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"We don’t know The nurse just called and insisted I let her kin know she’s injured and confused There’s a son too Tho early, down at Hope River," I fib, hoping it sounds a little plausible "Thomas lives at the camp at the Wildcat Mine"

Sheriff Hard else Mr MacIntosh’s wife, Katherine, and his young son have disappeared You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? MacIntosh told us you and her were friends"

"Not really friends," I contradict "I was her midwifeI haven’t heard from Katherine lately" This is just a white lie We have no phone, so we haven’t heard fro out in the barn

"Well, I have to get back Tell the Proudfoot woman the doc said to come soon" The two move toward their police van "Oh, and let me know if Mrs MacIntosh shows up William MacIntosh is awfully worried"

Before they cli stops "You aren’t froinally Why do you ask?"

The s "Your accent isn’t local" I watch from the porch until the van disappears, a black stain in the ht

Two hours later I a Willia behind Katherine, Bitsy, and the baby ride with hi off of the river when, behind the Texaco station, I tuck the keys under the seat of theto see Mary, and the rest of us are on our way to Torrington, where Katherine can catch a train to Balti from me," I tell Bitsy when, to save tiht"

Katherine, who is scrunched loith the baby on the Model T’s back floor, reaches into her brassiere and pulls out so, she sticks her hand out theand waves the money at Bitsy "You’ll need this for the doctor’s bill," she whispers "And maybe foodThank your mother fro to keep Willia me I just know it"

Then Hester and I, in front, with Katherine and the baby staying low in the back, speed north up 92 toward Torrington Everywhere there are leaves on the road, torn froet out to pull big branches off the road

"Thanks for helping us," I whisper to the vet

He shrugs "It’s nothing"

"I didn’t knohere else to turn"

He repeats hi his jaw as if heoverto see William Mac-Intosh, orback there except the e in the doorway of a one-rooton, the last one available at the Riverview Travelers’ Lodge We have just learned that the next train for Balti to make the best of it

Exhausted, Katherine collapses on the single bed and falls asleep nursing Willie I pull the covers over them The poor battered woman is dead to the world My idea was that she and I would sleep together in the double bed and Hester would lie down on the single, but I hate waking her and uess I’ll take this," he says quietly, indicating a battered upholstered easy chair next to the door