own news. Charlton and Annie were well-settled into their new home. The bakery was still up for sale, and by the way, it had living quarters upstairs.
They listened intently while Hixson relayed the tale of what had happened with them in the last weeks. As Hixson talked about the loss of Sarah’s cabin, Poppa’s heart sank. Would the poor girl never have peace and security? Hixson moved on to talk about the sale of the two farms. For a while, everyone discussed real estate speculators in the days of reconstruction.
The grinning and winking hadn’t stopped, so finally Hixson asked what was going on.
“We have a little surprise for you.” Poppa said. “Come on and we’ll show you.”
They hitched up the wagon and everyone loaded up. A short drive to the west and the surprise was out. A spanking new house, small but sturdy, stood close to the road on the land Poppa had given them.
“We all worked together along with Annie’s family and Patterson Hilyard’s parents. It ain’t painted yet, and you’ll have some things to finish up inside, but it’s dried in and ready for you.”
Hixson and Sarah were speechless. They stood, staked to the ground and staring. Everyone else saw a house; they saw a start on a new life of peace and love. For Sarah, it was a home free of memories, whispers and loneliness. For Hixson, it was putting the war firmly behind him and working as man with a future.
Sarah let out a long whoop and jumped on Hixson. “We’re home!” She threw her arms around every one in turn, thanking them profusely.
They all went in and Sarah whooped again to see they had even provided a cook stove, a table and a bed. The generosity of the gift was amazing.
The money from the sale of her land would buy the rest of the household goods they needed, as well as farming tools. There would be plenty left to bank. She was already making plans to talk to Hixson about trading the dappled gray mares for a team of plow horses, when Annie interrupted her thoughts.
“I have another, much smaller surprise for you, too.” From a basket in the back of the wagon, she pulled a fuzzy black puppy and handed her to Sarah. “My uncle’s dog had a litter of puppies just before you left. When he saw them, Charlton told me your dog died recently. No farm can go without a good watchdog.”
“Oh, Annie!” Sarah could not finish, she was so overcome with emotion. The puppy licked Sarah’s face and whined.
“What’ll we name her?” Hixson asked, smiling widely. “How about, ‘Towzer D’ after your old girl?”
Towzer D had a new family. They all went back to the Morris farm. Momma made dinner and afterwards, Poppa took Emma and Caleb into town to talk to the banker about the bakery. The deal was so simple, with no heirs to consider, that Emma paid the back taxes and owned the bakery that very day.
They agreed to stay the night at the Morris’, and move above the bakery the next day. Caleb in particular was in no hurry to leave the Morris house. Hixson and Sarah also stayed the first night. They could unpack in their new home the next day.
November 3rd, 1865--Dover, Pennsylvania
The women in the Morris family were all up very early. They met Annie at the bakery and helped Emma scrub the whole place: bakery, store front and living quarters. Momma had packed a lunch, and Poppa brought it and Emma’s belongings when all the men showed up.
With the three strong Morris men and young Caleb working together, everything was moved in before supper.
Charlton had a special surprise for Emma and Caleb. “Call it a shop-warming gift.” He said. He brought a large, flat object, wrapped in a blanket.
Emma unwrapped it and saw a beautiful hand-carved sign, McKendall Bakery. The oval wooden sign had intricate scroll work around the edge, which Annie painted in green and white. The lettering, done in a fine hand, was a darker shade of green. It was a handsome sign and a lovely gift.
Emma and Caleb settled in for the night, Emma making mental notes of what she would need to order to get the bakery started. Caleb was making mental notes, too, but they didn’t have anything to do with running a bakery.
Hixson and Sarah also spent their first night in their new home. The house still had the smell of freshly sawn wood. It even smelled like a new start, for both of them.
December 1st, 1865--Dover, Pennsylvania
Annie stopped by to see Sarah. Hixson was cutting firewood, so she was alone in the house. Annie had brought gingerbread and Sarah made fresh coffee to have with it.
The two sisters sat at Sarah’s table, still bright with new wood. Annie obviously had something on her mind, and Sarah had a notion what it might be.
“I think around June, there’s going to be another little Morris.” Annie was radiantly happy.
“Oh, Annie! That’s wonderful! You’ll be the best mother any baby could ask for!” Sarah hugged her new sister in genuine joy.
“We told Momma and Poppa last night. Momma was so happy, she started crying. Poppa only said, ‘didn’t waste no time, did you son?’!” Annie laughed. “Eliza is so excited to be an aunt. It’s adorable.”
“First grandchild! Of course they’re happy! You’re going to have your hands full, there. Momma is going to want to stuff that baby with goodies, and Poppa will teach him to say embarrassing things.”
Sarah laughed, and Annie smiled because she knew it was true. They chatted the morning away, and were not ready to stop, when a wagon came clattering fast down the road. Sarah looked out to see Hixson running toward the house.
Momma was driving the wagon, Eliza and a strange man sat on the seat with her. She raced into the yard, and stopped in front of the house. Momma called for Hixson and Sarah as she ran to the back of the wagon.
Hixson and the stranger carried another man in. He was soaking wet and bluish. Momma explained, “Eliza and I were coming back from town, and this man here waved us down on the roadside. They were crossing the bridge when one of the wheels broke, pitching him into the river. We got him out of the river, but he’s about frozen.” Momma was always cool in time of emergencies.
All of them were wet from helping the man, and they crowded around the stove to warm up while Momma talked.
Sarah wasn’t listening. She already had her hands out, gathering light into her hands. Hixson removed the man’s wet clothing while Momma stoked the fire to start them drying. Eliza stood next to Annie and held her hand.
Sarah stood a long time, calling the light. The man was not injured, he was hypothermic. Sarah would not need to put him to sleep first. What he needed most was her warm light, to bring his body temperature up and get the blood circulating again.
Hixson stood behind Sarah when she started to lay her hands on the man’s chest. He watched for a moment, waiting. It seemed to be getting darker in the room. In the pit of his stomach, Hixson felt a tension like panic start to grow. He looked around, and realized that a strange darkness was collecting around Sarah.
It looked like the dark cloud that was around the cabin that day she healed Towzer, except it clung to Sarah herself. Hixson yelled, “No!” He grabbed Sarah’s wrists and pulled her hands from the half-frozen man.
It took great effort at first, but he wrenched her hands away. Desperately, he looked around, searching for a place to put her hands to use the light. “She can’t heal this one Momma, something’s wrong!” He was almost shrieking. “She’s got to put her hands on someone or...or...I don’t know!”
Momma knew her son didn’t behave like this without good reason. “Here! She can put them on me!”
“Momma, no! You ain’t sick, you might get hurt!” Eliza interrupted.
“No, I won’t. It’ll just make me sleep.” She patted Eliza’s arm. “I could use a nap.”
Hixson was trying to get Sarah to walk away, but she didn’t budge. He couldn’t carry her, and restrain her hands at the same time. Momma saw the situation, and acted.
“You!” She said to the stranger, “Get him off the table!”
The stranger was befuddled, but even a stranger wouldn’t dare argue with Momma wh
en she used that tone of voice. Momma helped drag the half frozen man from the table. She climbed up on the table herself, and lay down. Hixson pushed Sarah’s hands down onto Momma’s head, and Momma murmured, “Oh, that’s warm and nice....” and closed her eyes, smiling.
Sarah fell over, gagging. She didn’t vomit, though, and Hixson thought maybe he had acted in time. She was dazed and on the verge of unconsciousness, so Hixson carried her to the bed. Then he gathered up sleeping Momma, and laid her next to his wife. Eliza covered them both with a warm quilt.
Annie stood, rooted to her spot and speechless. She hadn’t been there when Poppa broke his arm. Even though Charlton told her about it, what he described was nothing like this. How did this help anyone?
Hixson turned to the stranger, eyes blazing. “I’m sorry. We can’t help you. I can give you some blankets to try and keep him warm but you’ll have to take him to the doctor in town. Get on out of here.” He scooped up the wet clothing and shoved them at the man.
Annie couldn’t believe that Hixson would turn away a person who was sick like this. “Hixson! What are you saying?”
“I’m sorry, Annie. Something is awful wrong here. They have to leave.” Hixson said, just as they all heard the sound of horsemen outside.
It was the sheriff. Someone had robbed the bank, shot the teller and fled. They had found the wagon down the road, with a busted wheel, and they were looking for two men. They had found them. The