The Innocent by Ann H. Gabhart

behind Mitchell’s head.
    “No, not since Friday.”
    “You don’t say.” Billy began snipping Mitchell’s hair again. “I figured he’d be knocking down your door.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “Got a nasty dog bite, according to Doc Baker. Said it looked like the man had been in quite some tussle when he showed up at his door yesterday afternoon to get his arm stitched up. Mud and blood all over his clothes.”
    “Doc Baker been to get a haircut this morning?” Mitchell asked.
    Billy laughed a little. “Not today, but word gets around.”
    “He say what dog got Curt?” Mitchell knew which dog he was suspecting, but he didn’t have much sympathy for the man. He told him to stay away from the Kearney woman.
    “Haven’t heard if he did. Thought maybe you had. I figured Curt would be after you to do something about it.”
    “I haven’t been to the office yet.”
    “Could be he’ll hunt you up yet.”
    “Could be.” Mitchell hoped not.
    Billy was quiet a minute as he combed and cut. Thenwithout raising his eyes from Mitchell’s head, he said, “I hear that Kearney widow has a dog.”
    “Lots of people have dogs. The town’s full of them.” Mitchell kept his eyes away from Billy’s mirror.
    “True enough,” Billy agreed. “I used to have an old dog here in the shop with me. Fine company on slow days, but then he wasn’t vicious. Couldn’t have had him if that had been the case.”
    Mitchell didn’t bother saying Carlyn Kearney’s dog wasn’t vicious as long as nobody bothered his mistress. He’d worry about taking up for the dog once he heard Whitlow’s story. It might not have been her dog. He sincerely hoped not.
    When Mitchell asked about jobs in the town that a woman might be able to do, Billy shook his head. “Can’t think of anything offhand, but I’ll keep an eye out. Who’s it for? That Mrs. Kearney?”
    He hadn’t wanted to mention Carlyn Kearney’s name, but Billy had a way of figuring out more than a man said. “Right. I hear she doesn’t have any family around here to help her out.”
    Billy unwrapped the cape from around Mitchell and swept the hairs off Mitchell’s neck with his shaving soap brush. “I haven’t seen her for a spell, but best I remember, she’s a pretty thing. I’m surprised she’s not already married again.”
    “She’s not as sure she’s a widow as everybody else seems to be.” Mitchell got out of the chair. “Her husband’s listed as missing, not dead.”
    “Yeah. She’d be better off knowing for sure she was a widow, but she’s not the only woman in that boat. I read in the papers that there are thousands of soldiers unaccounted for. War’s a sorry thing.”
    Mitchell walked down to his office, glad Curt Whitlow wasn’t there waiting for him. Then, that bothered him too. If Whitlow wasn’t demanding something be done about the dog attack, there had to be a reason. One Whitlow wasn’t ready to admit.
    Later, for his peace of mind, Mitchell would ride out to Carlyn Kearney’s house to check on her. It didn’t have anything to do with how pretty she was. It was his job.
    But then, that afternoon before he found time to make that trip, she came to him. Riding in a Shaker wagon. With a rope around her dog’s neck.

8

    The Shakers were kind, even Eldress Lilith with her somber face, but that didn’t mean they would bend their rules. Not for a newcomer. Certainly not for a dog.
    Carlyn followed the eldress to the imposing brick building beside the post office. She left Carlyn on the walkway while she went to the door to summon this Sister Muriel. Then she came back to stand beside Carlyn to await the sister who would have the necessary answers. Carlyn kept her hand on Asher, as silent as the eldress. She bent her head and considered prayer. To perhaps remind the Lord she had a dog. But he already knew that.
    At last a Shaker sister came out the large double doors. She was dressed much the same as the other Shaker women, in a faded blue