Free Midnight Rescue / The Proposal / Christy's Choice by Catherine Marshall Page A

agreeing about moonshine.
    â€œI might as well ask you the same thing, Doctor,” the preacher said in a low whisper of a voice. “What gives you the right to condone evil? Are you doing these people a favor by defending their addiction to moonshine? The Bible says we must love the sinner, even though we hate the sin. And by hating the sin, and resisting the sin, perhaps we can help to free the sinner. That’s why I preached against moonshine. Not because I don’t care about these people, but because I do .”
    â€œWell, I’m just one man, doing what little I can to help,” the doctor said. “You can’t change the world overnight. Unfortunately, you and Christy haven’t figured that out yet. I have.”
    â€œHow can you be so arrogant?” Miz Christy demanded.
    Ruby Mae gasped. She wasn’t positive what arrogant meant, but she was pretty sure it wasn’t the nicest thing in the world you could be.
    The doctor started toward the door, then paused. “Funny. I was going to ask you two the same thing.” The shed door closed behind him.
    â€œHe’s awful riled, ain’t he?” Ruby Mae whispered.
    â€œWe all are,” Miz Christy said with a sigh. “Well, there’s nothing more we can do here tonight. Come on, Ruby Mae. We’ll check on Prince in the morning. He just needs some rest now.”
    â€œNo!” Ruby Mae cried. “I’m not leavin’ him alone.”
    â€œYou can’t stay,” the preacher said gently. “It isn’t safe out here. I’ll keep an ear open for anything unusual. Prince will be fine. I promise.”
    â€œLot of good that’ll do me,” Ruby Mae said bitterly. “You’re the reason we’re in this fix.” She turned to Miz Christy. She was Ruby Mae’s only hope. “Please, Miz Christy. Let me stay here. You know I’ll be all right.” Tears spilled down Ruby Mae’s cheeks. “If’n I’d been here before, Miz Christy, maybe I could have saved Prince.”
    But Miz Christy just shook her head. “If you’d have been here before, you might have been hurt yourself, Ruby Mae. I’m sorry, but David’s right. You head on upstairs. We’ll check on Prince in the morning.”
    â€œBut—”
    â€œNo, Ruby Mae. You need your sleep for school tomorrow. And Prince needs to rest up, too.”
    There was no point in fighting them. She was outnumbered. Ruby Mae kissed Prince gently on the muzzle. “You’ll be back to your old self in no time, boy,” she whispered. “Don’t you worry.”
    Ruby Mae ran back to her room, crying all the way. She was still crying when she finally drifted off to sleep.
    When Christy got home from school the next afternoon, she found an envelope with her name on it, sitting on the dining room table. “What’s this?” she called to Miss Ida.
    Miss Ida came in from the kitchen, wiping flour-covered hands on her crisp apron. “A note from the doctor.”
    â€œA note? But why would he write me a note? Isn’t he upstairs?”
    Miss Ida shook her head. “He left for home about an hour ago. I tried to stop him. Told him he looked like death warmed over and that you and Miss Alice would be furious. Besides, it appears there’s a big storm coming on. But you know the doctor. Stubbornest man that ever laid foot on God’s green earth.”
    â€œHe left?” Christy dropped into a chair, rubbing her eyes. “This is awful. It’s all because of the terrible fight we had last night after we found Prince. I wondered why the doctor didn’t come down to breakfast this morning. David and I should have tried to resolve things with him.”
    â€œYou know the doctor was hankering to get back to his own cabin, anyway,” Miss Ida said. “He asked me today how I could believe in a merciful God when He allows Ruby Mae to keep making