Wistful in Wisconsin

the head of the family. For a moment, that obedient respect disappeared.
“Yes, women trouble. Don’t act stupid like you’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Silence. He felt six sets of eyes study him like an animal in a carnival. Myra broke the uncomfortable quiet.
“Girls, you are done so head into the front room. It is time for more chapters in Ivanhoe. Your sister will read today instead of me.”
She smiled at the oldest, Johanna. The girl beamed at being given the job.
“Yes, Mama.”
With a wave of her hands, she rushed her sisters. “Hurry with me. Remember that Mama said we’d meet Robin Hood in today’s chapter.” With a look over her shoulder, the oldest girl gave her uncle an uncertain smile before almost running from the room with Berta, Dora, and Darlene close behind.
Holder laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Must be bad for you to call me stupid. Take a bite of my wife’s good soup. Then, tell us what has happened.”
The old Holder, the grumpy widower, would already have busted him in the mouth. Not Myra’s husband. He studied his brother for a moment more and spoke with sympathy in his tone.
Sympathy! This is what a woman did to a strong man!
The fight left Fred. He obeyed, spooning up a delicious bite. The act of chewing took the edge off the anger and annoyance that rode him. He ate more before he finally spoke.
Sighing, almost groaning, he laid down his spoon and rested his fisted hands on the table. “That Miss Levitt won’t leave me alone. I need Myra’s help to get her to stop following me.”
His brother had turned in his chair as Fred spoke. Eye to eye, he caught his older brother’s grin before he took control of it.
“Yes, go ahead and laugh. If this happened to you or Carl, I would have been rolling on the floor laughing.”
Fred ran his hands down his face and moaned. “It’s not funny when it happens to you.” Then he put a hand behind his head, rubbing his neck. “Why, the woman was at the privy this morning when I came out, ready with soap and a towel.”
The tone in Fred’s voice rose, nearing panic. “The privy! I can’t even pee without her knowing about it.”
Holder did laugh then. It started in as a low chuckle and rose to a full belly laugh. Fred watched his brother fall off his chair and hold his gut as he lay on the kitchen floor, laughing like a lunatic.
From the other room, Johanna’s soft voice stopped. Soon, four sets of eyes watched their father stand up and wipe away tears. When they saw him smile, the girls left the doorway and returned to their book.
Myra’s eyes narrowed as she shot a look of reproof at her husband. Being a German man, he ignored it as he continued to chuckle under his breath while he sat down at the table.
She focused on Fred with a somber frown. “I can see where that would bother anyone. But I don’t see how anything I could do would make a difference.”
Finally, they’d gotten around to the heart of the matter. Fred wanted to groan in relief. He knew that would only set off his brother’s hilarity so he kept his voice carefully neutral as he spoke. His sheriff’s voice, one he used with drunks and thieves.
“I need her to be able to confide in someone. Lilah has to get the whole, terrible event out in the open. I’m thinkin’ she’ll see I’m just her rescuer and not the love of her life.”
He looked at the floor as he finished, “That’s what she calls me.”
Holder guffawed. “Girl must need to talk badly if she thinks that about you.”
Amazingly, Myra intervened. “Hush now. Leave your brother alone so we can figure this out.”
Holder nodded. At that moment, the baby cried. Shocked, Fred stared as his brother rose and retrieved the infant. Wrapped tightly against any early spring air, the little one stared around him. The last time Fred saw him, Samuel was asleep. Today, the three-month-old watched his uncle with interest.
Mesmerized briefly, Fred stroked a finger down the boy’s cheek. The infant grabbed it and squeezed, bringing a chuckle from his uncle.
“Sakes alive, that boy is strong.”
His brother grinned proudly. “Yah, he’ll make a good farmer.”
Holder loved his girls. That didn’t keep him from glorying in this much wanted son. Silently, Fred sent up a prayer that his brother wouldn’t be as rough on Samuel as their father had been on them. Fred would keep an eye on things, he vowed.
Then he rethought that vow. Myra had most everything under control here. She’d be the one keeping an eye on her boy as well as on her husband. The woman had changed how he treated Dora and Darlene. She’d never tolerate anyone harming her child. He felt sure of that.
Pulling his finger away from the baby, he focused on his plan. “Myra, I need you to pull the poison out of that woman somehow.”
He looked around the tidy kitchen with its polished wood floor. “Please, let her think you need help around her so she has a reason to come out.”
Myra tilted her head and pressed her lips firmly together. Then she scoffed, “With all my girls to help, I need someone else to do my work? What are you thinking?”
With his palms up, he pleaded with her. “I’m thinking that there’s a badly hurt woman in town who needs a friend.”
Myra’s skeptical expression melted away. He watched her eyes cloud as sympathy won out. “Of course, I’ll help. Tell her to come out on Friday.”
Then she shook her head. “No, you’d better bring her out this first time. We can send her back to town in our buggy.”
He wrinkled