A Baby for Hannah (14 page)

Jake’s face darkened. Had he endangered their future this morning? That was not likely, but even if he had, Hannah had still been right. He had needed to take back his promise to Mr. Brunson.

Near the edge of town a blue pickup truck was parked along the edge of the road. Jake caught a glimpse of the driver’s face as he went by and then craned his neck for another look. It was Ben Stoll all dressed up in his new Mennonite clothing. But what was he doing parked along the field outside Libby? Hadn’t Hannah mentioned he was here the other day, walking around this field with two
Englisha
men? Hannah had been sure Ben was staking out the lot where the Mennonite tent revival would be held.

Jake almost pulled back on the reins, but quickly relaxed. It was none of his business what Ben was doing nor was it his place to confront him. The Mennonite revival meetings would have to be dealt with in their own good time. Behind him, Jake heard the truck start up. When he turned to look, he noticed Ben was following him. Down the streets of Libby Jake drove, the blue pickup truck close behind. When he turned into the furniture shop lot, the truck did too. Parking in his usual spot, Jake jumped down from the buggy to tie Joel. There was no sense in unhitching since he wouldn’t be here but a few hours.

Ben Stoll also parked. He got out of his rig and walked toward Jake. Jake waited. Whatever Ben wanted could be discussed outside. He had no intention of welcoming him into the office and making him feel comfortable.

“Good morning,” Ben said, stopping a few feet away. He stroked his freshly shaved chin, still pale from his recent full beard.

“Good morning,” Jake said. “I see you’ve wasted no time getting rid of your beard, and you’re all decked out in new clothing. I thought you left the Amish for spiritual reasons?”

Ben chuckled. “You don’t have to get testy about it, do you, Jake? I just stopped by for a friendly chat about what we’re doing in town this summer.”

“
Jah,
” Jake said. “Hannah saw your sign at the grocery store. I’m sorry about being snappy with you. I guess you know you have us all on edge with this tent revival you’re planning. Is that really necessary in this community?”

“Hey,” Ben said, “the Bible tells us to preach the gospel to the whole world, and I guess Libby is included in the whole world.”

“It was the last time I looked,” Jake said. “But you know good and well what you’re doing. This is all about capturing Amish church members. Do you and your preacher friend have plans to start a Mennonite church around here?”

“What if we do?” Ben asked, shrugging. “The Mennonites are everywhere the Amish are. You don’t expect that you can avoid the real world forever, do you, Jake? You know you can’t. And rather than just criticize what we’re doing, why don’t you come on down to the meetings and see for yourself?”

“I’m not interested in supporting something I don’t believe you should be doing,” Jake said, kicking a little stone across the parking lot. “Why don’t you call off this meeting of yours and set your tent up someplace where there aren’t any Amish people?”

“I can’t do that,” Ben said, shaking his head. “We’ve received a call from God to come to Libby, and I don’t think the Lord would appreciate it if we were unfaithful to the call.”

“Oh,” Jake said. “And what Scripture told you to come to Libby?”

“It wasn’t Scripture exactly,” Ben said, scratching his face. “It came through the brethren at our church. They felt like God wanted meetings in Libby this summer.”

“I see,” Jake said. “Well, I don’t think they’re right. I think you should reconsider. It’s going to cause a lot of problems for us, and we are already part of the church of God. Or don’t you believe that anymore?”

“The Amish church doesn’t care a whole lot about God’s will,” Ben said. “It’s all about tradition—not having electricity and not driving automobiles. Salvation is a free gift, Jake. It’s available to anyone, including the Amish.”

“
Jah,
it is, and how else could we live the way we do if we didn’t think it was the will of God? Do you think being separate from the world and living a godly lifestyle is easy? It’s a lot of work, Ben. Something you apparently weren’t very willing to do.”

“Salvation is free, Jake. And no man has to work for it. That’s all the Amish are doing. They’re working for their salvation, trying to please an angry God. I’m tired of that, Jake. I’m tired of living in fear, wondering whether I will get to heaven or not. I’m free now from all those rules we used to live under, and that’s the gospel I’m going to preach in Libby, Jake. Freedom from fear and the bondage of what man thinks.”

“You’re going to preach?” Jake asked, raising his eyebrows. “I thought you had some minister preaching.”

“Oh,” Ben said, “there is an evangelist coming, but I’ve also been called to preach and might do so for a few nights. It depends on how long the meetings go on.”

“I see,” Jake said. “So you have been ordained?”

“Not by a church,” Ben said. “At least not yet, but I have a higher calling from the Lord Himself. He has called me to preach wherever I have a chance. That’s what our forefathers used to do, Jake. Many of them weren’t ordained men. Most were common folks like us who went out preaching and baptizing everyone who listened to the gospel and believed.”

“Yes, but that was different. If the authorities were looking for me and planning to throw me in prison and burning me at the stake, I probably wouldn’t worry about being ordained either.”

“You shouldn’t make fun of this,” Ben said. “The calling of God is a serious matter.”

“And you don’t think I know that?”

“Well, I don’t see you going out and preaching the gospel. I know your sermons in church were always decent, but it’s not the same as going into all the world and spreading the good news. That’s what I’m called to do.”

“Well, that’s fine,” Jake said. “But maybe you could take Libby off the list. I think there are thousands of towns out there who would welcome a good tent revival.”

“I can’t do that,” Ben said, shaking his head. “It would be disobeying the Lord’s command.”

Fifteen

Hannah paused on the plateau by the riverbank as Miriam rode on past her toward the wood line. Her sister was in high spirits this morning and taking in the full taste and feel of the countryside. Of course, she had done the same that summer a few years ago, only not quite as energetically.

“This is as far as I’ve ever gone,” Hannah yelled. “I don’t know about going any further into the foothills.”

“Why? Are you scared?” Miriam asked, turning in the saddle to look back. “Betty gave us good directions, and we have all the time in the world on this beautiful Saturday morning.”

“I don’t think Betty has been up this far either,” Hannah said. “So how would she know where the trail leads?”

“Steve probably told her, and he would know.”

“Well, we shouldn’t go far,” Hannah said, nudging her horse in the ribs to catch up. “I certainly don’t want to get lost.”

“We won’t,” Miriam said, leading the way up out of the plateau.

“You don’t exactly inspire confidence,” Hannah said as she followed her sister’s lead.

When they broke out into an open meadow, Miriam spread out her arms in a wide arc and threw her head back, laughing. “Have you ever seen anything so beautiful, Hannah? Look at the flowers, there are thousands of them at these higher elevations. Just think how much more wonderful it must be higher up!”

“It is a wonderful sight,” Hannah acknowledged, pulling her horse to a halt. “And to think that I’ve never been up here before.”

“That’s what you’ve been missing out on without me here to spur you on. I think I’ll be coming up here every chance I get this summer while I work for Betty.”

“As long as you don’t get lost.”

“I’ll be like the Indians and mark my trail,” Miriam said, leading the way back into the woods.

They rode in silence, listening to the soft rush of the wind in the pines. They spooked a herd of white-tailed deer at the next meadow. Hannah watched as the graceful animals bounced toward the far side, their white tails standing erect and waving like small flags. Before entering the trees, the deer paused, looked back at them, and then vanished like ghosts.

“We should turn back,” Hannah said.

“Not yet.” Miriam had a catch in her voice. “This is so beautiful. I want to see all of it at once.”

“You can’t do that, silly,” Hannah said, but she followed Miriam as she turned her mount up the gentle incline in the direction the deer had gone.

Higher and higher they rode, stopping at a small opening in the trees. Hannah caught a glimpse of a road winding below them.

“Who lives down there?” Miriam asked, pointing toward the road.

“I don’t know all of them, but a few of the homes belong to Amish people. That’s Will and Rebecca’s place in the distance. John and Elizabeth’s house is another mile up the road, but not too far. Maybe we can see it if we climb higher.”

“I want to see your cabin,” Miriam said, leaning over the horn of the saddle. “It’s got to be around somewhere.”

“I think it’s further north and out of sight. We’d probably have to go really high to see it.”

“Then let’s!” Miriam said, urging her horse on again.

They climbed until the trees opened up again to reveal a broad vista of a meadow. Above and off into the distance towered the higher peaks. The path continued at an increased incline. Hannah stopped.
Dennis Riley’s cabin is up here somewhere, isn’t it? It’s hard to tell, but if it is, what if we run into Dennis himself?

Miriam was already disappearing into the trees, so Hannah encouraged her horse forward.

“I think we should turn back,” Hannah shouted.

Miriam looked over her shoulder and called back, “Not yet. I’m having too much fun.”

“But it’s getting late,” Hannah said, catching up.

“Don’t be silly, it’s early yet,” Miriam said as they broke out into the open again. Immediately below them a little cabin nestled above another meadow, and a herd of deer was standing at the tree line looking at them.

“Look, it’s probably the same deer we saw earlier,” Miriam said. “We’ve been chasing them all this time.”

“There are lots of deer up here. They’re probably different ones,” Hannah said, glancing around desperately. Was this Dennis’s cabin below them? It certainly didn’t look like it, but she had been to Dennis’s place only once with Jake on a Sunday evening.

“Let’s go see if anyone’s home,” Miriam said. “They’re probably lonesome and would welcome visitors.”

“I don’t know about that,” Hannah said, but Miriam was already walking her horse toward the cabin. Giving up, Hannah followed. They crossed a little ravine, the horses jumping smoothly. Hannah slowed down, her eyes going back and forth over the cabin and the barn set in behind the trees. Suddenly she was sure. She urged her horse forward and caught up with Miriam.

“Stop, Miriam. I know whose place this is.”

“You do? Then that’s so much the better. Perhaps they’ll offer us something to eat. I’m starving.”

“It’s Dennis Riley’s place. Jake and I were here once in the evening.”

“Dennis Riley?” Miriam said, her eyes growing large. “Really? I wonder if he’s home?”

“How do I know? And I don’t want to find out. What will he think if we come riding in on him?”

“But I want to see him.”

“He’ll think we’ve come on purpose to introduce you. Boys think that way. And he’ll think Jake had something to do with it.”

“Probably,” Miriam said. “But I still want to see him.”

“Oh no,” Hannah groaned. “He’s coming out on the porch. Start riding toward the woods. Maybe we can get out of this yet.”

Miriam was staring across the short distance to the house as Dennis leaned against the rail. His fingers were hooked in his suspenders and he was hatless as he looked across the meadow at them.

“I want to see him up close,” Miriam whispered.

“You’re going to follow me,” Hannah said, turning her horse back the way they had come.

“Howdy there!” Dennis yelled. “Is that you, Hannah?”

“He’s recognized you,” Miriam said. “We have to go up now.”

“Then let me do the talking,” Hannah commanded, turning her horse around. “Maybe we can move on quickly.”

“I don’t want to move on quickly,” Miriam muttered as she followed Hannah.

“Hi, Dennis. We’re just out riding this morning,” Hannah said as they approached. “This is my sister Miriam. We saw some of the other Amish places further down, but I forgot exactly where your cabin was.”

“Nice to meet you, Miriam,” Dennis said. “Yes, my place is kind of up out of the way…but it’s nice here, and I like it.”

After a moment of awkward silence, Dennis said, “Say, have you had lunch?”

“No, we haven’t,” Miriam said quickly before Hannah could answer.

“Would you like to stay?” Dennis asked, tilting his head. “Nothing fancy, but I’ve got sandwich makings.”

“I don’t know,” Hannah said, glancing at Miriam. Her face had turned shades of white and red, and this from a girl who had always handled herself around boys. Obviously Betty and her fears had not been groundless. She turned back toward Dennis.