Chapter 13

As the train pulled into the Asheville station, Christy searched for familiar faces in the crowd. Finally, she saw her family, and, to her relief, Miss Alice and Margaret. Margaret had kept her word.

Once off the train, Christy, Neil, and Ruby Mae made their way through the crowd to Christy's parents, Miss Alice, and Margaret. Christy literally had to drag Ruby Mae along, who was in complete awe of her surroundings.

"Christy? Child, is that you?" Miss Alice called out as they approached.

Christy ran to Miss Alice's embrace, disregarding any thoughts of propriety. "Oh, Miss Alice! I have missed you so much. I am glad you could meet us here. We were lucky to get trains that arrived here at the same time."

"We certainly were. God's hand was in this. It should be a joyous holiday," Miss Alice said as she released Christy.

Turning from Miss Alice, Christy greeted her parents. "Mother, Daddy, I'm so happy to see you! How have you been? Where's George?"

"We have been quite well, Christy. George is at home. How are you doing?" Julia asked, giving her daughter a gentle hug.

"Wonderfully. You remember Ruby Mae, don't you?"

"Why, of course. She's that beautiful young woman with the red hair," William said, winking at Christy. Ruby Mae, who was standing beside Christy, blushed and said,

"Pleased ta see ye again, Mr. Huddleston."

Margaret, who had been watching everyone else greet each other, walked up to Neil and stuck out her hand.

"Mac, ah, Neil, how have you been?"

Neil turned towards her. With a deep breath, and a silent prayer, he shakily put out his own hand. "Margaret. I'm fine. How are you?"

"In remission. I feel quite well."

"That is good." They stood several moments in awkward si­lence until Margaret said,

"Ma—Neil, we have to talk. I have so much to say."

Neil nodded and said softly to her, "So do I. Margaret, you may call me Mac. I don't mind. It reminds me of happy times," Neil surprised himself with this comment. But, Margaret's pet name truly did remind him of happy times.

Margaret smiled. "All right."

At the Huddleston's home, George greeted his sister with a warm hug and introduced himself to Miss Alice and Margaret. When he saw Ruby Mae, he was dumbfounded.

"Ah . . . hello," he said. "I'm George. George Huddleston."

Ruby Mae smiled. "I'm Ruby Mae Morrison."

Christy grinned at her brother's interest in Ruby Mae. "Ruby Mae, you will be sharing my room with me. Why don't we take your things up there?"

"Shore, Miss Christy." As they trekked through the house and up to Christy's room, Ruby Mae was speechless. "Miss Christy, this is the purtiest house I ever did see."

"Thank you, Ruby Mae. But our house is far from the fanciest in Asheville. My friend Lance's house is . . . is. . . ." Christy searched for the right words to describe it.

"Jest the most wondrous, awesomeable thing ye ever seen?" Ruby Mae finished.

Christy smiled. "Yes, Ruby Mae. It is that." They had now reached Christy's room. Ruby Mae set her things down and wandered over to the window looking out over the garden. Though everything was covered with frost, it was still quite breathtaking. Ruby Mae sighed.

"Miss Christy, I ain't got no words ta 'scribe the beauty here. Why'd ye leave this ta come ta Cutter Gap?"

Christy wasn't prepared to answer this question. She thought for a long while before she haltingly tried to explain. "Well, have you ever wanted to sing like a bird?"

"Shore. I love them ones that sing at night, when the other birds are a sleepin'."

"But you can't sing like it, can you?" Ruby Mae shook her head. Christy continued, "You can buy all sorts of whistles and make your own to try and sound like the bird, but no matter how hard you try, you just can't sing like the bird. You can make some pretty tunes, but nothing compares to the bird's song. Its song comes straight from its soul."

"What er ye gittin' at, Miss Christy?"

"I'm saying that life in Cutter Gap is like the bird's song. Yes, it is hard, but the good there sings strong and true. Like friendship, true happiness, and love."

"You be talkin' 'bout the doc?" Ruby Mae asked, giving a little giggle.

Christy smiled. "Yes."

"Waal, you said Cutter Gap life was like the singin' of the bird, but what 'bout life here in Asheville?"

"Life here is nice and pretty, but the things like friendship are not as complete and meaningful as they are in Cutter Gap. Don't get me wrong; there are many good things here. People do a lot everyday to help others and make them happy. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"I think so. I love livin' in the Cove, but I shore do get ta han­kerin' fer some of the pretty things you have."

"Well," Christy smiled, "I think we can get you a few pretty things to take back. In fact, I have some nice dresses you could wear to dinner that may just fit you."

Ruby Mae gave a shining smile. "Really? I would shorely like that."

"Christy, Ruby Mae," Julia Huddleston said as she entered the room, "before we start dinner, William would like to take everyone on a walk through the garden and pond.

"Isn't it a little cold for that?"

"Well, yes, but you know your father."

"All right. Ruby Mae, would you like to see our pond?"

"I would be right honored, Miss Christy."

"Good, let's go."

In the garden, Neil and Christy walked side-by-side, talking of things that were only of interest to themselves. Miss Alice brightly told Julia how proud she was of Christy, for upholding the mission while she was gone. George and Ruby Mae talked of what the city of Asheville was really like and Margaret trailed behind Neil and Christy.

She looked at the two lovers with sadness and longing for what might have been. Christy noticed Margaret's gloom and excused herself to talk with her. Neil nodded and headed to catch up with William, who was at the front of the group.

"Margaret, I haven't had the chance to ask about you. How are you doing?" Christy asked

"Oh, just fine. Did mother tell you of the play I am in?" Margaret smiled.

"Just that you had landed the lead role. What is the play about?"

"It's about a young women who ventures out west where the cowboys and cattle rule. She falls in love with a handsome cowboy, only to discover that he is wanted for murder. The young woman re­minds me you, Christy."

Christy chuckled, "I guess if I could survive Cutter Gap, I could survive the Wild West."

"You are quite happy with Neil, are you not?" Margaret sighed.

"I am, happier than I ever have been," Christy said honestly.

"Some days I desperately wish I would have stayed with him. I wonder if things would have ever worked out."

"Oh, Margaret, they have. Just maybe in not the way you wished. Would you have wanted to stay in Cutter Gap forever? If you had known that theater was your calling? There are not many theater opportunities in Cutter Gap."

"No," Margaret laughed, "there are not."

"Margaret, if there is to be someone special in your life, God will put them there in His time."

Margaret took Christy's hand. "Yes, He will." Then, with a parting smile, she proceeded to catch up with Miss Alice.

Christy was taken aback by Margaret's last comment. Had she accepted Jesus Christ? Christy deeply hoped that she had. Margaret needed Jesus more than anyone right now.

A few hours later, after dinner, as Julia, Ruby Mae, and George were cleaning up, Margaret took Neil aside.

"Could we talk now? Do you mind?"

Neil smiled at his former wife. "Now sounds like a good idea." He caught Christy's eye as they walked off into the parlor. She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded her agreement.

Miss Alice who was sitting on the couch in the living room with Christy, gazed after her daughter proudly.

"Margaret has changed so much. Christy, just a few days ago, Margaret was saved," Miss Alice said with a beaming smile.

Christy smiled, "I thought so."

"Why did thee think that?" Miss Alice inquired.

"Oh, from some comments that she made to me. When we talked, she had a certain Assurance about her."

"Ah, Miss Huddleston. Thou art very perceptive. Tell me, exactly how was Neil saved?"

Christy grew more and more joyful as she recounted to Miss Alice the miracle Neil had witnessed, their talks, his first visit to church, and finally, his telling Christy of his conversion. Christy wondered if she should also tell Miss Alice that Neil had been the one to donate the money to the mission, but decided not to without his consent. She only hoped Miss Alice would not bring it up.

"Christy, thou art so happy. I can tell."

"Yes, Miss Alice, I am. But tell me, how did Margaret come about to be saved?"

Miss Alice's face lit up. "When I first arrived in Knoxville to meet Margaret, I could see a change in her. She wasn't haughty, and gave a sincere effort to be friends with me. But, as much as she had overcome, she was still stubborn about God. Margaret could not see why God would love her, because of the circumstances of her birth. I believe when Margaret looked at my life, she could not see why God let such bad things happen to me as they did. But, oh, she doesn't know the joys!

"One day, during a play rehearsal, Margaret's new friend, Lilly, was practicing a stunt for the show. Lilly Marlin. She was such an influence on Margaret. They met at a local church social that Margaret and I had decided to go to. From then on, they were quite close.

"But, anyway, that day, the ropes that were holding some of the larger props up snapped when Lilly accidentally ran into them during her stunt practice. Lilly was crushed from her abdomen down. Marga­ret was the first one at Lilly's side, and knew she was going to die. Lilly's final words were, 'Maggie, don't worry about me. I know where I'm going. God is waiting for me. Promise me; promise me that you will trust Him. Promise me…' and then she left, with Margaret crying by her side." Miss Alice paused, closing her eyes and wiping them of their tears. Christy herself had tears in her eyes, and retrieved her hand­kerchief to dry them.

"Oh, Miss Alice. How sad. Margaret must have been heartbro­ken."

"Margaret was miserable. But the one thing that stuck in her mind was what Lilly had told her, about trusting God."

Just then, William Huddleston walked into the living room. "Christy, would you let Dr. MacNeill know that I would like to talk to him? I will be in the library."

"Of course," Christy replied. Miss Alice smiled at William and then continued with Margaret's story.

"As much as she wanted to blame it on God, Margaret just could not erase that look of peace that flooded Lilly's face before she died. It was a few days after the accident that Margaret came to me, asking that I read her some passages from the bible. I didn't pressure her, and it was not long until she asked me how she could have the peace that Lilly had. She admitted her sins and accepted God's free gift. Christy, I have never seen anyone glow more or be happier when they were saved than Margaret was that day."

Christy wiped a tear from her eye. "I am overjoyed, Miss Alice."

Miss Alice and Christy turned at the sound of a squeaking door. Margaret and Neil emerged from the parlor, both with smiles, and slightly red eyes.

"Neil, my father wants to see you. He is in the library," Christy said, pointing towards the back of the house. Margaret winked at him, and he clasped her hand and squeezed it, before heading towards the library.

Margaret moved to sit across from Miss Alice, and smiled at Christy. Christy returned the smile, rejoicing in the fact that Margaret was a new person. As Christy looked at the new Margaret, compared to the old, she wondered what Neil's feelings were for her now that they had talked. If Neil had fallen in love with Margaret long ago, could he again? And this time, stay in love? Christy shook herself out of her thoughts and started to listen to what Margaret was saying.

". . . I am so happy that Neil has come to God, and has forgiven me. Oh, Mother, if only it had been like this when we met. . . ."

Christy's face turned white. They had shared the same thought.

Margaret, seeing the schoolteacher's face, asked, "Miss Huddleston, are you all right?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just tired." Christy knew Margaret didn't buy it, but she didn't care. Sensing that the two women needed to talk, Miss Alice stood up.

"I think I'll go see if any help is needed in the kitchen."

Christy smiled. "I think that is a wise choice; Ruby Mae is in there."

Alice laughed. "Thou art right, Miss Huddleston."

Margaret looked to Christy and said softly, "Thank you, Christy."

"What for, Margaret?"

"For everything. For—for making me see that I did need Mother and Neil. For guiding me to God."

Christy was stunned, "Guiding you to God? I don't think we've ever had a complete conversation that didn't involve insults!"

Margaret laughed. "Quite true. But, I think before I myself even realized it, I was jealous of you. Of what you stood for. Your in­nocence. Your faith. I guess as time went on, I wanted what you had. That was God. So, yes, Christy, by setting an example, you helped guide me to God."

Christy felt honored, and humbled somewhat. She had never realized how much her actions spoke to others. Even if people like the 'old' Margaret, had no respect whatsoever for her, they still noticed her actions. Christy knew she would have to set an even better example for the Cove people.

"Margaret, you also helped me." With this comment, Margaret lit up.

"Me? Little old wretched me?"

"Oh, Margaret. You are a new person in God's eyes."

"Yes, Mother has been pounding that into my head, 'If we con­fess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' "

"That is good. Margaret, when you came back, a first and sec­ond time, you made me realize I had feelings for Neil. The only thing was, you being alive, I could not pursue a relationship with Neil. If I did, I would no longer be living in the Cove!"

Margaret cringed. "I know that God forgives and forgets all our sins when we confess them to Him and are sorry for them, but as a human, I cannot forget the awful sins that I committed. What I did to Neil and Mother, what I did to my reputation. . . ."

"Margaret, you don't have to go on," Christy stopped her.

Margaret wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. "I know you are wondering what Neil and I talked about—"

"No, it's none of my business."

"Oh, but it is. We have forgiven each other and have chosen to remain friends and correspond often, if that is all right with you," Margaret said with a sly smile.

"Why would it matter if it was all right with me?" Christy asked.

Margaret chuckled. "Christy, whatever concerns Neil, concerns you also," she stuck up a hand to stop Christy from speaking. "I once said to Mac, I mean Neil, that when we were wed, I had never seen a man so much in love. Christy, his love for you is much, much deeper than anything he might have felt for me. You yourselves will wed one day. One day soon."

Christy blushed and whispered, "I do hope so. And Margaret, I don't mind if you call Neil 'Mac.' I guess that will always be your name for him." Margaret nodded, and they shared a smile between themselves that reflected the emotions in another room. . . .

Neil had entered the library to find William Huddleston behind a newspaper and the aroma of strong coffee floating through the air. William looked up.

"Dr. MacNeill? How are you doing?"

"Just fine. I could ask the same of you. Any complications?"

William smiled at the doctor's side of Neil. "I'm doing quite well. My daughter told me that I would have to give her away at her wedding. Any clue as to when that would be?" he chuckled.

In one of those rare moments, Neil was speechless. "Ah . . . " Neil finally found his footing and said, "The truth is, William, I love Christy more than life itself. I would like to ask for her hand, if she'd have me. I cannot offer her much in Cutter Gap. But, I promise, if Christy would ever want to leave, no matter what I had to do in the Cove, I would go with her."

"I have no doubt that you would. But, Neil, I must know; have you accepted Christ?"

"Yes. Yes, I have," Neil said proudly. He joyfully recounted his saving to William, who listened with relief and happiness.

"Neil, how long have you been courting Christy?"

"A little over a month, I believe."

"That is not very long to court before approaching marriage," William said.

"Aye, you are right. I have courted her for only a little over a month, but have loved her for a year," Neil said softly.

William smiled. "I see. When do you plan to ask for her hand?"

"I have been thinking on this for quite sometime. To respect proprieties, I would like to court her until Christmas. It would be then that I would like to propose to her."

William nodded and smiled. A Christmas Proposal. He knew his Little Miss would be overjoyed. "Neil MacNeill, I give you and Christy my blessing upon your future marriage. And Julia agrees as well. You know, she and Christy had many a good talks while Christy was here awhile ago."

Neil clasped William's hand. "Thank you, William."

William smiled. "May God richly bless you."