Spirit of the Valley Read Online Free PDF

Poppy was a pretty good one, and then the baby got named Princess, though we call her Cessie. Don’t know why my papa didn’t up and tell Mama to name us something normal.”
    â€œMaybe he liked the names, too,” Rebecca suggested.
    â€œIt’s a good point, Rebecca.”
    â€œDoes your dog bite?”
    â€œWho, Sheeba, here? Naw. She’s gentle as a kitten. Now, we got another dog, Wags, little mop of a thing no bigger than a minute, and she bosses poor Sheeba around something awful, but she don’t bite either. I keep telling Sheeba to stand up to her, but—” The older woman shrugged and then looked at Pauline. “Why don’t we head on up to the house? It’s just round the bend.”
    Pauline nodded gratefully and bent for her suitcase.
    â€œHere,” April May said, stepping forward to take it. “Let me have it.”
    â€œOh no,” Pauline objected.
    â€œOh yes,” April May insisted, taking it from her. “You’re not one of those stubborn kinds that won’t let anybody help them, are you?” Pauline nearly lost her frail grip on her self-control, and April May saw it. “I shore hope not,” she said, walking on.
    Rebecca did a double step to catch up with her, looking at her curiously, and the dog trooped along, paying no mind to them.
    â€œSo what brings you folks to our neck of the woods?” April May asked.
    Rebecca looked at her mother, who seemed at a loss. She wished she could help, but she didn’t know how to answer.
    â€œI hope we can . . . stay,” Pauline replied shakily. “I need work.”
    â€œThat so?” April May looked over at Jake, who was stoically trudging along. “What about you, Jake? You need work?”
    Jake frowned shyly. He didn’t look at her and he didn’t reply.
    â€œHe’s quiet,” Rebecca offered.
    â€œI, for one, never had that proclivity,” April May stated.
    â€œMe neither,” Rebecca said agreeably. They rounded a bend and saw the long fence the lady at the inn had mentioned. Across the field, deer froze in place, as if to check out the intruders. “Look, Jake,” Rebecca said, pointing.
    â€œSurely you seen deer before,” April May remarked.
    â€œYes, but not usually so close.”
    â€œWhere y’all from?”
    â€œIn—” Rebecca broke off, remembering what she was and wasn’t supposed to say.
    â€œIndiana,” Pauline managed.
    Rebecca looked at her and mouthed sorry .
    If April May noticed the strain or the exchange, she didn’t let on. “Here we are,” she announced as they approached a sprawling two-story farm house. It was white with navy blue trim. The front door and the many flower pots on the front porch were also blue. There were chickens in the front yard, which caused Jake to look over and grin at his sister.
    April May put two fingers in her mouth and made a loud whistle. “Oh, Cessie,” April May called. “Brought you something.”
    Moments later, the screen door screeched open and another woman came out of the house, drying her hands on her pink-and-white checked apron, a small gray-and-brown terrier at her side. “You went and caught a whole family in your traps?” Cessie called playfully.
    â€œThat’s right,” April May called back. “That Cessie,” she said to Rebecca. “She’s a sharp one. Not much gets by her.”
    Rebecca laughed. Even Pauline smiled.
    â€œThis is Pauline, Rebecca, and Ralph,” April May said when they got closer. By then the little dog had started barking.
    â€œJake,” Rebecca corrected quickly.
    April May pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I don’t think I’m going to call him Jake unless he tells me to.”
    Rebecca knew April May was teasing again. She’d never known any grown-up who teased so much.
    â€œWelcome,” Cessie said cheerfully. She had gray-and-white hair