Sunday afternoon, Ginny was helping her mother clear the table after lunch when she heard the doorbell ring and opened the door to see Matthias Brimmer standing there, smiling at her.

"Hi! Come on in," she told him. "This is my mother and father."

"How do you do." Matthias shook hands with Ben and Cindy. "I'm Paul Brimmer's brother, Matthias, and I came to ask this lovely young woman if she'd like to go for a walk with me."

"Oh, yes! Please, Mama, can I go?" Ginny begged.

Cindy smiled. "I don't see why not. It certainly is a beautiful day."

It was a crisp but sunny autumn day. As they walked along, they saw trees adorned with red and gold leaves while birds flitted from branch to branch and chipmunks scampered over the ground, hurrying to store up nuts for the winter.

"Evidence of God's handiwork everywhere you look," Mattias remarked. "Did you enjoy the service this morning?"

Ginny nodded. "It was nice. Reverend March told the story about Jesus healing the crippled man." She looked down at her braces, and her smile disappeared. "Sometimes I wonder why miracles don't happen anymore."

"Maybe they do, but we just don't realize it," Mattias suggested.

"You go to the Lutheran church with Paul and Elizabeth, don't you?" asked Ginny.

"Yes."

"What's the difference between Lutheran and Baptist?"

"I don't think there's much of a difference between them."

"But there must be some difference between them, because they're two different churches."

"Lutheran is a bit closer to Catholic, perhaps. Did you know the Lutheran church was founded by a man named Martin Luther who lived four hundred years ago? The Catholics believed that after you died, you went to a place called Purgatory, where you were punished for your sins before you could enter heaven. Martin Luther proved that, according to the Bible, Jesus paid for all our sins when He died on the cross, making it possible for us to go to heaven right after we die."

"Wow! I've never even heard of that Purgatory stuff, but I have heard of Catholics."

"I've known quite a few of them myself. They're Christians too, just like us, only their beliefs are a little different." For a moment, nothing could be heard but the dry crunching of the leaves beneath their feet. "Your Uncle Paul told me your school is having a harvest dance soon."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "It is, but I probably won't go. What boy would want to dance with a girl with braces on her legs?"

"I was hoping you'd let me take you. I'd love to dance with you."

"You?" A moment later, Ginny realized how rude she'd just sounded and quickly amended her exclamation. "But you're a grown man! Why would you be interested in going to a dance with me? I'm only sixteen!"

Matthias chuckled. "Maybe I'm not quite as old as you think I am."

"How old are you, then?"

"Twenty-four."

Ginny considered for a moment. "I guess that's not so terribly much older."

"Not at all!"

The night of the dance, Ginny put on her nicest clothing, spent twenty minutes getting her hair just right, and then nervously paced the floor, waiting for Matthias to arrive and hoping desperately that the night would go well, that she wouldn't tire too quickly or do anything embarrassing. At exactly six forty, she heard the doorbell ring and nearly jumped out of her skin. Cindy opened the door, and there he stood, smiling.

He wore black slacks with black patent leather wing tips and a blue checked gingham shirt. Ginny thought he looked very handsome.

"Ready to go?" he asked her.

"Sure!" she replied, taking his hand. She felt her stomach do a flip flop.

Since it was dark, he'd borrowed Paul's car. Stars twinkled in the clear night sky as Matthias opened the passenger's side door for Ginny, then got behind the wheel and drove to the school. In the cafeteria, the chairs and tables had been cleared away, and the walls were decorated with streamers and balloons. On the stage, the band was warming up, and along the walls, people stood in small groups, chatting. Ginny spotted Stan and Patsy right away. Patsy wore a poodle skirt with a white shirt, white socks, and saddle shoes, and Stan wore brown slacks and a tan shirt.

"Ginny! I'm so glad you could make it!" Patsy squealed. "And who's this good looking guy?"

"This is Uncle Paul's brother, Matthias." Ginny gave a shy smile.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you!" Patsy said to Mattias. "Walter and Sue are around here somewhere. Oh, there they are!"

Sue gasped in surprise when she saw Matthias. "Wow! Where have you been hiding him, Ginny?"

Ginny giggled. "This is my Uncle Paul's brother Mattias from West Berlin."

Matthias said hello to everyone, and the other two couples moved onto the dance floor and began to dance as the band played several fast songs. Then the lights were dimmed as 'In the Still of the Night' began.

"Shall we dance?" Matthias asked Ginny, and she let him lead her onto the dance floor. His arms slipped around her waist, and she let him hold her close as they moved in time to the music.

"You dance very well," Matthias told Ginny after a few minutes had passed.

"Thank you," Ginny replied. "No one's ever told me that before."

"Well, it's true." Matthias lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "You're a very beautiful young lady, too."

"Thanks." Ginny felt her face grow hot. She couldn't meet his eyes any more.

"I wish I could stay awhile longer," said Matthias. "I'd love to see more of Walton's Mountain with you."

"I'd like that, too." Ginny's voice was so soft he could hardly hear it.

"Never mind." Matthias smiled. "At least we have tonight."

Ginny closed her eyes, and as his lips met hers, she felt herself transported out of time and space to a place where it was just Matthias and herself.