The Trouble with Books
Hope nodded in understanding, sad to hear that the money Mr. Canton had been spending for the library to get more books had run out. If people weren’t borrowing the books, there’d be no one to support the library itself. “Perhaps now that I’m here, I can encourage parents to check out books for their children, maybe give a little extra if they can. I’m hoping to speak to Mr. Stewart soon about obtaining books for the school. Maybe I can mention the library then as well. With his support….”
Mr. Canton cut her off with a shake of his head. “The superintendent is for learning, but he is very careful about what he expects students to read. He would say everyone has a copy of the Bible—let them read that.”
“The Bible?” Hope echoed. “Why, that’s one of the most difficult books to read. How would a child learn to read by studying a book written with words that we no longer use, like thee and thou?”
“You’re preachin’ to the choir, miss,” Canton replied. “If you can get an answer for that, please let me know.”
Hope let out a sigh of frustration but realized Mr. Canton could be an ally to her. They both needed support from the school board and the rest of the community. “Do you mind if I borrow a book?”
“No, please do,” he said with a smile, likely happy to have moved to another subject.
Hope began to explore the aisles of books, not really sure what she was looking for. She still had over a half an hour before she had to meet Mrs. Howard, but she kept one eye on the cuckoo clock on the wall to make sure she didn’t get lost in the pages. Eventually, she settled on a well-loved copy of A Tale of Two Cities and brought it over to Mr. Canton so he could make note.
“Dickens. One of my favorite authors. Have you read this one?”
“I have.” She smiled, thinking about the last time she’d flipped through these pages, sitting by the hearth while her mother embroidered. She’d read it aloud to her mother and sister, and Faith had gushed about how noble Lucie was. Thinking of her family made Hope long for home, and she had to push those memories aside.
“Did you bring any books with you?” Mr. Canton asked, handing over the volume.
“Only a few. I brought some I thought the children might like—Gulliver’s Travels. Little Women. Frankenstein.”
“Oh, yes, all good ones. We have some other volumes of Louisa May Alcott if you ever care to borrow them.” He gestured to a shelf Hope hadn’t made it to, and she made a mental note. She was very fond of Miss Alcott’s writing style and especially loved Little Women because of its mention of the war; it reminded her of her parents.
“I will have to choose one next time.” Hope smiled, tucking the book under her arm. “Thank you very much, Mr. Canton. It was lovely to meet you.”
“You, too, Miss Tucker. As I said, we are very lucky to have you in our little town. I hope you’ll be happy here.” He pressed his lips together, the ends turning up in a partial smile. His eyes widened slightly, as if he wanted to say something else but wasn’t sure, so Hope continued to stare at him expectantly. “You… you should know, not everything you hear in these parts is true. Give folks a chance.” He gave a solid nod, as if that was all he intended to say about that, and then moved away from her.
Hope’s forehead crinkled. She wasn’t quite sure what he was trying to say, but she thanked him one more time and then moved toward the door. Whatever might he be talking about?
The square was definitely busier now than it had been when she’d stepped inside the library, and standing on the walkway with the door in her hand, she remembered her encounter with Judah Lawless. A chill went up her spine. He didn’t at all seem like the sort of man who could kill another person, particularly not his own wives. But then, Hope had heard tell of plenty of men who were nice enough to your face, and the next thing you know, they were shooting up a saloon, robbing a bank, or stealing horses. She had no reason to think Judah Lawless was a bad person, but surely the townsfolk knew him better than she did.
She let go of the door and tried to push the thoughts aside. Moving to McKinney had been about teaching the children and nothing more. What she thought about Judah Lawless had nothing to do with anything. With only a few minutes to spare, she hurried to the other side of the square where the bank was located, hoping to see Nita on the way.
It was a bright day, and Hope pulled her bonnet down a bit to block the sun. With only one side of the square left to traverse, she saw a familiar figure coming from the other direction and couldn’t help but smile. Nita’s straight back and slender figure were easy to pick out despite there being plenty of other folks going about their daily routine and entering and exiting the shops.
Once she was certain Nita could see her, Hope gave a little wave, and Nita waved back. Picking up her pace, Hope soon joined her outside of the establishment. “How has your morning been?” she asked, glad to see another friendly face.
“Fair to middlin’,” Nita replied. “What’s that under your arm?”
“Oh, I found the library.” She held the book up for Nita to see. “I was so excited to find out the town has one. Mr. Canton is a wonderful fellow.”
Nita nodded, but there was something about her expression that wasn’t quite as pleased as Hope had imagined. “Well, come on, now. Let’s go speak to Mr. Stewart before he gets too busy.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
