Chapter Thirteen

 

Gracie and Melinda weren't worried until the two days went by. By chore time of the second day, Shana wasn't home. Gracie managed to hobble along to get the chores done, including egg gathering. Melinda had supper ready and still Shana wasn't home. They went ahead and ate. Always in the back of their minds was Shana would come bursting in the door, apologizing for being late. By the time Gracie helped Melinda with kitchen clean up, it was close to dark.

“Gracie, Shana has been so good to mind since we have been here. It isn't like her to stay away when she knows we're waiting for her to come home,” Melinda worried. “What if she tried to walk home on her own and got lost? She might not find here by herself.”

“I know it,” Gracie said sharply.

“What should we do? It's almost bed time, and it will be dark soon,” Melinda worried. “With someone roaming around in the timber you don't want there, this is a dangerous time for a little girl to be out alone.”

“It doesn't look like the Graves family feels the same responsibility to a youngun as you do, Melinda. There are so many younguns in that family, they figure on all of them taking care of themselves.”

“What should we do? I'm really worried,” Melinda said.

“We're going to walk over to the Graves, and see what is going on. That's what we're going to do,” Gracie said.

“Hopefully, Shana is having so much fun she just lost track of time or forgot which day she was supposed to come home,” Melinda said. “It is almost dark outside. Maybe we should wait until morning to go get Shana.”

“Oh, no. We ain't going to do that. You would keep me awake all night worrying about that girl,” Gracie groused.

“I suppose I would,” Melinda said softly.

“I know you would. Besides, Shana might be in some sort of trouble, and we don't want to wait all night to help her. I'll get the lantern so we have light to see to walk home. You put some matches in your pocket,” Gracie said.

Birds fluttered over head in the trees along the lane, roosting for the night. The white moon was just peaking over the hayfield. The cemetery was quiet and spooky that time of night with the stones shrouded in shadows. Gracie and Melinda walked faster to get past it.

Gracie had to really balance to hobble along at a quicker pace with the walking stick she made. They were just about past the trees near the Graves house when they heard the explosion. Both women froze.

“What was that?” Melinda said in a hushed voice.

“A shotgun blast if I'm not mistaken,” Gracie whispered.

“It sounded like it came from the Graves place,” Melinda said. “Oh dear, who would be having a shootout with Neff in the dark with all those children there.”

“Now don't go worrying about what you don't know until we get there,” Gracie scolded.

The two women edged on until they stood at the edge of the stand of trees. The Graves house was lit up. The last of the sun was setting in the west, throwing a red glare on the windows that made the house look like it was on fire.

Neff Graves staggered back and forth in front of the porch with a shotgun wavering around in his hands. “You little heathens, get yer butts out ta here now. I mean to have ya line up in front of me so I can look at the whole bunch of ya. I'm gonna shoot every one right here tonight and get rid of ya.”

The children filed out the door one at a time with Lettie behind them. Their heads were down as they slowly came off the porch steps. It was the sight of Shana in the midst of Graves children that filled Gracie and Melinda with fear.

“Oh, Gracie, what are we going to do?” Melinda hissed.

“I don't know yet. That good for nothing is drunk as a skunk and capable of doing what he says,” Gracie predicted.

“This is all Venus's fault,” Melinda whispered hoarsely.

“What are you talking about?” Gracie asked.

“Venus is too close to earth right now. It makes crazy things happen,” Melinda said.

“Where did you get that bit of information to mull over?” Gracie asked.

“Madeline predicted this when she read tea leaves for me, before we came with you to the farm. I should have listened to her. We should have stayed in Locked Rock,” Melinda said with a groan.

“There's no way Madeline could have foreseen this problem. She doesn't even know the Graves family or what happens out here. As far as that goes, we didn't imagine this kind of happening, either,” Gracie said. “You know that, Melinda.”

“Not all of this Madeline didn't see. She didn't see Neff being violent when she looked in the tea leaves. Just that something crazy would happen during this month because of Venus being too close to earth. That's when bad things always happen Madeline says,” Melinda explained, keeping her eyes glued to Neff. “But for your information, she did see the will o wisps roaming in the timber. Just the way you and Shana described them. That's how I knew what they looked like. So there.”

“Sounds like a lucky guess on Madeline's part. Tea leaves are just that, tea leaves,” Gracie groused.

“Madeline doesn't know what a will o wisp is anymore than we did until Shana told us. Yet she described them to a tee. So there,” Melinda defended.

At the bellow of Neff's loud voice, both of them turned their attention back on the front yard. “Bout time you all showed up. Now get those tails in gear and line up in front of me, so I can figure out which one of you I want to shoot first,” Neff said. He slurred his words as he staggered closer to the children, unsteady on his feet.

He paced up and down in front of his children, waving the shotgun at each of them. Mattie, about three years old, started to wail when Neff stopped in front of her. “You shut up if you don't want to be first you snot nose midget.”

Lettie rushed off the porch and grabbed up the little girl. She placed the little girl's head on her shoulder and said, “Hush now, baby. Don't cry. That makes Papa mad.”

“Oh, Gracie, this is terrible. Someone has to stop him. He's scaring all of those children to death and look at poor Shana right in the middle of them,” Melinda whispered.

“I know it. He's scaring me, too, but how are we going to do anything? We're too far away. If we rush him, Neff will shoot one of us,” Gracie said. “If that Sheriff Logan was here, I'd give him a piece of my mind. He could have prevented this if he'd come out here when I told Earl to call him. Maybe it's Earl's neck I ought to wring. He may have forgotten to call the sheriff.”

“Mercy Sakes, Gracie, it doesn't matter either way right now. Those men aren't here to help us. Poor Shana. She's scared to death just like the rest of them. She shouldn't have been put in this dangerous situation,” Melinda said, glaring at Gracie.

“Don't blame me for her being here. You were right there when she asked to stay with May Jean for two days. You could have said no,” Gracie said. “She should have come home earlier today like she was supposed to, and she wouldn't be in this fix now.”

“Don't put the blame on that sweet girl. Look what she's holding in her arms. That's the dress May Jean borrowed for church. No telling how long Shana has been trapped in that house with the others, wanting to come home,” Melinda defended.

Gracie took another look and conceded, “Reckon you're right.”

“Miss Molly is going to be mad at both of us when she finds out about this,” Melinda said softly.

“Not to mention what Mr. Orie will say,” Gracie added.

Neff swaggered backward and waved the shotgun in the direction of his lined up children. He looked as if he was trying to figure out how many of the children he could shoot at once.

Suddenly, Neff stopped moving. He went very still. The shotgun in his hands wavered along the line of children. They shivered with fear, and their faces were covered with horror. How could their father do this to them? Just as Neff pulled the trigger, his hand on the shotgun stock jerked down. The shotgun exploded above the children's heads.

“Oh please, Lord, let Shana and those dear little children be all right,” Melinda cried in prayer with her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

The explosion was ear deafening. Next was a loud clattering from the lead pellets that struck the curled up tin on the house roof.

“Melinda, your prayer must have worked. Open your eyes and look. Everyone is all right so far. Neff missed them,” Gracie said.

The explosive gun noises were enough to bring Neff to whatever little bit of sense he had left. He looked at his gun as if he didn't recognize it. “Wha' happened?”

A couple of the older boys rushed over to him. “Let me have the gun, Papa,” Bobby said. That boy took the gun from Neff's hands, and he gave it up willingly. “Boys, that shotgun isn't safe to have around anymore. It just went off on its own. I might have hurt myself.”

The boys got on each side of him and took him by an arm. They led him up the porch steps and sit him in a rocking chair. Neff's head immediately lowered, and he passed out.

The children hugged each other and quietly filed past their father to go in the house.

“Now's our chance. Let's get Shana out of here,” Gracie said.

She hobbled out of the trees with Melinda right behind her. Lettie was starting up the steps still holding the littlest Graves girl when they got to the yard.

“Hold up, Lettie,” Gracie called. “We came to take Shana home.”

“That would be a good idea,” Lettie said softly, glancing over at her snoring husband to make sure their voices hadn't woken him. She looked worriedly at the women. “Did you hear the ruckus just now?”

“We not only heard the shotgun go off we saw what happened,” Gracie said. “You best get away from that man of yours before he kills all of you.”

“Just get Shana out here so we can go home before he wakes up,” Melinda demanded.

“I'll call her for you.” Lettie stuck her head in the door and called, “Shana, your aunts are here. You can go home now.”

A white faced Shana appeared in the door. With relief on her face, she ran down the steps to put an arm around both aunts. “For certain and all time, am I glad to see both of you. I've never been so scared in me whole life. Wait until you hear what just happened here.”

“We know, dear. We were standing in the trees watching the whole thing and praying you would be safe,” Melinda told her.

“If we could have figured a way passed Neff's shotgun to get you out of here sooner we would have,” Gracie said.

“You saw what happened?” Lettie asked.

“We're just glad everything turned out the way it did,” Melinda said. “Lettie, why do you stay with that man? You can see how dangerous he is.”

“I don't think he'd let me leave if I tried.” Lettie's voice trembled. “He's never done anything like this before.”

“I don't expect this will be the last time. Neff was so drunk out of his mind he didn't know what he was doing. Get away from him with your younguns before he does some real harm. He ain't going to change if that's your next excuse,” Gracie warned.

“I know that, Miss Gracie,” Lettie whined.

“What are you going to do if he wakes up soon and wants his gun back?” Melinda said in a whisper.

“I don't expect he will wake up soon, but I'm locking the door. He most likely will sit back down in the char and go back to sleep if he cain't get in the house. At least, I know we'll have some warning if he tries to come in the door with it locked. If he knocks, rattles the door or yells he'll wake me up. Maybe for once, we will all get a little sleep tonight unless that happens,” Lettie said in a dispirited voice.

“Come on, Shana. Let's go home,” Melinda said.

“What about May Jean? I hate to leave her here in danger,” Shana whispered.

“May Jean's lot was picked for her when she was born into this family. We cain't save any of them by ourselves. That crazy, drunken man might just come after us next if we tried,” Gracie said bluntly.

“I don't want to find out my friend is dead in the morning,” Shana said, tears running down her face.

“Gracie, could we take May Jean home with us?” Melinda asked.

Gracie gave her a doubtful look. “What will Neff say when he wakes up and finds out one of his younguns is gone? He might just load that shotgun and come after her and us.”

“Don't worry about that,” Lettie said. “Neff doesn't even know how many children we have. He won't miss one. With the hangover he's going to have, he won't be himself for the next couple days.”

“Shana is going to worry about May Jean until we leave the farm to go back to Locked Rock if we don't let the little girl come home with us, Gracie,” Melinda said.

“All right. Shana, it's against my better judgment,” Gracie gave in. “We're for sure not going to let you come back to this house ever again so if you want to play with May Jean it will have to be at the farm. Go get, May Jean.”

Shana wheeled around to run inside.

Gracie grabbed her by the shoulder. “Wait. Don't tell her to come with you in front of the others. We don't want all the younguns camping out at our house. Neff would notice for sure if all the younguns were gone. His aim with that shotgun might be better the next time he shoots it.”