That evening, after supper had been eaten and then cleared away, the family gathered in the library. Murdoch read from
the newspaper, articles about current events. Charlie sat, cross-legged on the floor, listening. She loved listening
to Murdoch read aloud. She didn't really understand everything that he was reading about, but she did some of it.
After Murdoch had laid the newspaper aside, the family talked of other things, in particular, of Burl.
"It sounds as though you gave his place a good going over," Murdoch said, smiling at Teresa and Charlie.
"We did," Teresa said, sounding satisfied.
Charlie told Murdoch about the green emerald ring, and Scott remarked how it was asking for trouble, having
valuable things left in a trunk accessible they way that these were.
"It's a wonder he hasn't been robbed before now," Johnny said.
Into the coziness of the family circle, Charlie said, "The lady at the café called Burl a reprobate."
"Ah," Murdoch said, with a nod.
"It says in the dictionary that it means a person is a scoundrel, a good-for-nothing," Charlie said. She pulled her knees up to her
chin, and wrapped her arms around them.
"Just because somebody says it, doesn't make it so," Johnny said, and Charlie gave him a dimpled smile, grateful. She knew that
Johnny really liked the old man!
"It also says that a reprobate is 'predestined for damnation'," Charlie added.
"Charlie," Teresa said, in mild censure.
"It does," Charlie protested.
"The kid can't help it if that's what the dictionary says," Johnny told Teresa, looking amused.
After giving Johnny another smile, Charlie looked around at the adults.
"Murdoch, you don't think that, do you?" she asked.
"Think what, darling?"
"That Burl is those things-a good-for-nothing, and predestined for damnation?"
Murdoch swirled the remaining bourbon in his glass. "I think he's one-of-a-kind. But, no, I don't think those things of him."
"I'm glad," Charlie said, hugging her legs.
"He's so gifted," Teresa said. "He sat there at the table, and in just a few minutes, he created something. Curtains, yes, but
I would have loved to see some of the other things he's made. The ball gowns, and all the lovely dresses-"
"Why are his fingers so knotted?" Charlie asked. She remembered suddenly that the man in Stockton, who'd used to sleep in the
park, had had fingers like Burl's.
"Likely it's arthritis," Scott told her.
"Harland suffers with that, doesn't he?" Murdoch asked, referring to Scott's grandfather, and Scott nodded.
"I've heard it's very, very painful," Teresa said.
"What about the things in the trunks?" Murdoch asked. "Did he agree to try to sell some of the brocade?"
"No," Teresa said, sounding frustrated. "When we suggested it, he said that he might need it sometime. He said he doesn't need any
ready money. That he has everything he needs."
"Maybe if he knew he might get thrown out by the man who owns the property, then he would sell it," Charlie suggested.
"Maybe so," Teresa agreed. "He just seemed so confused after his nap, it didn't seem the right time to tell him about the owner."
"No. He likely wouldn't have comprehended what you were saying," Murdoch agreed.
"It's hard to be patient," Charlie complained.
"With someone like Burl, and the confusion that he suffers from, patience is really the only option, darling," Murdoch told her.
"I guess so," Charlie said, with a sigh.
The clock struck eight, and Scott told Charlie to go upstairs and get ready for bed.
"It's Saturday night-" Charlie said, giving him a hopeful look.
"Is it?" Scott asked, and then looked at Johnny and Teresa and added teasingly, "How about that? Did you two know it
was Saturday night?"
"Seems I heard somethin' like that," Johnny said, going along with the joking.
"Can't I stay up awhile longer?" Charlie asked, thinking the joking was a good indication.
"No, kiddo. Head on upstairs," Scott said.
Charlie sighed, but got to her feet, and went to give Murdoch a goodnight hug. Then, Johnny, and then, Teresa.
L
The next morning, the family readied for church services. Not Johnny. He, as was common on Sunday mornings, was occupied
elsewhere.
At breakfast, Teresa suggested, over a drink of her orange juice, that they go out to Burl's place before church to check on him
again.
Murdoch agreed to that, and Charlie, helping to stack the plates, looked up to say eagerly,
"Maybe he'd like to go to church with us!"
The adults at the table exchanged glances between them, and Murdoch said, "I don't know about that, darling-"
"Why?" Charlie asked.
"I'm not certain that Burl would be comfortable with that," Murdoch said.
"Why not?" Charlie asked, again, perplexed.
"Well," Murdoch said, looking to Scott, "He might feel awkward."
Thinking that Murdoch meant because some of the townspeople were not overly fond of Burl, Charlie said, "He can sit with
us, though, and that way nobody will say anything to him that they shouldn't."
"Well-" Murdoch began again, and then he paused in his speaking.
"I think Murdoch means that Burl might be uncomfortable because he doesn't have any Sunday clothes to wear," Scott told Charlie.
"Oh," Charlie said, pausing to consider that.
And then, she spoke up again, and, by her words, caused all three adults at the table to pause in thought.
"I mean, God doesn't care what a person is wearing, does he?" Charlie asked.
Another look exchanged between the three adults, and then Murdoch gave a sigh. "You're right about that, darling."
"Can he come with us, then?" Charlie asked.
"We'll see," Scott said, as he stood up, and pushed in his chair. "If he wants to come, then he's more than welcome."
Murdoch and Teresa rode in the buggy, while Charlie rode behind Scott on horseback, She found she much preferred
wearing her denims or overalls while horseback, as opposed to the cumbersome petticoats and dress.
"I wish dresses had never been invented," she grumbled, shifting to try and tuck her dress under.
"When you're older, you won't feel that way," Scott told her.
"Everybody says that," Charlie said. "But, I don't know what difference that's going to make."
"You'll see," Scott said.
At Burl's shack, the dogs on the porch stoop stood up at their arrival. Only one barked.
"I'll go to the door," Murdoch said, handing the reins to Teresa, and getting to the ground.
He went to the door and knocked, and, then when the door opened, Burl stood there, rifle in hand.
Not just rifle in hand, but actually pointed to shoot. Charlie caught her breath, but Murdoch didn't seem alarmed.
"What you wantin' here?" the old man demanded, shaking his rifle a bit. Charlie felt Scott tense a bit, as if ready to assist.
"It's Murdoch Lancer, Burl," Murdoch said, calmly, just as if Burl was greeting him with a smile, and not a rifle.
Burl seemed to take Murdoch's face in for the first time, and, in apparent recognition, lowered the rifle a bit.
"Well, come on in," Burl said, and peered outside. "The lot of ya, come on in," he invited.
"We're on our way into church services," Murdoch said. "We'd like to invite you to come with us."
Burl reached up to scratch at his head with one hand. "Church?" he asked, sounding surprised.
"Please join us," Teresa called out.
"I got no fancy duds to wear," Burl said.
"That doesn't matter!" Teresa called. "Come as you are!"
"Just a minute, now," Burl said, and disappeared back inside the shack. Murdoch stood where he was, shaking his head to
show that he didn't know, when Teresa asked what Burl was doing.
When ten minutes or more had passed, Murdoch called inside the shack that he was going to wait in the buggy.
They all waited but five more minutes, and Burl appeared, closing the door behind him as he came towards the buggy.
He'd slicked his sparse hair down with water, and had changed his clothes. Wearing now, a pair of gray pants, and a suit coat, he looked
very unlike Burl. At least Charlie thought so. She wondered where he'd had these clothes stored at in the shack.
"Good mornin' to ya," he said, in greeting to Scott and Charlie, as he walked by.
"Good morning," Scott returned.
"Good morning, Burl," Charlie said, and smiled at the old man.
Burl hitched himself up into the buggy with a surprising spryness, while Teresa scooted over to make room. Riding with Scott as she was,
Charlie couldn't hear everything that the three in the buggy were talking about, but she was happy. She gave Scott a squeeze around
his waist. "I hope everyone at church is nice to Burl," she told Scott.
"If they're inside of a church, I'd sure hope that they would be," Scott said.
"That Alice lady wouldn't be," Charlie said. "Even in church, she'll find a way to insult Burl."
"Let's not assume the worst of her," Scott said.
L
At the church, as they were walking towards the doorway, Burl walked between Scott and Murdoch, while Charlie and
Teresa walked behind. The shocked and curious expressions of a few of the other church-goers were obvious, though they spoke as
usual in greeting. Burl stumbled a bit on the church steps, and Murdoch put a hand on his elbow, to steady him.
Once they were sitting in their customary pew, Charlie was smoothing her skirts when she looked across the aisle to
see John and Monte both staring, wide-eyed, at the sight of Burl.
She narrowed her eyes at Monte, which was enough to have him turning back towards the front. Monte really wasn't so bad,
now. John, on the other hand, was less easily cowed. He continued to twist in the pew and stare.
Charlie glared even harder, and gave a nod of her head, indicating that John should turn 'round and face forward, and
mind his own darn business.
John pulled a face at Charlie, apparently feeling brave since he was sitting beside his mother, and not his father.
Charlie put on her most ferocious face, stopping just short of sticking out her tongue at John.
That was, until Scott turned and caught her at the exchange with John.
"Quit," he ordered, really low, but firmly. Charlie felt her face get hot in embarrassment.
Scott turned his glance to John, then, and there must have been enough of a deterrent in it to cause John to turn
around, since that's what he did. Scott gave her another look, as well, and Charlie lifted her shoulders in a light shrug, hoping
he wouldn't say any more to her.
There was singing to open the service, and then the sermon began. It was, at least to Charlie, as long and as dull as
usual. Charlie kept taking quick looks over Teresa to Burl, to see how he was taking in the sermon. She was amused to
see that he looked to be nearly nodding off to sleep. When the sermon was finally over, the congregation stood to sing
again. "Bringing in the Sheaves" was the hymn that was chosen.
When the singing began, a unheard-of-before voice joined, and then, rose above others. Rising up, it was a magical sound,
strong and vibrant, and Charlie stopped singing herself just to hear it. She wasn't the only one who was surprised.
Many were, turning to look, not in derision now, but in awe, of the enormous and magnificent sound coming from the throat of the little man.
L
Later that day, after the few chores that were done on Sundays had been completed, and a cold supper enjoyed,
the family gathered in the library.
"Who would have ever thought that Burl had such a wonderful singing voice?" Teresa mused.
"Amazing," Murdoch agreed.
"His church clothes were old-fashioned," Teresa said. "I wonder how long it's been since he wore them."
"He's full of surprises, alright," Scott said.
"He's sort of like an onion," Charlie said, from where she sat on the floor, her legs curled to one side, and with one
arm resting on Johnny's knee.
"How in the world is he like an onion?" Teresa said.
"Well, he keeps coming up with things that he can do, like in layers," Charlie said. "Like sew, and sing. It makes me wonder what else he
is able to do so well."
"An onion is a good description, darling," Murdoch said.
"There's somethin' odd about him, though," Johnny said.
"Well, we all know he's odd," Teresa said. "He's quirky-"
"I don't mean like that," Johnny said. "I mean, there's somethin' deeper-it's like he has a sixth sense, or somethin'."
"How's that, son?" Murdoch asked.
"He knows things-it's just peculiar," Johnny said.
"What sort of things?" Murdoch asked.
Charlie thought she knew what Johnny meant. She remembered, early on, when she and Johnny had gone to Burl's, and he'd said
odd things to Johnny. Things like how it hadn't been Johnny's fault that he couldn't open a door, and that he hadn't been meant to see.
She waited to hear if Johnny was going to talk about it. But, Johnny only shook his head slightly, and said, "Aw, I'm just bein' foolish. He's
just a curious old coot."
L