Read Online Amish Country Arson by Fay Risner - Free Book Online Page B

and strobe lights
whirled as they came to the aid of Rudy Briskey.
    Wednesday morning, Emma drove to the Lapp
farm. When she turned into the driveway, Emma was glad to see Noah
and Daniel had taken the time to put up their farmer's market
stand. They already had some of the early items laid out. The
gourds for bird houses and acorn squash along with the last of the
summer squash. It wouldn't be long before the pumpkins would be
orange enough to pick. A quart canning jar was on the counter to
put money in, on the honor system, when they weren't home.
    As soon as Emma arrived, John said it was
time to go. Once everyone was in the enclosed buggy, he set off at
a brisk pace to the salebarn for the day.
    The buggy was almost to the black top
intersection when they heard a loud thud under the buggy.
    “ What was that I wonder?” John
asked.
    Hal stuck her head out the open side window.
“I don't see anything.”
    Daniel called from the back, “I do. We ran
over a black cat. He's smashed in the road behind us.”
    “ Oh dear, that is unlucky,” Aunt Tootie
declared, holding her hands to her cheeks.
    “ Why is that, Aendi?” Noah
asked.
    “ It is always unlucky to have a black
cat cross your path,” Aunt Tootie told him.
    Nora shook her head disapprovingly. “Tootie,
you shouldn't tell the children old superstitions.”
    “ That is all recht, Nora. I believe
Aendi Tootie is recht. It is unlucky,” John said, grinning over his
shoulder at her.
    “ You do, John?” It surprised Hal that
he would say such a thing.
    “ It sure is unlucky,” John agreed. “For
the cat.”
    Jim slapped his leg and laughed. “You got
that right.”
    Everyone but Aunt Tootie laughed.
    “ That's not how the superstition is
supposed to work,” Aunt Tootie said, pouting.
    “ How does it work?” Noah
asked.
    Tootie opened her mouth to respond.
    Nora grabbed her sister's arm and
interrupted. “Never mind, Tootie. The children don't need to learn
your old wives tales.”
    John drove the buggy across
the salebarn parking lot to the far edge and parked next to
the last buggy in line at the hitching posts. Sale day
was one of those special days when the work at home was left
behind. The whole family enjoyed some aspect of the sale. Maybe it
was visiting with friends or checking out the current prices of
livestock. The salebarn was a good place to buy replacement
animals. For the women and children, the small livestock sale was a
must. Hal heard the sale referred to by one English woman as Old
McDonald's farm sale.
    The Lapp family's interest was certainly
varied that day. John and Jim wanted to watch the sheep and goat
sale and the cattle sale. The boys left to hang out with their
friends. The women wanted to go with Hal to look for a rooster.
    Before everyone scattered, Hal suggested the
family meet at the Amish diner behind the ring at noon for lunch.
John and Jim sit next to Amos Coblentz near the top of the wooden
seats built to the bottom around the ring. The blue eyed widower
was still on the school board with John. He nodded a greeting at
John and Jim.
    John nodded back. “Nice day for a sale, ain't
so?”
    “ Jah,” Amos said.
    “ What do you know?” John
asked.
    Amos's face turned solemn. “Did you hear Rudy
Briskey's cornfield caught on fire last night?”
    “ Nah, I hate to hear that,” John
replied.
    “ That's kind of strange,” Jim said. “We
didn't have any lightning last night.”
    John agreed. “You are recht, Jim. Makes me
wonder how such a fire happened.”
    “ Jah, me, too. I saw the field as I
drove by to come here so I got curious and stopped in to ask about
the fire,” Amos said. “Rudy lost most of his winter feed, before
the fire trucks arrived. Gute thing he has a gute supply of hay in
the barn.
    Rudy told me the firemen were sure the fire
was deliberately set. With the wind from the south last night, the
fire burned close to the house before the firemen put it out.”
    “ Good thing the firemen got there