Granny sank into a chair by the kitchen table. Kelly wanted to do the same, but the room was spinning.

  “Whoa!” cried Granny. She quickly pushed a chair under Kelly. “Please, don’t pass out, Kelly. I can’t carry you.” Granny brought her a cold, wet washcloth. After a while, she asked, “Do you think, if I helped, you could make it to the sofa?”

  Kelly rose, then sliding the chair ahead of her for balance, she walked to the sofa. Granny helped her drink some hot tea, and then covered her with a warm quilt. “Just try to sleep,” Granny urged.

  Granny sat down with some knitting in the rocker beside Kelly. Kelly drifted off to sleep watching the needles flashing in the dim light.

  Kelly slept all afternoon. When she woke up, her headache was almost gone. Granny brought her another cup of tea and a slice of buttered toast. “I’ll help you do the chores,” she said.

  “No, Granny,” Kelly protested. “It won’t take me long to do the chores.” Kelly shared her toast with Tulip, who had slept by her side.

  “Don’t forget to take the cat along to the barn,” Granny called as Kelly left.

  Tulip followed Kelly to the barn. After milking Buttercup, Kelly filled the cats’ bowl with milk. She was relieved to see the other two cats join Tulip. The wind sounded louder in the barn. Kelly didn’t spend much time petting the animals.

  She was glad to finally return to the house. As she pushed the door open, something squeezed past her. “Tulip!” she scolded. “Granny, Tulip followed me back into the house. Can I keep her in here with us?”

  Granny smiled. “What will yo’ papa say when he comes back and finds out you have a house cat?” Seeing the sad look on Kelly’s face at the mention of Papa, Granny relented. “It will probably be all right. The cat will be good company for us.”

  Tulip trotted beside Kelly all the way to the top, when she went to light the lamp. Kelly picked up the field glass. She surveyed the ocean all the way around. There were no ships or smaller boats in sight. The waves were high and white-capped. The sun was setting behind a bank of clouds. “Oh, Papa,” Kelly whispered. “Where are you?”

  Tulip wrapped herself around Kelly’s legs, as if offering comfort. Kelly picked up the fat, orange-striped cat and snuggled her close. After checking on the lamp again, Kelly picked up the lantern and hurried down the seventy-eight steps with Tulip padding beside her.

  After the dishes were finished, Kelly found an old towel. “I’m taking this along up for Tulip’s bed,” Kelly explained. She gathered her school books, too. Granny stuffed her knitting in a bag ready to join her. Kelly didn’t protest. She wanted Granny up there beside her.

  The evening passed quietly while Kelly did her school lessons and Granny worked on her knitting. Before going to sleep Kelly used the field glass again and as before saw no other sign of life. It made her feel lonely. Tulip twined around her ankles. Kelly scooped her up. “You are getting so fat,” she scolded the cat gently. “Have you been hogging all the mice in the barn?” Tulip only purred in response.

  Kelly looked out at the high waves again. “Granny, do you think I should start the fog horn?”

  Granny joined her at the windows. “Visibility seems pretty good, don’t you think?”

  “It’s hard to tell,” Kelly said. “The waves are really high.”

  “Do what you think,” Granny answered. “You’ve had more experience than I have.”

  After debating awhile, Kelly decided to wait. As she lay down to sleep, Tulip snuggled under the covers and curled up against Kelly. The cat’s purring soon lulled Kelly to sleep.

  Kelly woke with a start. The lamp was burning low. She quickly trimmed the wick and added more fuel. When she looked out the windows, she knew it was time to start the fog horn. A heavy snow was blowing.

  After starting the fog horn, Kelly felt restless. Granny was sleeping soundly with her arm around the sleeping cat. Kelly paced the circular room. The snow was plastering against the windows. Even the light could not penetrate the darkness. Where is Papa? Kelly wondered. Granny’s reminder to not speculate, but pray, came back to Kelly.

  “Sweet Jesus,” Kelly whispered. “Please, bring Papa home. Please keep him safe. Help Homer find him. Help him get away from those bad men. Dear God, I ask this in Your Son Jesus’ Name. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.” Kelly felt herself relax and snuggled under the covers again.

  The next morning, the snow was still blowing. It was a little brighter, but not much. Kelly refilled the lamp and left it burning. Granny went downstairs while she was cleaning the windows.

  After gathering her books, Kelly looked around. “Come on, Tulip. Let’s go.” The cat meowed but didn’t move. Finally, Kelly scooped up the cat, towel and all, and carried her downstairs.

  After chores and the breakfast dishes, Kelly got out the supplies to begin a new quilt. “Where is the baby quilt yo’ mama made for you, Kelly?” asked Granny.

  Kelly went to get it from the bedroom. As she came out, she stopped to peek at the lazy cat, still curled on the old towel. “Granny!” she squealed. “Tulip has kittens!” Kelly looked closer. “Oh, my! She has four of them.”

  “Leave them be for now, Kelly. New mama cats don’t like to be bothered. You can look at them later. Come, I want to show you something on the quilt. We hid some things inside.”

  Kelly smiled. “I know, I found the ring.”

  “What ring?” asked Granny. “How could you find the ring without taking the quilt apart?”

  “It’s right on the corner.” Kelly quickly took the quilt closer to the lantern. She carefully opened her stitches again. As soon as she was able to wiggle a finger inside, she felt around for the ring. Impatiently, she opened a few more stitches. The second time, she could put her finger and thumb inside. She carefully worked to pulled out the ring.

  Triumphantly, she held the ring in the lantern light. “This ring,” she said, breathlessly.

  Granny took the ring and studied it. “That purple in the center looks to be pure amethyst. I’m guessin’ the smaller stones on the side are real diamonds.”

  “Was it Mama’s?”

  Granny slowly shook her head. “I’ve never seen that ring before, and I doubt that yo’ mama did either.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The Black Sloop

  “BUT WHO PUT IT INSIDE the quilt?” asked Kelly. The ring sparkled as she turned it in her hand.

  “I don’t know,” answered Granny, “but we didn’t put anything on the outside edges. We were afraid they would be felt and the rest of the quilt searched.”

  “The stitches didn’t look the same as the others,” Kelly remembered. “They were bigger and not as neat.”

  “Somebody else probably hid it there,” Granny said. “I wonder who? That ring looks expensive. The jewels look real.”

  “We should hide it somewhere,” said Kelly. “Where can we hide it?” Kelly told Granny how she had tried to hide it earlier but always felt uneasy, until she stitched it back in the quilt. “But I feel as if I ought to keep the quilt with me at all times,” Kelly finished. “Is there a safe place we could hide the quilt?”

  “I’m guessin’ the safest place is in plain sight,” answered Granny. “If someone is lookin’ for somethin’ an’ they find a quilt hidden . . .”

  “I see what you mean,” said Kelly, “but it makes me nervous.”

  Granny nodded. “We hid some jewelry in there, too, but closer to the center. Let’s stitch that ring back in.”

  “What else is in here?” Kelly fingered the soft, but heavy, quilt.

  “I thought now would be a good time to open it and show you everything. But maybe we had better wait. We started this quilt soon after the war broke out. Yo’ mama and grandma both put their wedding rings inside. Those are in the center. Later, when yo’ father died, yo’ mama took her diamond necklace apart and hid it in the blocks.”

  “I thought the quilt was extra thick, but I just figured it’s a different kind of batting. What else is in here?” Kelly fingered the center pieces but could not feel any hard objects.

  “I’m not sure what all,” Granny answered, “but I know yo’ grandma tore a page from the family Bible. It had your family tree on it.”

  “I would love to see it,” Kelly said wistfully. Then Kelly suddenly remembered with alarm, “But Granny, we washed the quilt!”

  Granny patted her hand. “Don’t you worry none. Yo’ grandma, she wrapped them papers securely in canvas an’ dipped them in sealin’ wax, a couple times. Ain’t no water gonna hurt them papers.”

  “I’m going to hang this quilt over the back of the sofa, Granny. That way we can see it, and yet it’s not hidden.” Kelly caressed the quilt lovingly. To think her own dear mama and grandma had sewn that quilt with their own hands. It felt good to touch something Kelly knew her mama had made for her.

  Kelly stopped to check on Tulip and her four kittens. “I’m going to give Tulip some milk, Granny.”

  Granny looked up from the block she was embroidering. “That’s probably a good idea. You could give her some of the fish we had left over from supper last night, too.”

  Kelly filled a small saucer with milk and another with fish. She set them beside the towel where Tulip was curled up with her babies. Tulip stretched lazily, then rose to nibble on the fish. This gave Kelly the chance she was hoping for, to examine the kittens.

  They began mewling softly as soon as Tulip left their side. “Granny,” Kelly whispered softly. “One is orange-striped like Tulip, two are orange and white, and the other one is three colors—orange, white, and gray. They are all so beautiful.” With two fingers, she gently stroked their fur. It was so soft.

  Kelly sat contentedly stroking the tiny kittens until Tulip climbed into her lap. Kelly chuckled. “Are you jealous?” She turned her attention to the mama cat. Tulip was soon purring.

  When Tulip went back to her kittens, Kelly arose and went back to the new quilt she had started. She laid the burgundy and different shades of pinks beside each other, then went over her figures again. She wanted to make sure she was cutting the correct patterns for each color.

  Satisfied, she set to work. She liked to cut all the pieces and lay them out before she started sewing.

  “Granny.” Kelly set aside the burgundy pieces. “Before I start on the next ones, I’m going to turn out the light. It’s become light enough that I think I can.”

  “I think so, too,” Granny agreed. “I’ll start lunch.”

  “Don’t hurry. I’m taking some fuel along up and am going to clean everything. It will take me awhile.”

  “Do you want me to help?” asked Granny.

  “No need,” assured Kelly. “I’ve done it lots of times.” Kelly carefully piled her things back into her quilting basket.

  As she climbed the stairs with her hands full, her thoughts went to her papa. Granny suggested she pray for him every time she felt worried.

  Kelly prayed for his safety as she cleaned the wick. She prayed that he was somewhere safe and warm as she cleaned the lens. She prayed he would soon be home as she washed the windows and scanned the horizon. It had stopped snowing, and the wind was no longer as strong.

  As she refueled the light, Kelly thanked Jesus for giving her such a good papa to care for her and love her. While Kelly swept the floor, she asked Jesus, again, to bring Papa home to her.

  When Kelly was finished, she surveyed the extra fuel. There was plenty to make it through the night and the next day. She pushed the cans closer together. When Homer was there, he had brought up enough for several nights.

  “I’m going to bring up some more,” Kelly decided. “There’s room, and if something would turn up, it would be ready.”

  Kelly checked to make sure Granny wasn’t waiting on her, and then she made another trip up with fuel. After lunch, Kelly made two more trips with fuel.

  Kelly settled down with her school books, determined to stay ahead of the others in her class. But her mind felt restless. “Granny,” she said. “I’m going to start the chores early.”

  Granny nodded. “Somethin’ is botherin’ you, Kelly. What is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Kelly said. “I just feel uneasy. I feel as if I should prepare. But I don’t know for what. Maybe another storm is coming. I’m glad I didn’t let the animals outside.”

  Kelly hurried through the chores. But she gave them plenty of feed and made sure they had plenty of straw. When she came in with the milk and eggs, she found Granny in the kitchen.

  Granny was pulling a large pan of biscuits from the oven. As she did, she slid in two pans of shepherd pie. “I declare, Kelly. Your restlessness is catching. These ain’t my regular biscuits. I added bits of ham and fried eggs. I got a few jars of soup out, too, just in case. In case of what, I shore don’t know.”

  “I’m going to take a load of food up to the light. I don’t really know why either. I’d just feel better.” Kelly got a crate and added the jars of soup and some bread and butter. She added a few dishes and a pan to heat the soup. Kelly glanced at Tulip, then added a jar of the fresh milk and a saucer.

  As the afternoon passed, Kelly thought of more things they could use, and she took them up to the light. She longed to take the baby quilt and hide it. But instead, she took her quilt basket, then her school books and Granny’s embroider blocks. At last she gathered Tulip and her kittens and carried them up.

  Kelly scanned the ocean with Papa’s field glass, like she had every trip up here. Like usual, there was no activity on the ocean. The waves were still high. It was almost time to light the lamp.

  As Kelly lowered the glass, movement caught her eye. She trained her glass on the spot. It was a small sloop, riding low and fast. It was coming toward the light. It was painted black. Even the sails were black!

  Fear shot through Kelly. Whoever it was, they were not friends. She had to warn Granny! She ran down the stairs as fast as she could. “Granny!” Kelly called, frantically. “Granny! Where are you?”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Danger

  “GRANNY!” KELLY CALLED AGAIN, SHOVING the door open.

  “Land sakes, child,” exclaimed Granny. “What is the matter?”

  “A sloop . . . all black . . . almost here,” Kelly gasped out. She rushed to the window and let out a scream.

  Granny caught her in her arms. “Hush, child! We need to hide.”

  “There are two men,” whispered Kelly. “Two big men!”

  Kelly checked to make sure the door was barred, but how long would it stop them? “Granny,” she whispered. “Go up to the light.”

  Granny shook her head.

  A pounding on the door rattled the whole house. “Open up, Lester,” yelled a mean voice. “We know you’re in there.”

  “It’s them!” whispered Kelly. “The men that were here that night.”

  Granny’s dark eyes were wide with fear. “The Blackburn brothers.”

  Kelly grabbed Granny’s arm and pulled her toward the door to the light. She noticed the baby quilt and grabbed it on the way. “Oh, Tulip!” Evidently, the cat had followed her down.

  Kelly scooped up the cat and clutched her tightly with the quilt. With her other hand she pulled Granny along. Granny seemed to be paralyzed with fear.

  The pounding on the door continued. As soon as they reached the shed, Kelly shoved the quilt and cat in Granny’s arms. “Please, hold these, Granny,” Kelly whispered, frantically.

  Granny seemed to snap out of her stupor. She clung to the baby quilt and the cat.

  Kelly quickly locked the door behind them, knowing it wouldn’t keep out desperate men. She looked around. There! The supply boxes!

  Kelly hurried to drag over a heavy wooden crate. She glanced from the door to the wall. Only about four feet separated them. If she could fill the space up with heavy boxes, they couldn’t get through to the light.

  Granny had set aside the quilt. The cat was curled up on top. She motioned for Kelly to be quiet as she began to drag another crate. Instead Granny picked up one end. In short order the space between the door and the wall was completely filled, higher than the door.

  They could hear the men yelling and banging on the door. Just as they broke into the house, Kelly noticed the door leading to the barn. Granny seemed to notice it at the same time and motioned to Kelly.

  Would there be enough crates to fill the space from the stairs to the door? Kelly didn’t wait but hurried over to help Granny lift the next crate.

  The banging and yelling from the house covered any noise Kelly or Granny made as they worked to fill the space. Like the door to the house, they made stair steps with the crates to lift the top ones up.

  “Lester!” yelled one of the men. “We’re gonna tear the house apart until we find that ring!”

  “That’s right!” yelled the other one. “You gave it to our sister, and it belongs to her. You . . . ”

  Kelly and Granny stared at each other in shock. The ring! They glanced at the stairs where Tulip was still sitting on the quilt. They looked back at the only two entrances to the light, which were securely blocked. Of one accord, they tiptoed to the stairs. Kelly picked up Tulip, and Granny grabbed the quilt. Silently they made their way up to the light.

  Once there, Kelly quickly barred the door. She glanced at Granny, and they both reached for a crate Kelly had brought up earlier.

  When they were finished, Granny said, “I don’t know if that will hold ‘em.”

  The bottom two layers were braced against the bottom of the light, which was sturdy enough, but they couldn’t stack them any higher. They were out of crates, and the light was too low.

  “I could get some more crates,” whispered Kelly.

  Granny shook her head. “I can’t imagine they can break through our barrier down there. You were thinking fast. Also, I doubt that we need to whisper anymore.”

  But they continued to whisper. They both sank down on the cot, completely worn out.

  Suddenly, Kelly grabbed Granny’s hand. “They don’t have Papa anymore!”

  Granny’s dark face broke into a huge smile. ‘Oh, thank God! Somehow, he got away.”

 

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