by Anna Schmidt
Hannah felt as if everyone must surely be able to see the beat of her heart under her caped dress. It was hammering away so hard that she thought she could actually feel the blood rushing through her veins. Her hand shook slightly as she accepted the telegram.
Amish runaway in my cabin. Stop. Just crossed into Indiana. Stop. Please instruct. Stop. Ida
She read the words again. Amish runaway. “It’s Caleb,” she whispered as if to assure herself, then she turned to her father-in-law and handed him the wire. “It’s Caleb,” she repeated as relief washed through her like a cleansing dip in the Gulf. She grasped Pleasant’s hand as they waited for Gunther to scan the words.
“Could be,” he said cautiously.
“Must be,” Pleasant said firmly. “Now what?”
All eyes turned to Levi.
“There are several options,” he began slowly. “Miss Benson could put the boy on the next train back to Sarasota or she could get him a ticket to meet us tomorrow at our next stop in Georgia.”
“She could not accompany him?” Gunther asked.
“Miss Benson has a great deal of work to do once she reaches Wisconsin,” Levi explained. “That’s why she has traveled back ahead of the rest of us.”
“Someone else, then.” Pleasant’s tone was less a question than a demand.
“There is no one else. Miss Benson is traveling alone.”
“You said there were several options,” Hannah reminded him. “Allowing Caleb to travel alone seems risky to me.”
“And yet, Hannah, he has been traveling alone since the night he ran away.”
“That’s my point. Caleb ran away and he hates to fail at anything so if he’s put on a train alone my concern is that he will decide to make another attempt and that this time we will have no Miss Benson to watch over him.”
Levi slowly removed his reading glasses and set them on the pristine, white tablecloth as he leaned back in his chair and ran one large palm over his face. He looked so weary and certainly the last thing he needed right now was this. Hannah hated adding to his worries, but this was her son.
“I suppose,” he began, then looked from her to Gunther to Pleasant before continuing. “I suppose that I could instruct Ida to take the boy with her, get him settled with a farm family she knows in Baraboo and keep an eye on him until you can all get there.”
“Baraboo?” Pleasant asked, her eyes suddenly alive with interest.
“Yes. It’s the town where we have our summer headquarters,” Levi replied. “Do you know it?”
To Hannah’s shock, Pleasant blushed scarlet and returned her attention to her soup. “I…no…just a curious name.”
“How soon would we get there?” Hannah asked.
“By commercial train, two to three days depending on when we can get you tickets.”
Hannah glanced at her father-in-law and saw him frown. She was well aware that he was calculating the expense. “I could go and you and Pleasant could return to Sarasota,” she suggested.
“Absolutely not,” Gunther thundered. “The very idea of you traveling alone…”
“Or you could continue as my guests and arrive back in Wisconsin in two weeks,” Levi suggested. “That way you will only encounter the expense of the return trip. In the meantime, I assure you that Caleb will be quite well-provided for and perhaps have the time to consider the error of his actions. The family I spoke of is Amish. The woman is a close friend of Miss Benson’s.”
Now all eyes swiveled to Gunther’s place at the opposite end of the table from Levi. Please, Hannah prayed silently.
Gunther cleared his throat but said nothing.
“We could send word to your people in Sarasota,” Levi suggested. “Let them know the trip will take longer than expected.”
“I also have a business to run,” Gunther reminded him and the women, and Hannah steeled herself to stand her ground. Under no circumstances was she going to allow Caleb to travel alone and risk losing him again.
She was just about to make her case when Pleasant spoke up. “Oh, Father, you know how Bishop Troyer loves taking charge.” She turned to Levi, explaining, “He’s up in years and has little to occupy him beyond church business these days.”
“He’s competent?” Levi asked Gunther.
“Exceptionally so,” Gunther agreed. “But, daughter, while I agree that he can manage the business itself, who would you suggest do the baking?”
Pleasant opened her mouth then closed it. She clearly had not considered that.
“I will go with Levi to Wisconsin and fetch the boy. You two girls will return to Sarasota as planned in the morning.” He nodded once and flattened both palms against the table as if that made everything final.
Hannah could feel Levi watching her. Well, what did he expect her to do? This was her father-in-law and in the absence of her husband, the head of the family.
But Caleb is your son—your only child.
She closed her eyes tightly against the warring loyalties within her then said quietly, “If you think that best.” Then she folded her napkin and pushed away from the table. “Will you excuse me? I’d like to take a walk before bedtime.”
To her shock, Pleasant also pushed back from the table. “I’ll come with you,” she announced.
Hannah sighed. She needed some time to think, but Pleasant was right behind her and as soon as both had stepped off the train, Pleasant took her arm. Her sister-in-law was silent for a bit and then leaned in close, glancing back toward Levi’s private car as she whispered, “I think I might know a way Papa will agree to have us all travel to Baraboo.”
Chapter Six
Once again the grounds were alive with activity as the company prepared for the evening performance. Levi had explained that the activity would go on long into the night as the crew dismantled the big top, loaded up the animals and wagons and prepared to move on to the next stop. There they would repeat the entire process all over again as they would half a dozen times on the way back to Baraboo. It was so noisy on the circus grounds that Hannah was certain she must have misunderstood Pleasant’s astonishing comment.
“Hannah? Did you hear what I said?”
She fought her irritation at Pleasant’s sudden and surprising decision to join her in her walk. “No. The noise.”
Pleasant pulled Hannah toward the creek, away from the clatter. “I don’t mean to pry but…”
Hannah steeled herself for what was to come for when Pleasant said she didn’t mean to pry, prying was just what she did. “Go on,” she said. Get it out so we can move past it.
“Well, of course you’re Caleb’s mother—his only living parent. I’m just his aunt, but if he were my child, I would want to go and fetch him myself. I would want to be there. I would want to hear what he had to say for himself—why he would put me and the rest of the family in such…”
Hannah couldn’t help it. She burst into tears. “Of course, I want to go to him,” she blubbered. “How could I not? I have been so frightened for him, so very worried that perhaps…” She couldn’t begin to finish that thought. All of the awful possibilities of what might have happened to her child that had gone through her mind these past two days.
“There, there,” Pleasant soothed as she put her arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “I didn’t mean to upset you so. Of course, you’ve been worried and of course, you would go to him tonight if you could.”
Hannah sniffed back tears and tried to compose herself. They had stopped next to a live oak tree drooping like a willow with Spanish moss. “Then why…”
Pleasant pursed her lips and glanced around as if half expecting someone to be listening in on their conversation. “Do you remember Mr. Noah Yoder from last winter?”
Hannah was so confused by the sudden shift in conversation that she shook her head.
“Of course you do,” Pleasant pressed. “He came down to visit his uncle and to see about possibly buying land and starting a produce farm?”
“Vaguely,” Hannah
said, recalling a small jovial young man who had developed a habit of appearing at the bakery every morning at opening time, and again in the afternoons when Pleasant was cleaning up for the day. “He used to come to the bakery for fresh hot rolls every morning and buy up the leftover rolls at the end of the day.”
“That’s him,” Pleasant said, a smile softening her usually stern features, a look that Hannah had never before witnessed.
“As I recall, he decided against buying land and returned to…” Her eyes widened in understanding. “Baraboo, Wisconsin,” she whispered.
“Don’t you see, Hannah, if we could just persuade Father that it’s only right for you to be the one to see Caleb first then he would insist on traveling with you and if he won’t let you travel alone then he certainly would not allow me to return home alone and…”
“Slow down,” Hannah said but she was beginning to see the possibilities in Pleasant’s chatter. “So if the three of us traveled on to Wisconsin then you might…”
“I could possibly see Mr. Yoder again—I mean Levi said there’s an Amish community nearby where Caleb will stay until we can get there and how many Amish communities can there be in such a place and if Mr. Yoder is there, then…”
“But what about the bakery?”
“I thought of that and perhaps it’s time my half sisters stepped in to help. After all,” she continued, “there are two of them to share the baking and the housework and all.”
“Lydia is just seventeen,” Hannah reminded her, but Pleasant only shrugged.
“Why couldn’t she do the work, or perhaps the two of them working together? I mean it would be no different if I suddenly took ill, would it? They’d have to step in then.”
“You’ve thought all this through in just a matter of minutes?” Hannah was impressed. No wonder her sister-in-law had been so quiet when they first started their walk.
“I’ve been thinking about it—not really daring to hope, of course—since we first boarded the train. And then when Levi mentioned Baraboo earlier it was like a sign. Don’t you think so, Hannah? Don’t you think that perhaps God has given me this opportunity to travel there and perhaps to…” She waved her hand in the air, unwilling to finish her hope aloud.
“But your father has decided,” Hannah reminded her, knowing she did not have to add that once he made up his mind Gunther did not like being second-guessed.
Pleasant looked crestfallen, but then brightened. “Perhaps Levi could help. He likes you, Hannah. He would certainly understand how badly you want to see your child. Yes, he’s the one I shall speak with and then he can persuade Father. I’ll do it right now before I lose my nerve,” she announced, and turned on her heels and marched straight back to Levi’s private car.
Levi had just learned that the Stravinskys were leaving his employ and staying in Florida. It wasn’t that uncommon in his business for people to come and go, but Igor Stravinsky and his wife, Maria, as well as Igor’s brother, Ivan, had been with him almost from the beginning. Igor and Ivan had handled the stock of ring or performance horses, grooming the animals and polishing their silver or brass trappings until they glittered. Maria had done everything from mending to designing costumes for the company. Igor had apologized for the inconvenience but pleaded old age even though he was only in his midforties. Maria had admitted that she wanted time to enjoy a home of her own. Together the brothers had pooled their money and bought a small business in central Florida. They had thought the deal would not be finalized for several weeks but the owner of the shop had taken ill and unless they took over immediately the shop would have to be closed until they could.
“I don’t like leaving you in the middle of the trip back and all,” Igor told him, “but what can we do?”
It was clear to Levi that the decision had not been an easy one for the trio and he was touched by their loyalty. “I wish you well,” he said as he walked out onto the observation platform of his railroad car with Igor. “Stay in touch, my friend,” he added, and accepted the bear hug the older man gave him before running down the three metal steps and racing off to get ready for his last performance and to tell his wife and brother the news.
Pleased for them in spite of the inconvenience their leaving meant to his business, Levi could not help feeling a little envious. What might it be like to settle down in one place? You chose your path, he reminded himself and went back inside to work out the logistics of filling three holes in his company.
He was going over the roster of employees, trying to decide how to shift people around so that they would be covered at least until they got home to Baraboo when Hans cleared his throat.
“Miss Goodloe to see you, sir.”
“Hannah?” Levi ignored the quickening of his heart. He’d been worried about her after the conversation at supper was all. He could see that she was upset and why wouldn’t she be?
“It’s Miss Pleasant Goodloe, sir.”
Levi stifled a groan. He’d had little contact with Gunther’s daughter but her demeanor always set him on edge. “Very well,” he said and stood up to put on his suitcoat. “Show her in.”
The woman seemed unusually nervous and vulnerable.
“How can I help you, Pleasant? Has something happened?” He suddenly worried that one of the townspeople Jake often hired to help out with the backstage work might have accosted the woman.
She drew in a deep breath, squeezed her eyes closed for a couple of seconds and then blurted out a speech she had apparently been practicing. “Hannah needs your help in convincing my father that it is she who should be the first to reunite with Caleb. After all, she is the parent—the only parent—and if she is not there, well, what does that say to the boy? That she has no authority, that’s what it says. So she must be the one to go and fetch him from Wisconsin and since my father is opposed to women traveling alone, I will just have to go along as well because…”
Well, well, well, Levi thought as he stifled a smile. For whatever reason, Miss Pleasant Goodloe was not yet ready to go home. Perhaps young Caleb was not the only member of this family that had entertained dreams of a different life?
She continued to prattle on making her case, grabbing short breaths between phrases and leaving him no possible entry into the conversation. Finally, completely winded and unable to find the words to add to her plea, she stopped talking and looked at him, her eyebrows raised like question marks.
“And what does Hannah—Mrs. Goodloe—think of your idea?”
“Hannah will not go against my father’s decision,” she replied. “However, she was sobbing inconsolably before and well, how would you feel if your only son had run away, been found hundreds of miles away and you were going to have to wait for weeks to see him again?”
“I see your point,” Levi mused, having only heard the part about Hannah crying. He fingered the papers on his desk, his eyes coming to rest on the place where he had marked through the names of the Stravinskys and placed blank lines next to their positions. “Do you sew, Pleasant?”
“Of course I sew,” she snapped.
“And Hannah?”
“Amish women are well-skilled in the things necessary to run a household, Levi. Cooking, sewing…”
“And your father appeared to have a solid knowledge of horses when we toured the grounds,” he said more to himself than to her.
Pleasant tapped one foot impatiently. “I fear, sir, that you have lost track of our conversation. Will you help us persuade my father or not?”
Levi looked at her. The woman was speaking to him firmly and yet she was wringing her hands as if her very future depended upon his answer. “I believe I just might be able to be of service, Miss Goodloe. However, my plan involves you and Mrs. Goodloe working for me—in my circus.”
Pleasant pressed her fist to her mouth. “Never,” she whispered, clearly horrified at the very idea.
“Then I can’t help you.” He turned his attention to the papers on his desk, stacking them and replacing the cap on h
is fountain pen.
“What sort of work?”
“Sewing,” he replied, still not looking at her. “Mending. The costumes take quite a beating in every performance.”
Silence. He tapped the stack of papers against the leather blotter and waited.
“We wouldn’t have to…”
“If you like, you could do the work in your cabin. You wouldn’t have to have any contact at all with the performers if that’s what worries you.”
“I see. It might work.”
“Is that a ‘yes,’ Miss Goodloe?” he asked as he turned to face her.
She hesitated only a second, again closed her eyes tightly as if entreating God to show her the way, then nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “If you can convince my father to let us come to Wisconsin with you, then yes.”
Levi smiled. “Very well. I’ll speak to your father right away. Good night, Miss Goodloe.”
Pleasant practically curtsied she was so happy with the news. “Thank you,” she repeated as she backed her way down the hall. “Oh, thank you so much.”
Levi was well aware that whatever Pleasant’s reasons for coming to him, they had less to do with helping her sister-in-law than they did with facilitating a visit to Wisconsin for herself. Whatever her purpose, if he could convince Gunther to let the two women stay on, it meant he would see more of Hannah and, surprisingly, that thought made him feel an emotion he had long ago abandoned. Levi felt happiness.
When Pleasant had taken off to talk to Levi, Hannah had hurried to catch up with her. But then she had seen Lily outside the women’s dressing tent having a cigarette. Lily had shown her a kindness and Hannah felt it only fair to let her in on the good news that Caleb had been found. To her surprise, Lily had hugged her hard as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“Oh, honey, that is just grand—just fabulous news. I am so happy for you.” Then she’d brushed away her tears and asked about the plans for a reunion, frowning when Hannah told her of the current plan for Gunther to travel to Wisconsin while she and Pleasant returned home.
