Read Online The Fulfillment by Lavyrle Spencer - Free Book Online

had come walking across the velvety grass by the mill up above her, wondering why she sat so forlornly in his old front room, she answered his unasked question.
    â€œSeems like your grandsons need me between them to settle down this hornets’ nest here, but I feel like I’ve already been stung by both of them. Jonathan first with this whole fool thing—he’s the one who stirred it up. And then Aaron, acting so skittish. And both of them carrying on like fools. I wish you were here to talk some sense into them both. I could use a steadying hand, too, maybe.”
    Then, realizing she’d been talking out loud, Mary thought what a goose she must seem. She stamped a foot and got up from the rocker to make supper, muttering, “Great big fools…”
    It was a busy week that left little time or energy for paying social calls, so they didn’t make it down to Clem and Agnes Volence’s to see the new baby. The field work started in full force for the men, and spring housecleaning filled Mary’s days.
    They were up early, worked too long, and ended the days weary. It really would be best to wait until Agnes was up and about again, Mary thought, and put off the visit to the following week.
    Aaron hadn’t had time to go down to settle things between himself and Pris, either. But theyalways went to the Bohemian Hall Saturday nights, and he figured they’d have time together then to straighten things out.
    On Saturday night he cleaned up, hitched up the buggy, and headed down the hill to the west. As he turned into the Volence driveway, the corncrib seemed to accost him, and he recalled Pris’s anger in its full force. She was going to take some gentling tonight, he knew, but he could handle almost anything after the week he’d just been through.
    He left the horse and rig under the box elder and walked up on the back porch. It was bright inside, and someone was playing the organ in the front room. When he knocked, he heard footsteps running; then the door flew open and Newt and Gracie stood there grinning.
    â€œHow come Pris ain’t goin’ to the dance with you?” Newt questioned without preliminary. Cora nudged Newt’s ribs.
    Aaron chucked him under the chin and said, “Well, I hope she is. I came to get her just like always, didn’t I?”
    â€œBut her’n Cora already went with the Kveteks.” The Kvetek family lived across the road.
    â€œI told her she best wait and see first if you was comin’ to get her,” Gracie told him, “but she was in a huff and said she wasn’t waitin’ around no longer.”
    Aaron ruffled her hair and said, “That’s okay, honey. I’ll see her down at the dance hall, anyway. How’s that new baby?”
    â€œHe looks just like me,” Newt bubbled. “Ma said.”
    â€œWell, we’ll come down soon and see him, okay?”
    â€œWanna see him now, Aaron?” Newt asked hopefully, pulling on Aaron’s hand.
    â€œI better get down to the dance before Pris finds another beau. But I’ll be back soon, huh?”
    â€œOkay, Aaron.”
    He left them waving him off and headed for the hall. Priscilla had never gone off to the dance like this, not since they’d been going together. He hadn’t thought about her not being home—she’d always been before. Tonight, just when he’d decided to play things her way, now when he needed her there to steady him, she’d decided to stomp off to the dance and show him what-for. Well, maybe he deserved it, but why—oh, why!—did she have to choose right now?
    The Bohemian Hall was heaving like the sides of a winded horse. Aaron could feel the ground shake clear outside. Settling the horse and rig, he could hear the sounds of the Shymek brothers, hard at the music. The lilt of the piano came through the windows, joined by a fiddle and concertina.
    The hall served as Grange, polling place,