A Dream to Follow by Lauraine Snelling Page A

years, and that combined with what her mother had taught her made Ingeborg the closest thing to a doctor in the area. Within minutes they had the arm wrapped and bound close to the girl’s chest with a sling tied around her neck.
    “I . . . I don’t think I can walk.” Manda, her eyes out of focus, shook her head.
    “We’ll help you.” The two women bent over, Kaaren taking the good arm while Ingeborg put her arm around Manda’s waist. “Again, on three. You get your feet under you, and we’ll help lift.”
    By the time they had Manda standing, Ingeborg and Kaaren sighed at the same time. They half carried, half walked the girl through the gate and to the house, navigating the steps with some difficulty, as Manda barely heard their instructions to lift her feet.
    “One thing sure,” Kaaren said when they laid the girl on her bed. “She’s not a little girl anymore.”
    “No, she’s a young woman, whether she likes to admit it or not.” Mary Martha leaned to pull off Manda’s boots, but Ingeborg gently pushed her out of the way. “You’ve got us to do the heavy work right now, so take advantage of it.”
    “I’m just pregnant, not an invalid.”
    “I know. Let’s go eat.” They left Manda snoring on her bed, pillows propped against her side to keep her from turning over.
    “What about Manda?” Deborah looked from her sister to the women and back.
    “She’ll eat when she wakes up.” And please, God, let that be a long time from now . Ingeborg glanced back at the sleeping girl. They should have taken her dirty clothes off, but they could do that later.
    Heavy footsteps pounded up the wooden steps, and Pastor Solberg burst into the house. “What happened?”
    “Manda was thrown by a horse and broke her arm. She’s all set and resting, darlin’, so you can calm down now.” Mary Martha met her husband in the middle of the room. “We’re just goin’ to eat. Have you had dinner yet?”
    “No. I came straight here. She’s going to be all right?” He looked to Ingeborg for the answer. At her nod, his sigh could be heard clear to the schoolhouse. “Thank God.”
    “I should never have left them. . . .”
    “Don’t even think of that. Manda is seventeen years old, a grown woman. Why, many girls her age are married already and starting their families.”
    “Speakin’ of families, I need to go back to the church for our babies.”
    “What?” Pastor Solberg looked like someone had struck him.
    “Don’t worry. They’re being well taken care of,” Ingeborg said.
    “I know, but . . .” Mary Martha took in a deep breath and let it all out, then turned to the others. “Come, I have a dinner of sorts on the table. Or rather Deborah does.”
    As soon as they’d eaten, Pastor Solberg headed his wagon back to the church for his children, and Ingeborg and Kaaren followed. By the time they’d picked up their supplies and told the story for everyone to exclaim over, the afternoon was half over and it was time for everyone to head for their wagons and go home.
    “We didn’t do much quilting today.” Kaaren set her basket in the rear of the wagon beside Ingeborg’s.
    “You never know what’s going to happen, that’s for sure. Uff da, that poor child.”
    “We better quit calling her a child, you know. I’ve seen the looks she and Baptiste exchange when they think no one is watching.”
    “Ja. Astrid said she saw them walking out by the river one day. Baptiste had his gun along but hadn’t shot anything.”
    “Hard to see game if you’re only looking at Manda.” Kaaren raised one eyebrow.
    “But then, perhaps she is the game he is after.”
    “Ach, those poor children. They would receive nothing but censure.” Kaaren raised her hands when Ingeborg turned on the wagon seat. “I know. Not from us, but then everyone doesn’t love Metiz and Baptiste the way we do.”
    “As if the color of one’s skin or hair should make any difference.” Ingeborg flipped the reins again so the