shoof yoouf aroumf.â
âAllow me to translate,â Mr. Grantland said. âI speak Ruby Mae. I believe she was offering to give you the royal tour of the mission.â
Ruby Mae nodded enthusiastically.
âWhich would probably be a fine idea,â he continued, âsince I, unfortunately, cannot do the honors myself. Iâve got another load of school desks to pick up.â
âIâd like that, Ruby Mae,â Christy said.
Ruby Mae glowed, obviously thrilled at being assigned such an important duty.
âIâm afraid it will be a rather brief tour,â Mr. Grantland said. âThereâs not much to see, really.â
âOh, yes, there is,â Christy replied. âWhen I looked out my window this morning, it practically took my breath away. The mountains, the sky . . . itâs amazing.â
âYes,â Mr. Grantland gazed at her thoughtfully. âIâm glad you can see that, too.â His voice went soft. âSometimes, with all the problems here in the Cove, it helps to see Godâs beauty in His creation.â He smiled a little self-consciously. âWell, I must be off. Enjoy your tour. And enjoy your meeting with Miss Alice.â
He gave a little wave and in a few long strides had disappeared out the door.
Ruby Mae leaned across the table. Her mouth was still full of buckwheat cakes.
âSwallow,â Miss Ida chided.
Ruby Mae obeyed dutifully, but not without another roll of her lively brown eyes. âHeâs not married, you know,â she confided to Christy in a loud whisper.
âYou mean . . . Mr. Grantland?â Christy asked uncomfortably, noting Miss Idaâs grimace.
âHe donât even have a gal-friend, near as I can tell. And believe you me, I would know. I keep up on everybodyâs comings and goings.â
âDavid has his mind on far more important things than a gal-friend , Ruby Mae,â Miss Ida snapped. âHeâs here to do the work of the Lord, not to fall in love.â
âI reckon sometimes thatâs sort of the same thing, ainât it?â Ruby Mae asked thoughtfully.
Christy tried very hard to hide her smile. It was clear that Miss Ida was not amused.
âAnd this hereâs the outhouse,â Ruby Mae said with a grin. âReckon you ainât seen nothing this fancy before.â
Christy blinked. Actually, the outdoor toilet was more primitive than anything sheâd ever seen. And drafty, too, in this January cold!
It had not occurred to her how simple the mission buildings would be. She gazed back at the white three-story, frame building with a screened porch on either side. The mission house where sheâd slept last night was a palace compared to the Spencer cabin, of course. But still, there was no electricity, no telephone, no plumbing. The house, along with the church-schoolhouse, a lattice-covered springhouse, the double outhouse, Mr. Grantlandâs bunkhouse by the creek, and Miss Hendersonâs cabin were the only buildings at the mission.
âItâs a fine outhouse,â Christy managed to say, and Ruby Mae beamed with pride, as if sheâd built it herself.
The girl had not stopped talking during Christyâs tour of the mission. One question, one smile from Christy was all it took for Ruby Mae to break into a beaming grin so full of excitement that Christy wondered when the last time was that anyone had really paid attention to the girl. Would all her students be this needy, this dying for affection? As Ruby Maeâs questions began to accumulate, so too did Christyâs. She was anxious to talk to Miss Alice and get some answers.
âAnd now, for the finest part of my showinâ,â Ruby Mae announced. âThe school!â She took Christyâs hand and led her toward the simple church building. âI saved the best for very last.â
Christy followed Ruby Mae up the wooden steps. As they entered the building, Ruby
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