6.3 I tossed in bed that night, bothered by what I’d seen

 Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas April 1874

“Anna, I’d like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Brown. They live the next mile over to the east.” There was a short conversation and then, Mrs. Brown said to Mum,

 “You must come for tea soon. It seems we have a few things in common!” She winked at Mum. Then, her eyes widened, with an idea.

“Why don’t you join us before heading home. Alfred is always hungry after church and we’ve made a habit, on Sunday afternoons, of bringing something to eat to the little park down the way.”

Mum hesitated and looked at Dad. He shrugged.

Mrs. Brown continued. “It isn’t much, but the children can play, and we can get acquainted.” She took Mum by the arm, and they began walking down the street, speaking quietly.

“When is your child due?” Mum asked her.

“Late in the summer… and yours… must be a bit before that?”

Behind them, Mr. Brown waved away any objections Dad might have, with his hand, as he stopped by their wagon for a small basket. “Mary always brings more than we can eat in one sitting.” He lowered his voice a little. “Confidentially, I think she’s been hoping for just such an occasion as this.”

Dad nodded. “Thank you, Sid. I’ve hoped your wife and mine would get acquainted. Anna misses home and I know a friendship with another woman will do her good.”

After a small lunch of bread, jam, and cheese, the women sat on a bench watching John William and Alfred as they played. “So, you’re from Exeter?” Mum asked Mrs. Brown, as she bounced Eva Anna on her lap. “I learned lacemaking while living with my uncle and his family in Budleigh!”

“Budleigh is less than 15 miles from our home… our old home!” Mrs. Brown corrected herself. “Is that where you were living before you emigrated?”

Mum shook her head. “We lived on Isle of Wight. In Ryde.”

“Mmmm… I hear it’s lovely there.”

“It is. I was born and raised in Barnstaple, Devonshire. Arthur’s family has lived on the island for several generations back. My mum and sisters work in a manor house near Ryde.” Mum’s voice quieted slightly. “Someday I hope to return… for a visit, of course.” She said. ARJ saw her glance at him before returning to the conversation.

He followed a round brown beetle of some sort that waddled over the grass stems. It finally crawling over Dad’s boot before awkwardly flying off. The insect ricocheted off a couple tree trunks before landing in a bush.

Dad and Mr. Brown stood deep in conversation.

“There must have been twenty of them in a large group coming off your road. They were so riled up; I don’t think they noticed me coming from the west.”

ARJ’s heart bumped in his chest. He knew immediately who Mr. Brown was talking about.

“If it wasn’t for an abundance of lanterns, I might not have seen any of their faces.”

Dad, hands in his pockets, kept his eyes on the toes of his boots as Mr. Brown continued.

“I didn’t know what they were up to but, the way they were behaving, I knew it couldn’t be good.”

“So, you went to the Sheriff with the story.”

Mr. Brown nodded. “I tossed in bed that night, bothered by what I’d seen, and by morning I’d made my mind up. It needed to be reported.” Dad rubbed his beard with his hand as he listened.

“Of course, I didn’t know it was you they were talking about. It wasn’t until later that afternoon that the marshal and his deputy paid me a visit. They asked me to describe the men again, I suppose to make sure they brought in the right ones.”

“I’m indebted to you, Sid.” He held his hand out to Mr. Brown. They shook and Mr. Brown shrugged.

“I certainly hope things go well for you in court, Arthur.”

The days were busy now that the weather was

warmer. Mum worked on long strips of lace whenever she had a few minutes, Dad tended the crops with ARJ’s help, and Eva Anna practiced walking. ‘Baby Sister’ gave John William his own fulltime job as he kept her from the dangers she could now reach.

“John William, I thank you for your patience with little Eva Anna. She is surely into everything!” Mum said as she put tea on the table one evening. “Once ARJ is finished helping Dad, he can give you a break.”

Some afternoons, Mum brought her lacework out on the porch. ARJ and John William introduced their sister to the outdoor wonders of the farmyard. They took her hands and walked her down the drive, pointing to butterflies that drifted by on the breeze.