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“Where we goin’, Mo her hand

She loved that he still held her hand in public

“To town”

“Oooh,” Loreda said “What fun we’ll have standing in line for the few dollars we earned this week”

Elsa elbowed her daughter “No member of the Explorers Club is allowed to be unhappy on a Saturday adventure New rule”

“Who made you President?” Loreda said

“I did” Ant giggled “Mo- on the soft, wet grass

Elsa pressed a hand to her heart “It is such an honor Why … I never expected such a thing A woman President”

Loreda finally laughed and the mood lifted

They turned onto the main road and walked all the way to Welty By the time they reached the quaint little toith its cotton-boll welcoly warm sun The mountains in the distance showed a new layer of snow The trees along Main Street displayed their autumn finery

“Wait here,” Elsa said outside the Welty Farot into line and waited her turn to cash her chit

“Here yah go,” theher chit worth twenty dollars and giving her eighteen dollars in exchange Elsa rolled thethe total of their savings It seemed like a lot now, but she kneouldn’t be much by February

But she wasn’t going to think of that today She returned to the street, where the children stood beneath a la

It was one of those sharp-as-a-tack moments when she saw them: Loreda, thin as a chicken bone in a threadbare dress and shoes that didn’t fit and long, raggedly growing-out hair; Ant, scrawny and with dirty hair no matter how hard Elsa tried to keep hi into Buster’s old shoes

Elsa forced a s Ant’s hand, she headed down Main Street, where the shops were opening for the day She smelled coffee and freshly baked pastries as she passed the diner, and the farain as they passed the feed store