Stage Fright / Goodbye, Sweet Prince / Brotherly Love

by Catherine Marshall

  Back at the mission house, Christy and Ruby Mae hurriedly headed straight upstairs to George’s room.

  Christy knocked softly on his door. No answer. Slowly she opened it. His bed was neatly made. His dresser was empty.

  “He left a note!” Ruby Mae exclaimed.

  Christy read the simple letter. “What does it mean?” she wondered aloud. “What is he sorry about?”

  Ruby Mae scowled. “For runnin’ off without even sayin’ his goodbyes proper-like, I reckon. And to think I was hopin’ to marry him someday! Your brother ain’t the least bit reliable, Miz Christy. If’n you don’t mind my sayin’ so.”

  “George is a little unpredictable sometimes,” Christy admitted, “but he’s never done anything like this before.”

  They returned to the dining room. “So?” Miss Alice asked. “What’s the verdict?”

  “I don’t know what a verdict is,” Ruby Mae snapped, “but I’ll tell you this much—there ain’t goin’ to be no magic show today. Not unless you count George disappearin’.”

  “He’s gone,” Miss Ida cried, “without saying goodbye?”

  “It looks that way,” Christy said. “He left me a note, but I don’t really understand what it means,” Christy passed the letter to Miss Alice.

  “But George is such a polite boy—so charming.” Miss Ida clucked her tongue. “This just doesn’t seem like him.”

  “It isn’t,” Christy agreed. “That’s why I’m worried.”

  Miss Alice stared at the note. “Was anything bothering George?” she asked. “Perhaps a problem at school? A girlfriend?”

  “Girlfriend!” Ruby Mae cried. “George was sweet on somebody?”

  “Not that I know of, Ruby Mae,” Christy said.

  Miss Alice patted Christy’s arm. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation, dear. He’s probably heading back to the station at El Pano. Why don’t you take Prince and go look for him?”

  “But what about school?”

  “David and I will take care of teaching today. You’ll do everyone a lot more good by getting to the bottom of this mystery.”

  Christy gave her a hug. “Thank you, Miss Alice. I’m just going to run upstairs and get my sweater, and I’ll be on my way.”

  “I’ll fix you up a sandwich for the road,” Miss Ida volunteered.

  “Thanks, Miss Ida. That would be great.” Christy hesitated. “Would you mind making two? Just in case I can talk George into coming back?”

  “Of course. You just tell that boy we expect him at dinner this evening, promptly at six.”

  “And tell him his assistant is mad as a wildcat that he up and left without doin’ a magic show,” Ruby Mae added.

  Christy managed a smile. “I will, Ruby Mae.”

  She ran upstairs, two steps at a time. There had to be a logical explanation. There just had to be.

  Christy donned her sweater. She was starting down the stairs when she felt the envelope from her mother in her pocket. She pulled out the letter and returned it to her dresser. She didn’t want to risk losing it on her ride.

  As she set it down, she noticed something strange about the wax seal on the back. Her mother’s usual initial imprint was gone, as if it had melted. And the wax was barely sticking to the envelope.

  Suddenly, she pictured George, bringing her the letter at the doctor’s cabin last night.

  Something was very wrong here.

  Christy slipped her finger under the seal and pulled out her mother’s letter.

  My dearest Christy, she read. I’m afraid I have some terrible news.

  Her heart in her throat, Christy read on. When she was done, she wiped away a tear.

  Now at least, George’s recent actions made more sense to her. He had come to Cutter Gap to hide from their parents and the school’s headmaster.

  Christy began to examine her beliefs about her brother. It isn’t like George to steal, but it also isn’t like him to read other people’s mail, she thought.

  Christy wasn’t sure whether to be angry at George or to be compassionate about his situation. Either way, she knew only part of the reason for George’s sudden disappearance, and she knew she was going to find him to hear his side of the story. George may not know it, she thought, but he needs his big sister right now.

  Eleven

  Well, I have to admit it doesn’t look good,” David said as he helped Christy saddle up Prince.

  She’d shown David her mother’s letter. He’d read it twice before reacting.

  “I keep thinking there must be more to the story,” Christy said, but she could hear the desperation in her own voice. “Hoping, anyway.”

  David spread a blanket over Prince’s broad back. “The thing is, he ran away, Christy. If he didn’t take the money, why would George have run?”

  “I’ve asked myself that, too. And I don’t have an answer.” Christy rubbed her eyes. She was already tired, and the day had just begun. “But why would George steal money, David? Father sends him an allowance. George has always had everything he needed.”

  David shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe he had a girlfriend he wanted to impress. Maybe he owed someone money and couldn’t pay it all back. There could be a hundred reasons. In the end, it doesn’t really matter what his reason was. What matters is that he did something wrong, and now he has to face up to the consequences like a man.”

  “He’s a good person, David. A little impetuous, to be sure. But I know he has a good heart.”

  David positioned Prince’s saddle. “Why don’t I ride with you, Christy? You’re in no mood to be alone right now. And Miss Alice can handle school today.”

  “No. You have plenty of other work to do.”

  “You don’t even know what direction he headed.”

  “It’s a pretty safe guess he’s going back toward El Pano. At least, that’s as good a place to start as any. And in any case, George is my brother. This is my problem.”

  David patted her shoulder. “The truth is, it’s George’s problem, Christy. He’s the one who made the mistake. And only he can correct it.”

  “First of all, I believe in my brother. He would not steal. And think how alone he must feel right now. He’s afraid to go home. He’s afraid to go back to school. And he’s afraid to come back here.” Tears burned her eyes. “I know things don’t look good for George right now. That’s why he needs a friend more than ever. He needs me.”

  How could the morning be so beautiful, Christy wondered, when she felt so gloomy?

  The trail to El Pano snaked through the mountains past rocky chasms and sheer cliffs. Swift-moving streams followed much of the route. The thin path was covered with a thick canopy of trees. Patches of sunlight dappled the forest floor.

  Christy tried to occupy herself with other thoughts. For a while, she identified wildflowers that her friend, Fairlight Spencer, had shown her.

  But always her thoughts strayed back to George. And always the questions remained.

  Why had he done such a thing? And why had he run away—from school, and then from her?

  Minutes passed, slowly turning into hours. The sun was high in the sky now. After a while, Christy found a shady spot by a pair of birch trees. She stopped there and decided to eat the sandwich Miss Ida had prepared. But as soon as she unwrapped the sandwich, she realized she wasn’t the least bit hungry.

  Something was wrong. She should have passed George by now. Even giving him a good head start, she had the advantage of a swift horse. For someone walking with a suitcase, this would be a tedious and tiring route.

  Perhaps she’d been wrong to think George would come this way. How did she know what he was thinking? After all, she would never have dreamed he would get himself into this kind of trouble. Who knew where he was heading next?

  With a sigh, Christy wrapped up her uneaten sandwich after giving the vegetables to Prince. She wondered how much farther she should travel. If she went all the way to El Pano, she’d never get back to the mission today.


  Another hour, she promised herself. Another hour, and then she would give up.

  “Christy.”

  The voice came from behind her on the path. For a moment, Christy froze. She thought it sounded like him, but sound in these woods could be distorted. And there were plenty of unsavory types lurking in the forest.

  Slowly, she turned her head.

  As if by magic, George stepped out of the woods.

  “Hey, Sis,” he said softly.

  “But . . . how could I have missed you? Did I ride right past you?”

  George gave a sheepish grin. “I heard you coming and I hid in some bushes. Then I started having second thoughts.”

  Christy stared at her brother. He was in the middle of the path, his suitcase tightly clutched in his right hand. Standing here in the middle of this vast forest, he looked surprisingly small, like a little boy. His hair was mussed. He had a scratch on one cheek. His clothes were wrinkled.

  He looked so vulnerable—not at all like the cocky, self-confident George of a few days ago. He looked lost.

  He looked like someone who needed a big sister.

  Christy walked to his side. She put her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. He stiffened, then relented. With a sigh, he rested his head on her shoulder.

  “Oh, Sis,” he whispered, “I’ve really made a mess of things, haven’t I?”

  “Maybe I can help,” Christy whispered, “if you let me.”

  “Nobody can help. It’s too late.”

  “It’s never too late. Not if you pray for God to guide you through this.”

  George looked at her pleadingly. The desperation in his eyes was almost more than she could bear.

  “George,” Christy said sternly, “It’s time for the lying to stop. Why are you really here in Cutter Gap?”

  Twelve

  George stared at his sister, searching his heart for the right answer. At last he said softly, “Didn’t you read Mother’s letter?”

  “Yes. But it just made me think of a hundred questions to ask, George. It didn’t give me any answers. Only you can do that.”

  And I’m not going to, George thought. Not ever. I’m a man of my word, and my lips are sealed.

  “Let’s start at the beginning,” Christy said, using the same tone of voice she reserved for her most difficult students. “The money. Did you take the money, George?”

  George kicked at a loose stone in the path. “Mother and Father seem to think I did. Don’t you?”

  “I don’t know what to think. But I do know that you’re a decent, honorable person.”

  “Well, even decent, honorable people make mistakes.”

  “But why?” Christy’s blue eyes were clouded with confusion. “Why would you take money from the headmaster’s office and risk everything? It just doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Why does it matter now, Sis? What’s done is done. I’m out of the academy. I can’t go home.”

  “You can always go home, George. Mother and Father will always stand by you. And so will I.”

  “I don’t need anyone. I’m going to New York City to become a writer.”

  George almost laughed at how ridiculous he sounded. He was surprised and touched when Christy didn’t even smile.

  “You’ll make a wonderful writer someday, George. Or artist. Or—” Christy smiled, “magician. I think you can do anything you set your mind to. But you need to finish your education first.”

  “Well, I don’t think the Bristol Academy will be welcoming me back with open arms. But sure, I’ll try to go back to school someday.” George threw back his shoulders and did his best to project a confident smile. “Well, I’d better be on my way. It’s a long walk to El Pano.”

  Christy grabbed his arm. “George, whatever happened back at school, you have to face it. You can’t run from your problems. They have a way of following you.”

  “Like my big sister?” George tried to joke.

  “I can help you. I know I can, if you’ll just let me.”

  George shook off her hand. “Christy, I’m a big boy. I can handle my own problems.”

  “At least let me give you a ride to El Pano. It’s a long trip on foot.”

  “No.”

  Christy’s face froze into a grimace of frustration. “You can be so pig-headed and stubborn and unreasonable!” she cried. “Sometimes I feel just like I did when you were a little boy. Mother would ask me to call you in for dinner, but you’d be busy playing and you’d ignore me, no matter how I pleaded.”

  “What can I say?” George forced a grin. “I’m your little brother. It’s my job to torment you.”

  Just then, George heard the sound of voices, coming from beyond the next ridge. A moment later, a tall, gaunt man George recognized as Mr. Pentland appeared, carrying a small mail bag.

  But it was the person walking beside him who made George’s heart do a somersault.

  Richard!

  What was his roommate doing here? Now?

  Frantically, George’s eyes darted about. His first reaction was to dive for cover, but of course, that was ridiculous.

  He was trapped.

  “Well, well, who do we have here?” Mr. Pentland called. “Miz Christy, I declare. Ain’t often I meet up with company on this here route. And George, too!” Mr. Pentland elbowed Richard. “Seems you found him sooner ’n you figgered.”

  Richard and George locked eyes. Richard was a small, slight boy, with curly blond hair and wide, hopeful eyes. He was dressed in his worn brown jacket and a too-large pair of pants that had once belonged to George. Richard’s family didn’t have much money, and George often lent him clothes.

  “Richard,” George said darkly, “I should never have told you I was coming here. Why are you here? There’s no point.” He paused, making his next words emphatic. “Everything is decided.”

  Richard ignored George. He approached Christy and shook her hand. “You must be George’s sister. I’ve heard so much about you, Miss Huddleston. I’m Richard Benton, George’s roommate from the Bristol Academy.”

  “Richard!” Christy exclaimed. “Yes, George has spoken of you. But how . . . why are you here?”

  “Good question,” George muttered.

  “Well, that’s a long story.” Richard paused. “How much does she know, George?”

  “She knows all she needs to know,” George said. “If you have something to talk about, Richard, let’s do it privately.”

  “Didn’t you get my letter?” Richard asked.

  “Yes, I got it.”

  “Well, then—”

  “I didn’t read it, Richard. I threw it in a pond without even opening it.”

  Richard took a step closer to George. He had a fierceness in his eyes that George had never seen before. “Look, we can talk now, in front of Christy and Mr. Pentland, or we can talk later. But we’re going to talk, George Huddleston.”

  George gazed up the path, then back. All he wanted to do was run. But he was trapped. He had to deal with Richard. And he didn’t want Christy to get caught up in the middle of everything.

  “Whatever it is you two have to discuss, why don’t you do it back at the mission?” Christy interjected.

  George sighed deeply. “All right. One more night, and then Richard and I leave in the morning. But there’s one condition.”

  “What’s that?” his sister asked.

  “No questions. All right?”

  “No conditions, George,” Christy replied. “You’re my brother and I love you. I want to help you. And if that means I have to ask some hard questions, so be it.”

  “All right, then.” George gave her a stiff smile. “You can ask all the questions you want. But I’m not guaranteeing I’ll answer any of them.”

  Thirteen

  He’s back!” Ruby Mae cried. “George is back!”

  As Christy, George, Richard, and Mr.

  Pentland approached the mission house, they were met with a flurry of activity. Ruby Mae ran to greet them,
and Miss Ida, Miss Alice, David, and the doctor appeared on the porch.

  “Neil!” Christy exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

  “Just stopped by to check on the reviews of my dinner,” the doctor said, glancing over at George. “Actually, I was running low on some medical supplies, and thought I’d see if Miss Alice had any she could spare.” He paused. “It seems you found your brother.”

  Everyone fell silent. All eyes were on George.

  He stopped in his tracks at the foot of the porch steps. “Look, I know you all are wondering what’s going on,” he said softly, a pained expression on his face. “I . . . all I can say is that I’m sorry I left so abruptly, especially after all your wonderful hospitality. But I don’t want to talk about this. It’s private.” He glanced sharply at Richard. “This is Richard, my roommate from school. He and I will be leaving in the morning. Come on, Richard.”

  The two boys headed into the house. Ruby Mae tugged on Christy’s sleeve. “What’s a-goin’ on, Miz Christy? Nothin’ George said makes a lick o’ sense. What happened?”

  “I don’t know, Ruby Mae,” Christy said in a determined voice. “But I’m about to find out right now.”

  “Go away.”

  Christy knocked on George’s door again. “We need to talk, George. I still have some questions.”

  “And I didn’t promise you any answers.”

  This time, Christy pounded on George’s door. He wanted to be stubborn? Well, she could be just as stubborn . . . and then some!

  “I’m not leaving this hallway, George.”

  A moment later, George’s door opened a crack. “Christy, Father always said you were the most pig-headed girl he’d ever had the privilege of knowing.”

  “Well, Mother always said you’re so stubborn you could be part mule!”

  George stared at his sister through the crack. Christy could see the start of a smile on his face. “You’re really not going to leave me alone, are you?”

  “No, I’m not.”

  The door swung open. Richard was staring out the window. He nodded at Christy, then returned his gaze to the beautiful mountain vistas.