Free Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr Page B

two steps before she had to slow her pace because the bottoms of her feet were so tender from the ill-fitting boots. She mounted two more steps, stopped abruptly, and groaned in frustration. She had left her garden tools in his shed, but to make matters even worse, she realized she had forgotten her shawl, which meant she had to go back and fetch it later.
    “Mercy!” she exclaimed and grumbled her way up the rest of the steps. She eased the door at the top open and was barely in the hall before she caught the aroma of fried bacon. With her stomach growling, she stopped in her room only long enough to deposit the boots before hurrying down to the kitchen.
    Phanaby met her in the hallway. “I thought I heard you come home,” she said and handed Ruth several newspapers. “Amos Sloan sent these over special, just half an hour ago when the first ship at the docks was unloaded, because he was afraid once the news spread, he wouldn’t be able to keep his wife from selling them at twice the price. Reverend Livingstone’s trial is over, Ruth. It’s finally over.”
    Trembling with joy and disbelief that the nightmare had finally ended, Ruth stared at the headline in the Sun for several long heartbeats and whispered it out loud: “Not guilty.”
    One by one, she scanned the headlines in the Herald , the Transcript , and the Galaxy , all of them dated several days ago, to make certain the verdict was the same in each newspaper before she remembered to breathe. Her heart fairly quivered with happiness, and with tears pouring down her cheeks, she finally looked up and met Phanaby’s gaze.
    Phanaby was crying now, too. “Reverend Livingstone’s been acquitted! He’s been acquitted! Now he can continue with his ministry so he can help other women like you,” she managed and swiped at her tears. “Most folks won’t be satisfied with this verdict, and they wouldn’t understand why we are simply overjoyed,” she cautioned, “but it’s a blessing to be able to share this news with you here, in the privacy of our own home.”
    Ruth smiled through her tears and trembled with many emotions that wrapped her heart with a joy not even Phanaby or Elias could understand. They did not know that Rev. Livingstone was her beloved father.
    Now his faith in God had been rewarded and he was free.
    Now the whole world had to accept that he had been wrongly accused of a very horrific crime, and when she clipped these articles and added them to the ones she had cut out from the newspapers before, she would not have to fear there would be any more.
    And now, one day very soon, she would finally be able to go home and reclaim the life she had left behind.
    Praise God, she was going home!

Ten

    Glancing down at the little girl she carried on one hip, Ruth smiled, noting that Lily had a wardrobe far finer than Ruth had ever owned. Lily looked like an angel this afternoon. Her pale blue frock was just a shade lighter than her eyes. The dainty embroidered daffodil that rested in the fabric right over her heart was nearly identical in color to the ringlets that framed her pudgy little cheeks, although most of her hair was hidden by a sweet little straw bonnet with butter yellow ribbons tied beneath her chin.
    For once, the little imp was even acting like an angel while Ruth carried her up Water Street to complete a number of errands. Instead of constantly squirming and trying to climb down, Lily sat contentedly, chattering her usual gibberish while she played with the trim on the collar of Ruth’s gown.
    Ruth caught a glimpse of the two tiny white scars on her wrist, and her smile deepened. Lily had not bitten her again, either, which was a relief since she did not know if she would ever have the courage to put Phanaby’s advice into practice and bite Lily back.
    When they reached Main Street, she set Lily down onto the planked sidewalk. “Hold still a moment,” she urged and tugged at the hem of Lily’s frock until it fell neatly again in