Love's Abiding Joy (Love Comes Softly #4)(50)

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that wasn't busy with the crutch. He traveled to the garden and helped to dig the last of Missie's vegetables. He went with Nathan to gather eggs and prepared fryers for Sunday dinner. Watching him move about with confidence and assurance, Marty marvelled and rejoiced.

Missie, too, was glad to see her father up and around again. But she still could not keep from fussing over him. In her admiration for him, she chose to show her love by trying to make him comfortable whenever she came near him, by feeding him special treats from the kitchen, by entertaining him with chats and games. Marty could no longer ignore her concern. Surely Willie could not help but miss the attention that should rightly have been his.

Marty took a walk, hardly knowing how to handle her problem. Certainly Clark was loved in Missie's home. Willie had great respect for him. Missie loved him deeply, and the boys doted on their grandfather. Still, Willie's immediate family needed their own father and husband, and he needed Missie and their sons.

Marty wondered just how to discuss the problem with Clark. Would he see her concern and understand? What could they do? They were committed now to staying for the winter. And it wasn't possible to live in Missie's home and shut oneself away.

At last Marty decided that she must at least talk about the problem with Clark. If he did not see it as anything to get concerned about, then Marty too would try once again to put it from her mind.

That night after they had retired, Marty timidly broached the subject. She hoped Clark wouldn't think that she was just being foolish.

"I've been a-thinkin'," said Marty slowly. "It must be rather difficult fer Willie with us here."

"Willie?"

"Well, it wouldn't be, normally. But now, with yer accident an' all."

"I try not to cut in on Willie's time," answered Clark. "I know thet he's a very busy man. I've even found a few little



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ways thet I've been able to help lately."

"Oh, Willie ain't feelin' thet yer a loafer," assured Marty quickly. "I know thet. He's always tellin' me jest how special it is for 'im to have ya here. An' he tells me too of how ya been organizin' the corrals an' fixin' up his barn."

"Yer talkin"bout his family, huh?"

"Ya mean--"

"I've been thinkin' on it, too. Missie fusses far too much. It's done in love, an' I 'preciate it, but it don't leave her much time fer fussin' over her husband--over the boys, too. I love 'em both dearly. But they're gittin' so's they come to me when they scratch a knee or pound a finger."

"You've noticed!" exclaimed Marty with relief.

"I've noticed. An' now thet you've noticed, it won't be near so hard fer me to make the suggestion thet I been thinkin' on." "Suggestion?"

"Well, we can't jest up an' pull out now. They do need us to git thet there little church started. We can't leave 'em now, Marty."

Marty agreed.

"An' it don't seem too smart to be a-carryin' on here in the same household as Willie an' Missie. Two families in the same house--especially when one of 'em is the grandparents--often don't work so good."

"So?" Marty queried.

"So I think thet it's 'bout time fer a move."

"A move? Now where could we move? Yer not thinkin' of goin' into thet wild town--"

Clark stopped her with a laugh. "No, no wild town." "Then--"

"The soddy."

"The--the soddy?" Marty was incredulous.

"Why not? Willie and Missie lived in it fer two winters, an' they had Nathan at the time. Surely you an' me could stand it fer one. Jest the two of us. I've been thinkin' thet it might even be fun." Marty still looked unconvinced.

"I've been checkin' it over," Clark went on enthusiastically. "The walls are sturdy, the windows in place. The roof looks



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real good. Guess Willie jest had a new one put on to humor Missie fer our comin' out here. No reason a'tall why we couldn't be nice an' comfy fer the winter there."

Marty's initial aversion to the idea began to drain away. She laughed softly. "Well, I never dreamed thet I'd be livin' in a soddy. An' at my age!"

"Ya keep referrin' to yer age," said Clark. "I refuse to consider myself married to an old woman, so ya jest better stop sayin' thet."

Marty laughed again.

"Well," prompted Clark. "What 'bout the soddy? Ya willin'? It still has the furniture--such as it is."

"Why not?" said Marty. "Think of the time thet I'll have jest to sit an' read or sew. Not much to keepin' a soddy up."

"Then it's settled. We'll move in first thing tomarra."

"Don't ya think thet Missie might need some time to be thinkin' on the idea?"

"She'll git used to it. Ya give her time, an' she might jest think of all the reasons why we shouldn't."

"Maybe," agreed Marty. "All right, we'll move tomarra then."

She kissed Clark and turned over to go to sleep. In the darkness, a smile played around her lips. She and Clark were going to live in a soddy! Wouldn't her friends back home think that something else? Well, she'd have her share of experiences to tell them, that was for sure. She could hardly wait to write a letter back home to the children. Imagine that--she and Clark living in a soddy!