Lizzie's Heart by Susan Lantz Simpson

Author:Susan Lantz Simpson [Simpson, Susan Lantz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2020-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

“Nee, Mamm, you can’t! Lizzie will be so upset!” Lizzie heard Nancy’s wail as soon as she jerked open the back door of the house. What had distressed Nancy, and why would she be upset? Was that Sadie sniffing?

“Lizzie will get over it, and you will be fetching a switch if you sass me again.”

“I don’t mean to sass, Mamm. Honest. Just please don’t get rid of the kittens.”

Lizzie’s heart leaped to her throat and lodged there, threatening to cut off her oxygen supply. Why was Mamm planning to get rid of the kittens? She rushed into the kitchen. Her eyes did a quick sweep of the room to take in the entire picture. Nancy and Sadie stood facing Mamm with their hands clasped tightly together. Normally, a scowl such as Mamm wore right now would send the little girls scurrying for cover. The situation must be grave indeed.

When she shifted her eyes slightly, Lizzie spotted Frannie standing in front of the wood cookstove twisting a quilted pot holder all out of shape. Although Frannie’s attitude was one of disinterest, Lizzie could tell by the set of her mouth that her schweschder was taking in every detail of the unfolding drama.

“What happened?” Lizzie’s heart pounded.

“Ach, Lizzie! Mamm wants to send the kittens away!” Nancy towed Sadie behind her as she ran to Lizzie. She buried her head in her big schweschder’s cloak.

Lizzie patted Nancy’s back. She looked from the little girls to Frannie to Mamm. She forced herself to speak calmly, though she really wanted to shriek. “Will someone please tell me what’s going on?”

Nancy heaved a shuddering sigh, sniffed, and spoke into Lizzie’s cloak. “Frannie said she got scratched by one of the kittens, but I’m sure it was an accident. She probably stepped on its tail or something. Anyway the scratch is a little, bitty thing and couldn’t possibly hurt that much.” The little girl finally stopped speaking to drag in a gulp of air. How could she say so much in one breath?

“Hush, Nancy!” Mamm’s scowl deepened. “If animals are going to scratch or bite, they don’t belong here.”

“Let me see.” Lizzie broke free from Nancy’s grasp. She crossed the room to Frannie in three quick strides. She grabbed the pot holder from Frannie’s hands and flung it onto the counter. “Where?” She turned Frannie’s hands over and over searching for a wound. Frannie tried to pull her hand away, but Lizzie held fast. “I don’t see anything.”

“Here.” Frannie turned her hand over.

“Where?”

“Right there on my wrist.”

“This tiny mark?” Lizzie pointed to a surface scratch about half an inch long and scarcely red at all. “This? This teensy weensy mark? Really? Frannie, you’ve had worse paper cuts than this.”

“Well, it hurt.”

“Honestly?”

Frannie hung her head. “Jah.”

“What difference does it make if it hurts or not? She got scratched, and we can’t have that,” Mamm snapped. “What if it was one of the little ones who got hurt?”

“Ruff has scratched me before, Mamm, and it didn’t really hurt,” Sadie ventured.

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