BooksBarbecue
Back The Orchard
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Beverly Lewis
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. Epilogue
  53. Author’s Note
  54. About the Author
  55. Back Ads
  56. Cover Flaps
  57. Back Cover

Mamm’s eyes lit up to see Ruthann with her tasty offering. Since the house had been much too warm to bake today, Mamm had brought out only a few leftover cookies. “It’s so gut to see ya,” she said, and Dawdi’s eyes suddenly brightened.

“Evan will be sorry he didn’t stay around,” Dat said in a flat tone.

Ruthann frowned empathetically but said nothing.

“I’ll get some milk for us,” Mamm said, rising. “It would’ve been nice to have ice cream ready, but . . . this’ll do.”

“No apologies necessary,” Ruthann said, then sat across the table from Ellie, next to Evan’s vacant spot.

“Say now, Ruthann,” said Dawdi, “did I ever tell ya ’bout the time when, as a youngster, I painted horseshoes and sold ’em at our roadside stand for a little bit of nothin’?”

Ruthann shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Ellie couldn’t help but smile. Here was another story from Dawdi’s brimming memory bank.

“Well, one year at Christmastime,” he began, “I made a wreath for the schoolteacher out of painted red and green horseshoes. Bless her heart, bein’ the city girl she was, I doubt she knew what to think.” Dawdi paused to laugh. “All the same, she held it up for the class to see and announced to all, ‘Somebody’s horse is trotting around in his socks.’”

Ruthann burst out laughing, and Mamm shook her head, smiling.

Ellie asked, “Dawdi, are ya sure you’re not just pullin’ our legs?”

“Say now, I know this one’s true,” Dat said, vouching for Dawdi. “I heard ’bout it many times from your Mammi Hostetler growin’ up.”

“Come to think of it, I might still have one of ’em horseshoe wreaths lying round in the attic somewheres,” Dawdi said, looking more serious now. “Jah, ’tis every bit true.”

Ellie wished Evan was present to hear this. She was grateful Dawdi’s incomparable humor remained intact despite the perpetual cloud hanging over their family.

13

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After picking peaches all day Thursday, Ellie saw a fat envelope waiting for her when she came into the house for supper. She waited till she’d dried the dishes, then opened the envelope and found the longest letter Leah had ever written to her.

Out on the back porch, Ellie settled into the comfortable glider and began to read.

Dear Ellie,

I love hearing from you every week. It’s one of the sweet connections I have to home. I’m so thankful for you and Mamma and Sol and everyone who continues to answer my letters.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the likelihood Evan will have to join the army, so I’m praying more often now for your family. Please keep me updated!