A Sister's Test Read Online Free PDF Page B

until Toby and Sadie finally returned.
    “You’ll never guess what we found in the woods,” Toby said as they plunked down on the quilt.
    “A big black bear?” Martin asked in a teasing tone.
    Toby snorted. “Jah, right. We found a big black pickup truckcovered with a layer of dust. But no one was in sight.” He squinted at Ruth. “Sadie says she’s seen it before, and so have you.”
    Ruth nodded slowly. “Jah, that’s true. We spotted it there one day when we were taking a walk.”
    “Do you know who it belongs to?” Toby questioned.
    Ruth merely shrugged in reply. “It’s not important. Let’s talk about something else, okay?”
    “No way!” Toby got right in her face. “If you know who owns that truck, then tell us.
Raus mit—
out with it!”
    Ruth curled her fingers into the palms of her hands, remembering the day Luke had told her about the truck he’d hidden in the woods so his folks wouldn’t know. She had promised she wouldn’t tell anyone, and until now, she’d never been tempted.
    “I’ll bet it belongs to one of those rowdy English fellows who have been seen pulling some pranks in our area.” Toby grunted. “I heard that a couple of ’em were caught throwing dirt clods at some buggies going down the road near Sugarcreek the other day.”
    Ruth gave a nonchalant shrug.
    “I say we drop this subject,” Sadie said, squeezing Toby’s arm.
    Toby turned his hands palms up and grunted. “Whatever.”
    “Why don’t you and I do some fishing while the women visit?” Martin poked Toby’s arm. “That’s what we’d planned to do in the first place, right?”
    Toby nodded and rose to his feet.
    Martin glanced over at Ruth and smiled, then headed for the buggy to get his fishing pole.
    Sadie nudged Ruth with her elbow. “I’ve been thinking about that truck in the woods.”
    “What about it?”
    “You sure acted funny when Toby mentioned it. Do you know who owns the truck?”
    “Do we have to talk about this? Can’t we just enjoy our day?”
    “Does that mean you know who owns the truck and just won’t say?”
    Ruth clenched her teeth. “I do know, but it’s not for me to say.”
    “How come?”
    “Because the person who owns the truck asked me not to say anything.”
    “You can tell me. I won’t tell anyone else, I promise.”
    “Sure is a beautiful day. Just listen to the birds twittering in the trees overhead.”
    Sadie sighed. “All right, then, don’t tell me who owns the truck.”
    Ruth leaned back on the quilt and closed her eyes. “Ah, that warm sun feels so good on my face.”
    “Remember last spring, when the two of us were here with our boyfriends?”
    Apparently Sadie had given up on learning who owned the truck, and Ruth was glad. Sadie was her friend, but she was also being courted by Toby, who tended to be a blabbermouth. If Ruth told Sadie that the truck belonged to Luke, and Sadie repeated it to Toby, the word would soon get out to everyone in their community, including Luke’s parents. If Dad was right about Luke, and he
was
trying to get even with Ruth for breaking up with him, he might think up even more malicious things to do in retaliation.
    “Did you hear what I said about last spring?”
    “Jah, I heard, and I do remember coming here.”
    “Only you were being courted by Luke instead of Martin.” Sadie nudged Ruth’s arm, and Ruth’s eyes popped open. “I think Martin’s a better match for you than Luke.”
    “Martin and I have been getting along pretty well,” Ruth admitted. “The only thing is. . .
sis mer bang
.”
    “You’re afraid?”
    “Jah.”
    “Why are you afraid?”
    Ruth swallowed hard, refusing to give in to her swirling emotions. “Whenever things are going well, it seems as if they suddenly turn bad.”
    “Are you talking about the way things went with you and Luke?”
    “That and all the things that have happened at our place over the last year.”
    “The break-ins and vandalism, you mean?”
    “Jah, and also