The girls were already gone to school, but Noah was sitting on the rug on the floor when they came the following morning. He gestured for Sully and Sister Ruth to join him on the rug, and they did, but Sister Ruth somehow found that Noah became uncomfortably close, as close as he could be without directly touching her.

"I don't want to offend him, but tell him I'll just sit over yonder," she said, her eyes looking toward the chair. "My bones can't take the floor."

"I don't know if I can translate yonder," Sully said, the amusement evident on his face. "And I don't think it's your bones you're worried about."

"How about over there. Can you translate that or are you in a mood to be contrary?" she said, smiling at his teasing but eager to get off the floor.

"I think I can do that," he said with an answering smile. After doing so, Noah nodded in understanding and once she was on the chair, he spoke.

"He wants to know if you're named after someone in your Holy Book," Sully said.

"Tell him I can read him the story of Ruth if he likes."

"He would like to hear it, but he'd prefer you to tell the story in your own words."

"I can certainly do that," she agreed and began, "Ruth came from a land and people that worshiped many gods. A family, who knew God, moved to this land when there was a famine in their own. The two sons took wives in this foreign land and one of them was Ruth. The father and sons died leaving only the women, and the mother, whose name was Naomi, decided to go back to her own land when she heard God had given them food again, and she told her daughters-in-law to go back to their mothers, but Ruth refused to go. She said to her, 'Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.' Naomi saw that she would not be able to convince her to return. Naomi was bitter because of the loss of her family and thought the Lord wouldn't take care of her and was against her. When they reached Naomi's home, Ruth collected food for them because it was harvest. Boaz who was kin to Naomi saw Ruth and told her to glean only in his field. He had heard of her devotion to her mother-in-law and admired her for it. Boaz eventually married Ruth, and the Lord gave them a son, but Ruth did not forget Naomi. Naomi was reminded by her friends that God had blessed her through Ruth, who was better to her than many sons and would care for her in her old age."

Noah had been listening intently and spoke when he saw that she was finished.

"He says he believes you are aptly named. He senses that kind of loyalty and love in you."

"Tell him that's sweet of him to say so, but I hope he got more out of the story than just that."

Noah gave a nod and response when Sully translated.

"He says it was honorable that she took such good care of her dead husband's wife when she could have gone back to her mother and gotten another husband. He makes the same promise that Ruth made to Naomi. He will make your God, his God if you consent to be his wife."

Heat crept up her neck. "That's not what he was supposed to get from the story. Tell him I would like it if he took God for his own but not because of love for me but because of love for God. Ruth had come to know and trust the Lord for herself and not just because of Naomi. You can't follow God for someone else's sake; you have to do it for you."

He gave what she said some careful thought before signing back.

"He says that you show wisdom in what you say, and like yesterday, he is left wanting to learn more about God through your stories. He looks forward to the story tomorrow."

She said goodbye in Apache and he told her goodbye in English, proving he did at least know one word.

"What if you do win him over to God?" Sully asked, as they walked toward Henry's cabin. "Would you consider courting him then?"

"It's more than that standing between us. I mean what would we do? You going to move on in with us so we can talk to each other? I know the girls would be there to help with that, but I'd like to be able to send my husband down the road when he needs it without the need of a third party."

He laughed. Then sobered as he said, "Love is a language all of its own. It doesn't require the couple having the same language."

"No, but it certainly helps. You know Chicken Hawk Singing or Anna seems awful fond of him. Maybe it's time to try a little matchmaking, and it would mean she would be hearing the Bible stories too if I could arrange her being there in the mornings."

"I wouldn't meddle with that kind of thing too much," Sully warned.

"Who'd be meddling? If they just spend a little time together, things might happen naturally, and if they don't, they don't."

Sully looked like he wanted to say more, but they'd reached the cabin.

sss

Sister Ruth used her lunch break to visit the saloon. Michaela wasn't out on call during this town visit, and it hadn't taken much insistence on her part that Sully spend lunch alone with his wife. She thought Hank might be more willing to grant her request if she was by herself, and she trusted in God's protection.

"Blast it all, why do you keep coming into my saloon?" Hank asked in an exasperated tone when he caught sight of Sister Ruth. "I ain't coming back to the fold."

"Well, I didn't come to see you this time," Sister Ruth answered. "I'm here to see Helen."

"I should've known. Didn't I tell you to stay away from my girls? You're a bad influence on them."

"Let her stay, Hank, if she's as loose as they're saying she is, she'll fit right in with them," remarked one of the men.

"And at her age, she might teach them a thing or two," remarked another with a hearty laugh.

"I ain't dumb enough to believe that stuff," Hank said. "I know one when I see one, but if she's courting an Indian, she might as well be a whore."

"If ya'll are done with your crass talk, I'd like to talk to Helen," she said, looking towards the auburn-haired girl, who'd been watching the exchange.

"I don't know what's so hard to understand about only a certain kind of woman being allowed into the saloon," Hank asked. "Do I need to draw you a picture. If there's ever a Ladies' Night at the saloon again, you'll be the first one I notify, I swear, but you're going to ruin my business if you keep coming in here. People don't want the religious kind hanging around, putting a damper on their fun."

"Well, you can throw me out if you want, brother. I'll just come back when you're feeling more agreeable."

"I give up," Hank said, throwing his arms in the air. He knew the talk wasn't idle, and he'd just as soon get it over with instead of getting repeated visits. "But if you're going to take up Helen's time, you're going to pay for her the same as a man."

"If that's what it takes," Sister Ruth said, taking a coin out of the reticule in her pocket and handing it over. "Just be careful that these ill-gotten gains aren't costing you your soul."

"I knew you couldn't come in here without preaching at me," he said, although his tone had lightened considerably now that he had payment. "Helen, come take care of your customer before I decide the money's not worth it."

"As long as you're paying for my time, we can go to my room where we can talk privately," Helen said, taking her arm and leading her off. The men in the saloon had been watching as if the interruption of Sister Ruth had been provided for their entertainment, but the normal saloon sounds resumed once they were out of there.

"Are you comfortable in here?" Helen asked once they were in her room, looking at her as if she was likely to faint when it dawned on her what went on in this room.

"Sin don't have no special hold in this room," Sister Ruth answered, taking a seat on the bed. "My sin is just as ugly before His eyes as yours or anybody else's."

"I doubt that," she said, taking a seat beside her.

"It's true for all have come short of the glory of God. That's why we need Jesus. I'll leave you my Bible if you want to read about it. I can point out some good passages on the subject."

She shook her head. "I know you said you'd visit, but I didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Well, I got a reason. I wanted to invite you to the picnic we're having at the reservation on Sunday after the service there."

"You shouldn't have spent your money just for that. I'm not worth it. And Hank can be dangerous, especially when he's had too much to drink."

"Of course you are and you're worth a whole heap more especially in God's eyes, and I've gone up against men worse than Hank. He ain't no peach, but he ain't half as mean as he'd like people to believe or he would've done tossed me out of here. Even when he aimed to when we first met he wasn't as rough with me as he could've been."

"Are you saying Hank's got hope?" Helen asked with raised eyebrows.

"He ain't ready for St. Peter to open the gate if that's what you mean. He's got his fair share of vices that he hasn't repented from, but until a body's 6 feet under, there's always hope they could find the Lord, and I pray he will everyday."

She couldn't stop her snort. "You pray for Hank everyday? Wouldn't he just love to hear that. Why do you do it?"

"I've found that when God places a burden on my heart, it's for a reason, and my heart aches for Hank to come to know Him. I don't know if I'll ever see the fruit of that prayer, but you'd be surprised what prayer from even one of His children can accomplish. The Lord uses His saints in mighty ways."

Helen didn't look as if she were buying it, especially where Hank was concerned, but she changed the subject back to the picnic. "If I did go, what could I bring?" she asked, chewing her lips nervously as she didn't exactly have access to a kitchen.

"Well, I know I've got me a hankering for some huckleberries. I've seen some growing but haven't had a chance to pick none myself. I don't believe the Indians got any growing on their reservation, so I know they'd appreciate it too."

"Yeah, I guess I could do that, but I still don't know if I can make it. If Hank finds out where I'm going before then, I can guarantee you I won't be getting Sunday morning off. If there's two things that Hank hates, it's church and Indians."

"I don't see why he should find out, but if you get into any trouble over it, try to find a way to let me know, and I'll see what I can do about it, but I don't think you will cause I've started praying daily for you too." She stood up. "Well, we better stop jabbering about it before Hank or somebody else gets curious to know what we're talking about. See you Sunday."

Helen watched her go. She was touched that someone would care enough about her to add her to their daily prayers, and she couldn't help but wonder where such love and concern stemmed from.