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move!” Lewis steered Missouri Ann’s bulky form to the rocker, sat her down in it, then brushed his hand across his face in a nervous gesture. “I’ll send her right now,” he said, then turned and literally dashed out of the room.
    ****
    Jenny was staking beans, using green cane pulled from beside the river. It was a hot day late in May, and sweat had soaked through her clothing. She stopped, pulled a handkerchief out of the pocket of her apron and mopped her face with it. For a moment she stared at her hands and then smiled, thinking of how work had hardened them since she had left New York. She was rather proud of herself, having discovered that she could stand up to the hard, physical work—she who had never done anything more strenuous than attend a ball or, perhaps, play a game of tennis.
    Something suddenly struck her in the legs, and she looked down to see Stonewall, who had stayed with her all morning. He plopped himself down on her feet and looked up, his tongue lolling as if he were grinning at her.
    “Get off of my feet, you monster. You must weigh two hundred pounds!” Jenny shoved the huge dog away. Then she picked another cane that had been trimmed to the right height and, stooping over, pushed it into the soil next to the emerald green seedling. As she worked steadily down the row, she thought of Clay Varek. He had been on her mind often since her encounter with him, and for some reason, she felt a great curiosity. All of the other people in her world had little niches that they fit neatly into, but Varek was different. Something about him puzzled her, and she thoughtof the gun that had appeared almost magically in his hand. His quickness to draw his gun disturbed her, but then she remembered the child and how protective he had been. This was a puzzle, and she said to herself, “Where’s his wife, I wonder, if he has one. There’s something wrong about a man raising a baby alone. . . .”
    “Jenny—Jenny!”
    Hearing her name, Jenny turned to see her father running awkwardly toward her. His hair was blowing in the slight breeze, and his eyes were wide. “It’s Missouri! The baby’s coming!”
    Jenny immediately dropped the cane she had in her hand and went to meet Lewis. “Did she say it was for sure?”
    “I don’t know. She just said to get the doctor. I want you to go get Peturis.”
    “Now, calm down, Dad. Hannah’s here, and you two can take care of Missouri.”
    “I know, but I want you to hurry.” Lewis ran both hands through his hair and gripped it, as if he were trying to lift himself off the ground by pulling it. His eyes were wide, and Jenny had never seen him look so disturbed. She knew at that moment how very much in love Lewis was with Missouri Ann, and she felt glad for it. Patting his shoulder, she said, “You go back to her. I’ll change clothes.”
    “He may not be at his office.”
    “If he’s not at his office, he’s gone to visit a patient. I’ll find out where he is, and I’ll bring him back.” She gave her father a slight push, saying, “Now, you go back to Ma. She needs you.”
    ****
    Jenny saw the steam rising out from underneath the hood of the truck and muttered, “Blast! I’ll have to get some water!” The old Studebaker was reliable for a truck of its ancient lineage, but the radiator was a problem. Usually whoever drove it carried a gallon of water along, but Jenny had forgottenthat in her hurry. When she reached down beside her, she saw that the jug was empty and remembered she had forgotten to fill it up.
    “Come on, truck, you can’t quit now!”
    She glanced along the side of the road, hoping for a creek or a pond left over from the spring rains, but the spring had been hot, with fewer rains than usual, and she saw nothing. Finally, up ahead, she saw a shack off to one side of the road. She knew the Valentine family lived there. She remembered how Noah Valentine had been abused by Max Conroy in the general store.
    The house was not