horse, Alfrid said wryly, “It’s just occurred to me that for a man who has never married, you are pretty free with your advice. Perhaps I’d take what you say more seriously if you were married yourself.”
“Maybe Mr. MacNair needs Aunt Melba to talk to him,” Danny offered. “And to Kath—Mrs. Banks, too.”
Andrew laughed, but his face flushed red. “Is it that obvious?” he mumbled, either to Alfrid or to himself. Danny couldn’t tell.
Alfrid put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Danny,” he said. “Mr. MacNair’s thoughts are his own, unless he decides to share them with—with someone else.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at Andrew, who flushed again, wheeled his horse, and rode off toward St. Joe.
Danny hoped to keep it a secret that Ma was coming, but with Gussie to report the story to Wilmer, there was no chance.
“I’ve heard the good news, Danny,” Miss Clark said to him as he arrived at school, stomping the snow from his boots and tugging off his gloves to blow on his cold fingers. “I’m delighted that you’ll be reunited with your mother!”
“I think it’s exciting!” Laura Lee giggled and tossed back her curls. “Coming all that way to marry a man she’s never met! I never before heard of anybody doing that!”
“Then you ain’t heard of Zeke Moffat,” Wilmer said. “Zeke farms that place down by the junction, and two years ago he got hisself a mail-order bride.”
“Ma’s not a mail-order bride!” Danny yelled at Wilmer.
“Your foster pa writ a letter for her, didn’t he?”
“It wasn’t a letter! It was a telegram!”
“Which makes it entirely different,” Miss Clark said quickly. “I’m going to ring the bell in two minutes. Hang up your coats and get to your desks, and no more dawdling.”
Danny managed to elbow Wilmer as they crowded into the cloakroom, but to his surprise, Wilmer didn’t react. He hung up his coat, then quietly said to Danny, “I’m real glad that you’re gonna see your ma again.”
“Thanks,” Danny said. He choked up and tears burned his eyes, but Wilmer pretended not to notice.
There’d be three weeks to wait, close to four, and Danny wondered how he’d manage to live through them. Each time he thought he’d explode with impatience he’d say over and over to himself,
Ma’s coming. She’s on her way. Ma will be here soon
.
The train that brought Noreen Kelly to St. Joseph arrived ahead of schedule, so she was waiting on the platform when Danny, Peg, and Alfrid arrived. Danny saw Ma standing tall and stately, wearing a deep blue full-skirted coat and a small blue feathered hat which set off her hair, causing it to gleam like fire in the morning light.
He and Peg raced to their mother, flinging their arms around her, and she dropped to her knees, tightly hugging them both.
“My darlin’ Peg!” Ma cried. “Danny! Oh, love, how you’ve grown!”
With the laughter and hugs and kisses and even a few tears of happiness, Danny was heedless of the broad-shouldered, dark-haired man standing next to Ma untilthe man helped her to her feet, saying, “You have a fine family, Mrs. Kelly.”
Danny quickly looked up. He knew the man. His name was John Murphy, and he owned the blacksmith shop next to the stables.
“Good day to you, Danny,” John Murphy said, his words musical with the familiar brogue. He glanced at Ma and smiled. “It was my great fortune to become acquainted with your mother soon after I boarded the train in Hannibal.”
“Mr. Murphy’s from Ireland, too,” Ma said as she dusted off her coat. “Before he came to St. Joseph to live, Mr. Murphy lived in a town not far from where I was born.” She smiled, too, looking not at Danny but at Mr. Murphy.
Danny frantically looked around for Alfrid, who had hung back, obviously wanting to give Danny and Peg the chance to greet their mother without interruption. But this was no time to hang back. It was time for Ma to stop smiling at Mr.
“Maybe Mr. MacNair needs Aunt Melba to talk to him,” Danny offered. “And to Kath—Mrs. Banks, too.”
Andrew laughed, but his face flushed red. “Is it that obvious?” he mumbled, either to Alfrid or to himself. Danny couldn’t tell.
Alfrid put a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Danny,” he said. “Mr. MacNair’s thoughts are his own, unless he decides to share them with—with someone else.” His eyes twinkled as he looked at Andrew, who flushed again, wheeled his horse, and rode off toward St. Joe.
Danny hoped to keep it a secret that Ma was coming, but with Gussie to report the story to Wilmer, there was no chance.
“I’ve heard the good news, Danny,” Miss Clark said to him as he arrived at school, stomping the snow from his boots and tugging off his gloves to blow on his cold fingers. “I’m delighted that you’ll be reunited with your mother!”
“I think it’s exciting!” Laura Lee giggled and tossed back her curls. “Coming all that way to marry a man she’s never met! I never before heard of anybody doing that!”
“Then you ain’t heard of Zeke Moffat,” Wilmer said. “Zeke farms that place down by the junction, and two years ago he got hisself a mail-order bride.”
“Ma’s not a mail-order bride!” Danny yelled at Wilmer.
“Your foster pa writ a letter for her, didn’t he?”
“It wasn’t a letter! It was a telegram!”
“Which makes it entirely different,” Miss Clark said quickly. “I’m going to ring the bell in two minutes. Hang up your coats and get to your desks, and no more dawdling.”
Danny managed to elbow Wilmer as they crowded into the cloakroom, but to his surprise, Wilmer didn’t react. He hung up his coat, then quietly said to Danny, “I’m real glad that you’re gonna see your ma again.”
“Thanks,” Danny said. He choked up and tears burned his eyes, but Wilmer pretended not to notice.
There’d be three weeks to wait, close to four, and Danny wondered how he’d manage to live through them. Each time he thought he’d explode with impatience he’d say over and over to himself,
Ma’s coming. She’s on her way. Ma will be here soon
.
The train that brought Noreen Kelly to St. Joseph arrived ahead of schedule, so she was waiting on the platform when Danny, Peg, and Alfrid arrived. Danny saw Ma standing tall and stately, wearing a deep blue full-skirted coat and a small blue feathered hat which set off her hair, causing it to gleam like fire in the morning light.
He and Peg raced to their mother, flinging their arms around her, and she dropped to her knees, tightly hugging them both.
“My darlin’ Peg!” Ma cried. “Danny! Oh, love, how you’ve grown!”
With the laughter and hugs and kisses and even a few tears of happiness, Danny was heedless of the broad-shouldered, dark-haired man standing next to Ma untilthe man helped her to her feet, saying, “You have a fine family, Mrs. Kelly.”
Danny quickly looked up. He knew the man. His name was John Murphy, and he owned the blacksmith shop next to the stables.
“Good day to you, Danny,” John Murphy said, his words musical with the familiar brogue. He glanced at Ma and smiled. “It was my great fortune to become acquainted with your mother soon after I boarded the train in Hannibal.”
“Mr. Murphy’s from Ireland, too,” Ma said as she dusted off her coat. “Before he came to St. Joseph to live, Mr. Murphy lived in a town not far from where I was born.” She smiled, too, looking not at Danny but at Mr. Murphy.
Danny frantically looked around for Alfrid, who had hung back, obviously wanting to give Danny and Peg the chance to greet their mother without interruption. But this was no time to hang back. It was time for Ma to stop smiling at Mr.
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