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be e n , a nd t h ey and the Catch e rs u lt i m ate l y formed a str o ng a n d lo v in g , fa m i ly-li k e relati o nship.
    D u st i n g o f f h er h an d s, Mary be n t a k i ss u pon h er d a u g h t er’s s m oo t h fore h ead and wal k ed to t h e st ov e . Pic k ing u p t h e m et a l c o ffee p o t, s h e wal k e d ov e r to w h ere her h u s b a n d Peter sat read i ng t h e n e wsp a p e r, w h ile
    also ob ser v i ng t h e acti v ity at t h e k itc h en ta b l e.
    Bend i ng a nd p o u r i n g him his fa v o rite, “Re s ervati o n C o ff e e,” as he called it, s h e ret u r n ed t h e p o t to t h e sto v e. T u r n i n g t o h e r h u s b an d , s h e qu e s ti on e d:
    “ H o w can yo u dr i n k t h is stu f f ? I t ’s so s tr o n g !” Peter laugh e d, t h rew b ack a lo n g , satisfying g u l p , and s m i led up at h is wife.
    “ It’s li k e m o t h er’s m i lk to me, en n i t ? T h is is h o w m y m oth er m a d e co f fee,” he lau gh e d, r e fe r r in g t o t h e v e ry s tr o n g , al m o st t h i cken e d b re w .
    “ S h e a l ways sai d , if you throw a h o rsesh o e in it, with t h e h o rse still attached, and t h ey f l oat, tha t ’s Re z 15 Co ffe e !” Pe t er g u f f a w e d .
    “ W ell,” returned Mary, “it may b e M o t h er’s Milk to y o u, b u t it r e m i nd s m e o f what you sho v el ou t o f t h e o u tho u se ! ” she q u ip p ed, la u g h in g , t u r n i n g o n ce a g ain t o t h e sto v e.
    R o ari n g w it h l au g h t er, an d s l a mmi ng do wn h i s f av o r i t e, j a dei t e coffee m ug, Peter leapt from the ro c k e r he u sual l y occ u p i ed w h en h o m e. Gr ab bi n g his w i fe ar o un d t h e waist, he beg a n to n u z zle her neck, spi n ni n g h e r ar ou nd as she laugh e d, hal f -he a rtedly str u ggli n g to get away.
    “ It m akes m e want t o eat y o u up!” he chort l ed.
    “ Oh, you h o t m a m a, c o m e to m e no w!” Peter lau g he d , a g ain s p in n i ng Mary arou n d and i n to h i s ar m s.
    Stand i ng bes i d e t h e kitch e n t able, sl o wly w iping t h e f l o u r f r om her ha n d s , Lena sm iled. She lov e d t h e se m o m ents. She cou l d tell her par e n t s w e re d eeply i n l ov e . So m eho w , t h i s m ade her feel safe a n d lo v e d
    as well.
    “ Cha!” her m o t h e r g i ggl e d , “I’ll bu rn t h e jell y !” she e x clai m ed. Peter c hu c k l ed, g i v i ng h er a smack on h er s t ill s h a p ely b o tt o m . Tur n ing his he a d to g a ze at Lena, he gave h e r a w i n k , t h r e w a k i ss, a n d w i th a great s i gh o f s ati sfact i on, ret ur n ed t o h i s n ew sp a per.
     
     
     
     
     
    15 Sh or t f o r Rese rv ation

C h apter F o ur
     
    W h at is lif e ?
    It is the flash o f a firefly in t h e ni g h t.
    It is the breath of a buffa l o in the w i nterti m e.
    It is t h e little s h adow w h ich r un s acr o ss the gras s , a n d loses itself i n the sunset.
     
    C r o w f oo t , Blac k fo o t w a rr i o r a n d o r ator 1 830 – 1 890
     
    Lena lov e d the m o rning s , a nd s h e trea s ured the e v en i n gs. The ti m e in betwe e n w a s a waiting ti m e, a ho l di n g o f t h e b reat h , a l o ng i ng f o r her par e nts to r e - u nite.
    She waited f o r t h eir m eeting. I f her fat h e r went t o t h e C o un t r y m an farm alone, M ary jo y ously g r eeted him upon his ret u rn t o t h eir s m all h o u se i n May Hill. If t h ey we n t to t h e farm t og et h er, t h ey left a n d ret u r n ed h o l d i n g h an d s. In d eed, t h ey were a l m o st le g e nd a ry in t h e c o m m un ity for t h eir d e vo tio n .
 

     
For s e v e ral y ears, a ne i g hb o r wa t ch e d L ena f rom t h e t i m e her p are n ts left to g o t o t h e farm, un til h e r sch oo l bu s arr i v e d at 7 :30 a. m ., a n d would watch h e r fr o m th e ti m e t h e b u s d r o pp e d h e r o f f, u n til h er par e nts’ re t u r n at du s k. N o w twelv e , Lena w ou l d k n o c k o n t