Dangerous Amish Inheritance

She shook her head.

“Think about it.”

Upon entering town, he pointed to the real-estate office. “I need to check on the papers for the sale of my property. Do you want to go into the dry-goods store next door?”

Again, he lowered his voice. “Get new straw hats for the boys. If they sell shoes, buy them, too.”

“The shoes can wait, Noah, and their old hats are fine.”

“Mamm, my hat hardly fits,” Simon moaned. Evidently he had heard a portion of their conversation.

“Please, Ruthie.” Noah leaned closer so the boys could not see the wad of bills he placed into her hand. “Let me do this.”

She stared at him for a long moment and then glanced back at Simon. “Noah is right. You both are outgrowing not only your shoes, but also your hats. We will get hats today and shoes at the end of the summer.”

“Then it’s decided.” Noah smiled. “I won’t be long. If you need something new, Ruthie, I would be glad to buy all the purchases. You and your family were always there for me when times were tough.”

And when his father was on one of his binges, but Noah wouldn’t mention that in front of the boys.

“Thank you, Noah. I will pay you back for the hats.”

“No need.” Except for her pride.

He turned the buggy toward the rear of the store and tied the mare to the hitching post. The boys eagerly jumped down while he helped Ruthie out of the buggy.

“I am not used to such attention,” she whispered once her feet touched the pavement.

She stood still for a long moment. He didn’t want to move lest the moment passed and she stepped away.

“You deserve attention, Ruthie,” he whispered.

“We are no longer young teens, Noah.” She turned to gather her sons. “We will see you when you are finished with your real-estate business.”

Noah glanced along the street to ensure no one suspect was hovering nearby. The man who had come after Ruthie at her house was a coward and would hide until darkness, or when she was alone, before he struck again.

Noah would make sure she and the boys weren’t left unprotected while he stayed in the area. But as he walked into the real-estate office, he knew he couldn’t protect them for long. As soon as the sale of his father’s property was final, Noah would leave Amish Mountain.

“Is it Ruthie Eicher I see?” the female clerk asked when Ruthie stepped into the shop with the boys following close behind.

Ruthie’s first inclination was to turn around and leave the store, but the boys were excited about their shopping adventure, and she would not let her own desire to stay away from people ruin the day for her sons.

She nodded and stepped closer, trying to identify the Amish woman, near her own age, who had greeted them.

“You do not recognize me?” the clerk asked. “I am Fannie Martin. We went to school together.”

The name surprised her since the slender woman standing in front of her looked nothing like the plump Fannie she remembered from her youth. “You are Daniel’s sister.”

“Yah.” The clerk nodded. “I was a year younger and always thought you were the prettiest girl in the school.”

Ruthie’s cheeks warmed. “You should not say such things, Fannie.”

“Of course I should not say them, but still I do. Are these fine boys your sons?”

She nodded, her heart swelling with maternal pride that could not be helped. If pride could ever be positive, it would be a mother’s love for her children.

“What can I help you find?” the clerk asked.

“The boys wanted to look at straw hats.”

“A shipment came in last week. You will find them on the last aisle in the rear of the store.”

The bell over the door rang as another customer stepped inside. Ruthie recognized Sarah Deitweiler, a middle-aged woman with a pinched nose and unsmiling eyes. Sarah had spread rumors around town about Ben’s vice. Ruthie sighed at the memory of Sarah’s less-than-loving comments. Ruthie’s Aunt Mattie, her mother’s sister, had tried to ease Ruthie’s upset, yet even her aunt found Sarah to be a troublesome gossip.

Not wanting to give Mrs. Deitweiler more fuel for her wagging tongue, Ruthie steered the boys to the back of the shop.

Fannie greeted the newly arrived customer with much fanfare, as if to ensure Sarah Deitweiler’s shopping experience would be positive. Word of mouth was the best way to market, the Amish knew, but one disgruntled customer could sour a business’s reputation.

“Is that Ruthie Eicher?” the older woman said loud enough to be heard throughout the store.

“You know her?” the cheerful clerk asked.

“I don’t associate with her type. In fact, I find it strange that she would show her face in town after everything that happened with her husband.”

“Mrs. Deitweiler, a wife is not responsible for her husband’s actions,” the clerk said in Ruthie’s defense.

“You may think that, child, but as you age, you will learn the truth.” The older woman harrumphed. “I will leave now to do my grocery shopping and come back to purchase my dry goods another day.”

Ruthie glanced down at her sons. Simon’s face fell and Andrew’s brow furrowed. The boys had overheard the woman’s comment just as Ruthie had. She hated seeing their embarrassment.

Did they realize what it meant to be shunned? She had never mentioned their father’s tirade, when he had walked out of the Sunday service after calling the bishop and elders hypocrites. Simon had been old enough to remember the stares of those gathered to worship that day. Now he placed his hand in hers and squeezed as if offering support.

“What people say about us is not important, boys. What is important is what is in our hearts and that we live our lives as Gott would want. You do not need to hang your heads or be ashamed. You are fine boys, and I am proud of both of you.”

“But the woman did not want to shop when you were in the store,” Simon said, pointing out what they both knew to be true.

“We will not try to guess her reason for leaving. Instead, we will look at hats, which is the purpose for our visit.”

Although Ruthie tried to make light of what had happened, the boys had been deflated and their exuberance faltered.

Simon picked out a hat, then peered at the price tag. “My old hat is gut, Mamm. It keeps the sun from my eyes. I do not need a newer hat that will do the same thing.”

“But—” Andrew started to object as he reached for a hat in his size.

Simon took his hand. “Andrew, this is not what we need now. Come, we will go outside and wait for Noah while Mamm shops for herself.”

Touched by Simon’s maturity, and also saddened that he realized how far she had to stretch each dollar, she ushered them both toward the door. “I need nothing today,” she told the boys. “We will all wait for Noah outside.”

The clerk was busy unloading new merchandise and did not see them leave.

Once outside, they sat on a bench near the sidewalk and watched the cars and buggies pass. The sun had gone behind the clouds and the breeze was crisp. Their adventure was off to a less-than-encouraging start.

Seeing Noah exit the real-estate office and hurry toward them, she feared he would have news of the imminent sale of his property. If he announced he was leaving in the next day or two, she would return to the buggy and ask him to take them home.

Instead, Noah smiled as he neared. “Did you find hats?”

“We will wait for another day,” Simon answered for both boys.

Noah glanced at her, as if questioning what happened.

“We were not in the mood to shop.” She returned his money when the boys were not looking and hoped he would not press for more details.

She had thought the shame of the past would end with Ben’s death, but shame lived on even now. She could bear being rejected, but she did not want that for her children.

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