I don’t understand,” Martha admitted.
They’d turned the table upside down and were studying the map etched there.
“This shows a number seven along a squiggly line.”
“Plain enough.” Eli leaned closer, as if he could make more sense by putting his nose right on the map.
“One through six were attached to other pieces of furniture.” Charity sat in one of the kitchen chairs, plucking at her apron. “I suppose three of those numbers were on the pieces you sold, Eli.”
“Ya. Numbers four, five, and six.”
“But it doesn’t make any sense.” Martha worried her thumbnail with her front teeth. “Look, we can tell this spot is to the northwest of Shipshe, and we can tell that it has something to do with water if that’s what the wavy line next to it means.”
“Wavy lines do usually mean water.”
Martha resisted the urge to give him her most serious look. He was plainly enjoying himself, or enjoying watching her struggle with the mystery of the map. She was already thinking of it that way. The Mystery of the Map. She could practically see the title on the spine of a book.
“But why bother with numbers one through six? Why not just look for number seven and find the supposed treasure? If that is a treasure chest next to it, which I rather doubt.”
“Oh dear.” Charity stood up quickly, nearly knocking over her chair.
“What is it?” Eli was beside her in a flash.
“The letter. I forgot to show you the letter.”
She returned a few minutes later with a small envelope. “We found this in one of the drawers that was built into the bottom of the old wardrobe. We thought that perhaps the husband had etched the map into the wood and the wife had written the letter for whoever found it.”
Charity pulled the piece of paper out from the envelope and handed it to Eli. It looked as if it would fall apart in his hands—old and fragile and capable of holding great secrets. Martha crowded in next to them in order to read the faded handwriting.
If you have found this, then you have probably also found the map. No doubt you are wondering why someone would go to so much trouble and whether there is a real treasure at the end. I’ ll attempt to answer the first and let you answer the second.
The people of this area—all of the people—are God’s children, blessed by fertile land and bountiful harvests. We’ve had our share of trouble and tragedy, but when we pull together we find that the things we share outweigh our differences. The final destination will be revealed to the person who patiently and studiously follows the map through all seven markers. You will learn more than our history. You will receive a glimpse into the heart of the people of this region. May God bless your journey.
As soon as she reached the bottom of the page, Martha began rereading the letter. But it made no more sense the second time.
“The letter tells us to patiently and studiously follow the map through all the markers.” Eli chuckled. “No rewards for taking shortcuts.”
“Indeed,” Charity agreed. “I don’t think you would recognize the seventh spot, if you hadn’t visited the first six.”
Martha handed the letter back to Charity.
They turned the table back over and repositioned the chairs around it. Eli went to the porch and pushed Jacob back into the house, and then he helped Charity to settle him into his bed.
“I can tell that you two are going to follow this thing through.” Charity walked between them back to Eli’s buggy, her arms looped through theirs. “Be sure to keep me posted on what you find.”
As they made their way back to the auction house, Martha’s mind was scattered like the seeds from the harvested stalks of grain.
Who wrote the letter?
Why did they go to the trouble?
What was the person seeking the treasure supposed to learn?
And what—if anything—waited for them at the end?