When Gabe came looking for Emmie, his eyes widened upon seeing Anna. But he did not comment as Emmie continued to cling to Anna’s hand, walking in step with her. It was apparent that Gabe wanted to come over and talk with her, but this wasn’t the time or the place.

Hours later, after the fellowship meal, where Sadie and Marianna introduced her to dozens of welcoming womenfolk, Anna returned home, her heart warm but feeling ever more conflicted.

Sadie waited till Anna had slipped over next door to help Marianna with the little ones that afternoon before she went to sit in the front room with Glen. “I’ve been thinking ’bout this for a while now,” she began, mentioning having seen Gabe looking at Anna before the fellowship meal. “And today, we were all out admiring the calvies, but it was as if Gabe wasn’t seein’ anyone or anything but Anna.”

Glen smiled her way. “You’d like the two of them to get together, I’m a-thinkin’.”

“Ain’t so much that . . . although it would be right nice.” She went on to tell Glen that Emmie had been holding Anna’s hand.

“Well, the man’s not gonna just choose a mother figure for his little girl, remember,” Glen said. “Not the Gabe I know.”

“Nee.”

“He’s schmaert and wise, too. He’ll marry for love, pure and simple.”

“Jah, true,” Sadie said, pondering this. “Anna’s parents might need to meet Gabe at some point, if he starts spending more time alone with her.”

“Might be just what’s needed.” Glen reached for his copy of Die Botschaft and flipped through the pages to an article he had been reading earlier. “Come to think of it, Alvin Beachy reads this periodical, too. He told me so last time they were here, round Christmas.”

“Well, how ’bout that.” Sadie perked up.

“We discussed how the scribes from here in Lancaster County and the ones there in Mifflinburg write similar things in their columns. Least it seemed like that to us.”

Sadie caught herself nodding in agreement. “There’s really only a small difference ’tween their church district an’ ours, as I see it.”

“Aside from the cars and electric, which is big!” Glen added.

She thought on that, realizing how readily Anna had acclimated herself to living without electric lights and other conveniences here in their home. Of course, Anna’s car might be a big hurdle. . . .

But Sadie was getting way ahead of herself.

Chapter 46

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1948

Eliza’s great-aunt was sitting out on the back porch as Eliza scurried up the steps.

“You were gone longer than you said,” her aunt stated.

“I’m sorry . . . forgot the time.”

Nodding slowly, her aunt fixed her gaze on Eliza. “I s’pose you went to meet your so-called friend.”

Eliza gulped and reached for the handrail.

“The Lord despises deceitfulness.”

Eliza wondered how on earth she knew about the chance meeting with Eb.