Hoggee by Anna Myers Page B

wipe them away. “Mayhap I’ll never find a better friend.”
    Howard felt his face grow warm. “I wish I could do more,” he said. It was then that he saw Sarah, as always, in the doorway, and he said what filled his mind. “I’d like to help Sarah, too.” He nodded his head in her direction. “It must be very lonely in her world.”
    â€œOh, yes,” said Laura, and her voice almost broke. “It must be very lonely indeed, but what could you ever do to help Sarah?”
    â€œI don’t know.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe nothing, but I’d like to very much. I wonder what will become of her.”
    Laura lowered her voice as if Sarah could hear. “Mother says someday both Gracie and I will marry and move out of this house.” She shook her head. “I won’t, though.” She pressed her lips together. “I could never go away and leave Sarah. With me and Gracie gone, she would be too alone and silent.”
    On the way back to the barn, Howard thought about the sisters. Gracie was young and frolicked through her days, but Laura worried about the future. Laura felt bound by her silent sister, just as he felt bound by Jack. Laura would live her life trying to make up for Sarah’s limitation, and Howard would live his life trying to compete with Jack. Neither of them would ever succeed or break free.
    So deep in thought was he as he followed the trail to the barn that he failed to notice old Cyrus. The man stood in the woodlot near the path. He had loaded pieces of firewood onto a mule-drawn cart, and he waited for Howard to approach him. “Boy,” he called as Howard walked by. “I’ve something to tell you,” he said, and he moved closer to Howard. “I’ve been thinking about your brother,” he said, “and I told my daughter to set an extra place at the table tonight.” He paused for a second and then went on. “It being your last night with us and all, I thought why not have your brother, too. I figure he’s running low on rations by now.”
    Howard was amazed. This was not at all like Cyrus. Then a thought came to him. “Did you hear about Jack’s good fortune?”
    â€œAye, I did.” Cyrus leaned against his cart. “Captain Travis told me, he did. Bowman at such a young age! I knew he was a likely lad! Didn’t I say as much to you just the other morn?”
    Howard nodded. “You did.”
    â€œWell,” said Cyrus with a smile, “you bring your brother around for supper. My daughter and her girls will be happy to have him for company. We’ll have a bit of celebration for his good fortune.”
    â€œI’ll bring him,” he said, and he walked on. So Jack would meet Cyrus’s granddaughters, after all. Howard kicked at a stone. Nothing could ever be just his, not with Jack around. He frowned. Obviously Laura wasn’t the only one thinking about her future. Her grandfather, Howard felt certain, was thinking it might not be too soon to introduce her to a “likely” young man. Theidea made him feel sick to his stomach. It would, of course, be a while before Laura was of an age to marry. By that time Jack would be a helmsman for sure, and on his way to being a captain.
    Jack was inside the barn playing marbles with Bert, one of the other hoggees. They had just drawn the lag line and were shooting their taws in that direction to see who played first. “Want to play with us?” Jack asked, but Howard shook his head.
    Howard watched Bert first rub his big marble between his hands. “I warm her up this way,” he said, but his shot missed the line.
    Jack took his taw up, got up on one knee to shoot, and sent his marble to rest almost on the line.
    â€œThat does it,” said Bert. “You shoot first.”
    â€œOh good,” said Jack. He looked up and smiled as if he were surprised to have done so well. Howard