The next morning didn't start off as well as the evening before had ended. As Charlie was in the kitchen, collecting her lunch pail for school
from Maria, Scott appeared, pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee from the pot on the stove.
"Home right after school today," he told Charlie. "Whether it lets out early or not, you head home, alright?"
He wasn't really asking. Charlie knew that full well.
She stood, looking up at Scott, feeling a bit let down. She'd thought that after the talking-to he'd given her Friday
afternoon, that was all there was to it. The weekend had been so fun, and interesting, what with going to Burl's on Saturday,
and then the unexpectedness of Burl's singing at church. And now, Monday morning, and she discovered that Scott
was still thinking about Friday afternoon.
"I thought you weren't angry at me anymore," Charlie protested.
"I'm not."
Charlie looked at him, her forehead wrinkled.
Instead of saying anything more about it, Scott said, "Have a good day, and I'll see you later."
Charlie nodded. "Okay."
Scott took his coffee and left the kitchen. Charlie picked up her lunch pail, and grumbled to herself. It wasn't that she knew of
anything special happening after school. It was just that-well, she didn't know, exactly!
"Debes obedecer," Maria said.
Charlie flicked a glance at Maria. She had no idea what Maria had said.
"Obey Senor Scott," Maria said.
Okay. That she knew. Obey Mr. Scott.
"I will," Charlie protested, feeling misunderstood. Why did Maria have to add her say-so to this?
Maria went back to her dish washing, and Charlie turned to go, pausing at the back door long enough to say, "I never said I
wasn't going to obey him."
"Carlota," Maria said, and Charlie turned back.
Maria looked formidable for a long moment, and then came over to take Charlie's chin in her hand.
"Traviesa," Maria said.
Charlie knew that word. Maria had said it to her a time or two before.
"I'm not being naughty," Charlie protested.
"Si," Maria said, in disagreement.
Charlie gave the housekeeper a mutinous look. Or as mutinous as she dared to. The older woman's dark eyes seemed to
sear into her.
Maria lowered her hand, and then gave a nod to Charlie. "School," she said.
Charlie went out, letting the door flap closed behind her.
Jelly had Gurth all saddled and ready to go. Charlie took the reins from him, and mounted.
"How's about some help pickin' the last of those peaches when you get home?" Jelly said, looking up at her.
"Maybe so," Charlie said. She was still thinking about Maria. And Scott.
"Maybe so, is it?" Jelly expostulated.
Scott was coming out of the back door now, walking with Johnny. Johnny called out a goodbye to her, and Charlie
waved at him. Impulsively, Charlie rode Gurth over to Scott.
"Scott?" she said, as she rode closer, and he stopped walking to look at her.
"Forget something?" he asked, slipping his fingers thru Gurth's bridle.
"No. I wanted to ask you-" she hesitated.
"Ask me what?"
"Is it a punishment? That I have to come home right after school today?" Charlie asked seriously.
Scott looked just as serious. "No. It's not meant as a punishment, Charlie. I think you need to come straight home
for a few days, though. To help you remember the rules."
"Oh," Charlie said. She nibbled at her lower lip.
"You'd better start heading in. You don't want to be tardy for school," Scott said. He smiled at Charlie, and it made her
feel a little better.
L
At recess time, Charlie was glad to escape outdoors. The inside of the school had seemed stifling with heat, and no
breeze. Outside, at least, there was some relief.
She was playing a game of jump rope with some of the other girls, and was taking her turn at twirling one end, while
Rebecca held the other end, and Annie jumped in the middle.
John wandered over closer, followed by Billy Joe Thornton. Charlie didn't much like Billy Joe. He was a nuisance, much
like John was. And sometimes, he was just mean to the really little kids.
Today, he was full of bluster. "How'd you get the old man to come to church?" he asked.
"He wanted to come," Charlie said, simply.
"Did he take his glass eye out to show ya?" Billy Joe asked.
"He doesn't have a glass eye," Charlie said.
"Sure, he does. Everybody knows that."
"Well, everybody's wrong," Charlie said, still turning the rope, as Annie jumped.
"He sure looked funny in them clothes he was wearin'," John said.
Inside Charlie simmered. She thought of something that Johnny sometimes said. 'You can't fix stupid'.
Annie had jumped to fifteen and jumped out of the rope, and Charlie and Rebecca stopped turning it to rest.
"My Ma says it's a sin, comin' in to the church drunk," Billy Joe went on.
"He wasn't drunk," Charlie said, indignantly.
"I saw him stumble, right there on the front steps-if it hadn't been for Murdoch Lancer he would have fallen
flat on his face. That's what my Ma says."
"He just stumbled. He wasn't drunk," Charlie said, giving Billy Joe a narrow-eyed glare.
"Yeah. You know that for a fact, right?" Billy Joe taunted. "Cause he's your best friend, ain't that so?"
In a sudden flurry of anger, Charlie turned and gave Billy Joe a hard push against his chest. Surprised, (Billy Joe would later
maintain that he just plain wasn't expecting it, or he would never have been toppled over by a mere girl), Billy Joe
fell to the ground, smack-dab on his rear end. He was startled, that was plain enough. But, not so startled that he didn't jump right
up, his fists clenched at his side.
"Darn you, Charlie!" he hissed.
Surprised, even at her own self, Charlie stood there, contemplating. She wasn't sorry. But, she didn't want the fracas that would
surely accompany this, with Miss Susan, and Scott, and oh, everything.
She took a deep breath, and said, "You shouldn't talk about things that you know nothing about, Billy Joe."
"I've lived 'round here for five years!" Billy Joe shouted. "How long you been here? Huh? I guess I know plenty more
than you about what goes on 'round here!"
Miss Susan came out, ringing the bell to signal the children back inside for lessons.
Billy Joe stepped closer and hissed, "If you weren't a girl, I'd fix you good."
L
Jason and Rebecca walked with Charlie after school to the stable to collect Gurth. Charlie was glad of the company,
though she knew Jason did it because he thought Billy Joe might actually make good on his threat, even if Charlie was a girl.
Once on Gurth, and after saying her goodbyes to Jason and Rebecca, Charlie started for home. She wasn't really surprised when
she saw Billy Joe and his brother, Bobby, ahead of her a bit on the road.
Charlie sighed. It wasn't that she was frightened, really. She could hold her own in a scrap, she thought, even if it was
against a boy. Still, there were two of them, and they were both bigger than she was.
She considered galloping past them on Gurth so fast that they wouldn't be able to catch her. She also considered
going back into town to tell Mr. Val what was going on. But, then she scolded herself. What had happened to her? She'd used
to be so tough. Now, at the first sign of real trouble, she wanted to run to Mr. Val. Nope. She would face this head on. On her own.
Charlie rode up slowly, as both boys approached her from each side. Bravely, Charlie pulled Gurth to a halt.
"You two had better not try anything," Charlie said, with bravado.
"We're not gonna hurt a girl," Billy Joe said, in derision.
Charlie thought about saying that it was she who had landed him on his behind earlier in the day, but she decided to
keep quiet.
"Then what do you want?" Charlie asked, still cautious.
"Information."
"Information about what?" Charlie asked.
"About the old man."
Charlie eyed Billy Joe warily, not trusting.
"Yeah," Bobby said, from the other side of Gurth. "We wanna know what he looks like when he's sleepin'."
"What are you talking about?" Charlie asked.
"Well," Bobby said, "What we wanna know is-how spooky is it when he has one eye closed, and the glass eye open,
while he's sleepin'?"
The two boys hooted as if Bobby had said something simply hilarious.
Charlie gave them both a frosty look, and then, while they were still laughing, she urged Gurth into a trot, and
rode on.
L
At the ranch, Charlie untacked her horse, rubbed him down, and turned him out for water. Jelly was out in the orchard, atop
a ladder, picking the peaches.
She went into the house, thru the front door, avoiding the kitchen and Maria. She changed from her school clothes, and
went outside to do her chores. When she had the eggs gathered, there was no choice but to take them inside. Charlie went
into the kitchen, which was amazingly cool. She set the eggs down, as usual, and Maria turned from her vigorous stirring.
"Gracias," Maria said, and then she took a plate which had three cookies on it and held it out to Charlie. Her smile was
kind, and Charlie took the plate. She washed at the sink, and then sat, eating her cookies.
Johnny came in, wiping at his forehead with his sleeve. "Whoo, it's hot out," he said.
He went to take a cookie from the cookie jar, and sat down at the table next to Charlie. Maria went out the back door
with her basket to take the laundry from the clothesline.
"How was school?" Johnny asked Charlie.
"Okay," Charlie said.
"Yeah? You don't sound too sure of it."
"Boys are stupid," Charlie said, with finality.
Johnny looked amused. "Even me?"
"Not you," Charlie told him. "And not some others-like Jason, but mostly they are."
"Which boy got on your wrong side today?"
"Billy Joe Thornton. And his brother, Bobby."
"What happened?" Johnny asked.
"They were making fun of Burl. The clothes he was wearing at church, and things. And talking about him having a
glass eye. And Billy Joe said that he was drunk at church, and that's why he stumbled on the front steps, and Murdoch
had to help him."
Johnny raised his eyebrow a bit, and said, "Whoo, that's a load, right there."
Charlie nibbled at her cookie, and nodded.
"When folks don't understand somethin', sometimes they get stupid," Johnny said.
"And you can't fix stupid, right?" Charlie said, repeating his quote.
"Not usually," Johnny said, with a grin.
Charlie surveyed Johnny for a long few moments, and then admitted, "I pushed Billy Joe."
"You did?"
"Yeah. He fell on his backside."
Johnny chuckled. "I'll bet he was surprised."
L
There was an unexpected break for school that week. Miss Susan's mother was still ill, and no substitute could be found to
take over the teaching. So, Wednesday thru Friday were free days. Charlie was glad. She liked school, for the most part, but
sometimes it got tiresome, to always be cooped up inside the schoolhouse.
On Wednesday, in the late afternoon, Scott had to go into town to send a telegram. He'd talked about it, at the
breakfast table, and Charlie caught him afterwards, to ask if she could go along with him.
"Have you finished the schoolwork you were behind on?" Scott asked, looking serious. He'd discovered the two
days of handwriting that Charlie had not completed. He'd not been pleased.
"Yes, Scott."
"Alright. You can come along with me."
As a compromise, Charlie changed her clothes before they left. She was enjoying not having to wear a dress for these days
off of school, but she'd gotten her overalls dirty during the morning activities. She washed her face and hands, and brushed the
snarls from her hair. She redressed, in clean denim pants and a brown blouse, and then put her boots back on.
They rode horseback to town, and Charlie, as she usually did when she got the chance to have Scott to herself,
found it very enjoyable. Once in town, Scott went to send his telegram, and collected the mail, putting it into his
saddle bags. He took Charlie to the café, for a piece of pie. Charlie was relieved to not see Alice about anywhere.
Preparing to head for the ranch once again, Charlie was pleased when, without even saying so, or having Charlie wheedle, Scott
turned to take the road to Burl's.
She gave Scott a smile in thank you.
"Maybe, if he wants us to, can we stay for supper?" Charlie asked.
"We'll see."
As they approached the shack, from some distance away, Charlie could see the two wagons sitting in the yard. There were
men coming and going, in and out of the shack. Another man was readying up the window, using a hammer to reattach the trim
around the small window.
"Who are they?" Charlie asked Scott, though she knew he had no answer.
Scott didn't answer right then. They rode up into the yard, and Charlie said, "Scott?" feeling worried.
"Hold on. We'll see what's happening," Scott said, sounding calm enough.
In the yard, one of the men toting things to the wagon, his arms full of the brown packages from under Burl's bed,
paused, looking at them.
"Howdy," he said, in greeting.
"Howdy," Scott returned.
"Somethin' I can do for ya?" the man asked Scott.
"We're looking for Burl," Scott said.
"The old man who was here?"
"That's right," Scott verified.
"He's gone off someplace, I don't know where."
Scott shifted in the saddle, looking around. "Well, what's going on?"
"The owner wants this place cleaned up. That's what's going on."
Charlie took in a horrified breath. It had happened! Burl had been thrown out!
She moved Gurth closer to Scott's horse.
"The owner, huh?" Scott asked, still looking around.
"That's right." The man went to toss Burl's packages into the back of the nearest wagon.
"What about the old man? What happens to him?" Scott asked.
"I don't know nothin' about that part of it. I was hired to get it cleaned up 'round here. That's all."
Charlie was truly frightened now. Where had Burl gone?
Charlie reached her hand out to touch Scott's arm. "Scott-" she said.
Scott patted Charlie's knee, without saying anything to her.
"What about his personal things?" Scott was asking then.
"We was told to take them all to the sheriff's office and leave 'em there," the man answered.
"Where's this owner at right now?" Scott asked.
"He's in town, staying with some kinfolk."
"Do you know their name? The kinfolk?"
The man hesitated, looking thoughtful, and scratching at his head. "I don't recall it. He generally gets ahold of us when he
needs to talk to us."
"Alright. Thank you," Scott said, and the man nodded, and turned to head back into the shack.
"What about the dogs, Scott?" Charlie asked, in a panicked tone.
"You see any dogs while you were here?" Scott called out, and the man turned again to face them.
"Some big ones, yeah. They went off with the old man."
"What about the puppies, inside?" Charlie asked.
"There's a couple of 'em still in there. Gettin' underfoot of all of us, and being a nuisance," the man said.
Charlie gave Scott a pleading look. She would have begged right then, but she couldn't seem to swallow past the lump in
her throat enough to speak.
"We'll take the pups out of your way," Scott said, and, as the man nodded, Charlie's heart soared.
"I'll get the pups," Scott told Charlie, as she made ready to dismount Gurth to go inside. "You stay put."
He handed off his reins to Charlie, and she sat, obediently, atop Gurth, waiting, as he strode across the yard, and into
the open door of the shack. When he came back out again, carrying a wriggling puppy in each arm, Charlie thought he looked
like a hero. She resolved to be good, all the time, forever after, and never cause Scott any worry or annoyance. It was the least he
deserved, she thought.
L
Scott handed up one of the pups to Charlie, who took it joyfully. It was the puppy that was her favorite. Scott remounted, holding
the other dog, and they turned, riding away from the shack. Charlie couldn't resist turning back to look again, at the men moving
all of Burl's things into a wagon.
"What are you going to do?" Charlie asked. And she meant it just that way. What was he going to do? She was just a little girl,
and she didn't see what she could feasibly do about this horrible situation. It needed an adult. Someone with a mighty brain, and
courage to match.
"We'll ride back into town, and go see Val."
"To see if he knows about it?" Charlie asked.
"Right."
"Mr. Val said he can't do anything, though, if it's a legal deed," Charlie reminded him.
"We'll see."
Usually, when Scott said that, 'we'll see', it frustrated Charlie, because it didn't seem to be any sort of an answer. But now, for
some unknown reason, hearing him say it seemed to give some comfort to Charlie. Scott would take care of things.
L