, I see you do not believe gypsy lady. Maybe you buy pretty beads then."
"No, I don't think so," answered Ellie. So engrossed were the five Maust young folks with what the gypsy lady had to say that they didn't notice a few others who had stealthily made their way to the henhouse. All of a sudden, frightened screams filled the air. Shep took off in a flash. The two gypsy men ran from the henhouse under attack by two very angry hens. As if that wasn't enough, the fiesty old rooster was flapping and clawing at one of the men, and Shep grabbed the pant leg of the other one.
Broken eggs were running down their faces from where they had tried to hide some eggs under their hats. Their pants were wet from eggs stashed away in their pockets. When they tried to reach underneath the setting hens, they were hardly even able to get the eggs. The mother hen protected their own.
"Stop them, stop!" yelled the men. "We go now!"
Roy called off the dog, and Sam chased the old red rooster away. The hens returned to their nests and
 
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their new babies. It didn't take long for the gypsies to leave and the young folks had a good laugh.
"The little dark-eyed children did look cute, though, didn't they?" Fannie said after they had gone back into the house.
"Yes, they did," answered Ellie. And if they were hungry, I would gladly have given them something to eat, but stealing is wrong."
"Them chickens taught them it doesn't pay to steal, anyway," laughed Annie.
On Monday, there were two letters in the mail. One was from Mom and Papa, and the other was from Missy. Ellie had not heard from Missy once since they moved and had often wondered why. It sounded in the letter as if she had written before, but never received an answer. Ellie wondered at this. What could have happened? Missy was in the hospital at the time of this writing for more surgery on her crippled leg. She wrote only a short note.
The other letter stated that the Maust parents were now about ready to leave Indiana for Iowa, and asked if everything was alright at home. Had the eggs hatched yet? And how were the boys getting along?
That night Ellie answered both letters. Her mother had told her to send the mail to Uncle Enos's in Iowa. That's were they expected to be most of the time. Ellie's letter to Missy was polite, but short, too, as she seemed different somehow just by the way her writing appeared.
Sunday evening after chores, the girls went with their brothers to the singing. They took two buggies,
 
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because Roy told them he might not be coming home right afterward.
"Oh, is it Levi's Naomi again?" said Ellie, winking at him.
"Well, it's not David Eash, anyway," answered Roy.
Ellie blushed. She had been seeing quite a good deal of David all summer, and some folks had begun to think it was getting serious.
"Just never you mind," she said. The twins giggled. They thought a lot of David, even if he always teased them.
It was one of the best singings Ellie had ever attended, and her evening with David was an enjoyable one. They had a good laugh when she told him about the gypsies and the setting hens.
"Maybe you should have let the old woman tell your fortune," David said. "Then I wouldn't have to ask you."
"Ask me what?" Ellie questioned.
"To go steady with me," he replied.
"Oh, David, are you serious?"
"I was never more serious in my life. What do you say to that?"
"I'd like to, David," she answered.
"Well then, it's settled," he said.
Two happy people parted that evening with the promise to seek God's will in their lives.
 
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18
A Broken Circle
Ellie was glad that her parents were home again. Her mother reported that it was nice to visit relatives and friends and see other places, but home was still best. Her father said Mama didn't know how to relax if she wasn't working, but you could tell he, too, was ready to get back into harness, as he put it.
The baby and Andy seemed to have grown in the few short weeks they were gone. Mama said she believed the two little ones had been homesickbecause they fussed a lot. Now that everything would be back to normal, Papa said they would start husking corn in a few weeks. It looked like a good crop. The girls would help, as well as the boys. Sam and Roy were two of the best huskers in the area. Pop figured that by working together they could have the corn all in the crib by Thanksgiving.
The women had some apple butter to cook yet and a little winter sewing to do, then work should let up
 
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until butchering time. Later it would be their turn to have the church services at their home. That was always a lot of work.
Ellie wondered if she should tell her parents that she and David Eash were going steady. One day when they were working together cleaning the pantry shelves, she decided to tell her mother.
Mrs. Maust was pleased. ''I thought maybe you were," said her mother. "David is a nice boy and comes from a good family."
"Should I tell Papa, too?" Ellie questioned.
"Yes, I think so," Mama encouraged her.
Mr. Maust seemed pleased, too. "David is a hard worker from what I have heard, and not so wild, like some. He is old enough to be baptized, I would think. And what about you, Ellie? Aren't you about ready to join the church?"
"Yes, Papa, I've been thinking about it," she answered.
She knew she was older than most girls were when they became members of the church. Perhaps in the spring, when the next group began to receive instruction prior to baptism, she would join the class.
One Saturday evening after supper, the family was gathered in the living room for evening devotions when Papa became very talkative. He was generally a man of few words, but tonight he spoke freely to the family. Jake told them all how he appreciated their obedience in remaining with their parents in the Amish faith, and how much it meant to him that they were such good workers, helping
 
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around the farm and the house. He asked that if he had been unfair or wronged any of them, including Lizzie, he might be forgiven. It seemed so strange to have him express himself in this manner.
Ellie couldn't keep it back any longer. She had to know. "Papa, did you ever forgive Susie Glick?"
Papa looked startled. Then he cleared his throat. The room was very quiet. No one knew what to expect. Mama sometimes wished her oldest daughter weren't quite so bold. Then Jake spoke. "Yes, Ellie, I can honestly say I have. That doesn't mean I approve of what she did, but I forgave her."
Ellie felt relieved and happy.
"Yes," said Jake Maust, "I am at peace with God and my fellowman."
The family had their evening prayer. As Ellie retired that night, she felt a closeness and a bond to the others that she had not felt before.
The next day was the between-Sunday, so there was no church. But in the afternoon, some young folks came to the Maust home to go skating on the pond. This was something they frequently enjoyed. David was part of the group, and Ellie noticed what an excellent skater he was. It was a pretty sight to see the rosy-cheeked fellows and girls glide so nimbly across the icy pond.
Then they heard a shout from the direction of the house and saw Mrs. Maust come running across the frozen lawn toward them.
"Come quick," she called and turned back to the house.
Terror struck Ellie, for she had never heard her

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