It wasn’t long now till suppertime, and Dat and Dawdi Hezekiah would be arriving home from the horse auction. Far as she knew, she was the only one aware Evan had left. Jonah would know, though, since he and Evan worked in the orchard together. But that didn’t mean Evan had told their brother where he was going.

She slipped off to the stable and found Evan sitting on a three-legged stool in the farthest corner from the stable door, leaning forward, hands covering his face.

“Bruder?” she whispered as she crept in. “You allrecht?”

He looked up to reveal a tearstained face and removed his straw hat. Then he pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose. “Ach, ya caught me blubberin’ my eyes out.”

“Maybe splash some cold water on your face at the well pump before ya go inside the house?”

“Jah, and I’ll get out of these here gut clothes, too,” he muttered, looking somewhat dazed as he stood. “Honestly, the burial service was the worst thing ever. Jack’s family was so solemn. Some were crying. An American flag was draped over the casket, and the military men removed it and folded it real special-like into a tight triangle. And after a bugle played a sad tune, one of the men handed the flag to Jack’s weeping mother.” Evan swallowed hard.

At the thought of Jack’s grieving mother, Ellie pressed her lips together to keep her composure, then drew a deep breath. “My thoughts were with ya the whole time you were gone.”

Evan looked at her, eyes rimmed in red. “Kind of ya, Ellie, but my sorrow’s nothin’ compared to the Herr family’s.” His voice broke. Then, coughing, he seemed to gather himself. He told her about Jack’s great sense of humor and how he always finished his farm chores quickly and was kind to his younger brother, Chuck. “And he was a loyal friend, to be sure. Never seemed to mind that I was Plain and he was fancy when we were out together.”

Ellie listened, saying nothing.

“Jack sent me letters in care of the post office, and he told me he was mighty proud of his ability to fight for this country. He wanted to be a help to his fellow soldiers.” Shaking his head, Evan slowly walked past Nelly’s and Captain’s stalls, then pushed open the stable door and headed for the house.

Feeling ever so sad, Ellie hoped Mamm wasn’t in the kitchen checking on the roast beef in the cookstove. Evan was in no frame of mind for a talking-to from either parent. Not today.