Show V 0 0 la the ives family including andy kate hope dave and granny face grave problems in their new home in the wilderness the two men with the help of neighbors clear most of the land but they no sooner finish than the heavy rains begin and the women are obliged to escape to a refugee camp for flood victims the men remain behind to set things in order at the camp mrs ives notices that the websters formerly very friendly neighbors are cool toward her oreen webster a 16 year old girt girl who made no attempt to conceal her fondness for dave turns her eyes now upon hank butler a much older man and one whom hope dislikes heartily CHAPTER virgle virgie winslow warrenton stood before the refugees and smiled at a t them she was a vivid brunette lazily graceful her black hair swung to her shoulders in a warm curly cascade she wore a tailored gray suit that was cut to flatter her slim figure hope watched the girl and knew how easy it must have been for a big good natured earnest boy from the country to be attracted by her she was beauty allure position and promise au all in one attractive package hope wondered how virgie could come out and face these people knowing how they felt abo about U t her but she laid it less to bravery than to brass and contempt for the opinions of the homesteaders hi big one of the men behind hope called then he said low youre just in time boyl boy hope turned involuntarily and saw bigelow halleck who must have just arrived his eyes were on the singer hope smiled at him when he looked down at her he moved to stand beside her and they listened together virgie winslow had a rich contralto voice but it was thin in the higher registers with training of the right brand and with exercises for which she never would have found time she might have become a fair singer when she had finished there was not enough applause to justify an encore so she bowed and smiled looking hope vowed later straight at big and left the improvised stage from which her father had spoken it had been strictly a winslow affair during the announcements that followed there was a heavy hum of whispered conversation and many eyes were on big halleck ive come for you all he said to hope what makes you stay here in all this mob I 1 sent you word 1 I know hope broke in but you and your mother have enough to bother about without us well get along all right here ive come for you he said impatiently wheres mrs ives and your grandmother oh somewhere around here in this milling madhouse she told him the announcements had ended and people were making their way out dont try to persuade mother she begged its just a lot better all the way around for us to stay here at the camp but bigelow halleck see the sense of that he was saying so when oreen came squeezing past with hank butler by the arm hidy big she said tossing her head come on hank hank butlers eyes darted from big to hope and then back to big you hear that gal sing he asked cutting a quick meaning glance at hope bigelow halleck looked down at him hope saw a swift hard light flash in his steely blue eyes saw the muscle bulge and cord at the corner of his jaw yes he said calmly 1 I heard her it was right pretty oreen sniffed shot a look of lofty contempt at hope and said come on hank accompanying the request with a compelling yank on his arm have you seen andy and dave was kates quick question when hope and big found her tell me the truth has anything happened you quit worrying wor he ordered all right As long as you dont see mr flipp and mr eliot your are all right all together but why are they staying there in the swamp like this kate persisted ive worried myself sick over them got to wait for the water to get deep enough everywhere he said for them to use the boat they cant wade the low places where the waters deep and they cant get the boat over the higher place till the waters deep enough there ohl kate said in relief 1 I thought of that you feel better now granny said smiling well so do I 1 blessed if I 1 had thought of that ei either therl kate remained firm against going to the hallecks for the rest of the duration bags only argument with her was that his mothers feelings would be hurt but kate parried that with the men alen folks arrive at camp no being a mother she will understand der stand I 1 know As big was turning away to leave them birdie webster and mrs buckley came past just where they could have been going so purposefully was a mystery to hope and kate for they were headed straight for the mens toilet forty yards away oh hello big mrs buckley called gaily alls well with you an your ma I 1 hope desm he said absently for he was still puzzled by kates remark that his mother would surely understand right well mrs webster called neither greeting nor question her rough red hands were clasped meekly at her waistline and her eyes were straight ahead A few yards past big halleck and the ives women folk birdie and ida abruptly veered to the left and began a wide circle tour they were making their way back to the point from which they must have started andy and dave came the next morning with mr flipp and mr eliot bugler and jessie bell followed mr flipp carried a heavy cardboard box with jessie bells litter of lively pups slipping and sliding about in it as he walked the dogs were committed to an enclosure devoted to kennel purposes for no pets were allowed to run loose in camp we had to wait andy said until we could make it out to the highway in our boat came right down the road the way we came in the wagon when I 1 brought you all here and there was some current dave told the women where we crossed the bayou I 1 thought once that it was going to take us on down the country kate shuddered and hugged dave hard to his complete embarrassment for there were people watching and said well thank goodness youve came at last ive certainly been stewing we can take care ot of ourselves dave told her andy told them that the water was up to the steps of the house nearly when he and dave left and added comfortingly that it was rising mighty slowly neither mr flipp nor mr eliot had brought a change of clothes but they had brought their violins mr flipp expecting of course to perform this was a gathering cut to his artistic measure the water they said would likely get about an inch deep in their cabin and mr eliot had brought his beloved instrument ment along to keep it from ruining in the dampness of the flooded fireless shack we wont play our duets here he said to hope these laople care for classical affer ings dave had been nervously on the watch for oreen and was highly 5 R V vote for me wont you he asked 1 I mean if youre old enough be added with a laugh gratified to find her swinging onto hank butlers arm she looked at him haughtily every time he met up with her and hank who was beginning to wear a scowling rebellious expression oreen spoke to dave only at their first meeting and then she said merely hidy davey and tossed her head a little the davey was a blow for it made him sound like a little boyl boy she felt herself a bracket above him now in the company of hank butler dave was a little angry at first then it occurred to him that being tree free from her was worth the price of a few daves Da veys jessie essie bells pups find ind new homes the refugee camp was running smoothly now and the people were as comfortable as they could expect to be under such circumstances the clear cool weather held for four days and there was a hint of spring in the air it was reported that the water was on a stand the bayou should start falling in a day or two maybe we can get back home before long andy said hopefully weve got so much to do out there stop worrying kate begged relax its all you can do now the recreation committee worked hard to combat restlessness some kind of entertainment was offered each evening and word was getting around that a big square dance was being planned with prizes to be offered for the best dancers leaders in this project andy learned were mr bird and mr burke it started to rain again not stormily but effectively the weather was warm and heavy on the evening of the big square dance mr flipp and hank butler were the main musicians but there were others on hand to spell them when they wearied pete hoskins did the calling oreen watched hank and hank watched hope who sat at one side and enjoyed the spectacle with granny and mr eliot kate and andy danced a little in the set with mr and mrs wallace dave stood as near the musicians as he could get and followed their playing mr flipps swift fingering with stiff hard fingers fascinated the boy birdie webster danced her way to first prize tor for the women she was light on her feet and tireless but her face never lost its one expression of nervous anxiety and between dances she stood quietly and waited with no sign of eagerness to dance again unless it was in the restlessness of her quick eyes winner of first money in the mens division was a tall slim old white haired fellow of seventy some thing who had come out of the deep swamp his name was windsor both mr bird and mr burke made talks that evening A combining summary of their messages brought hope to andys heart many of us in newcastle are with you people who are pioneering out there in the swamp someday the bayou will be controlled and overflows will not come often there will be better roads through the swamp better bridges you are opening the last frontier of our county and the swamp will someday bloom for the land is rich it was a nice evening andy went to his cot at bedtime and lay long awake thinking of the day when his place would be fit to call a farm when it would bloom and grow an and a yield harvest again the rain stopped and the skies were clear freezing weather swept out of the north there was hope of a long spell of good season now it been so cold since back in december well its time we had some hope of getting home granny said im ready mr flipp nodded its all right bein aroun a lot of people now an then but fer a steady thing its a bother im gittin anxious to go back out in the swamp an settle down again how are the puppies now I 1 hope asked nudging her her father lightly browin Gr owin like all git out mr flipp told her proudly say mr ives you want that white an black one that I 1 spoke to dave about I 1 wont hold it fer you theys a lot of folks here pups 1 I guess I 1 wont need that one andy said with grave restraint go ahead and give it to somebody be good to it shore I 1 pick em to give jessie bells pups to he looked sideways at the womenfolk and the mournful look that usually foretold an utterance of humor was on his thin face me ladies fer sayin it but if jessie belld range to have her young right fore a flood ird be a lot easier on me aint no trouble atall a tall to give em cm away to in this crowd the people were growing more and more restless the novelty had long since worn off and time was dragging heavily the bayou was falling fast and the weather remained clear surely the swamp dwellers could look homeward soon jerry burke starts campaigning it was during this time that jerry burke nephew ot of the lumber dealer came out and went among the homesteaders meeting them thep and telling them that he would t out for county attorney this spring jerry burke was just out of the army into which he had been inducted within the year after he had been admitted to the bar im starting out again he told andy and 1 I want you people out there to remember roe me on election day well you ought to do all right in our section andy told him just make the people think you like them for more than their votes jerry burke smiled hope who was present thought it was as boyishly handsome a smile as she had ever seen As a matter of fact jerry was a very good looking young man he had red hair that waved crisply and wide set gray blue eyes and an open honest face he was built like an athlete with good shoulders a slim waist and a pair of long legs that had not so many years ago won track points for newcastle this is my daughter mr burke andy said hope mr burke hope smiled at him and offered her hand saying hello vote for me wont you he asked 1 I mean if youre old enough he added with a laugh maybe she promised but I 1 wont be able to mark the ballot if you dont let me have my hand back oh oh yes he laughed quickly covering embarrassment and having warned them that he would be out their way canvassing jerry burke went on to meet and talk with more of the refugees 1 I like him andy said peppy young fellow with a way that gives confidence hope nodded she was watching him walk away thinking that he reminded her a little of bigelow halleck each had an open way and each made a person feel his clean strength but jerry burke would she thought go much farther in the world than big halleck hope was helping with some of the children who had come down with measles and was glad of the chance she felt that she was making at least some contribution to the cause of the refugees and having something to do made the time pass faster TO BE CONTINUED |