June (18 page)

After services, June and Sam repacked the box, and Simon carried it back to the wagon. June looked the other way when Sam leaned over and whispered something in Simon's ear. The gentle giant turned beet red and nodded.

"What did you say to him?" June whispered under her breath as they walked off.

"I told 'im 'e looked right smashing today, 'e did, and told im 'e looked good enough to kiss."

"Oh, Sam." June punched her in the side. "Stop-you'll embarrass the poor man."

"Too late." Sam's features turned solemn. "Already did." The women burst into laughter, June's fading when she spotted Parker through the office window. He was leaning back, boots on the desk, engrossed in a handful of papers.

"Ow, look, lovey." Sam punched her. "There's your sweetie."

Sweetie, June scoffed, ignoring Sam's mischievous grin. Parker wasn't her sweetie-though the thought wasn't that unappealing.

"Oh, Sam, I wish he would just once look at me the way Simon looks at you."

"Maybe 'e would, if you'd be a bit more friendly."

"I try to be friendly, Sam. He just plain doesn't like me.

Since I'm working with the crusade, he equates me with Reverend Inman. It's so unfair. Parker acts as if Reverend Inman doesn't care about anything but the tabernacle, but it's not true. Reverend Inman mentioned the orphanage twice this week, and just yesterday he sent Ben over with two bushels of apples and three hams."

Sam tsked. "Such a pity. Hardheaded as a rock."

"Those two remind me of hardheaded Christians who-" June's footsteps slowed, and she turned to face Sam. "Why, that's exactly what they remind me of. I hadn't realized it until this very moment, but Reverend Inman and Parker have forgotten what Christians are supposed to do when one or the other is overcome by sin. They are to gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. Reverend Inman and Parker are trampling each other in their efforts to prove the other wrong!"

"Don't know what you can do 'bout it. Until they both realize what they're doing, their warrin' won't cease."

June gathered her skirt and climbed into the wagon. "That may be, but perhaps it's my duty to remind them." Sam took her place on the board seat beside her. June continued, "It was nice of Mary to offer to make us a necklace. They are lovely."

"Breathtakin', to be sure," Sam agreed. "I wouldn't have thought poor little Mary was so talented, 'er being so mousey and all. Why, what woman wouldn't love to own such a pretty? I've seen nothing in the mercantile like it."

June squealed, hauling back on the reins. Sam grasped June's arm and held on for dear life. "What's wrong? More pigs?"

"No, you! Do you know what you just said?"

Sam frowned. "More pigs?"

"No, before that!"

Sam concentrated, her face a mask of confusion.

June prompted her. "You were talking about Mary's necklace."

"What about it? I said it was pretty-"

"And other women would like it too. You said there's nothing like it in the mercantile!"

Sam released June's arm. "June Kallahan, 'ave you lost your bloomin' mind? What does Mary's necklace 'ave to do with anythin'?"

"Don't you see? I've been wracking my brain for days for a way to raise money for the orphanage other than using crusade funds. We can sell necklaces! Mary said the beads were inexpensive. I have a small nest egg, not much, but if the beads are inexpensive and the necklaces simple to make, perhaps Mary will teach us how."

June sat back, plotting her strategy. "I'll use my savings to buy the beads and thread, and we can sell the necklaces to the loggers. Most all have wives and girlfriends waiting at home. I'll bet the men would love the chance to give their sweethearts a present to make up for their absence. And for those who don't have sweethearts, they surely have mothers! Just think, Sam! If business is good, we can buy that stove for the upstairs bedroom in no time at all! "

"But using your life savin's, lovey-are you sure you want to do that?"

"I'm positive! It's not much, but it will multiply threefold if the men like the necklaces."

"Mary might not be anxious to share 'er secret."

"Oh, but she will, once we explain what we're doing. Come on, Sam! It's a brilliant idea. We'll take the necklace money and use it for the orphans' needs. I won't be taking money from the crusade, so Reverend Inman can't object, and I won't be angering Parker, because I'm not soliciting donations for Reverend Inman." June flung her arms around Sam and hugged her right there in the middle of the road. "It's perfect!"

"Ow, I don't know, lovey." Sam pried June's arms loose, choking.

"We'll talk to Mary." June reached for the reins and wheeled the buggy around in the middle of the road.

"Now? But I'm hungry!" The clattering wagon drowned out Sam's protests.

June gripped the reins and planted her feet. This was too important to wait. Much too important!

Within a month, necklace sales had exceeded June's wildest expectations. Mary had opened her heart and her cookshack to assemble the colorful trinkets, and the men opened their wallets and splurged on the jewelry. Luther Medsker even bought one for his mother-in-law.

Lying back on her bed, June thought of all the exhausting work she, Sam, and Mary had put into the entrepreneurial venture. But it was paying off! In just the past three days they had collected over thirty dollars. This morning June was taking the oldest children to the mercantile to be fitted for new shoes. And not one cent had come out of the tabernacle fund.

Glory be to God! June hugged her pillow, elated with the progress. In no time at all, the children would have the new stove and winter coats.

The mercantile was empty when June led three children in later that morning. Peter shot straight to the shoe rack and began inspecting the merchandise, his eyes wide with wonder. Allowing the others equal time to browse, June purchased peppermint sticks for the smaller children.

"I threw in a couple of extra sticks," the clerk confessed with a conspirator's wink.

"Thank you." June smiled. "You can't possibly know how much your kindness will be appreciated."

Picking up a bolt of red hair ribbon, she laid it on the counter. The girls would have a squealing fit when she tied the ribbon in their hair tonight.

Stepping to the Home Fire stove displayed on a wooden platform, she admired it. It was a fine stove-the finest she'd ever seen. Running her hands over the shiny cast iron, she mentally calculated how many necklaces she would have to sell in order to purchase it. A lot, she decided, after numerous attempts to cipher the amount.

The front door opened, and June glanced up to see Reverend Inman coming in. The reverend took off his hat, his eyes casting about the room. When he spotted June, he broke into a smile. "June!"

"Good morning, Reverend," June called.

Reverend Inman hurried over to her, mopping his brow. "It's too soon to be this warm." His eyes brightened when he saw the orphans. "My, my. Who have we here?"

The children gathered around the minister, the youngest hanging on to his leg.

"What brings you children out on such a warm day?"

"We're gettin' new shoes!" they chorused.

"New shoes!" Reverend Inman looked surprised. He addressed the storekeeper. "I think we should have three of those nice, plump candy balls to go with those new shoes, don't you, children?"

The children nodded their unanimous, enthusiastic endorsement.

Reverend Inman dug in his pocket and laid a coin on the counter. "Let the children select the color they want."

The clerk nodded. "Come along, children. Who wants a red one?"

"Me, me," they clamored. Footsteps echoed across the wood floor as they made a beeline for the candy jar.

June turned back to face Reverend Inman. "That's generous of you, Reverend. The children rarely get such a treat."

Reverend Inman's eyes followed the children and softened with compassion. "Poor tykes. I wish I could do more.

June selected a tin of sugar and laid it on the counter. "What brings you to town so early?"

"Ettie's running low on coffee. I promised to bring some home before dinnertime." Reverend Inman glanced at the bolt of red ribbon and the peppermint sticks lying on the counter. "Looks like you're doing quite a lot of shopping today." He turned to look at the children, who were busy now trying on the new purchases. "Did the orphanage come into a windfall?"

"Oh, no," June said. She paused, biting her lower lip. She'd supposed he'd already heard about the necklaces she had been selling. But perhaps he was so preoccupied with crusade business that he hadn't heard. "No windfall."

His features sobered. "You're not using tabernacle funds, are you? I thought we'd discussed this and agreed where our priorities lie."

"We did-and I'm not using ministry funds without your knowledge. I wouldn't do that."

Reverend Inman's eyes swept the room, the children, the peppermint sticks, and the red ribbons. "Then where is all this money coming from?" June was troubled to hear a note of urgency in his voice.

"Sam, Mary, and I have been selling necklaces."

Reverend Inman's brow lifted. "Selling necklaces?"

"Just frivolous trinkets. The men buy them for their sweethearts. The money from the necklaces goes toward the orphanage."

She wanted to make it abundantly clear that the orphanage proceeds had absolutely nothing to do with tabernacle funds.

A shadow crossed Reverend Inman's face. "No wonder I don't see you around very often. You must keep very busy, collecting funds for both the orphanage and the tabernacle. That's quite an undertaking for one person."

June couldn't miss the new coolness in his voice. "Not really-I have plenty of time for both."

He gazed down his nose at her, his features stern. "Perhaps, but I wouldn't think you could do proper service to two causes. Do you?"

"Yes, sir, I think I can. I work as hard for one as I do for the other." Opening the string on her purse, she rummaged around and came up with a handful of coins. "I collected this in front of The Gilded Hen yesterday. You can see the men's dedication to the building fund hasn't changed."

Reverend Inman lowered his voice. His features took a somber look. "June, it isn't the money. It's your loyalty I seek. You are being torn between two needs-both great, both important. While I applaud your generosity, I wonder about your motives. Giving has dropped off lately. This concerns me greatly. What would Eli think of you funneling money away from the crusade?"

June dropped her eyes submissively. "I would never do that."

"This must stop. Immediately."

The force of his words stunned her. He couldn't mean that he believed she would take from the tabernacle funds. "Are you asking me to choose between the orphans and the ministry?"

Please, God, don't let him be asking that. The choice would be impossible. Both were just causes. Why couldn't Reverend Inman-or Parker, for that matter-see that?

The front door opened, and as if the devil had summoned help to further her dilemma, Parker and two other men walked in. When Parker spotted her and the reverend, he stalked to the back of the store.

"I'd best be getting that coffee to Ettie." Reverend Inman selected a tin and set it on the counter.

"I'm sorry, Reverend."

Reverend Inman turned away, directing his attention to the clerk.

Edging to the back of the store, June sought out Parker. As gruff as he could be, she needed his insight. She needed to know why he was so against Reverend Inman. Did he see something that she was blind to?

Parker was squatting on his haunches, sorting through a pile of hand implements, when June came up to him.

"Miss Kallahan."

"I didn't expect to see you here this morning."

He glanced up. "That makes two of us." He returned to the job at hand.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Since when do you need permission to ask me anything?"

Casting a glance toward the front of the store, she lowered her voice. "It's about Reverend Inman."

Parker didn't look up. "What about him?"

Kneeling beside him, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "I'm puzzled. I know you don't approve of Reverend Inman or the tabernacle. You don't attend services as often as you should. On top of that, Eli was your best friend, and Eli shared Reverend Inman's dream-to the extent that he worked through all sorts of weather, acquiring donations to build the temple-literally giving his life in order to achieve the dream. How can you explain all this?"