Miriam's Secret by Jerry S. Eicher Read Free Book Online Page B

perplexed look on her face. “Of course! You don’t know what that is.”
    â€œI do so,” she’d protested.
    â€œJust call,” he’d said with sweetness in his voice.
    Well, she hadn’t planned to make the first call, let alone one at ten o’clock at night, but here she was. Jonas probably stayed up till all hours anyway. Didn’t rich people live like that?
    â€œHello!”
    Her voice squeaked when she responded, “Hi, Jonas. This is Shirley. Shirley Yoder.”
    â€œOh, Shirley!” His voice brightened. “I didn’t recognize the number. So how are you doing?”
    â€œYou can’t imagine.” Her breath was short, she knew, but she was in a hurry. “Look, Jonas, I can’t be in Berlin tomorrow and maybe not for some time. My parents found out about us…and there’s trouble.”
    â€œI see.” He sounded troubled himself. “Is there something I can do?”
    â€œI wish.”
    â€œYou’re not cutting me off, are you?”
    â€œOf course not!” The denial rushed out of her mouth almost involuntarily. “I just don’t know how to…well…keep in touch.”
    â€œWe’ll figure out some way.” His voice was tender. “Call me when you can, and I’ll see what I can do.”
    â€œDon’t come by the house, okay?”
    â€œI won’t. I promise.” There was a crackle on the phone. “I’ll see you later, Shirley. Don’t worry, okay?”
    â€œOkay.” Shirley hung up. She tried to quiet the pounding of her heart. Oh, this was such a mess, but she couldn’t let Jonas go. Later she would try, but not now.

Chapter Seven

    O n Thursday morning the sun shone through the open upstairs bedroom window as Miriam changed into her black Sunday dress. She’d mourned for Mr. Bland often in the past few days and at the viewing last night. She missed the relationship she used to have with him. He’d been almost like a second daett to her, although she would never mention such a thing here at home. Mr. Bland was Englisha . She shouldn’t have such feelings about him. Still, their relationship had grown deep and, like Shirley, she couldn’t control how she felt about certain things. At least her affection for Mr. Bland hadn’t been wrong like Shirley’s was for Jonas.
    The dark-blue drapes moved in the morning breeze as Miriam put in the last of her dress pins. Mr. Bland’s sister, Rose, had said last night she’d be here at nine to pick her up for the funeral. It would be best if she was ready ahead of time. It wouldn’t bedecent if Rose had to wait. Thankfully, there’d been time to wash and dry the breakfast dishes downstairs. She’d also been able to help Shirley with some mending. That was one gut thing that had come out of her few days off this week. She had time to help catch up with the household work, which always seemed to pile up in a house with ten children.
    What hadn’t helped was the tension in the house over Shirley’s attraction to Jonas Beachy. She’d even gone to call him on Monday night right after the lecture Daett had given her! So far the older ones had kept the situation from the younger kinner , but that surely wouldn’t last long. Sometimes Miriam despaired for Shirley and her gut intentions that often didn’t pan out. Why couldn’t Shirley just do what was right? But one must not give up hope. With the Lord’s help they would make it through Shirley’s troubled time. At least Shirley could be kept away from Berlin until this was safely over. Miriam had taken care of the shopping on Tuesday, and she would continue to do so after she began work tomorrow in the Berlin Gospel Bookstore.
    A dark cloud passed over Miriam’s face. The pay at the bookstore would be considerably less than what Mr. Bland had been giving her. How would her parents deal with this drop in income?