The Richest Heart

Chapter 51

Emma glanced around the schoolhouse with a question in her mind. The same curiosity was filling the other student's thoughts too. Two seats were empty that morning, and it was getting late.

"It isn't like Peter to be late for school!" Emiline thought, tapping her chalk against her desk. Usually Peter was there long before anyone else. He was so diligent. For once, the fears of Emma's imagination could be justified. "Something must have happened!" she thought. But she couldn't imagine what. Peter had been well when she had left him the evening before.

Susan's hand gently touched hers, putting a stop to the distracting noise that Emma's hand was making. The girl shook her daydreams away and tried to focus on her lessons. She wasn't the only one with questions in her mind. From time to time, Miss Weed looked up from the book in her hands, wondering if or when Peter and Julian would arrive. She hadn't said a word about their absence, but in between Mathematics and English, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Simon," she began. The boy snapped to attention and gave the lady a sheepish grin.

He hadn't been paying much attention. His mind had wondered far away from his lessons, and he had been drawing a funny little sketch on his chalk board. Now, he got rid of it as fast as he could, rubbing his sleeve against the slate.

"Yes, Ma'am?" he answered politely.

"Where is your brother?" Simon let out a sigh of relief. He hadn't been caught after all!

"He's at home," he answered.

"Is he sick?" Miss Weed pressed in concern.

"No Ma'am," he laughed. "Just tired. He was up past midnight helping Julian." The teacher frowned with more curiosity. The boy's brief explanation didn't make sense to her, but she didn't waste any more time questioning him. Shaking her head, she began the next lesson.

Emma couldn't concentrate any more. She managed to stumble through her schoolwork until lunch time came, and then she got up with a purpose and followed Simon outside.

"Tell me what's wrong, Simon!" she begged. "Did something bad happen?" The boy looked almost unnerved by her desperate plea for information. But, as a few other children gathered around with questions, he felt a surge of pride and importance. Finally he knew something that no one else did. Finally he was the center of attention. He smiled a smug smile.

"Oh, it was just a rescue mission, that's all," he answered, as if rescue missions happened all the time.

"A rescue?! But from what?" Emma pressed. The boy shrugged his shoulders and started walking away.

"Death," he answered casually.

"Death!" the children shrieked together. Unable to control herself, Emma grabbed the boy by the shoulders and shook him frantically.

"What are you talking about?" she cried. "Don't keep us waiting! Tell us!" Simon laughed.

"Well, it started when Julian tried to steal Peter's horse," he began, satisfying his friends' ears with every detail he had heard from his brother and his parents. The other student's listened, gasping at the awful tragedy and cheering as they heard about Peter's bravery. Emma felt a special thrill as she pictured the desperate situation in her mind. It was so horrible and yet so wonderful! The story of revenge and heroism was all she wanted to think about that day. But, she couldn't dream about it as long as she wanted to. As soon as school was over, she had a lot to do. Grandma Adler had been feeling very ambitious. She put her granddaughter to work helping her make applesauce, and then, she sent the girl to town to buy a few needed items from The General Store. Canning applesauce and running errands was the last thing the girl had wanted to do, but she tried not to grumble about it. Her grandma was being very diligent, and the applesauce would taste wonderful that winter.