Hearts of Stone by Kathleen Ernst

Author:Kathleen Ernst
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2010-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

We’ve got to split up,” Jasper said the next morning. “There’s no point in four pairs of eyes looking in the same place.”

I frowned. “I don’t like that idea.”

“We’ll do better,” Jasper said, stubborn as a bull calf. “I’m of a mind to head out to one of the army camps outside the city. I bet soldiers smoke a lot.”

“What if something happens to you? What if you don’t come back?”

Jasper snorted. “Cripes, Hannah. Nothing will happen to me. I’ll meet you back here tonight.” He set off down the alley without another word. I stood staring, even after he rounded the corner.

Then Mary tugged my hand. “Come on, Hannah.” She sounded impatient. “We got to go to work too.”

I blinked, then gently wiped a smudge from her cheek with my thumb. “You’re right. How come you’re so wise?” Together, the girls and I set out.

Jasper was right too. That evening, when we dumped our ends on the counter, Mr. Reubens counted a hundred and six. “Not bad,” he grunted, and pushed two pennies at me. Then he reached under the counter and brought out a bundle. “And here. Mending.”

Back in the stable, we crept into our stall. Jasper tied the quilt we used for privacy across the open end. “Hold these,” I ordered Maude, and handed her the pennies. Then I unwrapped the bundle and found three torn shirts, a tallow candle, matches, and needle and thread.

“He’s too cheap to even give you a lantern,” Jasper grumbled while I rummaged for one of our tin cups. Once I got the candle lit I dripped hot grease into the cup until I could stand the candle upright.

“Let’s see those pennies, Maudie,” I said. Her eyes round as the coppers, she spread her fingers and held her hand close to the little pool of light.

Jasper tapped both pennies. “Look what we did.”

That night I sat up and mended Mr. Reubens’s clothes while the others slept in the straw beside me. When I was through I used some of his thread to make a few repairs in our own tired clothing. Then I tore a corner from my sturdy cotton apron to make a little pouch to hold our hard-earned money and stitched it inside one of the side seams of my skirt. The rest of my apron got sewn into a bag to hold cigar butts, with the apron strings providing a handy shoulder strap. My eyes were sandy by the time I lay down. Mama, we’re working hard down here so we can get back home, I sent up silently, and tried to go to sleep.

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