“I can use my kapp and tie it around her neck,” Eva said.
There was silence on the other end. Finally, Sgt. O’Connor came on again. “I’m sending two deputies on ATVs down to the river. They’ll work their way toward you. The four of you follow the dog if you can. Your GPS says you are a quarter of a mile west of the river. Keep moving east. Do you have a compass? Over.”
“We don’t but I see the Lord has provided a big yellow moon rising now. We’ll be able to keep it in sight through the trees.”
Eva knelt and tied her kapp tightly to Sadie’s collar with the radio inside it. She prayed it wouldn’t be pulled loose by the dense underbrush.
“Find her, Sadie,” Eva whispered into the dog’s ear. Sadie lifted her head and growled deep in her chest. Michael unsnapped her leash and she bolted away, barking loudly.
Willis helped Eva to her feet. Sadie’s barking rapidly grew faint, but Eva could still hear her. Willis kept a hold on Eva’s hand as they pushed forward. He shouted Maddie’s name when Sadie stopped barking.
There was only silence. The rising moon gave Eva enough light to see Willis’s worried face. Had it been a mistake to let the dog loose? If she had gone home, how would they know?
He pulled Eva to the top of a small rise. He cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled Maddie’s name again.
“Hello? Sadie, stop licking my face. Hello?”
Eva threw her arms around Willis at the sound of that welcome reply. He hugged her tight as relief sucked the strength from her bones. “That’s her. She’s okay. Thanks be to Gott for His mercy,” she whispered against his chest.
He let her go and they all hurried down the hill, shouting that they were coming. A snarl erupted in the dark ahead of them followed by Sadie’s fierce barking and Maddie’s scream.
* * *
Fear gripped Willis. “Maddie! Answer me.” He tried to rush forward but the thick brush held him back. He finally forced his way through into another clearing. His flashlight showed Sadie standing on her back legs with her front paws on a dead pine. She began jumping and barking again. Ten feet over her head a black bear clung to the tree, glaring at them.
Willis heard a whimper behind him. He spun around. Behind a fallen log, Maddie was crouched with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears. Relief sent a surge of joy to his heart. He dropped to his knees beside her. “Maddie, it’s Willis.”
He didn’t see any blood. Was she okay? He wanted to grab her up but knew that would frighten her even more. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She flinched, her eyes popped open and she launched herself into his arms.
“I knew you would come,” she sobbed.
He held her tight as he struggled to his feet. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”
“Bubble got us lost.”
Willis caught sight of Eva standing a few feet away with her arms around Jenny. They were both smiling although he saw tears on Eva’s cheeks. “Shame on Bubble. You should stop listening to her.”
He carried Maddie to Eva. She cupped Maddie’s cheek. “You scared us. Are you okay?”
Maddie nodded but didn’t release her grip on his neck. “I got scared, too,” she said in a small voice.
Michael had snapped the leash on Sadie’s collar and pulled Sadie away from the tree. Jenny dropped to her knees and hugged the dog. “You are such a goot hund. I love you, Sadie Sue.”
Willis knelt beside the dog and used his free arm to rub her head. “I think Sgt. O’Connor was right. You are a wonder dog.”
Jenny beamed a smile at him. “I told you Sadie could do it.”
The rumble of engines preceded the lights of a pair of ATVs as they made their way through the trees toward Willis and his group. Eva untied her kapp from Sadie’s collar and put it on.
The two officers drove into the clearing and turned off their engines. The one in front pulled off her helmet and smiled brightly. “This looks like we’ve come to the right place.”
* * *
Thirty minutes later Willis carried his tired and disheveled sister into the schoolroom. He was immediately surrounded by people of the community offering congratulations, patting his back and giving thanks. Sadie stood at his side, wagging her tail as if the excitement was all for her.
Harley and Otto pushed their way through the crowd to his side and locked their arms around him. “She’s fine. Gott was goot to us this day.”
Willis caught sight of Eva coming in. The smile she sent him made his heart leap. He didn’t know how he could have made it through the day without her.
Maddie reached for Harley. Willis handed her over to him. She cupped his face with both hands. “Are you mad at me, Harley?”
“You know you weren’t supposed to go into the woods alone and don’t tell me Bubble was with you. She doesn’t count.”
“I won’t tell you she was there, but she was,” she finished with a whisper. “Willis is kinda mad at her, too.”
He leaned toward her. “Only because you frightened me half to death. You’re never to pull such a stunt again. Is that understood?”
Maddie lifted her shoulders in a big shrug. “I didn’t know I was pulling a stunt. I thought I was following Eva to the Arnett farm.”
Inside the school, he found the women of his congregation setting out food along with napkins and coffee cups on a long table. He heard the hum of his generator outside the back door of the building. Sgt. O’Connor worked his way to Willis’s side. He patted Maddie’s head. “Best possible outcome. Once all the searchers are in, we will get out of your hair.”
Willis gripped the man’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough for coming.”
“The way I hear it you didn’t really need us.” He petted Sadie’s head. “My deputy says Sadie found Maddie and treed a bear all by herself.”
Maddie made Harley put her down. She walked over to Jenny. “Can Bubble and I come over and play with Sadie sometimes?”
“Sure, as long as that’s okay with Willis. I don’t think you should go anywhere without telling him first.”
“Okay. Danki. I’m hungry. I missed my supper.”
“We all missed our supper because of you, little girl.” Willis patted her head. He looked at Eva. “Maybe your teacher can find you something to eat.”
“As a matter of fact, I can. Dinah Lapp brought over a chicken and rice casserole. I think there’s enough left to feed you both. But first a very grubby little girl needs to wash her hands and face. Come into the bathroom and I’ll take care of that.” She took Maddie’s hand and led her to the back of the building. Willis hated to let Maddie out of his sight, but he knew she was safe with Eva. She always would be.
* * *
Fortunately, someone had stocked washcloths and towels on the shelves in the washroom. Eva turned on the faucet. There wasn’t hot water, but cold water would work just as well. She wiped Maddie’s face and then her hands. She checked the child’s arms and legs, finding a few scrapes and bruises but nothing serious. It could’ve turned out so much worse. She hugged Maddie and kissed the top of her head. “Gott was looking after you, little one. I will be forever grateful.”
Maddie reached up to touch Eva’s cheek. “Are you crying?”
“They are tears of joy.” She brushed them away and straightened.
Dinah and the bishop’s wife came in as Eva was drying Maddie’s hands. Constance Schultz smiled at the child. “You had quite an adventure today, didn’t you?”
“It wasn’t much fun. I don’t think I’ll do it again.”
Dinah and Constance laughed. Constance pulled a black kapp from the pocket of her apron. “I believe this belongs to you.”
Maddie tipped her head to the side. “How did you get my kapp?”
“Michael Shetler gave it to my husband to keep for you. I’m afraid it has a tear in it.”
Maddie poked her finger through the hole in the top of the bonnet. “Aw, this is my last one. Now what do I do? Willis doesn’t know how to sew.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can make you another one,” Eva said.
Constance folded her arms over her chest. “That’s very nice of your teacher, isn’t it?”
Maddie nodded solemnly.
Constance looked at Dinah. “What Willis Gingrich needs is a wife to take care of the kinder. One who can cook and sew for all of them. We may have to find him one.”
Dinah chuckled. “It’s been a while since I’ve done any matchmaking, but I don’t think I’ve forgotten how.”
Maddie gave her a puzzled look. “What is matchmaking?”
“A matchmaker is a person who helps a single fellow, or a single woman, find someone to marry,” Eva said.
“Oh.” Maddie cocked her head to the side.
Eva was amused by the concentration on Maddie’s face. “I think your hands are clean enough. I’ll fix you something to eat now.”
Eva held Maddie’s hand as they walked across the schoolroom. Maddie stopped and looked up at Eva. “Can anyone be a matchmaker?”
“I suppose.”
“Could you be a matchmaker?”
“I could but I think I would make a much better teacher.”
“Couldn’t you do both?”
“I guess but I’ve never had the opportunity to try.”
Maddie darted away from Eva and ran straight to her brothers. “Guess what?”
Willis held a plate of food in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. Harley and Otto were both eating chicken drumsticks.
“What?” Otto asked.
“The bishop’s wife, Dinah Lapp and Eva are going to help Willis find a wife. Someone who can cook and sew and look after us.”
Eva closed her eyes for a second. “That’s not exactly what was said.” When she opened them she met Willis’s thunderous expression.
“What exactly was said about finding me a wife?” Willis ground out each word as if he were chewing glass.
Chapter Eight
Willis glared at Eva. He had just endured the worst five hours of his life and now she was plotting to find him a wife. “I thought we had this conversation once.”
“Dinah and Constance mentioned matchmaking in passing. They only want to help.”
“And you didn’t set them straight?”
“Lower your voice, Willis. People are staring. It’s nothing to get upset about.”
“Come outside with me.” He started to walk away. He glanced back. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a stubborn expression on her face. He was almost too tired to argue with her, but he couldn’t let this pass.
He walked back and leaned close to her ear. “Please step outside with me, Eva. I would like to continue this discussion.”
“I’m not sure I want to.”
“You started it.”
“Very well.” She stomped out the door. He glanced around the room. Everyone was looking their way, but he didn’t care. He caught Harley’s gaze. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. All of you stay right here. Understood?”
The children nodded, their eyes wide at his harsh tone. He managed a reassuring half smile. “Finish your meal. We’ll go home soon.”
Outside he waited until his eyes adjusted to the dark. He spied Eva waiting for him on the swing set. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He walked over to her and sat in the swing beside her. Neither of them spoke for several minutes as he gathered his thoughts. He saw the searchers leaving in small groups, some in buggies and some in cars. Gratitude for the kindness of friends and strangers alike slipped across his mind, blowing away his anger.
He tried to read Eva’s face, but the moon had slipped behind a passing cloud and it was too dark for him to read her expression. “I think I have already mentioned that I’m not looking for a wife. I’m certainly not going to marry just to provide my siblings with a cook, a babysitter and a housekeeper.”
“I understand that. Constance and Dinah reached the conclusion that you needed a wife without a word from me. I wasn’t sure how to respond so I kept quiet. Maddie was intrigued and excited by the idea. You know how she is.”
He blew out a deep breath. “Ja, I know how she can be. So how do I stop Constance and Dinah from matchmaking on my behalf?”
“I have no idea. Meet some nice women but don’t marry any of them,” she snapped.
He chuckled at her prickly attitude. He leaned his head back and stared at the stars twinkling between the clouds drifting overhead. How had his life become so complicated so quickly? “I wish school started tomorrow instead of in two weeks. I’m never going to get caught up on my work at this rate.”
“I can offer a suggestion but only if you promise not to bite my head off.”
“I’m listening.”
“I will look after Maddie and the boys for you during the day.”
“I appreciate the offer but you have your own work to get done.” He backed up, lifted his feet off the ground and swung forward.
“You will be helping me out in a way. I can ease into teaching gradually. I’ll have three students instead of fifteen. I can give Otto some extra attention before school starts so he isn’t as far behind, as well.”
Willis braked to a stop. “What do you mean? How is Otto behind?”
She twisted sideways to look at him. “So much has happened today that I forgot to speak to you about Otto’s poor writing. I had Dinah and Mrs. Kenworthy, one of the Englisch schoolteachers, come to look at the sentences he had done on the blackboard.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Because I was troubled by what I saw but I wasn’t sure there was a problem. They agreed that his ability to write is not at a fifth grade level. Harley says their mother helped Otto with his reading a lot but he hasn’t mastered it. I was going to offer to tutor him.”
Willis surged to his feet and walked a few steps away. “So he doesn’t read well. So what? A lot of fellows have trouble reading. Once he’s out of school it won’t matter.”
“Willis, reading does matter!”
Her shock made him see how far apart they really were. She was a woman who clutched a book of poetry to her chest the way a mother might cuddle a babe and spoke of it in loving terms. To her, someone who couldn’t read was behind. Slower. A problem. She was too kind to call someone stupid but she thought it just the same. The whole time they had been searching for Maddie he thought of Eva as an equal, working as hard as he had to find his sister. He’d been comforted by her steadfast faith. He had forgotten just how unequal he would be in her eyes if she learned his secret.
He scuffed the dirt with his boot. “It’s important to you, maybe. You like books and poems and writing letters. I don’t have time for that stuff.”
“Surely you have time for reading the Bible to the children at night? Seeing you seek the wisdom and comfort of God’s Word teaches them to find it for themselves.”
“Teaching our faith is the duty of the bishop and his ministers. I appreciate all you did today, Eva. Maddie and the boys have learned their lesson and so have I. I won’t need your help or anyone else’s to look after them. We’ll take care of each other. It’s been a long day. I’m taking the children home.”
He half expected her to continue the argument, but she rose from the swing. “I’ll go in with you to tell Maddie good-night,” she said quietly. He glanced her way. The clouds parted, allowing the moonlight to bathe her in a soft glow. She was studying him with a curious expression on her face.
He wished he could read her mind. Which was a good joke. Even if she wrote out what she was thinking he wouldn’t be able to understand it.
* * *
The following day was the off Sunday, and Eva was glad to stay i
n. She was too tired and sore from dozens of scratches on her arms and legs to visit with the Lapp family. She didn’t see Willis except at a distance for the next three days. The children she saw playing together outside the smithy but they didn’t come over to the school. Maddie waved once, but Otto pulled her hand down and shook his head. Maddie stuck her tongue out at him and ran into the house. Later Eva heard Harley shouting, “It’s your turn to watch her, Otto. I’m leaving.”
It seemed things weren’t running smoothly at the Gingrich house.
Eva was only mildly surprised to find Willis on her front porch late Wednesday morning. She opened the screen door, unable to believe how happy she was to see him. She tried not to show it. “Hello, Willis. What brings you here today?”
“I have to pick up some iron bars in town. I thought you might like to ride along with the children and me and see some different parts of the North Country.”
She sensed there was more to his sudden invitation than he was letting on. Her curiosity got the better of her. “I would like that.”
“Goot. I’ll bring up the wagon.” His look of relief almost made her laugh.
Maddie was sitting on the wagon seat when he pulled up in front of Eva’s house. The boys were sitting on the floor of the wagon behind the bench seat. Maddie grinned from ear to ear. “Hi, Teacher. We’re going to town. I’m so glad you can come with us. Bubble has been asking to see you for days.”
“That’s no lie,” Otto said drily from his place behind her.
Maddie nodded. “Yep, Bubble has been asking day and night if we could visit you. Willis is tired of her talking about it.”
Willis leaned across Maddie and held out his hand to help Eva up. She cocked an eyebrow as she gazed at his embarrassed expression. “Is that so?”
“Yep, it’s so,” Maddie continued as she scooted over to make room for Eva. “He’s going to buy some material so I can have a new dress and a new kapp, too.”
“Has your brother learned to sew?” Eva had trouble keeping a straight face.
The Amish Teacher's Dilemma and Healing Their Amish Hearts Page 8
