Free No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan Page A

look.
    "Somethin' wrong?"
    Jube's face flushed pink. "Naw ... Emily's right purty, ain't
she?"
    Luke forced himself to keep from laughing, knowing how sensitive Jube was. Now he was beginning to get the picture. Quiet
Jube was sweet on shy Emily.

    "She shore is. Does she know how you feel, Jube?"
    "I kinda think she might. I'm not much with words.. "
    "Better let her know. You could lose her to that new preacher
man."
    "Aw, I don't think so. Besides, Bill has his eye on Crystal."
    Luke's head swung around, eyebrows cocked, surprised at Jube's
observation. "Well, he can shore enough have her. That little spitfire spells trouble. 'Course, I can't see her making a good preacher's
wife-she's too mouthy."

    Crystal tried not to act surprised when Charles stopped the
wagon before a crude structure, which was partially in the ground
and appeared to be made out of mud. As Charles helped the womenfolk down, he explained that their home was a sod house.
    "Come on in. You'll find this is the coolest house in the valley,"
Sara commented with pride in her voice.
    To her amazement, upon entering the homey interior, Crystal
found it refreshing and cool. The inside of the soddy was plastered
with pink clay.
    "However in the world did you build this?" she asked as Beth
took her hat and gloves.
    "We got the clay from the banks of dry streambeds, and we
cut the sod with a plow in long slabs for walls. It looks a little
primitive, but it's cool in the summer and warm in the winter,"
Charles said in a heavy northern accent. He showed her into the
kitchen, where Emily and Sara had already donned aprons and now proceeded to heat up their lunch, which had been prepared
earlier that morning.

    Crystal turned to where Sara was busy stirring gravy in a heavy
iron skillet. "Can I help do something?"
    "You are our guest. Just have a seat at the table, and we'll
have dinner ready in no time," Sara said over her shoulder. "The
preacher should be here any minute. He looked like he's in need
of some home cooking." She laughed good-naturedly.
    Beth set the table with rose-patterned dishes that were now
well-worn and chipped. Crystal was sure the frayed linen napkins once graced a beautiful table back East. The entire scene
touched a cord in Crystal's heart as she observed the family's
humble home and their pride in farming in this wild territory.
    Before too long, the rawboned preacher arrived and apologized that he had kept them waiting. Sara directed him to a chair
next to Emily and said, "Emily has been keeping an eye out for
you." Sara cast a meaningful look in Charles's direction, which
the reverend ignored.
    Emily stared down at her hands in her lap. Crystal was sure
that Emily's thoughts had not been on Bill Alden.
    Lunch consisted of steak and gravy, boiled potatoes, biscuits
the size of a man's fist, and rhubarb pie for dessert. Throughout
the meal, Emily quizzed Crystal about the South, and even Beth
seemed to warm to Crystal's friendliness. Crystal told them of
the special lushness of the trees and its many varieties of flowers, and Georgia's hazy mornings and high humidity.
    "Must be the reason for your creamy complexion. I declare,
this dry weather is so rough on skin;' Sara commented.

    Bill Alden hardly took his eyes off Crystal the entire meal, and
later, over coffee, he told her he had promised Kate to bring her
home on his way back. Crystal would have sooner walked but
saw no tactful way to reject his offer.
    She enjoyed her afternoon spent with the easygoing Johnsons,
and the ride back to the ranch was not altogether unpleasant.
Although eloquent when sermonizing, Bill was as nervous as a
sinner on a church pew as he sat next to Crystal on the wagon.
Crystal was naturally gregarious and took no notice when he
stammered replies, which seemed to put him at ease. She could
tell he was disappointed that their ride was not longer when he
slowed down before he reached the porch. She thanked him for
the