Read Amish Country Arson for Free Online Page B

Hal
said.
    From behind her came Bishop Bontrager's
voice. “How are you ladies this fine day?”
    “I'm gute, Bishop,” Hal replied, twisting to
look at Elton.
    “I'm fine, Bishop,” Wanda said.
    Bishop Bontrager looked around the room. “I
would like to meet your sister. Do you know where she is at recht
now?”
    “Gladys stayed home today. She hasn't been
feeling well. I think the move was hard on her,” Wanda
answered.
    “That is too bad. I hope she is feeling
better soon. We do not want her missing too many worship services
if she can help it. Do tell her I will be around to introduce
myself one day this week, and see how her heath is then,” the
bishop said.
    Wanda nodded. “Jah, Bishop. I will tell
her.”
    “If you hadn't heard, I'm the nurse for the
community. John built a medical clinic on our home, but I do make
house calls. We use the clinic for birthing as well as treating
patients if you or someone in your family needs help,” Hal
said.
    Wanda said quietly, “That is gute to
know.”
    “Would you like me to come visit your sister?
Maybe I can help her feel better,” Hal said.
    “Nah!” Wanda said much too quickly. When Hal
gave her a searching look, Wanda added calmly, “Nah, no need to
bother. I think Gladys just needs to rest up.”
    Later that afternoon when Enoch and Wanda
Bruner arrived home, Wanda said, “I should check on Gladys before I
gather eggs.”
    She walked over to the grossdawdi house and
opened the door. “Gladys?”
    A tall thin woman came to meet her. “I heard
you were back from church. How did it go with all those
strangers?”
    Wanda walked across the large room and sat in
one of two rockers. She smiled cheerfully. “It went well. Enoch and
I met so many nice people that I will have trouble remembering
their names until I get to know them. How are you feeling now? I
told everyone you were not well, but when you were better you would
come to church with us.”
    “I feel tired all the time, but I pray I will
be better soon,” Gladys said, easing slowly down in the other
rocker.
    “Bishop Bontrager asked about you. I told him
you did not feel well enough to attend the worship service, but he
insisted he would be by one day this week to meet you. He wants to
see for himself that you were not able to go to the service with
us. I hope that your health will improve in two weeks if for no
other reason than to please the bishop.”
    “I do not know if I will feel better by
then,” Gladys said.
    “I met the Plain people's nurse who has a
clinic in her home. Nurse Hal she is called. She offered to pay you
a visit to tell you what ails you. I said I would check with you to
see that would be all recht.”
    “William Boxholder told me about that one and
her clinic when we were buying this farm. He said she was English
married to a Plain man.” Gladys's voice was icy.
    “I wondered about that. Her speech does
sounds English. Her red hair makes her stand out some, but everyone
seems to like her. She has done gute work in the community so I
hear from the bishop's wife,” Wanda defended.
    Gladys glared down her long nose at her
sister. “I am not sick enough or desperate enough to use an English
woman as a nurse when she pretends to be Plain.”
    “All recht, but she is not pretending. Nurse
Hal is living a very gute life as a Plain person and raising her
husband's children,” Wanda said meekly.
    Gladys folded her arms over her chest. “I
will hear no more of her.”
    At her sister's tone of voice, Wanda shrank
back in the rocker. “Sure enough.”
    Gladys patted her sister on the knee to
change the mood. “Now tell me of the people at the worship service
today.”
    Wanda straightened up and leaned forward.
“They were talking about someone's burning a barn. Denki to God, no
one was hurt.”
    “Do they know how the fire happened?” Gladys
asked.
    “Nah, but they know someone started it. Jonah
Stolfus saw a rider on horseback leaving his farm. Bishop Bontrager
asked