Free The Glorious Prodigal by Gilbert Morris Page B

abruptly, “What about me, Ellie? Will you have me?”
    Tears came into Ellie Mason’s eyes. She dropped her head, and her shoulders began to shake.
    “Here, Ellie. Don’t carry on so,” Ace said quickly. He put his arm around her, and suddenly she embraced him.
    From across the room Leah was watching them. Her heart warmed suddenly as she turned to Stuart. “Look,” she said. “Isn’t that sweet?”
    “It’s about time those two got hitched,” Stuart said. “Come on. Let’s go see if we can’t shove them into a marriage.”
    ****
    “Looks like a man ought to be able to do something other than build fences.”
    Merle Waters looked up with surprise at Stuart’s remark. They had been working on a stretch of fence that would hold in the new group of colts that had come. With winter approaching, they needed to get the post-holes dug before the ground froze. “Why, I guess somebody has to build fences,Mr. Stuart,” he said. “Them new colts gotta have a place to grow up. They’re mighty fine. You’s gonna have a good herd. They be mighty good stock for you.”
    He leaned on the post-hole digger, his eyes thoughtful. For several months he had observed how Stuart Winslow had thrown himself into the work. To Merle it had been somewhat alarming, and he had told Annie, “That man needs to have some fun.”
    “Don’t argufy with him, Merle,” Annie said. “It’s about time he worked.”
    “I know, but he done cut off all his playin’, and all he do now is work like a crazy man.”
    “I think he’s trying to show his family he can work iffen he have a mind to.”
    “Works fine, but he gotta have some other life.”
    Now as Merle studied Winslow, he saw a restlessness he had seen before from time to time. He’s like one of them there volcanoes just waitin’ to blow off, he thought.
    The two worked on for another hour. Finally Stuart looked at Merle, and his mouth turned downward. “I’ve dug enough post holes,” he announced.
    “Yes, sir, boss. You go back to the house. I’ll finish up.”
    Without another word Stuart left the field. His back was straight as he stalked toward the house, and Merle shook his head. There was an ancient wisdom in the black man, and he said, “Looks like that volcano’s gonna blow mighty soon.”
    Leah was in the kitchen cooking supper with Annie. She heard the door slam and said, “I guess that’s Stuart. He came in early.”
    “You go get ready. If you folks are going to that camp meeting, you’ll have to prettify yourself up. You don’t worry none about Raimey. I’ll take care of him.”
    “We can take him with us.”
    “There ain’t no need of that. He’s too young to enjoy preachin’. He ain’t even a year old yet.”
    “He will be next month.”
    Leah removed her apron and headed toward the bedroom. As she passed the bathroom, she heard Stuart splashing in the tub and went at once into the bedroom. She sat down and wrote in her journal for a few moments.
    Stuart has worked so hard the past few months. Too hard really. I’m going to try to get him to take a vacation. Maybe he and Raimey and I could go to St. Louis and visit Mother.
    She hesitated for a few moments and then added:
    He seems so tense, and I worry about him. But at least he hasn’t been playing at dances in a while. He won’t even play his violin around the house, which grieves me. He loves music so much. He’s got to find some kind of balance.
    She heard Stuart’s footsteps and quickly closed the journal and put it back under some clothes in her armoire. For some reason she did not want him to know that she even kept a journal, though she suspected he did.
    “Well, I’m glad you quit early,” she said. “Let me go take my bath, and then we’ll get an early start.”
    “I’m not going to the meeting.”
    Leah blinked with surprise. “Not going! I thought you said—”
    “I know what I said,” Stuart said. Stuart’s voice had a hard edge, and he turned to face her. His jaw