Boom Town Boy by Lois Lenski

Author:Lois Lenski
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504021982
Publisher: Open Road Media Teen & Tween

“No Mama,” said Orvie.

“Well, you know it now and I don’t want you to forget it.”

“I won’t do it again, Mama. But can’t I have even a nickel of the money?” begged Orvie.

“No,” said Mama. “We’ll put it in the collection plate on Sunday. That way we’ll know it will do a little good.”

Just then Grandpa came in and Mama told him what had happened.

“Don’t surprise me none,” said the old man.

“Grandpa, Charley took me over to Pistol Hill and showed me where a man was killed last night,” said Orvie. “Did you ever see a man get killed?”

“Oh, how can I raise my boys in a place like this?” cried Mama. “All this meanness and cuttin’ up and even killin’ going on on all sides …” She began to cry again.

Grandpa put his arm around her shoulder.

“The boy’s got a lot to learn, Jennie,” he said to Mama. “He’ll learn it a little faster since oil’s brought it so close to us, but it won’t harm him none. Orvie’s made of good stuff. He might as well learn young that there are all kinds of people in the world, evil as well as good.”

Mama hurried out to the kitchen, saw that Della had put the loaves of bread into the oven, and was washing the dinner dishes. “I must bring that bedding in and make up the beds,” she said, going out into the yard. In a moment she was back, visibly upset.

“Good land, what next! Two quilts are gone. That blue check from Orvie’s bed and your pink flowered one, Della—they’re gone.”

“Gone?” echoed Della and Orvie. “Where could they go to?”

“Somebody took them. We’re living in a nest of thieves. I hung those two quilts on the line this morning,” said Mama, “and now they’re gone.”

“With all these strangers coming into the yard,” said Della, “what can you expect?”

Mama went upstairs to make the beds, then went outside to look for the quilts again. She was in the side yard when Mr. Waterman appeared. Mama promised to get his cot made up, but did not notice how excited he was, or understand what he meant when he said he might not sleep in it after all. Mama was tired that night and went to bed early, so she did not know till the next morning that the men and boys never went to bed at all.

Orvie slept doubled up on the porch swing, wrapped in a comfort. He heard Mr. Waterman come up on the porch, sit on the cot for a while, then get up. Orvie threw off his comfort and followed. There was no moon and the oil well with its bright lights looked like a wonderful Christmas tree shining in the darkness. They sat up all night in the doghouse, and even Orvie did not get sleepy because something was expected to happen every minute. But it didn’t.

Everybody talked excitedly the next morning, and the men and boys went back to the well right after breakfast.

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