Benny and the Bank Robber

by Mary C. Findley

Chapter Nine: A Birthday and a Memory

  It was a long time before they heard any news about Jeremy. When they did receive a letter from Doc Daniel and Dan, it was just about the worst news Benny could possibly imagine. Jeremy was sentenced to ten years in prison for the bank robbery. Doc Daniel said both he and Dan had tried to get the judge to be more lenient, but it had done no good. The judge had spoken about "trust betrayed" and "five years of calculated deception." Benny cried himself to sleep the night he received the letter. But the work on the farm and life in general didn't stop because Benny was unhappy.

  He found that working as hard as he could helped him hurt less. And he could pray while he gathered eggs and slopped hogs and fed chickens. Benny's life was so different from what it had been in Philadelphia. There he had always been learning more about the Bible and doing things to serve God. Here he read the Bible by himself or in lessons with his mother, or Uncle Tom led them in devotions. When Doc Daniel preached at the little Osage church Benny felt like he filled it up with the presence of God. If Benny had a question Doc Daniel always knew the answer. But he was the only preacher in the area. He had to go to a different church every week, so they only had church about once every six weeks. Then there were times when he traveled to other places to preach and was gone even longer. This had been one of those times. Benny wondered where Doc Daniel had gone this time. He knew he sometimes went to Kansas to preach to the Indians. He knew he had also been all the way to the Pacific Ocean and had preached in Oregon.

  Even his mother admitted it was hard to keep writing letters that were cheerful and encouraging when Jeremy seemed to be beyond cheering up. Benny wondered how you could really expect to cheer someone up when he had nothing but ten years in prison to look forward to. Almost a year had passed already since they had parted last September, but Benny was sure for Jeremy the time was passing much too slowly.

  Today was Benny's twelfth birthday. Benny thought about his tenth birthday party as he and his mother hurried to finish some errands in Osage. That party had been held in the faculty's lounge at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It had been a surprise party, and Jonathan Richardson had planned the whole thing.

  Benny's eleventh birthday had fallen on the day Jeremy was attacked by the cougar. There had been no celebration at all, because he hadn't told Jeremy it was his birthday. When he had finally gotten back together with his mother about a month later his birthday hadn't seemed important compared to everything else that had happened.

  Benny looked at his mother as they hurried down the street. Many of the people in town called her "Mrs. Angel." She looked so pretty today. She wore a white dress with just a little blue print, her hair loosely gathered and curling around her neck, shining like an angel's halo. Well, the Bible didn't say angels had halos, of course, and angels were men. Benny knew that. But he liked to have people think of his mother as an angel in the sense of a servant of God.

  She was always so busy. She made clothes for poor people and was known as a very good seamstress. She visited sick people. She helped Uncle Tom and Aunt Caroline with the farm work, and she taught Benny his school lessons every day. Benny wondered why he couldn't keep busy enough to bury the ache from missing Jeremy.

  Osage was opening a small school about five miles from Uncle Tom's farm. Uncle Tom had brought them into town in his wagon and gone to do some errands. His mother took him to meet the schoolmaster.

  "Good morning, Mr. Prentice," Benny's mother said to the stout, balding man with glasses that pinched his nose. "This is my son, Benjamin. I'm Abigail Richardson -- we spoke about enrolling my son in school."

  "Oh, yes, of course, Mrs. Richardson. And your son is ... ten, I presume?"

  "Twelve," Benny said sharply. "Twelve, sir," he corrected himself, after a sharp dig in the ribs from his mother.

  "I've been attempting to keep up his instruction myself," Benny's mother said, half-apologetically. "It's been a year since he was in a regular school."

  "Dear me," Mr. Prentice remarked. "Well, I suppose all of the pupils here will have some catching up to do. Well, Mrs. Richardson, I'll do my best. Thank you, Madam," he interrupted himself as Benny's mother handed him the tuition. "We shall see you on opening day of the winter session, Benjamin."

  "Thank you, Mr. Prentice," Benny's mother curtseyed in response to Mr. Prentice's bow and swept out with Benny.

  "I don't like him," Benny grumbled.

  "God didn't ask your opinion, now did he?" his mother smiled. "Come on, Darling, you don't want to be late for your own birthday party, do you?"

  "Here's the birthday boy! Many happy returns, Ben," Uncle Tom called out as the wagon rumbled up to meet them. "I can't wait to taste that cake your mother made."

  Benny's mother made the best cakes. And for his birthday she had made a special, secret cake that Benny hadn't been allowed to see. The cake was already set up on Aunt Caroline's long kitchen table. It was big, decorated with green leaves and purple grapes. Benny had begged his mother not to put any flowers on it. He was so glad she had listened.

  "I am the vine, ye are the branches," his mother whispered in his ear. "My little branch is growing away from me. I love you, my Benny." She kissed him and Uncle Tom hooted and clapped. Benny blushed scarlet. Benny's mother took the big knife Aunt Caroline handed her.

  "Wait, wait wait," Uncle Tom cried. "Close your eyes, Ben."

  Uncle Tom disappeared and came back with a bushel basket full of presents. Benny was stunned when he opened his eyes.

  "Where did all these come from?" he asked.

  "Well, Ben, you have some surprise visitors," Uncle Tom admitted. From out of the back room came Mr. and Mrs. Connors, Doc Daniel's lawyer son and his wife. Benny was shocked. Mr. Connors lived in Virginia. Benny had never expected to see him again. They had written a few times. Mr. Connors had tried to appeal Jeremy's sentence but had failed. He had visited Jeremy a few times and Jeremy had spoken of those visits with warmth and gratitude. Their letters were very welcome to Benny. They were such intelligent, good-humored people who loved God so much.

  "Hello, Ben," Dan Connors said, clapping Benny on the back. "Happy birthday."

  "Happy birthday, Benny dear," Mrs. Connors said, kissing him on the cheek.

  "My dad was hoping to come," Dan Connors said. "I can't think what held him up. He wanted to be here so badly."

  Benny couldn't help being disappointed. Doc Daniel had bragged about a secret, special present he would bring for Benny's birthday. Benny hadn't realized how much he had looked forward to it. There were so few surprises and so little excitement in farm life.

  "But having you here is wonderful!" Benny exclaimed. "I never expected it. Are all these presents from you?" He knew that Dan Connors and his wife were very wealthy but he also knew that Doc Daniel didn't take much stock in worldly goods and had taught his children the same.

  "Don't pop your eyes out of your head," Mr. Connors laughed. "We brought a few things. There are gifts from your mother and Uncle Tom and Aunt Caroline too, you know."

  Benny blushed. He had forgotten about his own family and what they might give him. He was ashamed for thinking that their presents would be very ordinary.

  "There's a new neighbor of ours who has a boy your age, Ben," Uncle Tom said. "His father's been looking for a playmate for him, so the Owenses are bringing him over."

  A neighbor? Benny wondered what that meant on a farm where acres and acres of crops separated them from anybody. The boy could live ten miles away. But Benny didn't think it would matter because he didn't hold out much hope for making friends with a farm boy. He probably couldn't even read, much less talk about the books and learning that Benny loved and missed so much.

  A commotion outside sent them all to the door. Mr. Carl Owens, a small, leathery-faced man with dark red hair, came in with his son Jason. Benny stared at him. Jason was so small Benny didn't see how he could be his own age. He had flaming red hair and freckles and a very peculiar expression on his fac
e.

  "Howdy," Mr. Owens said shyly. "This is my son Jason." The two boys looked each other over and nodded coldly. Mr. Owens slapped his son between the shoulder blades and almost knocked him off his feet. Jason glowered at him.

  "I'll be back about suppertime," Mr. Owens said, very loudly and heartily. "You have a good time, Jason, and remember what we talked about."

  "Thank you for coming, Jason," Benny's mother said, when Jason remained rooted to the spot after his father had gone. "Won't you come and have a piece of cake?"

  Jason looked up at Benny's mother, startled. "Thank you, Ma'am," he said, very politely. His strange mood seemed to vanish once he stopped staring at Benny. As they walked in Jason said in a hoarse whisper, "Your ma's the most beautiful thing I ever seen!" Benny smiled in spite of himself. Everyone went back into the kitchen. Benny's mother picked up the knife again.

  "Ma'am, this is the best cake I ever tasted," Jason said. He seemed to have forgotten Benny was there. He asked for a second piece of cake and practically stuffed it into his mouth.

  "Let's wait on opening the presents," Uncle Tom suggested. "Maybe Daniel will still get here. Ben, why don't you take Jason outside and show him around?"

  Benny would much rather have stayed inside and talked to Dan and Mrs. Connors. But he and Jason went outside and stood in the farmyard.

  "What do you want to see?" Benny asked.

  "I don't wanna see nothin'," Jason replied. He thrust his hands into his pockets. "It's a farm. I live on a farm. I guess I know what it looks like."

  Benny really wished he could go back inside. This was going to be hard.

  "Do you like to climb trees?" Benny asked.

  "Climb trees?" Jason repeated scornfully. Benny turned red. This wasn't going to be hard. It was going to be impossible.

  "Well, what do you like to do?" Benny asked, exasperated.

  "What do I like to do? You country boys. There ain't nothin' here I wanna do. Bobbin' for apples, Blind man's bluff – I been to two other birthdays since I been here. The stuff you do is stupid."

  "Country boys?" Benny repeated. "I never played Blind Man's Bluff in my life. What's bobbing for apples?"

  "You ain't lived on a stupid farm all your life?"

  "I grew up in Philadelphia. We've only been here about a year."

  "Wait a minute. I grew up in Philadelphia," Jason exclaimed. "We just moved here a couple'a months ago. I hate it. Them cows – don't they ever stop – you know – makin' a mess?"

  "No, they never do," Benny laughed. "I have to shovel out the barn too. I can't believe you're from Philadelphia. My father was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania."

  "Hoity-toity," grunted Jason. "My dad made bricks. I guess we didn't exactly run in the same crowd."

  "I guess not," Benny murmured. He had thought it was possible that he and Jason had made a breakthrough, but it really was hopeless. Jason scuffed away from him and turned his back.

  He started to play with something that made a clicking noise. Jason twitched his arm, and Benny heard the click. He twitched again, and the click was repeated.

  "What are you doing?" Benny asked.

  "What I like to do," Jason muttered. He didn't turn around. Benny felt like ignoring him, but he wanted to try to be a good host. He walked over to Jason and touched his arm.

  "What--?" Benny froze as Jason spun and thrust a clasp knife toward his midsection, the blade flying out of the handle as if it were alive, stopping just short of his shirt. Jason laughed.

  "That's what I like to do," Jason sneered. "My pa don't know I still got it. He bought that stupid farm 'cause he didn't like the way I was growin' up. Well, that's too bad. Just 'cause that preacher told him he had to save me from bad company doesn't mean I hafta like it out here."

  "What – what preacher?" Benny faltered. He was still trying to get his heartbeat down to normal. Jason had pulled the knife back but hadn't put it away.

  "There was a mission downtown that my dad made me go to. He said he heard this preacher who told him about gettin' saved. He made us all go. Well, I listened, and I wanted to get saved too, so I did. We all got saved. But then my dad started gettin' worried about the bad stuff goin' on around us in the city. He wanted ta get us out of it. So we moved out here.

  "Now there ain't no bad influences. There ain't nothin'. I hate it. I don't mind bein' a Christian, but there ain't no preacher for the church, there ain't no kids that talk about anything but prize pigs an' summer squash – there ain't no way to grow here. If that preacher hadn't'a stopped comin' maybe we never woulda left Philly."

  Benny suddenly had a strange feeling. His father had preached at a rescue mission on some Sundays. "What was the name of that preacher?" Benny asked.

  "I dunno," Jason shrugged. "Rich – Richards – somethin' like that. I know his first name was Jonathan. My dad called him Pastor Jon."

  Benny went white. Jason flipped his knife away and gripped his arm. "What's wrong with you? You ain't gonna faint, are ya? You're kinda big for me ta pick up. Look, I'm sorry if I scared ya with the knife. My dad made me promise t' behave myself. Is he ever gonna lick me if he finds out I still have this knife. You won't tell him, willya?"

  "Jason, Pastor Jon was my father," Benny said.

  "Your father? No foolin'? Where is he? How come he ain't here? Boy I'd like ta talk ta him."

  "My father's dead, Jason," Benny said in a low voice. "He got hit by a big cart on Market Street almost two years ago. That's why we had to come out here."

  "Ben, I'm sorry," Jason said. "My pa just told me there was a kid here who lived with his aunt and uncle. Listen, Ben, Pastor Jon was so great. He got my whole family saved. He was so smart about the Bible, but he was so nice, and so patient, and he – "

  Benny burst into tears. Until Jeremy had been sent to Philadelphia Benny had hoped Jeremy would just get a short prison sentence in Jeff City and then they would be able to study the Bible together. When that hadn't happened, he had hoped to learn from Doc Daniel. But Doc Daniel was hardly ever around. It was like the verses in the Bible, where Habakkuk said how barren and hopeless everything was.

  "Aw, Ben, don't do that," Jason begged. He pulled Benny over to a fallen log out of sight of the house. "My dad's gonna kill me. I didn't mean ta – It's just that my dad and I just talked about how many questions we had about the Bible and how much we wanted to ask somebody like Pastor Jon about them."

  Jason took a small, leather-bound book out of his jacket pocket. "I carry this Bible around with me everyplace I go," Jason murmured. "He wrote notes in it an' everything. But there's still stuff I don't –"

  "Who wrote notes in your Bible?" Benny asked. He finally made himself stop crying and looked at the Bible Jason held. Jason handed it to him. Inside the cover it said, "Presented to Jonathan Michael Richardson on the occasion of his graduation from Philadelphia Seminary."

  "My father gave you his Bible," Benny whispered. He leafed through the pages. His father's clear, strong handwriting jumped out at him.

  "C'mon, Ben, don't start cryin' again, please," Jason exclaimed. "Hey, look, somebody's comin'."

  Benny looked up. Far down the road he saw a big man on a brown and white horse stop to open the gate. Benny thrust the Bible at Jason.

  "Doc Daniel!" Benny cried. He ran up to the big white-haired man and threw himself into his open arms as Doc Daniel dismounted.

  "Well, Happy Birthday, Ben," laughed Doc Daniel. "I wish all my parishioners missed me this much."

  "You can't believe how much I missed you," Benny said.

  "Ben, what's the matter?" Doc Daniel asked. "You look like you've been crying."

  Benny felt too full of everything that had happened this afternoon to talk about it yet. He was afraid it would just make him cry again.

  "This is Jason Owens," Benny explained, leading Doc Daniel over to where Jason stood waiting uncomfortably. Jason looked even smaller than he was when his hand disappeared into Doc Daniel's giant one. "This is Doctor Da
niel Connors, our minister," Benny explained.

  "You're the preacher! Boy, have we been waitin' for you! Wait'll my dad gets here! We got a buncha questions for you."

  "Dad! You finally got here!" called Dan Connors as he and his wife and Benny's family hurried out to welcome Doc Daniel. Doc Daniel accepted all the hugs and kisses and handshakes, but he kept looking from Benny to Jason with a very curious look on his face. Benny watched Jason slip the Bible back into his pocket out of sight.

  They all went back inside. Benny began to open his presents. Uncle Tom gave him a rope braided from many different colors of horsehair that he could use with Black Switch. Aunt Caroline had made him a big green and white patchwork quilt for his bed. It had a beautiful design she said was called a Bear Claw.

  Benny's mother gave him a book called "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” which he had wanted to read for a long time. Ben Franklin, for whom he had been named, fascinated Benny. She also had made him a set of new clothes.

  Dan Connors and his wife had brought three presents. One was a book of sermons by George Whitefield. Whitefield was a preacher who had tried to witness to Ben Franklin. Benny loved to read his preaching. The second was a beautiful glass globe showing all the lands of the earth that twirled on a brass base.

  Benny opened the third present. Inside lay a long, thin, glossy black box with a picture of a dragon worked in the top with mother of pearl and red inlay. Benny gasped in admiration, but when he tried to open the box he couldn't find a fastening.

  "I bought it in New York," Dan Connors laughed. "It's called a Chinese puzzle box. The Chinese make these hidden clasps so people can't find out what's in the box. Here, let me show you how to open it."

  Dan Connors took the box and Benny watched as he worked some flat wood squares around in the top. The case sprang open. The box was lined with soft black velvet, but it was empty.

  "It's – it's very nice," Benny said. "Thanks so much. Thanks for everything." Benny couldn't think of anything he owned that was nice enough to keep in such a splendid case.

  "Come on, Dad, it's your turn," Dan Connors ordered his father. Doc Daniel had been holding a bundle wrapped in fringed deerskin on his lap throughout the proceedings. He stood up and tossed it into Benny's lap.

  Benny carefully untied the thongs that fastened the bundle. He slowly opened the deerskin. He stopped and stared. In his lap lay a mound of skin and amazingly soft fur – a cougar skin, beautifully tanned.

  "This is the – " Benny rose slowly to his feet, trying to extend the skin to its full length. The tail hung out over Aunt Caroline's braided rug into the next room. It even had the head and claws still attached.

  "The Cougar Evangelist," Benny murmured. Doc Daniel studied Benny's face anxiously.

  "I couldn't think of another thing," he said. "Your ma thought you'd like it, but I – "

  "I do. Oh, I do!" Benny exclaimed. Relieved, Doc Daniel grabbed him in a massive hug, skin and all, and Benny grunted.

  "Thanks," he managed to say.

  "You be a man for your mother," Doc Daniel said in his ear. "A man of God. I hope it doesn't bother Jeremy to see that," Doc Daniel said apologetically. "There must have been some nightmares about that cat."

  "There still are," Dan Connors said. "He told me so. But I'll tell him it doesn't look half so scary now. Every time he gets the sweats, he can just think about throw rugs."

  He picked up the head, looked into the empty eye-sockets, and growled at it. Everyone roared with laughter.

  "There's still a gift in the basket, darling," Benny's mother prompted. "You haven't opened Jason's present."

  "Oh, hey, no!" Jason exclaimed, grabbing the small lumpy parcel and hiding it behind his back. "No, really, Ben," he stammered, turning crimson as everybody stared at him in surprise. "It –it ain't – it ain't the right thing for you at all. I didn't – I didn't know ya read books and were so smart an' – an other people got you such good stuff – " Jason broke off miserably. Benny tried gently to take the package from him.

  "It doesn't matter what it is, Jason," Benny insisted. "I'm really, really glad you came."

  Jason surrendered the package. Benny opened it and found a small, carved wooden horse inside. Benny smiled.

  "Thanks, Jason," he said. "I mean it. It's fine. I love horses. Don't I, Mother?"

  "He really does, Jason." Benny's mother smiled. "Did you make it yourself?" Jason nodded. "It's a wonderful job of carving. You're very gifted."

  "This is really fine," Doc Daniel said as he took the little horse in his hands. Dan Connors praised it also. Everyone passed it around and complimented Jason on its fine details and beautiful polish.

  "You should see Black Switch," Benny said suddenly. "Can I show him to Jason, Uncle Tom?"

  "Right now?" his uncle frowned. "What if he decides to take a chunk out of Jason? Wouldn't make a very good first impression on your new friend, or make a very good ending to your birthday party."

  "Switch only bites you because you're a mean old man, Tom," laughed Doc Daniel. "Try a little sugar now and then and it'll improve both of your dispositions. Besides, ummm … Mrs. Richardson … there is something I'd like to talk to you about in private, if I may."

  Benny took Jason back outside. He opened the shed door and Jason followed him inside. Switch tossed his head and Benny fed him a piece of sugar.

  "Wow!" Jason gasped. "He's beautiful! He don't look like a farm horse. How come your Uncle Tom has a horse like that? Or is he yours?"

  "He ... he belongs to a friend of mine," Benny said evasively. "Uncle Tom's boarding him."

  Jason put up his hand timidly. Switch sniffed his hand and then he flicked out his tongue and started to lick his fingers. "Hey, he's trying to eat my hand!" Jason cried.

  "It's the birthday cake," Benny grinned. "He loves sweet stuff. Listen, Jason," he added as they walked back to the house together, "I've been trying to carve a chess set, but it's turning out awful. Do you think you could help me some evenings after our chores are done?"

  "Sure, Ben," Jason said, surprised and flattered. "An' maybe when it's done you can teach me t' play chess."

  When they came into the kitchen Doc Daniel had Benny's mother's arm in his. Benny saw that his mother looked a little pale and nervous. Doc Daniel patted her arm. She looked up at him with a very uneasy expression.

  "One more gift to go, Ben," Doc Daniel said. "This one's from Jeremy."

  "Jeremy!" Benny shouted. "How did Jeremy know it was my birthday?"

  "I told him I was coming here for your birthday," Dan Connors replied. "Oh, by the way, here's a letter from him that he sent by Connors special post. It's a long one."

  "Who's Jeremy?" Jason asked.

  "He's my friend, the one who owns Black Switch," Benny said. Dan Connors handed Benny a thick envelope. Benny wanted to run out and read it immediately. Then he remembered the present.

  "What could Jeremy give me?" he asked, puzzled. "He lost everything when the barge sank on the Conemaugh River, just like we did. All he has is Black Switch."

  "Black Switch and this," Doc Daniel said, producing another, much smaller leather-wrapped parcel. Benny felt it before he opened it. He gasped and fumbled it open as quickly as he could. Inside lay Jeremy's knife. Benny took it out and turned it over in his hands. Automatically he tested the balance as Jeremy had taught him to do.

  "I – I wasn't sure how you would feel about it, Darling," Benny's mother said. "Mr. Carlisle wrote and asked me if he might give it to you. It was a hard decision for me to agree to it."

  "I'm sure it was," Benny grinned. "Thanks, Mother. This is something I never expected to see again. But I'm glad." He glanced sideways at Jason, who was staring wide-eyed at the knife. "May I go outside with Jason and show him – ?"

  Benny broke off, stopped by the look on his mother's face. "But Mother, I'll be careful. I promise. Please, I have to show Jason."

  "Let him go, Abigail," Uncle Tom said. "He's got to have his try with it. I'd lik
e to see him use it myself. I'm sure young Carlisle didn't mean for the thing to be locked away."

  "Actually, that's why I got that Chinese box," Dan Connors smiled. "It'll at least give you pause, Ben, eh? Mind if Dad and I come out to see the show?"

  "Who is this Jeremy?" Jason asked.

  "He's my best friend," Benny said excitedly as he drew a chalk target on the barn door.

  "What kinda friend would have a horse like that and give ya a knife like that?" Jason demanded.

  Benny turned helplessly to the three men who stood by. "How can I explain Jeremy?" he asked them.

  Doc Daniel and Dan Connors both burst out laughing. "Well, Ben," Dan Connors said, "I'll tell you what my father told me when he wrote and asked me to defend Jeremy. He said, 'Dan, I've got a bank-robbing, knife-throwing, card-playing, whiskey-drinking, cougar-scarred, saved by the grace of God friend who needs your help.'

  "What?" Jason said blankly.

  Benny paced back from the target. He looked around to make sure no one was standing too close. Then the knife flew from his hand and stuck in the center of the target.

  "Wow!" Jason cried. "And ta think I –" he shut his mouth quickly and Benny smiled as he fiddled with something in his pocket. Benny guessed he wouldn't be seeing the clasp knife again anytime soon.

  "Well done!" Dan Connors said, clapping his hands. "Well done."

  "Hello, Jason!" called a voice.

  "Oh, no! It ain't that late already, is it?" Jason's dad came up the drive in his wagon. "Pa, can't I stay a little while? Look what Ben got for his birthday!"

  Jason's father looked wide-eyed at the knife sticking in the barn door. "Uh – Jason, we have to be getting home," he said, very uneasy. Benny guessed he was afraid he hadn't gotten Jason away from bad influences after all.

  "But Pa, this is the preacher. Ya wanted ta meet him. Here he is."

  "Doctor Connors?" Jason's dad took in Doc Daniel's buckskins. Then he looked at Dan Connors in his more formal city dress.

  "I am," Doc Daniel grinned, engulfing Mr. Owens' hand in his. "Folks call me Doc Daniel. I'm glad to meet you. This dandy is my son Dan Junior visiting from Virginia. Your son's a fine woodcarver. Mighty fine. He told me you folks have been wrestling with the Word. I'd be happy to visit and talk some things over with you."

  "That'd be fine," Mr. Owens said. He seemed overwhelmed.

  "Pa, this is Pastor Jon's son!" Jason shouted. "I almost forgot. Ben Richardson's dad was the man who told us how to get saved! He got killed in a cart accident. That's why he never came back to the mission!"

  Carl Owens had been stunned before. He seemed to need a place to sit down now. Uncle Tom, Doc Daniel and Dan Connors all looked to Benny for confirmation of this astounding news. He nodded, but felt the tears forcing their way up again and didn't dare speak.

  "God works in mysterious ways," Doc Daniel said in awe. "Mr. Owens, come in and meet Ben's mother. She'd certainly want to know one of her husband's converts."

  "One of his converts?" Carl Owens exclaimed. "Doctor Connors, I've got six more of them at home. My wife'd give anything to meet Pastor Jon's lady. That she would!"

  "Go and get your family, then," Uncle Tom ordered him. "Go on right now. Bring them all over. We'll have a good talk. A good long talk. Jason can stay here. Get going."