Miss Julia to the Rescue by Ann B. Ross Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ann B. Ross
strange religious goings-on. But,” I said with a smile, “Mildred thinks anything that’s not Presbyterian is strange.”
“Well, you know I don’t like to talk about folks you know, but…”
“Oh, I don’t know her, so go right ahead.”
Lillian nodded sagely. “An’ maybe you better
not
get to know her, not from the talk I hear goin’ ’round.”
“So you have heard of her. Well, tell me. I need something else to think about.”
Lillian squinched up her mouth as her eyes blinked several times. “Well, I don’t know much, jus’ some folks tellin’ at the AME Zion Church that they’s some kind of devilment goin’ on out in the county. They say that lady part of it, an’ the Rev’rend Abernathy, he say we better steer clear.”
“Really? Well, I certainly respect the Reverend Abernathy’s opinion.” Then I leaned forward to hear more. “What kind of devilment?”
“They say it awful, but nobody know ’zactly what. Somethin’ to do with earbobs an’ tattoos is all I heard.”
“My goodness, Lillian, half the young people in town have earrings and tattoos. And half the old men have tattoos if they’ve been in the navy—maybe the army, too—though they’re less likely to have earrings. Don’t tell me those people have drawn in impressionable young people—that would have a lot of parents up in arms. It’s bad enough when a child comes home with one earring, much less with
Mom
written on his arm.”
“No’m, I ain’t heard nothin’ like that. All I hear is they mostly like what used to be hippies till they went out of style. You know, people lookin’ for somethin’ new, then ending up with somethin’ old as the hills they jus’ think is new, but it jus’ comin’ back around.”
“Oh, yes, like those groups of men who sit in a circle and beat drums until they get enlightened or something. Which just sounds like a bunch of red Indians getting themselves worked up to go on the warpath.”
“Yessum, I guess,” Lillian said. “I ’member, though, that that Whitman lady’s name be part of it ’cause she a minister or something an’ they meet at her big place. The reverend, though, he jus’ zip his mouth up when folks start talkin’ ’bout it. He say it bad doin’s an’ none of his flock better be messin’ with it.”
“That does sound strange,” I said. Then, unable to sit still, I got up and paced the floor. “Well, things come and go, don’t they? You never know what fad is going to be next. That’s because people are always looking for answers when they don’t even know the questions.”
“You jus’ said a mouthful,” Lillian said.
The telephone rang then, and I nearly broke my neck getting to it. “Yes? I mean, hello.”
“Miss Julia,” Coleman said, “I just spoke with the Charleston Police Department, and they have no information on J.D. specifically, or on anything that’s occurred in the vicinity that he might be involved in.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
“So far. It’ll take awhile for the highway patrol to check all their areas, so we’ll have to wait on that. It could be tomorrow before we hear from them.”
“Oh, me, I don’t know how I can wait that long. Coleman, is there nothing else we can do?”
“I can’t think of anything. Just wait and hope J.D. calls in or the State Police get back to us.”
“You don’t suppose he’s on the way home?”
Coleman didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he said, “Not likely. He’d call if that was the case. He’d know Hazel Marie’s waiting to hear from him.”
“Yes, that’s true,” I agreed. “Well, she and the babies are coming over to eat with us, so if you hear anything, do let us know.”
“I will. I’ve got everybody here on alert for a call, so I’ll go on home. They’ll let me know if any news comes in.”
“Well, if it does, call me no matter what time of the day or night. I doubt I’ll be doing much sleeping anyway, what with both Sam and
“Well, you know I don’t like to talk about folks you know, but…”
“Oh, I don’t know her, so go right ahead.”
Lillian nodded sagely. “An’ maybe you better
not
get to know her, not from the talk I hear goin’ ’round.”
“So you have heard of her. Well, tell me. I need something else to think about.”
Lillian squinched up her mouth as her eyes blinked several times. “Well, I don’t know much, jus’ some folks tellin’ at the AME Zion Church that they’s some kind of devilment goin’ on out in the county. They say that lady part of it, an’ the Rev’rend Abernathy, he say we better steer clear.”
“Really? Well, I certainly respect the Reverend Abernathy’s opinion.” Then I leaned forward to hear more. “What kind of devilment?”
“They say it awful, but nobody know ’zactly what. Somethin’ to do with earbobs an’ tattoos is all I heard.”
“My goodness, Lillian, half the young people in town have earrings and tattoos. And half the old men have tattoos if they’ve been in the navy—maybe the army, too—though they’re less likely to have earrings. Don’t tell me those people have drawn in impressionable young people—that would have a lot of parents up in arms. It’s bad enough when a child comes home with one earring, much less with
Mom
written on his arm.”
“No’m, I ain’t heard nothin’ like that. All I hear is they mostly like what used to be hippies till they went out of style. You know, people lookin’ for somethin’ new, then ending up with somethin’ old as the hills they jus’ think is new, but it jus’ comin’ back around.”
“Oh, yes, like those groups of men who sit in a circle and beat drums until they get enlightened or something. Which just sounds like a bunch of red Indians getting themselves worked up to go on the warpath.”
“Yessum, I guess,” Lillian said. “I ’member, though, that that Whitman lady’s name be part of it ’cause she a minister or something an’ they meet at her big place. The reverend, though, he jus’ zip his mouth up when folks start talkin’ ’bout it. He say it bad doin’s an’ none of his flock better be messin’ with it.”
“That does sound strange,” I said. Then, unable to sit still, I got up and paced the floor. “Well, things come and go, don’t they? You never know what fad is going to be next. That’s because people are always looking for answers when they don’t even know the questions.”
“You jus’ said a mouthful,” Lillian said.
The telephone rang then, and I nearly broke my neck getting to it. “Yes? I mean, hello.”
“Miss Julia,” Coleman said, “I just spoke with the Charleston Police Department, and they have no information on J.D. specifically, or on anything that’s occurred in the vicinity that he might be involved in.”
“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”
“So far. It’ll take awhile for the highway patrol to check all their areas, so we’ll have to wait on that. It could be tomorrow before we hear from them.”
“Oh, me, I don’t know how I can wait that long. Coleman, is there nothing else we can do?”
“I can’t think of anything. Just wait and hope J.D. calls in or the State Police get back to us.”
“You don’t suppose he’s on the way home?”
Coleman didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he said, “Not likely. He’d call if that was the case. He’d know Hazel Marie’s waiting to hear from him.”
“Yes, that’s true,” I agreed. “Well, she and the babies are coming over to eat with us, so if you hear anything, do let us know.”
“I will. I’ve got everybody here on alert for a call, so I’ll go on home. They’ll let me know if any news comes in.”
“Well, if it does, call me no matter what time of the day or night. I doubt I’ll be doing much sleeping anyway, what with both Sam and