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chin, her slender body housed a character strong enough to run her own store and a heart big enough to help make sure no one in the Blessing area went without the necessities. She could charm the quilting women of the church into fighting for women’s rights and cause her husband to dream dreams that brought him home again as soon as he could possibly manage.
    Like now. Her fragrance teased his senses as his lips teased hers.
    “Aren’t you hungry?” She kissed him again.
    “Um.”
    “Anybody here?” The call came from the store. Neither had heard the bell over the door jingle.
    Penny shook her head. “Just when this was getting interesting. Where do you suppose Ephraim has gone? He said he’d mind the store.”
    “I’ll take care of the store while you put the dinner on the table.” Hjelmer patted her behind as he stepped back. “We’ll have to pick this up again—later?”
    Penny could feel the flame up her neck, and she knew it wasn’t the stove. Perhaps this would be the time. She’d been praying for a baby ever since they were married, but more than three years had passed, and God still hadn’t seen fit to open her womb. The thought of being barren gave her nightmares more times than she cared to count.
    As soon as Hjelmer returned, she set a platter of fried chicken on the table next to the bowl of potatoes and went back for the gravy. “So what did you find out from Erickson?”
    “Nothing.” Hjelmer took his seat and tucked the napkin into the neck of his shirt to protect it from grease splatters. He really should have changed first. “He said he hasn’t heard a thing about problems on the rail lines. Mor says she isn’t worrying, but she’s—”
    “Letting God do that.” Penny finished his sentence for him.
    “That’s fine for her. I’m worrying enough for both of us.”
    “Hjelmer, so Augusta missed a train. That can happen to anyone. If one was late somewhere—”
    “I know. I’ve given myself all the rational arguments, but something about this really bothers me.”
    Penny took her chair and laid her hand on his. “Would you say the grace?”
    They bowed their heads, and after asking the blessing on the food, Hjelmer added, “And please, heavenly Father, bring Augusta here on tomorrow’s train.” Penny joined him in the “amen” and passed him the chicken.

    School had let out for the day, and the mail had been sorted into the named slots on the wall, so things were quieting down again when Olaf Wold, Kaaren’s uncle and manager of the sack house, came in the store. Penny looked up from her order pad. “Onkel Olaf, good to see you.”
    “Not so good, I think, Penny. Is Hjelmer around?”
    “Back helping Sam with something, I believe. I’ll call him.” Before the man could answer she darted to the back door and called her husband. When he didn’t answer right away, she stepped down to the stoop. “Hjelmer!”
    “What?”
    She could tell he was in the smithy, so she raised her voice and called him again.
    “I’m coming.”
    As soon as he stepped outside, she beckoned him with a flurry of her hand. “Hurry.”
    Hjelmer broke into a trot. “What is it?”
    “Olaf is here, and I got a feeling something is bad wrong.”
    Hjelmer followed her into the store to find Olaf studying the Grand Forks Herald that Penny had taken to pinning to the wall.
    “What is it?” Hjelmer got right to the point after the greeting.
    “Well, you know that when the train comes in, the baggage handlers cart everything into the sack house and people pick up their belongings there?”
    “Ja.” Hjelmer wished Olaf would talk faster but knew that wasn’t the way of the man.
    “Well, we were all kind of busy about then, what with waiting for your sister and all . . .” Olaf shook his head. “I just now got to checking on what was left, and I found a small trunk.” He paused.
    “A small trunk.” Hjelmer leaned forward. “And?”
    “And, well, the trunk has your sister’s name on