The Friendship Stones (An Ozark Mountain Series Book 1)

by Alan Black

  “Hey! Who barred me out of my own house?” Daddy was home.

  Both Mama and LillieBeth rushed to the door to open it. Daddy was wet, but Mama did not care, hugging and giving him kisses. Mama was all grins and laughter. LillieBeth was glad he was home, but too much had happened for her to smile. She wanted to run and hug him, but she could not.

  She said, “Welcome home, Daddy. Come and sit by the fire and dry out.” She held his chair for him, but ducked his hug.

  Daddy frowned, but let it pass when she pulled his boots off. He looked at Mama.

  Mama dropped into his lap. “You are home early. Did the rain stop work?”

  Daddy said, “Nope. The rain would help when we start firing the oak for charcoal. We got ready early and the boss sent us off for a special long weekend.”

  “That doesn’t sound like him,” Mama said.

  Daddy frowned. “It isn’t really. We have some big contracts coming in for a steel mill up in Pittsburgh. We thought it would mean more work for all of us, but the company is bringing in a whole new crew to help out.”

  “New men?”

  Daddy said, “More men have come back from the war than there are jobs, so the boss is setting it up where he has a whole crew of new men cutting and stacking. The old fellows are all going to be doing the firing, week after week, just burning and bagging charcoal.”

  “Art! Will you be all right with that much smoke and charcoal dust?”

  Daddy shrugged, “I don’t guess I have much choice at this point. I tried to get on the cutting crew, but the boss doesn’t need experienced men there. Just one foreman position was available and he gave that to his sister’s boy. His son is going to be foreman of my crew. I talked to him before I left this morning. He is going to let me run the water pumps and keep the diesel engines running. I will still be around the smoke and dust, but I should be okay.”

  He hugged Mama. “I can handle anything as long as I can get home and see my girls on the weekends,” He tried for another grab at LillieBeth and she ducked him again. She tried to turn so it looked like she was moving his boots closer to the fire.

  Daddy said, “All right, you little scamp. No hug and no smile for your old man, what gives?”

  Mama said, “We have had a rough week. Our daughter has had it pretty tough.”

  “Bad news all around, huh? Well, let’s get it all out in the open, spill it.”

  LillieBeth blurted out, “We have to move, Daddy.”

  Daddy laughed, “We have to or you want to?”

  LillieBeth did not laugh or smile in return. She looked down at her feet. “We have to. Mrs. Bailey says we have to move so she has a place for her son and his family.” She went on to tell him about the rash, how Mrs. Bailey said she was sorry. They had to move by the end of the month.

  Daddy laughed again, “Is that all? It is her house and we don’t have much say so. Besides, we can find another place. We can just ask around to the people we know. Someone will point us in the right direction.”

  He pulled a flyer from his pocket and unfolded it. It was an advertisement for a festival up near Branson. “If the weather holds, I thought we would go up to this fair. Some of the men from work are planning to take their families. We can ask around about a new house and have a little fun to boot. Maybe get a little smile back on my daughter’s face?”

  The flyer announced the Lynch family was holding a festival at their place near Branson. They were going to open Marvel Cave for free admission during the festival and have square dances inside the cave. They were also planning to have horse races, mule pulls, a medicine show, shooting contests for guns and bows, plus they were offering free car rides to children twelve and under. It stated people could buy food and drinks, but everyone was welcome to bring their own picnic baskets. Big letters at the bottom said no alcohol was allowed.

  Daddy said, “I want to dance with my wife again before she gets big with my new baby. Besides, we were looking for a place before I went off to the war and we can look again now.”

  LillieBeth turned away at the mention of war. She still had not come to grips with shooting a man. Talk of shooting, of war, of violence between men was pure anguish. She held her breath, wanting to cry, but she could not.

  Daddy moved Mama to the side and grabbed LillieBeth, pulling her closely. “Hey! Easy there, scamp. We are Hazkits, nothing can stop us for long.” He tried to kiss her cheek.

  LillieBeth tried to pull away. His arms were too strong, holding her tight. She struggled more trying to get free, but she could not break free. The harder she struggled, the more gently he held her, but he refused to let her go. She finally quit struggling and lay against her father and mother.

  Daddy said, “This isn’t all about moving. You might as well tell me now.”

  Mama said, “Elizabeth had to shoot a man on Wednesday of this week.”

  Daddy put his hand under LillieBeth’s chin, pushing up until she looked at him. “Tell me.”

  LillieBeth sighed. “I was visiting Mr. Hoffman. Some men came by. They wanted Mr. Hoffman to run a still for them and send the moonshine up to Chicago. He said no and they did not like that. I scared one of the men; he took a shot at me and missed. I shot back and hit him.”

  Daddy hugged her and Mama. After a while, he said, “Is he dead or do I have to go kill him for shooting at my little girl.”

  LillieBeth shook the hair back from her eyes. “I am not a little girl anymore, Daddy.”

  Daddy looked at Mama and then back at LillieBeth, “No. I guess I had not noticed before, but you are a young woman now.”

  LillieBeth nodded. “And he is not dead. Or he was not dead when they took him to find a doctor. Mr. Hoffman did have to kill one of the other men. When it was all over, one of his friends said I missed the bone and the bullet went clean through.

  Daddy nodded. “He should be fine then.”

  LillieBeth said, “But that was not all. I shot him more than once.”

  Mama burst out, “Elizabeth O’Brien Hazkit! You did not tell me you shot more than once.”

  LillieBeth shrugged. “I shot him once through the shoulder and then I shot him three more times through the…well…the…you know…his…in the bustle.”

  SATURDAY - MORNING

  It had been a long ride up to the Lynch’s Marvel Cave. Daddy had helped LillieBeth with her chores while Mama got a picnic basket ready for the day. They were able to padlock the west door from the outside, keeping their meager belongings safe and protected. LillieBeth hitched Ruth and Naomi to the mule cart and they were on the road before the sun was barely a sliver above the horizon.

  It was muddy from all the rain, but Ruth and Naomi dodged most of the bigger puddles while Mama and Daddy spent much of the ride snuggling, kissing, whispering and carrying on as if they were newlyweds. It was like that with her parents. LillieBeth rode in the back. She felt naked without the .22 rifle, but Daddy insisted she leave it under the front seat. He had his .45 pistol in its usual holster at his hip.

  They followed the ridge road to the Lynch place. It was not as smooth a road as the one along the White River, but it was faster. It would take a few hours to go the twenty-odd miles or so. It was not long before they were in a stream of people all headed the same direction.

  Festivals were few and far between and the Lynches always seemed to make the best of the ones they had. They were from up north, not even Yankees, but north of that. They were Canadian. LillieBeth was sure they were the only non-Americans she had ever seen in her life. She had seen them once and was surprised to see that Canadians did not look one bit different from Americans. But they still knew how to throw a party.

  The Lynches had been trying for years to make a living by giving tours of their cave. Most locals would not bother to pay even a dime to see a cave. There were so many caves in the mountains, most folks had their own cave in their back pasture. Still, from all she heard, it was a marvel of a cave. The Schmitt girls had been inside. They had given an oral
report at school explaining that the cave was bigger inside than the outside of any building they had ever been in.

  LillieBeth was not sure she liked the idea of going underground, no matter how big the cave was. She was looking forward to watching the horse races, the mule drags and the shooting matches. She had wanted to wear her new green dress, but Mama said she needed to save it for Sundays. Mama had brushed her hair and tied it at the neck with a strip of blue cloth.

  There must have been three hundred people gathered in a clearing for the festival and more people arriving all of the time. Daddy found a space back along some trees. A couple of the men he worked with had saved a spot for them. After introductions, LillieBeth grabbed a pair of buckets and went to find water for Ruth and Naomi.

  She did not have to step around too many puddles, as the air seemed to suck all of the water from the grass and ground, leaving the air feeling thick and heavy. She was carrying full water buckets back to Ruth and Naomi when someone shouted at her.

  She was almost knocked off her feet by Fern and Magnolia. The girls were flushed and giggling. Even the quiet Magnolia seemed ready to bust with news. Before either girl could talk, two young men walked up and smiled at them. It was Steve Buckner, the man on the Percheron horse from earlier in the week, and his brother, John.

  Steve said, “Hello, Miss Hazkit. John and I are very glad to see you.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Buckner,” she said. “It is nice to see you again.”

  He grinned, “We especially wanted to thank you for pointing us in the direction of Fern and Magnolia. You told us how nice they are, but you never told us how pretty they were.” This sent both girls into spasms of giggles, barely concealed behind their hands.

  Fern said, “Father and Mother are around somewhere. They said Steve could come calling on me and John could come calling on Magnolia. Why, if you count today, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t, this is the third time Steve and John have been courting us. I would say that one more time, if he behaves himself, I might let Steve hold my hand a bit.”

  Steve said, “As our way of saying thanks, let John and me carry those buckets for you.”

  John said, “Here, I’ll do it.” He grabbed both water buckets and stood quietly.

  LillieBeth noticed that Magnolia reached down to help him with one bucket. She did not know if anyone else noticed, but Magnolia’s hand held more of John’s hand than it did the bucket handle.

  LillieBeth said, “My folks are over near where they are putting up that red tent.”

  She let the two couples lead the way, following along. She felt good about sending these two towards Fern and Magnolia. She had been worried. They had appeared to be friends with the Braunawalls and to her way of thinking, it made Steve and John suspect. But they were acting like gentlemen and they seemed to like the girls. Steve and Fern laughed the whole way. John and Magnolia just looked at each other when they thought no one else was looking.

  She took the buckets from John and Magnolia, setting them within reach of the mules.

  Steve said, “Miss Hazkit, I would be much obliged if you would introduce me to your father.”

  John just nodded.

  LillieBeth led the four over to her parents. She stood waiting until there was a break in Daddy’s conversation. He was asking some people about available homes. She did not want to interrupt even if it had been polite to do so.

  Daddy turned and said, “Hi, scamp. You found water for the mules I see. And a good day to both of the Miss Schmitt girls. How are you ladies today?”

  LillieBeth said, “Daddy, this is Steve and John Buckner. And this is my father, Arthur Hazkit.”

  Steve stuck his hand out to shake Daddy’s hand. “Mr. Hazkit, are you the Art Hazkit that went to France and fought in the war?”

  “Well, I was there, boys, but not so much fighting as it was sitting in the mud.”

  Steve said, “I am proud to shake your hand, sir. John and I was too young by a short bit to go, but our late uncle did write home. He wrote some about you.”

  Daddy nodded, “Mostly telling tall tales, I expect. Who might your uncle be?”

  “Paul Buckner was his name. He wrote to say you saved his hide and should we run into you, we should thank you.”

  “Shorty Buckner? You said ‘was’? I am sorry to hear he did not make it back. We lost a lot of good men over there. He must have gone on to meet his maker after I got sent home.”

  Steve said, “No, sir. He got through the war okay, but died of the influenza at a camp in France waiting for a boat to bring him back home.”

  LillieBeth was standing patiently, but the talk of war, killing and the flu was beginning to wear thin on her. She clenched her jaw shut and tried to look away.

  Mama interrupted the men’s conversation. “Art.” She pointed at LillieBeth with a nod of her head. “You gentlemen should save your war talk for a chat over cigars. These young ladies are here to see the sights.”

  Steve bowed towards Mama, “Mrs. Hazkit, my apologies. Mr. Hazkit, perhaps we can visit another time.” He gathered up his brother and the Schmitt sisters and they wandered off.

  Mama said, “Didn’t you want to go with them, LillieBeth?”

  LillieBeth shook her head, “No, Mama. They are all paired off. I would only get in the way. May I go look around some?”

  “You just come find us every now and then. Have fun, okay? You’ve been having a tough time this week, but try to find your smile for me?”

  LillieBeth hugged her mother, “I do not think I will ever feel like smiling again, but I will try, I promise.”

  She walked away from the adults, leaving them talking. She walked through a stand of tall trees where people were lining up to go in and visit the cave. She could hear toe-tapping music coming from inside and heard a caller giving instructions to the dancers. She might go inside later, but it was too pretty a day to go into a hole in the ground, whatever the reason.

  She saw a line of youngsters. There was a sign for free car rides. It was for children twelve and under. She was within that age bracket, but she felt much older than twelve today. She did not want to stand with a lot of little children.

  She wondered if her friend Pearl and her father had come to the festival. Pearl’s father did not want to go much of anywhere or do much of anything since his wife died. She doubted they had come. LillieBeth would have asked to bring Pearl along if she had known about the festival sooner. She decided to keep her eyes open for Pearl, just in case.

  She heard a pistol shot. She spun around in time to see a pair of quarter horses sprint down a straight away at blazing speed. She liked watching horse races. She knew a lot of the men liked to gamble and place bets, but she just liked to look at the horses. She liked to guess which ones would win.

  It did not take her long before she found a seat on the edge of a wagon. She did not know whose wagon it was, but she doubted anyone else on the wagon knew either. It took a while before the next race ran, so she watched the horses prance around and looked unabashedly at the men and women talking and laughing. She felt like a spectator to more than just the horse races.

  The next race was between two very different types of horses. The big horse was muscular and looked very strong. Even from this distance, she could see where it had stood in traces for plowing and hauling a wagon. The other horse had a wild look. A man nearby said it looked part mustang. LillieBeth was not one to correct an adult, so she let it pass.

  Everyone seemed to be betting on the big horse. The odds were stacking up against the small horse. She did not understand how odds worked in betting. She just shook her head.

  “You don’t think the big one will win?”

  LillieBeth glanced away from the horses. She tensed up. It was the man from Illinois, Frank Nitti. They were almost face-to-face. She was sitting on the edge of a wagon, her feet swinging in the breeze. He stood before her.

  “No, Mr. Nitti,” she said.

  “Ah, you remember my name?�
� he said. “Have I become so famous then?”

  LillieBeth said, “It has not been that long, sir. How is your friend?”

  “Oh, he is fine. We sent him back to Chicago from Springfield by train. He is taking the other fellow who is, shall we say, not so fine.”

  “Good. I was hoping that I had not killed him.”

  “I know dead, Miss Hazkit and he was definitely not dead.”

  LillieBeth said, “You remember my name? I guess, I must have become famous too.”

  Nitti laughed. “With me you will always be famous, the toughest and prettiest woman I have ever met outside of Italy.”

  “Italy? The Italy in Europe? You have been there?” she asked in surprise.

  “Born there,” Nitti said. “The race is getting near to starting. The odds are up to twelve-to-one against that little horse. You still think he is going to win?”

  LillieBeth nodded. “I think so, but it is a race, anything could happen and sometimes anything does happen.”

  Nitti walked away laughing.

  She was surprised. He seemed to be such a nice, polite man. And now she could tell people she met a man who had come from Italy in Europe. He was just like most Americans and Canadians. She saw Nitti placing a bet. She hoped he had followed her advice. She hoped that if he had, she would not be wrong. She was not attracted to this man. He was older than Daddy, probably in his mid-thirties, but he seemed odd somehow as if getting him mad would be a bad thing.

  The horses lined up, a shot, and they raced down the track. The little horse streaked ahead. The big horse started slow, as if expecting to be dragging a great weight. The realization it was unencumbered with a plow was slow in coming, but when it did come, the horse built up speed, pushing hard to overtake the smaller horse. There was not enough track for the big horse to gain the lead, the smaller horse came in a close first.