Read Online Ella Finds Love Again by Jerry S. Eicher - Free Book Online
Authors: Jerry S. Eicher
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again.
Ella nodded and handed the baby back. They walked single file through the crowd, pulled along as everyone continued moving toward their buggies. Holding the girls’ hands, Mary in front of her, and Sarah behind her, Ella pressed forward. A few people recognized them and nodded, but no one attempted conversation.
The clouds still hung heavily overhead and the mood was somber.
Ella helped the two girls into the buggy and reached back to Susanna for the baby. With Barbara inside, she was ready to climb in when a hand tugged on her arm.
“Ella!” her mamm said, gasping for air. “I thought I’d missed you…with all these people around.”
“Mamm!” Ella said, turning with a cry of pleasure and embracing her mom. “I didn’t know if I’d get a chance to talk with you. I did see you go through the viewing line.”
“Yah, we sat out in the barn service,” Lizzie said, gently releasing from their embrace. “It’s been so long now. And we don’t get to see much of you anymore.”
Her daett stepped forward and said, “I guess our Ella is a big girl now.”
“Oh Daett, it’s so good to see you,” Ella replied, uncertain whether to shake his hand or not. How did one greet one’s father after not seeing him in a while? He nodded, giving her arm a quick squeeze.
“And the girls,” Lizzie said, looking inside the buggy. “My, my…you two get bigger every day.”
Mary and Sarah sat on the seat with broad smiles.
“Have you heard from Eli?” Ella asked. Wasn’t that the question that lay close to all their hearts?
“He has an apartment in town,” Lizzie whispered. She glanced around quickly. “They are talking of marriage, I’m afraid.”
“The nurse…Pam?” Ella asked. But she knew the answer.
“It’s for the best…that he’s in town,” Noah said, his head bent low. “I couldn’t keep it from happening. And even another talk with Bishop Miller didn’t do any good.”
“It was when she came out on a Saturday night…right to the farm—that your daett put his foot down,” Lizzie whispered.
“I don’t blame you,” Ella said to her father. “I knew there was some reason you asked him to leave, but I hadn’t been told why.”
“We didn’t tell any of the other children,” Lizzie said, glancing around again, her bonnet tilted back slightly for a better view. “Not even Dora knows, since they weren’t home at the time, for which I am very thankful. What an example that would have set for the rest. And Eli knows better! I know he does, but he’s so stubborn.”
“I had to ask him to leave,” her father said, speaking slowly, his shoulders bowed.
“I know, Daett,” Ella said, reaching out to touch his arm. “No one blames you. And we all tried to speak with Eli. It’s still up to each of us—the choices we make and answering for them.”
“He’s my son,” Noah said, hanging his head. “And it’s a load almost too heavy to bear.”
Ella hung on to the side of the buggy with her hand, keeping her eyes on the ground. What if they attracted attention with this conversation in public? Her mamm and daett were already suffering enough.
“Monroe doesn’t seem to be affected much,” Lizzie said, wiping her eyes. “At least for that we are thankful. And I think he has his eye on a girl in one of the south districts—Ezra Wagler’s girl, Irene.”
Ella searched her memory, but she came up with no familiar face. Still, she smiled. This was good news in the midst of the sorrow caused by Eli’s actions.
“Dora’s got a weddin’ date next year,” Lizzie said, attempting a smile through her tears. “She’s doesn’t say much about it, but I can tell she’s happy.”
“Norman always was a good match,” Ella said.
“Are you going back to your house?” Noah asked.
Ella nodded.
“So you stayed at Stutzmans’ last night?” he asked.
Ella nodded again. Surely her daett didn’t think she would do anything inappropriate.
“With him in the house?
Ella nodded and handed the baby back. They walked single file through the crowd, pulled along as everyone continued moving toward their buggies. Holding the girls’ hands, Mary in front of her, and Sarah behind her, Ella pressed forward. A few people recognized them and nodded, but no one attempted conversation.
The clouds still hung heavily overhead and the mood was somber.
Ella helped the two girls into the buggy and reached back to Susanna for the baby. With Barbara inside, she was ready to climb in when a hand tugged on her arm.
“Ella!” her mamm said, gasping for air. “I thought I’d missed you…with all these people around.”
“Mamm!” Ella said, turning with a cry of pleasure and embracing her mom. “I didn’t know if I’d get a chance to talk with you. I did see you go through the viewing line.”
“Yah, we sat out in the barn service,” Lizzie said, gently releasing from their embrace. “It’s been so long now. And we don’t get to see much of you anymore.”
Her daett stepped forward and said, “I guess our Ella is a big girl now.”
“Oh Daett, it’s so good to see you,” Ella replied, uncertain whether to shake his hand or not. How did one greet one’s father after not seeing him in a while? He nodded, giving her arm a quick squeeze.
“And the girls,” Lizzie said, looking inside the buggy. “My, my…you two get bigger every day.”
Mary and Sarah sat on the seat with broad smiles.
“Have you heard from Eli?” Ella asked. Wasn’t that the question that lay close to all their hearts?
“He has an apartment in town,” Lizzie whispered. She glanced around quickly. “They are talking of marriage, I’m afraid.”
“The nurse…Pam?” Ella asked. But she knew the answer.
“It’s for the best…that he’s in town,” Noah said, his head bent low. “I couldn’t keep it from happening. And even another talk with Bishop Miller didn’t do any good.”
“It was when she came out on a Saturday night…right to the farm—that your daett put his foot down,” Lizzie whispered.
“I don’t blame you,” Ella said to her father. “I knew there was some reason you asked him to leave, but I hadn’t been told why.”
“We didn’t tell any of the other children,” Lizzie said, glancing around again, her bonnet tilted back slightly for a better view. “Not even Dora knows, since they weren’t home at the time, for which I am very thankful. What an example that would have set for the rest. And Eli knows better! I know he does, but he’s so stubborn.”
“I had to ask him to leave,” her father said, speaking slowly, his shoulders bowed.
“I know, Daett,” Ella said, reaching out to touch his arm. “No one blames you. And we all tried to speak with Eli. It’s still up to each of us—the choices we make and answering for them.”
“He’s my son,” Noah said, hanging his head. “And it’s a load almost too heavy to bear.”
Ella hung on to the side of the buggy with her hand, keeping her eyes on the ground. What if they attracted attention with this conversation in public? Her mamm and daett were already suffering enough.
“Monroe doesn’t seem to be affected much,” Lizzie said, wiping her eyes. “At least for that we are thankful. And I think he has his eye on a girl in one of the south districts—Ezra Wagler’s girl, Irene.”
Ella searched her memory, but she came up with no familiar face. Still, she smiled. This was good news in the midst of the sorrow caused by Eli’s actions.
“Dora’s got a weddin’ date next year,” Lizzie said, attempting a smile through her tears. “She’s doesn’t say much about it, but I can tell she’s happy.”
“Norman always was a good match,” Ella said.
“Are you going back to your house?” Noah asked.
Ella nodded.
“So you stayed at Stutzmans’ last night?” he asked.
Ella nodded again. Surely her daett didn’t think she would do anything inappropriate.
“With him in the house?
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