Cedar Woman (10 page)

“
W
a
m
b
li
h
as c
h
osen
o
u
r
c
h
il
d
,”
R
o
m
a
s
o
le
m
n
ly
stat
e
d
to
h
e
r
hu
s
b
an
d
,
“a
n
d we
s
h
o
u
l
d
h
av
e
n
o
fe
a
r
s f
o
r
h
er
f
u
t
u
r
e.
”
U
p
o
n
h
ea
r
i
n
g
of
t
h
e
i
n
ci
d
ent,
a
n
d
after
l
o
ng
m
editation,
M
ar
y
’s
gr
an
d
m
other
g
a
ve
t
h
e na
m
e of One
F
eather
t
o
t
h
e
y
o
un
g girl.

Mary
One
F
e
ather
Fools Bull
pr
e
p
a
r
ed
for
t
h
e
journey
with increasing
t
repidation.
Whi
l
e
wa
s
hing
an
d
iron
i
ng
the
few pieces
of clothi
n
g
s
h
e
p
o
ssess
e
d,
s
h
e
w
o
uld
f
i
nd he
r
self
tre
m
bling.
As
s
h
e pa
c
k
e
d her
c
l
othes
in
an
old
c
a
r
db
o
a
rd
suitcase,
w
h
ich
h
a
d
been
her
m
o
t
h
er’
s
, she
g
e
ntly
placed
wild
s
a
ge
within
the
folds of
ea
c
h
g
a
r
m
en
t.
She
l
ov
e
d
t
h
e
s
m
ell of
t
h
e
sage, wh
ic
h
alwa
y
s
cal
m
ed
her
w
h
e
n
s
h
e
was
tr
o
u
b
l
ed
o
r u
n
d
e
r
stre
s
s.

Mary
h
eld
u
p
t
h
e
last
it
e
m to
g
o
i
n
to
t
h
e
s
m
all
s
u
itcase.
It
was
h
e
r
m
o
t
h
er’s
rib
b
on
d
ress.
Made
of
p
lai
n
,
white
c
o
tto
n
,
t
h
e
A-li
n
e
g
ar
m
e
n
t fell
to
her
ank
l
es,
the
bell
sleeves
a
n
d
a
bo
a
t
neckline
cun
n
in
g
ly
t
r
i
mm
e
d

in
b
l
u
e
and
red
ri
b
bo
n
s.
C
u
t
fo
u
r
-ti
m
es
l
o
n
g
er
than
t
h
e
c
i
rc
u
m
fere
n
ce
of

the
sleev
e
’s
h
e
m
,
and
cross
i
ng
at
the back,
t
h
e
ribbons
w
e
re
sewn
t
o
the fa
b
ric,
t
h
e
re
m
ai
n
ing
t
wo
feet floati
n
g
f
reel
y
,
giv
i
ng
t
h
e
g
a
r
m
ent
an
air
y
, elegant
fee
l
.
The
c
e
nter of
the
bo
d
ice
was
d
ec
o
rated
with
c
h
evro
n
s represe
n
ted
i
n t
h
e sa
m
e sati
n
y tr
i
m
.

B
eg
in
n
in
g
at
t
h
e
k
n
ee,
fou
r
c
o
up
lin
gs
o
f
r
e
d
a
n
d
b
l
u
e
ba
n
d
s
e
n
circle
d
t
h
e
s
k
ir
t
t
o
t
h
e
h
e
m
.
I
t
was
a
beautiful
dress,
and
Mary
was
m
ov
ed
w
h
en her
m
o
t
h
er insisted
t
h
at s
h
e take it.

“
A
w
o
m
an
has
to
h
a
ve
a
w
edd
i
ng
dr
e
ss,
and
t
h
ere
is
n
o
t
i
m
e
to
m
ake
one.
It
w
o
u
l
d
m
ake
m
e
pro
u
d
i
f
y
ou
wo
re
t
h
i
s
o
n
y
o
u
r
w
e
dd
i
n
g
d
ay.
I can
no
t
g
o with yo
u
,
y
et I
will
b
e t
h
ere j
u
st t
h
e sa
m
e
.”

“
In
a
!”
M
ary wept,
t
h
r
o
wi
n
g
her
a
r
m
s
ab
o
u
t her
m
o
the
r
’s frail fra
m
e.
R
o
m
a
, patting h
e
r da
ug
h
ter
’
s h
e
avi
n
g s
h
ou
l
d
e
rs, a
n
d g
e
ntly bre
a
king
t
h
e
e
m
brace,
left
the
room
to
b
e
gin
the
e
v
e
n
ing
m
e
a
l
.
Th
e
re were
o
t
her
c
h
i
l
dr
e
n
t
o
care
f
o
r
,
a
n
d h
e
r duties
m
u
st not
be n
e
glected.