Part 4 (2/2)

Mr. Kreutz said grace. Before eating, he asked, ”Where's Manda? No place has been set for her!”

Softly his wife replied, ”She has gone away again.”

Mr. Kreutz stared out the window. His food went untouched and the girls sat in silence. ”Eat your supper!” the man said abruptly.

The visitors began to eat, feeling ill at ease. Mrs. Kreutz did not touch her supper either. Finally she said, ”Papa, you were lucky these nice girls helped you when the bull threw you.”

”Ya, I was. Donnk.” He gave his curt thanks.

To ease the tension, Bess said, ”It was my first meeting with a bull, and I hope the last!”

Presently the Kreutzes began to eat their supper. The guests were soon satisfied, though they had not sampled half of the various dishes.

”You have city appet.i.tes,” said Mrs. Kreutz.

”All of us except Bess,” George teased as her plump cousin reached for a piece of cake.

”In Amish country we like a little flesh on out maidens,” Mr. Kreutz commented.

After the meal was over and they had helped with the dishes, Nancy said they must be leaving. ”Do you want me to mention Manda to Mr. Kreutz?” she whispered to her hostess.

”I will fix this,” the farmer's wife said. She called to her husband, ”Papa, I would like for these girls to stay all night with us.”

Mr. Kreutz nodded. ”Ya. That will make our thanks for saving my life.”

Mrs. Kreutz turned to Nancy and said, ”Talk to him about Manda. It will be all right.”

The woman did not explain further, but Nancy guessed that once an Amish person makes a promise, he keeps it. No matter what happened, the girls would spend the night there.

Nancy seated herself beside Mr. Kreutz. ”Bess, George, and I met your lovely daughter on the road this afternoon,” she began. ”Manda was looking forward to coming home and being with her mother and father again.”

The farmer s.h.i.+fted uneasily in his chaii. ”Manda is a very disobedient daughter. Amish people have rules. Our children must not break them. From the time they are small, we teach them to fear G.o.d and to work. We do not go out into the world to make money. We have security right on our own farms.

”We ask nothing from anyone,” Mr. Kreutz continued proudly. ”Security for an Amish man is not money. It is his family, his religion, his farm.”

Nancy pondered this for a moment, then said, ”You say part of your security is your family. Wouldn't you be happier if all your family were together?”

Mr. Kreutz looked directly into Nancy's eyes. ”You are wise beyond your years,” he said. ”You have good sense.”

Nancy waited eagerly for him to go on. To her surprise, Mr. Kreutz asked why she had come to Amish country.

Nancy told him about the stolen Follett furniture and explained that the thief might be somewhere around Lancaster. She also described the hex sign she had found in the mansion.

Mr. Kreutz shook his head. ”Such a nice girl I cannot understand why your papa lets you do things like this. You should be home cooking and cleaning.”

At this remark, Bess and George told the Amish couple about Nancy's fine accomplishments.

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