Searching for Anna By Jenifer Carll-Tong
Chapter 13 - Constables
Phoebe awoke early, just like the previous morning. She looked at her watch and realized that if she hurried, she could still catch her father at the train station. Rev. Albright, not being a fan of parting from loved ones, had insisted they say their goodbyes last night, but Phoebe was already missing her father and could not pass up the opportunity to see him one last time before he left.
Normally she would never think of leaving without pinning her hair, or at least braiding it, but not wanting to miss the train, she quickly dressed and dashed out the door. Besides, who would be out at this hour? she reasoned. She walked briskly up the street toward the train station, straining for sight of him in the distance. To her relief, the train was still there. She just hoped he hadn't boarded yet.
As she drew closer, she could see three State Troopers on the platform surrounding a man in a dark suit… her father.
Reverend Albright shook two of the troopers' hands, then clasped the third in a hearty embrace, and the sight of this brought her to tears. That was her father. He loved quickly and he loved whole-heartedly.
With each step she took, her pace quickened, and her vision became more and more blurred.
"Phoebe!" Reverend Albright exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms, nearly knocking the officer out of her way. She sobbed uncontrollably, not caring who saw her or what they thought.
"I know you told me not to come, but I had to, Daddy."
"Darlin', don't cry. We'll see each other soon. There'll be holidays, and you know your mother. There's no way I'll be able to keep her from you for long. I'm sure she's already planning a visit. Though, not sure she'd appreciate the free accommodations at the constabulary as much as I did."
Phoebe chuckled through her tears. "No, I can't imagine she would."
"I am so proud of you, child. And don't you worry. God has a plan, and he's already working it out. Of that, I am sure." He kissed Phoebe's forehead one last time, then boarded his train.
The last whistle blew, and the train chugged its way out of Iron Falls, taking part of Phoebe's heart with it.
When she could no longer see her father waving from his window, she took a deep breath and turned to face the officers that had been witness to her embarrassing display of emotion. But when she turned, mercifully, they had gone.
Phoebe stood and stretched her back. She had spent the past few hours working on her sermon for Sunday, but it was already ten o'clock. She couldn't wait any longer for the Speer boys - she needed to get the church grounds ready to receive congregants.
When she stepped out onto her front porch, she was greeted by not only the bright, morning sun, but also the sight of a well underway clean-up production.
She circled the church and found plenty of evidence of the boys' hard work - much of the grounds around the church already cleared of brush and debris - but no sign of the boys themselves. Finally, on the far side of the building, under the shade of a silver maple, she found the three eldest Speer boys resting, melted chocolate covering their hands and faces.
"Hello, boys. How long have you been here?"
"About three hours," said Jacob, the oldest and, apparently, the spokesman.
"Three hours! I'm so sorry. I would've come out had I known you were here."
"Nothin' to be sorry 'bout, ma'am. We didn't expect to see you at all. Ma told us we weren't allowed to bother you. She also said that we weren't to let ya help us, either. Said you had preachin' to prepare for."
She knelt in the shade next to them. "What's that you're eating?"
"It's called Goldenberg's Peanut Chews. The constable gave it to us."
"Constable?"
"Yep, he rode by and asked what we were doin'. When we told him, he said to wait here. Came back with these." Jacob held up the chocolate bar. "Said you can't buy 'em in stores. They was a treat for soldiers in the Great War. He only has a few left, but he said what we was doing was so nice, he wanted to share somethin' special with us."
"Would ya like a bite of mine, Miss Albright?" Jonathan Speer asked.
"Pastor Albright, you numb-skull!" Jacob chastised his younger brother.
"Miss Albright is just fine," Phoebe said.
"It's just fine if he wants a smack from Ma."
Phoebe smiled but tried to disguise her surprise at the turnabout in Mrs. Speer. "That was very kind of that constable. Did he say what his name was?" she asked.
All three boys shrugged.
"Officer somethin'," Jacob said. "Can't remember. Sorry. But he did say he would see us in church. That part I remember."
"And he took that old bookshelf with him," Peter said without looking up from his chocolate.
"Bookshelf?" she asked. "That nasty, old one my father threw out back? I was planning to burn that with the brush."
Peter shrugged. "He said he could fix it up."
Jonathan turned his candy bar around. "I haven't eaten off this end, Pastor. Come on, you gotta try this."
Unable to turn down the sweet boy's request, Phoebe sampled the candy. It was delicious and she said as much. Jonathan seemed very pleased.
"The constable told us he shouldn't have given us any. He said we was gonna fall so in love with it that we were never gonna want to fall in love with any girl, because no girl could compare with a Goldenberg Peanut Chew."
Phoebe suppressed a chuckle. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, but we told 'im that was fine by us, because there ain't no girl out there we wanna fall in love with anyhow."
Phoebe laughed out loud at this. The boys laughed too. They apparently thought the idea of love was ridiculous.
"Pastor Albright?" The youngest of the three asked shyly. "You been sick?"
"No, Peter. I haven't. Why would you ask?"
“Because the constable asked how you were doin'. When we told him we hadn't seen ya, he kept looking at your cabin like he was all worried or somethin'."
Phoebe flushed, remembering the scene she had caused earlier that morning. "Was he here long?" She rubbed her neck to disguise the growing blush she felt creeping up it.
"He sat and had a peanut chew with us and talked a little, but he seemed to be in a hurry to get outta here. Prob'ly had some important investigatin' or arrestin' to do."
"That's probably true," Phoebe agreed. "Well," she said, standing up, "I should see what I have to fix for you young men to eat."
"We can't stay," Jacob said. "Ma told us we had to be home for lunch. We'll come back after to finish. We'll probably bring Stephen, and maybe the girls. Ma thought there wouldn't be much for them to do, but they could pull weeds and stuff. They're big enough for that."
True to their word, the boys returned with the three littlest Speers in tow. This time, however, Phoebe was waiting for them. When the boys protested, she said to let her deal with their mother. They didn't argue, but their eyes showed they were not sure who would come out the victor in that confrontation.
As they busied themselves, Phoebe was impressed by the work ethic of the children. The bigger boys tackled the heavier work of raking and chopping down thick brush, while the little ones, Stephen included, worked at pulling the weeds around the base of the building.
The little ones worked so fast even Phoebe was having trouble keeping up. But the fast-paced labor did nothing to slow down the conversation. Helen and Margaret let not a moment pass without filling it with words.
While some may have found the constant chatter annoying, Phoebe enjoyed it immensely. Growing up with two sisters meant growing up in a house full of chatter and the Speer children filled an emptiness Phoebe hadn't realized her heart possessed before that moment.
Phoebe enjoyed the morning filled with not only the quirky banter of the Speer children, but she also enjoyed the weed pulling. Who would have guessed a day of labor would have turned into such a treasure hunt.
"What's that?" Helen asked, pointing out a delicate, purple bloom.
"Columbine," Phoebe said. "And that other purple flower is a coneflower."
"Did you know you could eat those?" Margaret asked. "Momma uses them to make tea when we're sick."
"I did know that," Phoebe said.
"You sure know a lot about flowers," Stephen pointed out.
"My mother has one of the most beautiful gardens in all of Lansing," Phoebe said. "She loves being able to bless others, especially those who are ill, with bouquets of fresh cut flowers. She says flowers are the best cure for any ailment."
Peter came around to the back of the church, carrying another load to add to the burn pile. "The constable was here again. He said when we finish to go get an iced cream at the store and he'll pay for it!"
"He's here?" Phoebe asked, standing and hurrying around to the front of the church.
"He was. Rode off already, though," he called after her.
The children finished their work and waited for Phoebe's approval. She ceremoniously walked around the building, tapping her finger on her chin in a serious manner. They followed, watching and waiting for a response. When they reached the front of the building again, Phoebe clasped her hands behind her back and lifted her eyebrows.
"Well," she began without smiling, "it appears to me that we have a church ready for Sunday Service." She smiled at the children. "Who's ready for a trip to Simmons' Store?"
The six children cheered in agreement.
Obviously having been warned of the children's impending visit, Mary called to them as they entered the store. "How are the church workers doing today?"
As the children perused the selection of candies and sweets, Phoebe spoke with Mary.
"Peter said that one of the constables offered to pay for their treat today. Do you know his name?"
"I didn't get his name, but I'm sure Jack knows, because he's the same handsome officer who borrowed our wagon to deliver your trunks." Mary winked, then continued. "Unfortunately, Jack went to Marquette for supplies. I can ask when he returns."
"That's not necessary," Phoebe said, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks.
After the ice cream, Phoebe walked the children home. Mrs. Speer invited her to stay for dinner and she accepted heartily. She really wasn't that hungry, but she looked forward to spending some time with Mrs. Speer.
"It's a blessing to have that piano tuned," the kind older woman said, "but after hearing you play, I worry you'll be disappointed with our simple worship. Mrs. Daniels, although not as talented as you, is a fairly decent pianist herself. And I have led the singing in the past. But it is your right to change anything you want, so if you would rather…"
"Oh, no," Phoebe interrupted. "I am so pleased to hear that there is someone to play and someone to lead. I wasn't sure what I was going to do on Sunday. I am so grateful, truly!"
Phoebe left the Speer farm that evening floating on air. She hadn't realized how worried she had been about the music until God provided for that need and the weight was lifted from her. Now, if He would just provide a finishing paragraph for her sermon.
