Read Liz Marvin - Betty Crawford 03 - Too Long at the Fair for Free Online Page A

front was an antique picture of a stern old woman.  Large dark purple berries glistened in a delicate glaze.
     
    Seated far back from the table was a plump plain young girl in a gray striped slip on dress over a worn white blouse.  Her black hair hung in a heavy braid down her back.  She looked down at her black go-to-church shoes worn without socks. 
     
    “Is this your pie?”
     
    The girl looked up, wary and nodded.
     
    Clarise smiled.  “It’s beautiful and it smells delicious.”
     
    “Thank you ma’am.”
     
    “My name’s Clarise.  Clarise Birdsong.”  She pointed to the small framed photograph. “Is that your grandmother?  You look like her.”
     
    “That’s my great great grandma Addie.  It’s her recipe.  She won -”
     
    And the girl stopped and looked at her shoes again.  Clarise made her way around the table, pulled up a chair and sat down beside her.  “Did she win the Lofton Fair blue ribbon for that pie recipe?”
     
    The girl nodded.  “You must be very proud and I bet she’d be honored you’re carrying on the family tradition.”
     
    The young girl looked at Clarise.  An open, honest face that carried too much sorrow for such a young age.  “I’m not near as good a cook as she and she wasn’t competing against fancy ladies like - “
     
    Clarise reached out and rested her index finger under the young woman’s chin and lifted her face, forced the young girl to look her in the eye.  “The judges don’t go for surface glitz and glamor and they certainly won’t be swayed by social status or intimidation.  You made an honest pie and if it tastes as good as it looks and smells you’ll do fine.”
     
    The girl smiled and her face lit up. “Do you mean it?”
     
    It was Clarise’s turn to nod.  “My name is Adeline but everyone calls me Addie.”  She held out her hand and Clarise was glad to shake it.
     
    “After your grandmother.  Well, Addie, it is a pleasure to meet you.  Is this your first fair?  Have you had a chance to explore?” 
     
    “Oh no I don’t have – I don’t have the time.”
     
    She lied terribly.  No practice at all, thought Clarise.  She stepped around the table and took Addie by the arm and led her toward the exit. “Well I seem to have lost my friend who is one of the judges in the cooking competition and if you’d come help me look for her I’ll buy you some cotton candy.”
     
    The girls eyes grew wide “Or kettle popcorn?”  Clarise laughed “Oh I know just the place.  Come on.”
     
    The two women, arm in arm headed for the exit but Thelma was gossiping with Marlee May and when they spied Clarise leaving they cut her off.
     
    “You had better head for the nurse’s tent.  Betty has made a complete spectacle of herself as usual.” Thelma was in rare form, even for her.
     
    Clarise stiffened.  Betty in trouble? Hurt? Sick?  Thelma said no more and Clarise was more than ready to wait her out.  It was Addie’s turn to jump to the rescue.  “Thank you, we were just going to look for her.”
     
    And she pulled Clarise with her towards the exit.  “Wait!” yelled Marlee May but Clarise and Addie did not wait and continued out into the fair.
     
    ~
     
    Betty awoke on a cot in a clean white tent.  A heavy set black woman in a crisp white nurse’s uniform was standing at a counter filling out some paperwork but she stopped when she saw Betty trying to sit up.  She sat down beside Betty, supporting her with one arm and holding a glass of water for her to sip.
     
    “You gave us quite a scare Miss Crawford.”
     
    “My purse-”
     
    The nurse laughed. A hearty belly laugh. “It’s right here. I had to pry it loose even with you out cold. I hear you won the pie eating contest.”
     
    Betty nodded, ashamed. “I shouldn’t have”
     
    Again she laughed “Well if that’s the most embarrassing thing in the world you’ve done I’d say you’re ahead of me and everybody else in Lofton.  Now take