Will O Wisp (3 page)

The thirteen year old bounced into the
dining room. Right behind her was a bearded man in a dirt tinged
flannel shirt with the elbows out and faded jeans with tears in the
knees. His scuffed high topped farmer shoes had holes in the toes.
A dingy straw hat with a frayed brim canopied his shoulder length,
dark brown hair.

The man looked around furtively as
everyone at the table gasped and stared. From the surprise looks
given to him by Shana's family, he had the feeling he might be
leaving in a hurry.

Orie stood up. He paused long enough
to pat Jessie's shoulder to quiet his whimpers. Jenny shrank back
in her highchair, content to let Molly pat her hand. When Orie came
around the table, he stood in front of the man. “Is there something
I can do for you, sir?”

Shana spoke up. “Papa Orie, this be me
friend. He came all the way from the ould sod. Sure and tis time to
eat dinner, and Timothy O'Leary is down on his luck a might. I
invited him to meet me family and eat Sunday dinner with
us.”

“
I see,” Orie said softly.
He held out his hand to shake hands with the hobo. “Mr. O'Leary,
I'm Orie Lang.”

Timothy looked around the table at the
ladies' faces again. “To be sure, if you would rather I not stay, I
will not. I told Shana girl that this was a poorest of ideas if I
ever heard one.”

Shana stomped her foot and shook her
head fiercely, causing her pigtails to bob back and forth. “Papa
Orie, you and Mama Molly have always taught me we should help out
those less fortunate than ourselves. That's what you did for meself
in my time of need. Now I'm returning the favor by doin' that very
same thing for someone else. Are you here to tell me I'm wrong to
let this poor fellow go hungry when we have plenty to
eat?”

Orie turned to Molly for help. She
shrugged as her sign of approval, leaving it up to him. He turned
his attention to the man. “All right, you may stay and be welcome
at our table.” He looked down at Shana reproachfully. “Next time,
young lady, when you want to invite a guest, you give us some
notice. You understand that?”

Shana ducked her head remorsefully.
“Sure and tis, right you are, Papa Orie. Sorry, I am for springin'
me surprise on you this very day.”

“
We'd prefer you came to
Sunday lunch on time,” Molly said. “To be late isn't fair to Agnes.
She wants to go home to spend time with her family. It's not fair
to the ladies here to wait on you when they're hungry.”

“
For certain, ladies, I'm
sorry I made you wait on me. It won't be happenin' again.” Shana
smiled up at Timothy O'Leary and grabbed his hand. “Come sit
between Miss Melinda and me. See the red haired woman three chairs
down. That is Moxie Armstrong. She is from Ireland as
well.”

Timothy nodded at Moxie. “How do,
Ma'am.”

Everyone scooted their chairs closer,
and Orie brought another chair from the corner of the dining room
to the vacated spot. Before he sit down, Orie stuck his head in the
kitchen door and told Agnes they were ready to be
served.

When Agnes carried in the bowl of mash
potatoes, she did a double take at the guest of honor. Her mouth
dropped open as she set the bowl down and gaped each time she came
back.

When the bowls came to Timothy, he
took large helpings. Clearly, he hadn't eaten good home cooking for
a long time. Gracie feared there wouldn't be enough in the bowls
for her by the time the bowls reached her. Good thing Agnes liked
to prepare a lot of food. Of course, she usually filled the bowls,
thinking Miss Molly could warm up the leftovers on Sunday night.
Looked like Miss Molly would have to improvise for supper this
time.

Gracie noticed Moser Mansion's eastern
born, well dressed Madeline had her scent ring on with the green
set. She often wore the ring, because it was fancy looking. It came
in handy at that moment. Madeline kept lifting the perfumed ring to
her nose to take a sniff.

Melinda took small helpings out on her
plate. Gracie guessed sitting next to the stranger was causing the
poor woman to lose her appetite. Melinda picked up her napkin often
and held it to her nose. She'd take a deep breath, filtered through
the napkin. Gracie sure understood. The tramp's body odor was so
strong she could smell him from across the table. Must be awful bad
on the appetite where Melinda was right next to him. He hadn't had
a bath for a long time from the look and smell of him.

Everyone managed to make it though the
meal. In fact, Gracie couldn't ever remember it being so quiet. All
the grownups breathed a sign of relief when Timothy O'Leary stood
up, thanked the Langs and Shana for their hospitality and walked
down the entry hall. As soon as he was out the front door, Molly
and Orie took Shana into the library to have a private conversation
with her.

Gracie could only guess the nature of
the talking to the girl got. She figured Shana was told again she
wasn't to bring surprise guests to meals without running it by her
parents first.

When the talk was over, Shana came
back to the dining room. As she carried the dirty dishes to the
kitchen, her face was grave.

After Molly and Orie sat down at the
table, Molly apologized to the ladies for any distress the hobo
caused.

Gracie asked gruffly, “Is Mr. O'Leary
going to be back?”

Molly shook her head as Shana entered
the room. “Come here and sit by me, Shana while we explain to the
ladies.” Shana sat, clasped her hands and stared at the table.
Molly put her hand over Shana's. “I told Shana in no uncertain
terms if she wanted Timothy to have food, Orie will be glad to take
him a meal now and then where he stays. I tried to explain we
couldn't be sure if the man was dangerous or not. None of us know
this stranger's background, including her. Some of the hobos are
wanted men, running all the time to stay ahead of the
law.

Orie added, “I mentioned a man like
O'Leary doesn't stay around long. O'Leary would soon hop on a
freight car and be gone so she shouldn't worry about him. The man
was used to fending for himself and usually looked for a handout
from a soft hearted person. Shana is that, soft heart, and I love
her for it. She just has a lot to learn about people as she grows
up.”

Shana sat quietly with a sad
face.

“
Anything you want to add
in your favor, Dear?” Madeline, asked.

Shana wiggled in her chair, nervous
under everyone's scrutiny. She looked at Molly and received a nod
that it was all right to answer Madeline.

“
It's just when I met
Timothy O'Leary, he reminded me what it was like in New York City
when I was on my own. It was hungry I was all the time and eating
scraps out of dumpsters. I feel sorry for Timothy and for the other
homeless people sleeping in the woods by the train
depot.”

Just then someone knocked on the front
door. Gracie said, “I'll answer the door.”

The visitor was Thaddeus Sawyer,
Gracie's blond haired, tall farm renter. He took his hat off and
twisted it in his hands. “Afternoon, Miss Gracie. Can I come
in?”

“
Sure, Thad. Come to the
parlor and take a load off your feet,” Gracie invited, leading the
way.

“
I'm not interrupting your
meal time, am I?” Thad asked.

Gracie pointed to the settee. “No,
that's over.” She sat in one of the two overstuffed chairs. Melinda
and Madeline appeared. Melinda sat in the other overstuffed chair.
Madeline sat near the fireplace. Both ladies nodded at Thad, and he
greeted them back.

Gracie said, “Mr. Orie is busy right
now in a family conference. He should be in here soon.”

“
It ain't him I wanted to
visit with. It was you, Miss Gracie,” Thad said.

“
What can I do fer you,
Thad?” Gracie asked.

“
My wife, Ivy, is itching
to go see her mother in Ottumwa again. I wondered if you wanted to
come farm sit for me.” When Gracie started to speak, he held up his
hand to stop her. “I know last time wasn't the easiest stay for
you, but this time shouldn't have the problems that last time did.
This stay will be better. It has been quiet in the country for
quite some time now.”

Melinda looked worried. “Gracie, you
better think about this. Farm sitting was awful hard on you the
last time you went out there.”

“
It might have been, but I
enjoyed staying in my old home for a spell. I'd like to go again.
Thanks for thinking of me, Thad,” Gracie said sincerely.

Thad looked relieved. “Much obliged,
Miss Gracie. I didn't know who else to ask.”

“
How long are you going to
be gone?” Gracie asked.

“
Close to a month like last
time,” he answered. “I will be glad to ask Millard Sokal to come
over often to be a help to you.”

“
Much obliged, but I don't
want his help,” Gracie said brusquely. “When you want me out to the
farm?”

“
Tomorrow morning if you
can come,” Thad said hesitantly.

“
Oh, brother! You sure
believe in short notices,” Madeline huffed.

“
Well, I'm sorry about
that, too, but we was sitting around talking this morning. Ivy
started missing her mother. One thing led to another, and I gave in
to take her and the girl to Ottumwa. We want to leave tomorrow
right after you can get to the farm, Miss Gracie.”

“
It's all right, Thad,”
Gracie said, frowning at Madeline. “Ain't like I have a busy social
schedule like some that I might have to cancel. Besides, spring is
the prettiest time of the year on the farm. I want to be there for
spring. I will be to your house about mid morning.”

Orie and Molly came to the parlor and
sit down on the settee by Madeline.

“
Well, did you get anything
settled with Shana that will stick with her?” Gracie
asked.

“
We think so,” Molly said,
looking troubled.

“
Now that you know where
she spends her time, you should worry. Her keeping company with
hobos and all kinds of riffraff in the timber by the depot is a
foolish thing to do,” Gracie said.

“
We know, and we're worried
about it, Miss Gracie,” Orie said.

“
We just aren't sure what
to do to keep Shana from getting into real trouble if she sneaks
off when we aren't looking. She was such a tough child, looking out
for herself in New Your. Now she thinks she can handle any danger
that occurs,” Molly added.

Orie said, “Who knocked on the front
door earlier?”

Gracie said, “Thaddeus Sawyer. He
wants me to farm sit again, starting tomorrow, so he can take his
wife and daughter to visit Ivy's mother.”

“
Is Ivy's mother ill
again?” Molly asked in concern.

“
Didn't sound like it. Ivy
just wants to spend some time with her mother,” Gracie
said.

“
Are you going to do it,
Miss Gracie?” Molly asked.

“
Yip, I said I would.” This
time I'm renting a buggy from the livery stable. That way I can get
myself back and forth when I want to come to town,” Gracie said.
“No sense Mr. Orie coming all the way to the farm to get me for
church.”

“
You're really sure you
want to do this,” Molly said. “I've begun to worry about you
already. I want you to be safe this time.”

“
Thad said it was quiet in
the country now. It will be better this time. In fact, I have an
idea that might help you two out. Why not let me take Shana to the
farm with me? It will only be for a month. Maybe she will settle
down, following me around. Give her a chance to learn about farm
life, and there's no way she can get into trouble. Where could she
go?” Gracie shared.

“
I'm for that,” Orie said.
“That will give Mr. O'Leary time to leave town. I can stop and
check on Shana and you when I go to my farm just to make sure the
girl isn't giving you a hard time, Miss Gracie.”

“
Yes, I think I like that
idea, Miss Gracie, if you're sure you really want to do this.
Living in the country for a few weeks would be good for Shana,”
Molly said, brightening up.

“
I'm sure of it, but I
figure on making her do chores like I did when I was small,” Gracie
warned.

Molly frowned.

“
Now stop looking at me
like I'm turning her into a prisoner doing hard labor. I wasn't
going to have the girl do anything back breaking. I meant like
carrying in water from the well, gather the eggs and hoe in Ivy's
vegetable garden. That girl is big enough to handle all those
things. Besides, I'll be working right along side her.”

“
I don't see anything wrong
with those chores, Molly. Shana could use something to give her
responsibility,” Orie said.

“
This is true,” Molly
agreed. “Shana might find chores more fun than doing dishes for
Agnes.”

“
You might explain the milk
goat's habit of passing out so Shana doesn't think she died. That
would really upset the girl.”

“
I'll tell her when I
introduce her to the goat,” Gracie said.

“
A month is an awful long
time for Shana to be away from home, Miss Gracie. You will see she
bathes regularly and changes her clothes. She has a tendency to
forget unless I mention it to her,” Molly worried. “Oh, and you
won't let the Indians carry her off. Watch out for her, will
you?”