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Authors: Lavyrle Spencer
Tags: Fiction
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her brother, and the two hugged quickly.
"Oh, Anna, Anna ..." he said.
She whispered in his ear, "We'll be safe now, James."
He squeezed her extra hard. "I'll do my part." But he looked at Karl as he said it, though it was Anna's hand he still held.
"I know," Anna said, now looking at Karl.
Father Pierrot surprised her by warmly embracing her, then planting a congratulatory kiss on her cheek. "I wish you health, happiness and the blessing of many children." Then, turning to Karl with a firm handshake of four hands instead of two, the priest said emotionally, "And the same to you, my friend."
"Thank you, Father. It seems that I already have one of those things." Karl looked meaningfully at James, who smiled broadly.
"Yes," Father Pierrot said, shaking James' hand in a manful way. "Now, young man, it will be your job to see that these two do as I have ordered. There may be times it will be the hardest job of all."
"Yes, sir!" James replied, and everyone laughed.
"So be it, and so it is done. Now all that remains is for you two to put your signatures on the document, to be witnessed by James here and myself. Then you may be on your way. You have a long ride ahead."
Karl turned, placing Anna's hand in the crook of his elbow, then reached to include James, who stood uncertainly. "We have a long ride ahead, eh, James?"
"Yes, sir!" the boy beamed.
"But we go together, you and Anna and I."
While Father led them once again to his tiny rooms at the rear of the school building, Anna moved beside Karl, her hand on his solid arm, worried sick once again. Father produced ink and quill, then dipped the tip and handed it to her, indicating the parchment on the desk.
"You may sign first, Anna.
But Karl was right there, smiling broadly, watching her. She didn't know how to write her name!
"Let Karl sign first," she said ingeniously.
"Very well." Agreeably, Karl carefully placed his name on the paper.
She stood behind him, eyeing the back of his neck while he formed the letters. She glanced at James, who shrugged covertly in reply. Anna exchanged places with Karl and made a grand X on the paper while he looked over her shoulder.
And so quickly was the next deception exposed.
He saw her make the mark, and was naturally surprised, knowing she was a lettered woman. But she smiled brightly into his face in an effort to disarm him.
But Karl was not disarmed. And so, he thought, I learn one more truth about Anna. But he did not let Father Pierrot know what little drama was being acted out here. Instead, he took Anna's arm stiffly, steered her toward the door and led her out.
"Wait here. I must get the wagon," was all he said. Then he stalked off, leaving her with James.
"Anna, I didn't know what to do," her brother sympathized. "I couldn't sign that one for you. I told you we shoulda told him."
"It's all right. At least now he knows."
"But why didn't he say anything? Maybe he's not too mad about it."
"Oh, he's mad all right. He nearly cracked my elbow leading me out of there, but I promised never to lie to him again and I'm never going to. But I didn't promise to tell him every lick of truth about myself all at once. I'm not sure he could take it all in one gulp."
"I'll rest easier when he knows it all," James said.
Anna looked at him sharply, wondering again if he suspected anything about how she'd earned money for his passage and his clothes. But just then Father Pierrot came out with a bundle of food for their journey, and Karl appeared with the wagon. It was time for fond farewells, handshakes and the ride into their uncertain, married future.
Chapter Four
They had not traveled a mile up the road before Karl pursued the subject which could not be avoided. But he drove his team, and when he drove his team he was not one to raise his voice, so he spoke now with stilted patience, glowering at the reins that stretched ahead of him through the checkrings.
"I think you
"Oh, Anna, Anna ..." he said.
She whispered in his ear, "We'll be safe now, James."
He squeezed her extra hard. "I'll do my part." But he looked at Karl as he said it, though it was Anna's hand he still held.
"I know," Anna said, now looking at Karl.
Father Pierrot surprised her by warmly embracing her, then planting a congratulatory kiss on her cheek. "I wish you health, happiness and the blessing of many children." Then, turning to Karl with a firm handshake of four hands instead of two, the priest said emotionally, "And the same to you, my friend."
"Thank you, Father. It seems that I already have one of those things." Karl looked meaningfully at James, who smiled broadly.
"Yes," Father Pierrot said, shaking James' hand in a manful way. "Now, young man, it will be your job to see that these two do as I have ordered. There may be times it will be the hardest job of all."
"Yes, sir!" James replied, and everyone laughed.
"So be it, and so it is done. Now all that remains is for you two to put your signatures on the document, to be witnessed by James here and myself. Then you may be on your way. You have a long ride ahead."
Karl turned, placing Anna's hand in the crook of his elbow, then reached to include James, who stood uncertainly. "We have a long ride ahead, eh, James?"
"Yes, sir!" the boy beamed.
"But we go together, you and Anna and I."
While Father led them once again to his tiny rooms at the rear of the school building, Anna moved beside Karl, her hand on his solid arm, worried sick once again. Father produced ink and quill, then dipped the tip and handed it to her, indicating the parchment on the desk.
"You may sign first, Anna.
But Karl was right there, smiling broadly, watching her. She didn't know how to write her name!
"Let Karl sign first," she said ingeniously.
"Very well." Agreeably, Karl carefully placed his name on the paper.
She stood behind him, eyeing the back of his neck while he formed the letters. She glanced at James, who shrugged covertly in reply. Anna exchanged places with Karl and made a grand X on the paper while he looked over her shoulder.
And so quickly was the next deception exposed.
He saw her make the mark, and was naturally surprised, knowing she was a lettered woman. But she smiled brightly into his face in an effort to disarm him.
But Karl was not disarmed. And so, he thought, I learn one more truth about Anna. But he did not let Father Pierrot know what little drama was being acted out here. Instead, he took Anna's arm stiffly, steered her toward the door and led her out.
"Wait here. I must get the wagon," was all he said. Then he stalked off, leaving her with James.
"Anna, I didn't know what to do," her brother sympathized. "I couldn't sign that one for you. I told you we shoulda told him."
"It's all right. At least now he knows."
"But why didn't he say anything? Maybe he's not too mad about it."
"Oh, he's mad all right. He nearly cracked my elbow leading me out of there, but I promised never to lie to him again and I'm never going to. But I didn't promise to tell him every lick of truth about myself all at once. I'm not sure he could take it all in one gulp."
"I'll rest easier when he knows it all," James said.
Anna looked at him sharply, wondering again if he suspected anything about how she'd earned money for his passage and his clothes. But just then Father Pierrot came out with a bundle of food for their journey, and Karl appeared with the wagon. It was time for fond farewells, handshakes and the ride into their uncertain, married future.
Chapter Four
They had not traveled a mile up the road before Karl pursued the subject which could not be avoided. But he drove his team, and when he drove his team he was not one to raise his voice, so he spoke now with stilted patience, glowering at the reins that stretched ahead of him through the checkrings.
"I think you
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