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Authors: Lauraine Snelling
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it. Augusta Bjorklund, clear as you please.”
Hjelmer closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, the look on Olaf ’s face hadn’t changed. Neither had his pronouncement. Augusta’s trunk sat in the sack house. So where in thunderation was Augusta?
“You want I should go tell Bridget?”
Hjelmer thought quickly. “No, I think not. No need to get her all worried tonight. Surely Augusta will be here on the first train in the morning, and then Mor would have worried for nothing.”
“If you think so.” But the look on Olaf ’s face shouted his disagreement louder than any words.
“Ja, I think that is best.” Hjelmer wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Olaf or himself.
“I don’t know,” Penny said after Olaf left the store. “I think Bridget would want to know right off. At least I would.”
“Ja, well, she’s not your mother, and . . .” He stopped at the wounded look in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he spoke more softly. “I’m sorry, Penny, I just think this is best.” He shook his head again. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, your mor would start to pray and ask everyone else to pray too. She would remind God that He promises to take care of his chicks and lambs and that He needs to get right on this one.”
Hjelmer halfway turned his head and watched her from the corner of his eye, a smile making his eyes crinkle around the edges. “You sound so much like her, I swear I would have thought she walked right into this room. I know Mor says she doesn’t worry, that she lets God handle that, but this is her only remaining daughter, and”—he rubbed his temples with the forefinger of each hand—“I don’t want to be the one who tells her, that is for certain sure.”
“Let’s go do it now together.”
Hjelmer shook his head. “Let me finish that poker out in the smithy, and I’ll take her that at the same time. After supper would be a better time, I think.”
The bell over the door tinkled, and Penny put a smile on her face for the customer. “Why, Pastor Solberg, what brings you in?”
“Good afternoon, Penny. I need the mail, and Mary Martha needs a packet of needles.” He glanced over at the half wheel of cheese under a glass cover. “I’ll take a wedge of that too.” He spread his fingers about three inches apart. “About this big.”
“So how is school going?” Penny handed him the mail from his slot on the back wall and took out a knife to cut the cheese.
“Good. Seems strange to have started so early this year, but now that we’re almost a state, we have to abide by more rules. The big boys are still out helping with harvest, so I have extra time for the little ones. I think that Andrew is going to be as smart as his big brother. My, the things he comes up with.”
“Those two sure are different, though.” Penny set the wedge of cheese on a piece of brown paper. “Anything else?”
Solberg leaned closer, lowering his voice. He nodded toward the sewing center in the west end of the store. “I want to buy Mary Martha one of the machines for Christmas. What do you think?”
“I think she’ll throw her arms around you and kiss you silly.”
“Penny Bjorklund!” John Solberg stepped back and stared at her, his eyes wide and red creeping up his neck.
“Oh, pshaw, as my tante Agnes says.” Penny chuckled. “You’re married now. You got to get used to a bit of teasing.”
“I know, but . . .” He fanned his face with the two letters in his hand. “You caught me by surprise, that’s all.” He looked back at the Singer sewing machine atop its cabinet. “You think she’ll like it, then?”
“Yes, I know she’ll like it. And then she won’t need to come and use mine.” Penny nearly bit her tongue. Please, God, don’t let him ask why she’s using my machine . Mary Martha had special-ordered some fine black wool and was sewing her husband a new suit for Christmas. Even with the sewing machine, the garment was only slowly taking
Hjelmer closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, the look on Olaf ’s face hadn’t changed. Neither had his pronouncement. Augusta’s trunk sat in the sack house. So where in thunderation was Augusta?
“You want I should go tell Bridget?”
Hjelmer thought quickly. “No, I think not. No need to get her all worried tonight. Surely Augusta will be here on the first train in the morning, and then Mor would have worried for nothing.”
“If you think so.” But the look on Olaf ’s face shouted his disagreement louder than any words.
“Ja, I think that is best.” Hjelmer wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Olaf or himself.
“I don’t know,” Penny said after Olaf left the store. “I think Bridget would want to know right off. At least I would.”
“Ja, well, she’s not your mother, and . . .” He stopped at the wounded look in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he spoke more softly. “I’m sorry, Penny, I just think this is best.” He shook his head again. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, your mor would start to pray and ask everyone else to pray too. She would remind God that He promises to take care of his chicks and lambs and that He needs to get right on this one.”
Hjelmer halfway turned his head and watched her from the corner of his eye, a smile making his eyes crinkle around the edges. “You sound so much like her, I swear I would have thought she walked right into this room. I know Mor says she doesn’t worry, that she lets God handle that, but this is her only remaining daughter, and”—he rubbed his temples with the forefinger of each hand—“I don’t want to be the one who tells her, that is for certain sure.”
“Let’s go do it now together.”
Hjelmer shook his head. “Let me finish that poker out in the smithy, and I’ll take her that at the same time. After supper would be a better time, I think.”
The bell over the door tinkled, and Penny put a smile on her face for the customer. “Why, Pastor Solberg, what brings you in?”
“Good afternoon, Penny. I need the mail, and Mary Martha needs a packet of needles.” He glanced over at the half wheel of cheese under a glass cover. “I’ll take a wedge of that too.” He spread his fingers about three inches apart. “About this big.”
“So how is school going?” Penny handed him the mail from his slot on the back wall and took out a knife to cut the cheese.
“Good. Seems strange to have started so early this year, but now that we’re almost a state, we have to abide by more rules. The big boys are still out helping with harvest, so I have extra time for the little ones. I think that Andrew is going to be as smart as his big brother. My, the things he comes up with.”
“Those two sure are different, though.” Penny set the wedge of cheese on a piece of brown paper. “Anything else?”
Solberg leaned closer, lowering his voice. He nodded toward the sewing center in the west end of the store. “I want to buy Mary Martha one of the machines for Christmas. What do you think?”
“I think she’ll throw her arms around you and kiss you silly.”
“Penny Bjorklund!” John Solberg stepped back and stared at her, his eyes wide and red creeping up his neck.
“Oh, pshaw, as my tante Agnes says.” Penny chuckled. “You’re married now. You got to get used to a bit of teasing.”
“I know, but . . .” He fanned his face with the two letters in his hand. “You caught me by surprise, that’s all.” He looked back at the Singer sewing machine atop its cabinet. “You think she’ll like it, then?”
“Yes, I know she’ll like it. And then she won’t need to come and use mine.” Penny nearly bit her tongue. Please, God, don’t let him ask why she’s using my machine . Mary Martha had special-ordered some fine black wool and was sewing her husband a new suit for Christmas. Even with the sewing machine, the garment was only slowly taking
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