The Innocent

by Ann H. Gabhart

  “That would not be wise. Unless you have a wagon and someone to hold the dog to be sure he couldn’t jump out and make his injury worse.” Brother Willis opened the bottom door to the stall and stepped in beside Mitchell. He bent down to run a hand over the dog’s back. “Better he stays here. Such a good dog will be no trouble.”

  “If you think that best.” Mitchell knew the Shaker man was right, but he hated leaving Asher. Brother Willis followed Mitchell out of the stall.

  When Asher whimpered, Mitchell looked back at him. The Shaker put his hand on Mitchell’s shoulder. “Worry not. Elder Marcus has assured me the Ministry will allow me to care for the dog since we have a duty to be kind to animals. When the dog is well enough, we will bring him to you in the town.”

  Asher howled when Mitchell went on out of the barn. The lonesome sound made him want to turn back and take the dog, but Asher was better off there under the Shaker’s care. If only Mitchell could believe the same was true for Asher’s mistress. Something wasn’t right here in the Shaker village, but whatever it was, none of the Shakers wanted to talk about it.

  That included Elder Derron, who was waiting beside Mitchell’s horse. The man stood straight and stiff and offered no greeting.

  “Is something wrong, Elder?” Mitchell asked.

  “Yea.” The man twisted his hands together, and then pulled them apart to jerk on the corners of his jacket. “I’ve been asked to inform you the Ministry feels it would be best if you did not return to Harmony Hill. It is upsetting to our sisters to have you questioning them.”

  Mitchell studied the man’s face. A little tic twitched his cheek. Mitchell let the silence build between them for a moment. “I would not want to upset anyone here in your village, especially your sisters, but I do need to talk to Sister Edna again. She may know something about the fire.”

  “She does not,” Elder Derron said flatly. “You waste time here. Yours and ours. Those who set the fire are of the world. You will not find them here at Harmony Hill.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “Yea, very sure.” The elder buttoned his coat and then unbuttoned it. He played his fingers around the brim of his hat before he settled it farther down on his head. “Good day, Sheriff Brodie. We will send for you if you are needed.”

  Mitchell started to tell the elder he couldn’t kick a sheriff out of his own county. But there were times to argue and times to step back and wait for another day to wage battle. With the elder watching him, he had little choice but to ride out of the village with no opportunity to go past the washhouse to keep his promise to Carlyn.

  But he’d be back. And somehow, someday, he was going to leave this village with Carlyn riding on his horse behind him. That was a promise he was making to himself and one he would keep.

  Asher’s howls followed him out of the village.

  31

  Carlyn tarried gathering in the clothes as long as she could. When she heard Asher howling, she wanted to desert her clothesbasket and run to the West Family barn.

  She might have dared it except Sister Edna was watching her. The sister wasn’t working with the clothes. She wasn’t working on anything, unless watching was considered work. Perhaps in the Shaker village, it was. Sister Edna appeared in the shadow of the washhouse shortly after Sheriff Brodie left. Every time Carlyn glanced her way, Sister Edna’s eyes were fastened on her. With the old Sister Edna glare. The one that meant every rule had to be strictly obeyed.

  If only Carlyn could understand why so many rules were necessary. Union, Sister Edna told her. Unity of spirit. But Carlyn could not imagine ever having unity of spirit with Sister Edna, even at the times when she surprised Carlyn with a gentler manner. That manner was nowhere in evidence now.

  She must have found out about Carlyn talking to the sheriff. To Mitchell. Carlyn smiled as she unpinned two socks from the line and rolled one inside the other. It had been good calling him by his given name and hearing her name on his lips. That sign of friendship made Carlyn believe she could depend on him to do what he said he would do.

  Yet the afternoon slipped past without his return. Her shoulders drooped as she carried in the last basket of clothes, and she could hardly push one foot in front of the other. She’d lost too much sleep. That was all. Her weariness had nothing to do with the sheriff not keeping his word.

  “Is something wrong, Sister Carlyn?” Sister Edna stepped up beside her.

  “Yea. I am very tired. May I retire to the sleeping room and skip the evening meal?”

  “You have skipped too many meals of late, Sister. You must keep a uniform schedule of nourishment and rest to keep your body strong and able.”

  “I will be stronger tomorrow.”

  “And readier to apply yourself to the Shaker way?” Sister Edna did not seem to expect an answer. That was just as well, for Carlyn had none to give. “That is, unless you must witness a sister’s descent into sin or dally with sin yourself by entertaining those of the world.”

  Carlyn didn’t pretend not to know what Sister Edna meant. “I did not seek out the sheriff. He came to tell me he had lost my dog.”

  “The dog that you had to sneak out of our house to find in the night?”

  “Yea. The one I could not leave wounded without finding him help. Brother Payton assured me you Shakers are ever kind to animals.”

  “Our former brother should have stayed in his retiring room as well. Allowing himself to be lured into sin after so many faithful years. He will find no peace with that Delilah.”

  Sister Edna glared at Carlyn as though daring her to defend Sister Berdine. For once, Carlyn managed to stay silent as she stared down at the basket of clothes. It would not do for Sister Edna to glimpse the happiness Carlyn felt at the thought of Sister Berdine finding the love she had so long desired. As Carlyn’s mother had been prone to say, the Lord could work in mysterious ways his wonders to perform. Was he also working wonders for her?

  “It would be best if we did not speak of those who have deserted their calling and fallen by the wayside.” Sister Edna heaved out a long breath. “If you do not change your thinking, the same can happen to you. It is not good to encourage the attention of those of the world. I fear you are putting your feet on a slippery path, my sister, when you stand and talk with the sheriff.”

  “I asked him to go see about Asher.” When the lines between Sister Edna’s eyes deepened, Carlyn added. “My dog. Remember, I told you the sheriff took in my dog when I found out he would not be allowed to stay with me here.” Carlyn looked back toward the road. “He said he’d come back by here so I’d know about Asher.”

  “It is beyond my understanding how you can worry so about a dog.” Sister Edna shook her head. “You should care for your sisters with the same fullness of heart.”

  “Yea, my sisters are very kind to me, but Asher was a faithful companion to me. I cannot help worrying about him.”

  “You have no need to worry. The dog is yet here where Brother Willis can care for it, but Sheriff Brodie was asked to leave and not return to our village. One of the brethren will take him the dog when it has sufficiently healed.”

  “But what of the fire and Brother Henry’s death? Is that not a matter for the law?”

  A shadow passed over Sister Edna’s face, but then her frown returned, fiercer than ever. “It is time to put that sorrow behind us and consider what is best for the Society.”

  “But—”

  “No more argument. For your own good, you must give up worldly thinking and become a proper Believer novitiate. You will be safe here and find happiness once you abide by the rules. It is my duty to make sure that happens, and I take the duties assigned to me by the Ministry very seriously.” The bell rang, signaling the end of the workday.

  “Yea.” Carlyn had no strength to disagree. “If only I can rest.”

  “You will rest at the assigned times, the same as all your sisters, and then you will eat the evening meal. After that we are to take part in a Union M
eeting.”

  “A Union Meeting?”

  “I’ve told you about them. A time to converse with our brothers. Five brothers and five sisters.”

  “Can I not wait until another night?”

  “Nay. Eldress Lilith has told me to bring you.” There was no give on Sister Edna’s face.

  “Why would she do that?”

  Sister Edna’s stern look gave way to concern for just a moment. Then her eyes tightened as she straightened her bonnet. “It is not our place to question the elders and eldresses. Only to do as they ask. Mother Ann directs the Ministry and the Ministry directs the elders. It is as it must be. For the unity of our Society.”

  Carlyn fell asleep during rest time. Sister Alice shook her awake when it was time to go to the eating room. There Sister Edna had to touch Carlyn’s shoulder to remind her to rise from prayers before the meal. She managed to swallow the few spoonfuls of food she dipped out on her plate. Then in a daze, she followed Sister Edna to the other side of the house to one of the brethren’s rooms for the Union Meeting.

  Sister Edna stopped her before they reached the door. Her eyes darted to the side as though to be sure no one was near. Even so, she kept her voice low. “Since you are new to our Society, it will be best if you listen and stay quiet.”

  “Yea,” Carlyn murmured. “But what if I cannot stay awake?”

  “Worry not. I will poke you should you nod off.” Sister Edna did not smile as she led the way into the room.

  The brethren were already seated facing the sisters. Carlyn and Sister Edna were the last to arrive. Sister Mamie and Sister Adele smiled at them, and Eldress Lilith nodded solemnly as they took the empty chairs. Of the men, she knew only Elder Derron. The brother who sat directly across from her looked very young and as out of place as Carlyn felt. That mattered not. She merely had to make it through the hour and then to bed. She was too tired to even think of sneaking away to see Asher.

  Carlyn sat up as straight as she could and struggled to stay awake. They talked of new songs to learn and how much applesauce might be sold on the trading trips. Elder Derron spoke at length about what was selling and not selling since he handled much of the commerce of the family. One of the brethren, an older man named Jackson, reported on the hay harvest and the corn not yet picked.

  The talk was easy, as though they were sharing time in a parlor on a Sunday afternoon until one of the brothers—Brother Marvin, if Carlyn remembered his name correctly—brought up the barn. “Has the sheriff found those who burned our barn? I saw him riding through the village today.”

  His words were better than a poke to keep Carlyn awake. The ease fled the room to be replaced by an odd tenseness.

  Elder Derron finally answered, “Yea, he was here, but he was looking in the wrong place. Those responsible won’t be found in our village.”

  “They were here once,” Brother Marvin said.

  “In the night,” Eldress Lilith spoke up.

  “Yea, such men use the cover of night to hide their sinful ways,” Elder Derron said.

  Sister Adele, a tiny slip of a woman who appeared to be even older than Sister Edna, let out a gasp. “You don’t think they’ll come back, do you? They could burn us in our beds.”

  “Calm yourself, Sister Adele.” Sister Edna spoke up in a strident voice. “No need to have the vapors. That would not be becoming for a Believer.”

  “Nor would being burned to a crisp in our beds.” Sister Adele crossed her arms and glared at Sister Edna.

  “Here, here.” Eldress Lilith clapped her hands as though bringing order to a room of unruly children. “We must focus on pleasant things, my sisters and brothers. You will make our young converts have unhappy dreams.”

  “One looks to be near dreaming already.” Elder Derron leaned forward in his chair toward Carlyn. “Did you not sleep well, Sister Carlyn?”

  She peeked out of the sides of her eyes toward Sister Edna, who sat stiff in her chair, her eyes straight ahead. Carlyn kept her answer short. “Nay, not last night.”

  “And you talked to Sheriff Brodie, I’ve been told.” Elder Derron didn’t let his eyes stray from Carlyn.

  If the air was tense before, now it was crackling. Carlyn waited for Eldress Lilith to clap her hands again and move the conversation back to better topics, but she did not seem as ready to call down the elder as the sisters. Carlyn moistened her lips and wondered what answer would give her the least trouble.

  “Yea, I did.” Sometimes simple truth was the best way.

  “And did he ask about the fire?”

  “Nay. We spoke of my dog. Not the fire.”

  “You mean the dog now being cared for by Brother Willis because he was injured.” He leaned back in his chair and tilted it a bit off the floor.

  “Yea. Someone shot him.”

  “Who?” Elder Derron dropped his chair back to the floor with a loud thump.

  “I cannot say.” She was beginning to feel as though she were on trial.

  Elder Derron leaned toward her. “That man, the one you saw in the village before the fire. What did you say his name was?”

  “Curt Whitlow. You told the sheriff you knew him.” She stared straight at the elder. She didn’t dare look toward Sister Edna, who would surely be turning pale because of Carlyn’s lack of diffidence.

  “Yea, so I do. Sister Edna claims the sight of him frightened you that day you saw him talking to Brother Henry.”

  “He had given me problems before I came here.”

  “What sort of problems?” The elder was insistent.

  “What difference does that make?” Sister Edna spoke up. “That was before our sister joined with us. Part of the sufferings of the world. Now she is with us. One of our sisters.”

  “Yea,” Eldress Lilith agreed. “I cannot see the purpose of your questions, Elder Derron, when we are supposed to be having a pleasant visit.”

  The elder held up his hands and leaned back in his chair again. “I was simply going to ask if she thought Curt Whitlow might have shot the dog.”

  “Then that is what you should have asked without traveling around the world to do so,” Eldress Lilith said.

  “What does it matter anyway?” Brother Marvin said. “It is a sorrowful shame to be so wicked to shoot a dog, but I doubt those of the world consider it a crime. The crime was the fire that killed our Brother Henry. That is what we need to consider.”

  Sister Edna fixed a hard look on Brother Marvin. “What we need to consider is peace and unity among us.”

  “Yea,” Eldress Lilith said. “Let us appeal to Mother Ann to bring peace to our midst and close our meeting with a song. Sister Mamie, lead us in something to unify our spirits.”

  “Yea.” Sister Mamie thought a moment and then began to sing. “When cheer fills the hearts of my friends, and brethren and sisters are kind.”

  The others joined their voices to hers. Carlyn had never heard the song so she simply did as Sister Edna had earlier ordered. Listened.

  What joy to my bosom it sends, what peace to my troubled mind.

  To know that my dear gospel kin have love and affection for me,

  My spirit from sorrow does win and causes dejection to flee.

  With that, the meeting was over. Carlyn was so eager to go to bed she didn’t notice Sister Edna wasn’t behind her until she got to their sleeping room. But it wasn’t her duty to watch Sister Edna. Sister Edna’s duty was to watch Carlyn. This night she could watch her sleep. Even so, Carlyn was relieved when Sister Edna came into the room, as though by some strange upheaval of circumstance, she had to feel as responsible for Sister Edna as the older sister was compelled to feel for her.

  Along with the other sisters, Carlyn knelt to silently say her evening prayers. Thank thee, Lord, for the day. Protect us through the night. Give us blessings on the morrow. In Thy holy name I pray.

  That was the first prayer her mother had taught her. Simple. Complete. Quick. She needed quick tonight. Others were still on their knees, incl
uding Sister Edna, when Carlyn slipped under her bedcover.

  She had thought she would sleep like the dead, but instead she kept jerking awake with her heart pounding in her ears, unsure if whatever noise she’d heard was in her restless dreams or in the room. Beside her, Sister Marie slept soundly. All around the room, the sound of in and out breathing indicated all was well. She drew in a breath and shut her eyes. Then the door slid open and closed. A furtive sound. Surely the same as it must have sounded the night before when she had followed Sister Berdine outside.

  Carlyn sat up in the bed. Moonlight filtered through the window to show no bed looked empty unless pillows had been stuffed under covers. She looked toward Sister Edna’s bed nearest the door. The covers were folded back neatly and the bed empty.

  A call of nature perhaps. But they had a chamber pot so that trips to the privy were not necessary in the dark of the night.

  She swung her feet over the side of the bed and listened intently. Was that voices she heard? There shouldn’t be voices. Especially not angry voices.

  She had promised not to go out of the room without telling Sister Edna, but she wasn’t there to tell. She could wake one of the others, but if it turned out to be nothing, she would have done naught but steal her sister’s sleeping time. It must only be an echo of a dream making her think she was hearing an argument. But she would not rest easy until she found out.

  Without bothering to put on shoes, she tiptoed out of the room. In the hallway, the voices over her head weren’t loud enough for her to make out words, but she heard no peace in the sound. At each end of the hall, steep stairways led up to the third floor. She headed toward the sisters’ stairs. The third floor had no sleeping rooms, only chests built into the attic walls for storing extra clothing and essentials. And places to watch.

  But no one would be watching at this time of the night. She should go back to the sleeping room and pull the covers over her head. If it was Sister Edna meeting someone for whatever reason, she would not welcome Carlyn’s interference. Even so, Carlyn kept moving toward the staircase as silently as a willow leaf on the wind.