Read Online The Work and the Glory by Gerald N. Lund - Free Book Online
Authors: Gerald N. Lund
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and Joseph already returning, the wagon creaking heavily under the weight of two dozen bags of wheat seed. Trying to hide his disappointment, he turned back. “Well…uh…I guess we’ll see you again next time we get to town.”
She watched the approaching wagon for a moment, then spoke quickly. “Will you be coming to the barn raising Saturday afternoon?”
Joshua’s head came up, suddenly eager. “Hadn’t heard there was one.”
“Yes. Calvin Rupert’s adding on to his livery stable down on the east end of Main Street. All the men folk will pitch in and help. The women will be fixing supper. There will be games for the children.”
“I’ll tell Pa. Mr. Rupert helped with our cabin last fall.” And, he suddenly decided, if Pa was too busy getting stumps out, then Joshua would come in alone.
“Good.” She smiled shyly up at him. “I’ll watch for you.”
She looked up as Nathan pulled the wagon up to the hitching rail.
Taking the box of supplies he had bought, Joshua walked to the wagon and swung them over the back gate, jamming them down between two of the bulging sacks of grain. Nathan had swung down to help, but seeing Joshua had it done he turned around and came face-to-face with Lydia.
He stopped, his mouth dropping slightly. Joshua stepped to him and poked him with his elbow. “Miss Lydia, this here’s Nathan, my younger brother. Nathan, meet Miss Lydia McBride.”
Nathan jumped a little, his face coloring. He stuck out his hand, suddenly shy and awkward. “I’m right pleased to meet you, Miss Lydia,” he managed to say.
She took his hand briefly, smiling. “Yes,” she said, “I could have guessed you were a Steed. You look very much like your mother.”
“Afternoon, Miss Lydia.”
She looked up to where Joseph was sitting. He had taken off his hat and was smiling pleasantly at her.
“Hello, Mr. Smith.” Joshua started a little. There it was again. The instant coolness swept the smile from her face as it had the last time she had spoken to Joseph.
As before, Joseph gave no sign of having noticed. “Hope things are well with you and yours.”
“They are, thank you kindly.” She quickly turned to Nathan. “Pleased to meet you, Nathan.” Then to Joshua, “Well, my family is expecting me. I’d better go in.”
He nodded. “We’ve got to get back too. Good-bye.”
“Hope you can help with the barn raising.”
Joshua nodded eagerly. “I’ll—we’ll be there.”
Nathan swung up on the wagon seat. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss—”
A raucous cry cut him off in midsentence. “Why, there’s ol’ Joe Smith.”
They all swung around. Across the street three men were stopped. One was pointing towards them.
“Why, it is, it is!” crowed another. “It’s ol’ Joe Smith.” He grabbed the arm of his nearest companion. “Let’s go pay our respects.”
The three locked arms in mock solemnity and started across toward them. Joshua shot a sideways glance up at Joseph. The smile was gone now and he looked straight ahead. Lydia, her intent to go inside forgotten, turned back to await the trio.
The three came round the wagon and hopped up on the sidewalk to face Joshua and Lydia. The one who had first called swept off his hat and bowed with exaggerated courtesy. “Afternoon, Miss Lydia.”
He was about the same age as Joshua and of the same height but much more solidly built. A flannel shirt was hanging out of baggy, worn pants held up by filthy suspenders. His hair was thick and black and greasy, his beard a rough, three-day growth of whiskers. The two with him were younger and slightly smaller; but other than that, there was little difference between the three.
Surprisingly, Lydia responded to them quite amiably. “Good afternoon, Will. Afternoon, David. Hello, Mark.”
The other two spoke as one. “Hello, Miss Lydia.”
The one called Will shot a quick look up to where Joseph Smith sat on the wagon seat, then back to Lydia. “Miss Lydia, you out here
She watched the approaching wagon for a moment, then spoke quickly. “Will you be coming to the barn raising Saturday afternoon?”
Joshua’s head came up, suddenly eager. “Hadn’t heard there was one.”
“Yes. Calvin Rupert’s adding on to his livery stable down on the east end of Main Street. All the men folk will pitch in and help. The women will be fixing supper. There will be games for the children.”
“I’ll tell Pa. Mr. Rupert helped with our cabin last fall.” And, he suddenly decided, if Pa was too busy getting stumps out, then Joshua would come in alone.
“Good.” She smiled shyly up at him. “I’ll watch for you.”
She looked up as Nathan pulled the wagon up to the hitching rail.
Taking the box of supplies he had bought, Joshua walked to the wagon and swung them over the back gate, jamming them down between two of the bulging sacks of grain. Nathan had swung down to help, but seeing Joshua had it done he turned around and came face-to-face with Lydia.
He stopped, his mouth dropping slightly. Joshua stepped to him and poked him with his elbow. “Miss Lydia, this here’s Nathan, my younger brother. Nathan, meet Miss Lydia McBride.”
Nathan jumped a little, his face coloring. He stuck out his hand, suddenly shy and awkward. “I’m right pleased to meet you, Miss Lydia,” he managed to say.
She took his hand briefly, smiling. “Yes,” she said, “I could have guessed you were a Steed. You look very much like your mother.”
“Afternoon, Miss Lydia.”
She looked up to where Joseph was sitting. He had taken off his hat and was smiling pleasantly at her.
“Hello, Mr. Smith.” Joshua started a little. There it was again. The instant coolness swept the smile from her face as it had the last time she had spoken to Joseph.
As before, Joseph gave no sign of having noticed. “Hope things are well with you and yours.”
“They are, thank you kindly.” She quickly turned to Nathan. “Pleased to meet you, Nathan.” Then to Joshua, “Well, my family is expecting me. I’d better go in.”
He nodded. “We’ve got to get back too. Good-bye.”
“Hope you can help with the barn raising.”
Joshua nodded eagerly. “I’ll—we’ll be there.”
Nathan swung up on the wagon seat. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss—”
A raucous cry cut him off in midsentence. “Why, there’s ol’ Joe Smith.”
They all swung around. Across the street three men were stopped. One was pointing towards them.
“Why, it is, it is!” crowed another. “It’s ol’ Joe Smith.” He grabbed the arm of his nearest companion. “Let’s go pay our respects.”
The three locked arms in mock solemnity and started across toward them. Joshua shot a sideways glance up at Joseph. The smile was gone now and he looked straight ahead. Lydia, her intent to go inside forgotten, turned back to await the trio.
The three came round the wagon and hopped up on the sidewalk to face Joshua and Lydia. The one who had first called swept off his hat and bowed with exaggerated courtesy. “Afternoon, Miss Lydia.”
He was about the same age as Joshua and of the same height but much more solidly built. A flannel shirt was hanging out of baggy, worn pants held up by filthy suspenders. His hair was thick and black and greasy, his beard a rough, three-day growth of whiskers. The two with him were younger and slightly smaller; but other than that, there was little difference between the three.
Surprisingly, Lydia responded to them quite amiably. “Good afternoon, Will. Afternoon, David. Hello, Mark.”
The other two spoke as one. “Hello, Miss Lydia.”
The one called Will shot a quick look up to where Joseph Smith sat on the wagon seat, then back to Lydia. “Miss Lydia, you out here
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