Abram's Daughters: The Betrayal Part 24

Instead of taking things slow, they walked at a hurried 318.

ly , pace, Abram noticed, all the way out past the barn to where the windmill stood guard over his prized property. He looked toward the woods and thought he saw Lizzie out sweeping her front porch, a thin line of smoke curling up from the log house chimney.

Peter seemed overly eager to get to the point. "It's come to my attention, namely from Jonas, that Leah and the smithy's son may be carryin' on romantically."

Abram bristled and Peter stopped talking, glancing at the ground, as if to let the information settle in. How could Jona.s.suspect such a thing? Abram wondered. Why is Peter here on the boy's behalf?

This made no sense, but he waited for Peter to continue, hard as it was not to spew forth the questions rapidly gathering in his mind.

"Now, Abram, I know you and I know Ida, but I can't vouch for Leah ... and I think you can guess what I'm gettin' at here."

Can't vouch for Leah ...

Abram suppressed the fire in his bones. What kind of nerve! Peter and Fannie Mast had known from the beginning of Lizzie's unwed pregnancy, even though the bishop had put the shush on things early on for little Leah's sake. Still, it wasn't Peter's place to throw around insults like this.

"You best be speakin' straight with me, Peter," he urged.

"All right, then is Smithy Gid warmin' up to Leah?"

Abram set his chin. He was tempted to give Peter what for, and then it came to him ... the real reason Peter was here. Well, now, wasn't this curious? Jonas must be having second thoughts about marrying Lizzie's illegitimate daughter 319lOetrayal iltil' nil. Most likely, Peter was here to help Jonas wiggle out ' if hl.H hrimrhal, using as an excuse what Abram had shared w'llh onas man to man. If that was the case, then he had 11 mi id nut what Peter's son was made of, and none too soon. "Who's uskin' this you or Jonas?" Abram said.

"I'm here at my son's request. But I have a stake in this, Illll,"

Abram straightened, recalling the day Gid had gone in ii'iirvh of Leah in the woods, bringing her home wearing an unmistakable grin. "Seems to me Gid would be a right fine imiii for my Leah," he replied. "Ain't no secret how I feel I tot it that. If he wants to spend time with Leah, I have no I'inNem with it."

"So ... it's true, then?"

"Gid's awful fond of her. As for courtin', well, 'tis hard to In-exact about what goes on under the coverin' of night."

"Gideon Peachey has your blessin', is that what you're Niiyiu1?" Peter's face had turned as red as a ripened beet.

"He's had the go-ahead since he turned sixteen." There, lic'd said it alf, though clouded over with a shade of gray.

"Then, I guess that's that." Peter turned tail and headed back through the paddock without so much as a good-bye grunt or a tip of his black hat.

Heading toward the barn, Abram felt torn. He was fully persuaded Gid was Leah's best chance for happiness. Even so, lie could not bear to see her heart broken. He was caught between his dear girl's hopes and wishes and what a father knew best. Downright angry he was at Jonas Mast for instigating a breakup. No doubt in his mind Peter's boy had made 320lOeiserlt/ J^eunii T.

a deliberate turn away from Leah, starting that day in the cornfield.

The telephone in the woodshop was jangling as Jonas hurried to answer it. David was nowhere around, so he picked up the phone. "Mellingers' Carpentry."

"Jonas? Is that you?"

He perked up his ears. "Dat?"

"Jah, thought I'd make a quick call to you, son."

"Gut to hear back from you." He wondered if his father had some important news. Why else would he resort to using a telephone?

"I don't want you to waste any more time troublin' yourself over the likes of Leah Ebersol."

The words slapped him in the face. "You spoke to Abram?"

"This morning ... and, believe me, you're better off this way than findin' out your girl was disloyal after you married her."

Jonas was aware of the pounding of his heart. His precious Leah untrue? His throat went dry. How could this possibly be?

He recalled again Leah's decision not to spend the summer here with him. How frustrating it was not having solid answers for why she had refused. Yet he'd trusted her, respecting her right to remain in Gobbler's k.n.o.b as she wished. Then, when he'd invited her a second time, what had she done but call him on the telephone, of all things, to ask if he 321id el r a u at.

11 mi Id make arrangements for Sadie to come in her stead! Just why had Leah sent Sadie to him? He could only imagine.

I 'celings of total frustration flooded him, and he knew not whiit to say or think. Knowing Leah through all the years of 11 ii'lr friends.h.i.+p, he would never have thought she might purptisely set out to betray him. Such a thing was unthinkable, 11 uly.

"Son, are you there?"

1 le drew in a breath and expelled it suddenly. "I can't U'gin to understand this, Dat."

" Tis essential for you to come home. You made a covenant with the Gobbler's k.n.o.b church... ."

I can't think of living anywhere near Leah if I can't be with hermyself, he thought. But to his father he said, "David's offered me a partners.h.i.+p and perhaps I oughta be thinking on that."

"Jonas ... son, you'll be shunned if you don't return."

Bishop Bontrager was one of the most austere ministers in all of Lancaster County, the spiritual head of the Gobbler's k.n.o.b and Georgetown church districts. Responsible for recommending excommunication and shunning, the man of G.o.d had the power to seal Jonas's fate.

"I'll write to him and plead my case if I have to," he said. "But if he refuses, I'll make a life here for myself without Abram's Leah... . Somehow, I will. With G.o.d's help."

His father continued to argue for Jonas to return home, saying he couldn't think of going on without him.

When the time came to say good-bye, Jonas offered, "G.o.d be with you, Dat. Tell Mamma I love her ... and my brothers and sisters, too."

"Son, please think hard about this. You mustn't throw 322.

-lu J2e away your life...." There was great heaviness in Dat's voice. Then he said, "I'm through with the Ebersols, kin or not, for what they've done to us!"

Jonas stared at the telephone after hanging up. It seemed unbelievable. Leah must have given in to Abram's wishes... and now preferred Gid. , It was going to be a warm afternoon, much nicer than the morning had started out to be; this was clear to Sadie by well past the noon meal. She helped not only Edith with some light cleaning but also Vera, offering to dust the front room and bake a pie for supper while Vera read to Mary Mae and Andy before putting them down for a nap.

With the cherry pie nestled safely in the oven, she hurried back to the Dawdi Haus through the connecting door. She saw Edith dozing in her rocking chair, white-gray head tilted back, mouth gaping open. Tiptoeing past her, Sadie headed for the stairs.

In her room, she sat near the window, looking out. She felt at once guilty and even sad for having thrown away Leah's letter to Jonas. But the very next morning, after a sleepless night, she had gone to look through the kitchen trash, only to discover someone had gathered up the refuse in the house and taken it out to the large trash bin. When she inquired of Vera about the trash pickup, she was told the county collectors had already come and hauled it away.

For more than a week, she struggled immensely. She'd had 323lOeirayai i in business taking Jonas's letter, nor should she have thrown li in the trash. Angry or not, though, she could reason Leah 11.ul il coming her telling on Sadie and all. She honestly felt In1 could overlook, even forgive Naomi Kauffman for going in Preacher Yoder to rid herself of sin prior to baptism. Naomi's knowledge of Sadie's rumschpringe was scant in detail compared to what Leah was privy to. Besides, sisters were supposed to keep vows of the heart. And Leah had not.

What misery I've caused Jonas, she thought, having daily witnessed his despair firsthand. And the act of tampering with 11 mil was a crime, she knew. The all-seeing eyes of the Lord i uxl heavenly Father roamed to and fro over the earth. Her I i.si of sins was ever lengthening.

She had wrongly interfered in the fate of two people's lives, delving into the most personal regions of the heart. Yet she felt helpless to confess her wrongdoing to Jonas, though she knew she must. She was worried sick what he would think if her.

By being in the kitchen when Jonas came in for a refill on his Thermos of iced tea, she might force herself to come clean. She was prepared to confess the whole thing, and she'd calculated the timing of their encounter, hoping he was punctual with his afternoon break. Since Vera had gone upstairs with the children, this was Sadie's best opportunity.

Now here he came, hurrying across the lawn and up the steps into the house. "Hullo," he said flatly, the smile gone from his face.

His greeting distressed her; she was at fault. Even so, no matter how solemn he looked, she must follow through. "I, 324.

e w i s uh, wonder if I might talk to you right quick." She leaned hard against the kitchen sink.

"In fact, I'm awful glad I b.u.mped into you," he said, taking her off guard. His eyes were red'rimmed yet unwavering, and he glanced about, as if checking to see if they were alone. "You were right, Sadie. It's true what you told me ...'bout Leah and Gid. They are a couple."

She didn't know what to think and felt her face go flush. "Are you sayin' you heard from someone back home?"

Jonas nodded and told of his father's telephone call. Then he startled her by saying, "I owe you much grat.i.tude."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. So she had been right about what she'd seen in the woods that day? She could see by the stricken look in his eyes that here was a young man in need of comfort.

"I'm ever so sorry, Jonas," she said in a tender voice. He smiled then, a shattered kind of smile that did nothing to disguise his hurt. "No, no. This is not for you to worry over."

She glanced at the oven. "I baked a cherry pie hopin' to cheer you up at supper."

He attempted to force another smile, she could see. "I'll look forward to your pie," he said. Then he returned to his work.

She watched him hurry toward the back door. I spared Jonas by discarding Leah's distressing letter, she thought in amazement. And surely it was that, because there are no more coming.

325.

11 tins. .h.i.t it Sadie was outside sweeping the little box of a fU I )iikIi io the Dawdi Haus when she saw the ministers ^till< p="">

I'lwy'vc wasted no time, she thought, noting the stern look ii I mi 11 I lie preacher's and the deacon's eyes. Suddenly she felt i'j li '.lie were headed to the gallows.

327I.

^-t- -i,^.

'-

'W-2- LamIi came in the kitchen door and saw Mamma sitting at tlir inhle, her face stained with tears. "Ach, what is it?" She rushed to her mother's side.

"I worried something like this might happen." Mamma looked down at the letter in her lap. "It's the worst news ever."

"What is?"

Mamma sh$ok her head. "Sadie's not comin' home. Already she's had a visit from the brethren there. But everyihin' hinges on her willingness to repent."

"Still she refuses?"

"Awful sad, 'tis." Mamma pulled out one of Hannah's embroidered hankies hidden beneath her sleeve and wiped her eyes. Her voice faltered. "If the Bann is put on her even a short'term shunning Bishop Bontrager might put a stop to her letters."

"Then we'll lose touch with her... ." Leah felt strangled. She laid her head on her mother's soft, round shoulder, keenly 328.

" I y J~^ e us aware of her own grief but even more so of Mamma's trembling.

When Dat came indoors for a drink of water and spotted them there, his mouth dropped open. "What's wrong, Ida ... somebody up and die?"

Mamma said nothing, holding up the letter for him to see.

Removing his hat slowly, Dat planted himself in the middle of the kitchen, his eyes moving back and forth across the page. His lips formed every silent word.

When he finished reading, he frowned. "If Sadie's diggin' her heels in about comin' home, then I 'spect there might be a reason for it." His words sounded convincing, but his voice was right wobbly.

Leah held her breath and Mamma said, "Just what could that be, Abram?"

He folded the letter, staring down at it. "Who's to say, really. But I'm a-thinkin' ... could be Sadie has herself a new beau."

"Who'd have her if she's to be shunned?" asked Mamma.

Dat fell silent for a time. When he looked up, his eyes were awful watery. Leah felt her skin go p.r.i.c.kly. "Maybe Jonas, for one," he said.

"Ach, Abram!" Mamma clasped a hand to her heart.

Leah was devastated at Dat's remark, though the idea had crossed her mind. Could it be Sadie was the reason for Jonas's ongoing silence, the reason why his letters had ceased? Surely not, she hoped, her mouth going dry.

"What'll become of our Sadie?" Mamma asked, sniffling.

Dat glanced at Leah somewhat ruefully. Unexpectedly, he went and sat next to Mamma at the table. Slipping his arm 329id el r a y a I .ii'uiiul her, he stared at the checked oilcloth. "We do as the I i ml (< p="">

I ,i'iih felt as distressed as Dat and Mamma looked. She Iriini'd hard against the table, wis.h.i.+ng the stillness might be I'iiikon if not for happy talk, at least for her burning ques- 11<>

Initially she asked, "What'll happen if Preacher Yoder has already written and told the preachers there ...'bout Sadie's Iniquity?"

Dat raised his head and looked at her. "Seems to me, ihcy'll want to keep all that tomfoolery under their ministerial hats," he said. "In fact, I 'spect they'd prefer to keep it hush-hush, them eager to bring new blood to the community and all."

"What about the Proving?" asked Mamma. "Won't Sadie he watched closely for a time?"

Dat nodded his head. "If she pa.s.ses scrutiny for six months, she'll be welcomed into the Ohio fellows.h.i.+p, as long as they hold to believers' baptism, separation from the evil world, and reject going to war. Far as I understand, anyway."

Leah had heard tell of the Proving. She'd also heard of certain church districts where the People intermarried so frequently the children born to such unions suffered physical problems sometimes mental.

So, in the process of time, if she repented there, Sadie would be allowed to join the Millersburg church district. But she'd be shunned in Gobbler's k.n.o.b.

Mamma spoke up. "Ach, the worst is our girl will be cut 330.

'lu J2e off from us unless she has a change of heart and comes home."

"Not likely now, I'm afraid," Dat said, getting up.

"What'll happen to Jonas?" asked Leah quietly.

Pulling at his beard, Dat eyed Mamma. "I daresay he must've gotten special permission from the Gra.s.shopper Level bishop to take his apprentices.h.i.+p out of state."

"Jah, he did," Leah said. "Jonas told me so last spring before he left." She sighed, wondering if she ought to say more. Then she could hold the words back no longer. "Will he be shunned, too, if he doesn't return?"