Raising Faith by Melody Carlson Read Free Book Online Page B

as she pulled on her coat.
    “Don’t you look pretty,” said Grandma. “You girls have fun now.”
    Morgan thought that was probably unlikely. She did like Miss McPhearson, but the old woman could be moody sometimes. And it would probably set her off if her young guests arrived late. But fortunately, they made it on time. Cara, Miss McPhearson’s housekeeper and Amy’s friend, answered the door and took them to the parlor. “May I take your coats?” she asked. As the other girls gave her their coats, Morgan slipped the purple socks from her pocket and rolled them up and hid them in her hand. Maybe it was silly to give Miss McPhearson socks. She didn’t even know if they would fit. But it was too late to put them back in her coat pocket because Cara was taking their coats away.
    “Welcome,” said Miss McPhearson as she entered the room. “Please, have a seat.”
    The three girls sat down and, as usual, Miss McPhearson directed most of her conversation to Amy. Amy was the one who originally befriended the lonely old woman.But the other girls had gotten to know her as well. And as odd as it might seem to someone who didn’t get it, they all got along fairly well. At least as long as the girls minded their manners. Miss McPhearson was a stickler for manners. Sometimes Morgan thought the purpose of their visits and teas was so that she could turn them all into little ladies. Still, it was interesting, and Miss McPhearson’s house, set high on a bluff overlooking the ocean, was like a museum full of interesting old stories.
    “What’s that in your hand, Morgan?” Miss McPhearson asked as Amy poured the tea.
    Morgan swallowed. “I, uh, I brought something for you, Miss McPhearson.”
    “Well, what is it?” the old woman said impatiently.
    “Something I made,” explained Morgan. “But I’m not sure they’re the right size. I wasn’t really thinking.”
    Miss McPhearson held out her hand, and Morgan set the pair of socks in it. “What is this?”
    “They’re socks,” said Morgan. “Polar fleece socks. I made some for my grandma, and she really liked them. I thought you might like them too.”
    Miss McPhearson unrolled the socks and held them out to examine them. “Very interesting, Morgan. Thank you very much.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    Then Miss McPhearson set the bright purple socks aside in a way that made Morgan think it had probablybeen a mistake after all. “Where are the other girls?” she asked. “Emily and Chelsea?” Amy explained about the ski trip, and Miss McPhearson immediately launched into a colorful story about the first time she and her family went skiing, up at the very same lodge, and how she broke her leg on the very first run. “I never skied again.”
    Morgan just hoped that wouldn’t be the case with Emily. Or Chelsea, for that matter. She shot up a little prayer for both of them to come home safely and in one piece.

chapter six
    Morgan missed Emily at church on Sunday. And although she sat with Mom and Grandma, she felt lonely. It seemed wrong not having Emily there, not sitting up in the front pew together. And it didn’t feel right having a whole Sunday afternoon without Emily, and without having a meeting at the clubhouse since Amy was working and Carlie was watching her brothers. But Morgan used the afternoon to sew up more socks. By the time Mom told her to go to bed, she had ten pairs completely finished.
    “Can you sell these in your store?” Morgan asked her mom.
    Mom examined a pair of red and green socks. “I don’t see why not. Can you think of a way to connect them together so the pairs don’t get mixed up? Maybe make a tag with the size and the price on it?”
    “Sure.”
    The next morning, Morgan got up early and made tags for her socks. She sewed a piece of yarn to connect the socks and the tags. Then she emptied her scarf basket and filled it with the ten pairs of socks. By the time shefinished, she thought the whole thing looked very