The White Knight (31 page)

“Hey, I've worked like a dog on those things! You can't just eat them.”

Priscilla ignored him. She sat down and said immediately, “What are you going to get me for Christmas?”

Peter glanced at his sister and, as always, could not help teasing her. “I've given that a lot of thought, sis, and I think you're really going to love it. You can't have it until Christmas, though.”

“And you won't tell me what it is, will you?”

“If I told you now, you wouldn't have a surprise on Christmas.”

“I know, but I'm so curious with those sly looks you've been giving me.”

“Well, if you're sure you want to know already, I'll tell you.”

“So tell me already!”

“Your car needs a new set of shocks. I picked them out for you and Jason at the garage. You'll have to pay to have them put on, though. I can't afford that.”

“Peter!”

“I'll have Jolie wrap them up and I'll write a nice verse to go with them.”

“You're such a good brother. Just what I wanted—a nice new set of shocks. What are you going to get Luke and Joelle?”

“I can't tell you because it's a secret.”

“I won't tell anybody.”

“Yes you will. Women can't keep secrets like men can.” For a while he teased her, and finally he said, “Well, Jolie bought them some little things they can use in the house, but we also bought a van that's got a few miles on it but is in perfect shape. I'm having it overhauled inside and out, and it'll carry ten people. I'm having
The Haven
printed on the side.”

“Why, that's a wonderful idea!” Priscilla said, smiling brilliantly. “Joelle told me how hard it is to get all the girls into the truck to go anywhere. Most of them have to ride in the bed.”

Priscilla helped Peter and Jolie crack pecans while they chatted about the family.

“Everything's set for the big banquet tonight,” Peter said when they had finished the job. “That's going to be the biggest mob of Winslows ever gathered under one roof.”

****

Joelle was squeezed into the corner next to Luke as they rode in the back of the car.

“Can you move over a little, Luke? You're squashing me!”

“I can't help it, woman. I'm like one of those butterflies that can smell a female butterfly twenty miles away.”

Peter laughed. “You two are still on your honeymoon, I see.”

“I plan to make it last at least forty or fifty years—just like yours, Dad.”

Both Jolie and Peter laughed at that.

“That's a joke,” Luke said, “but I don't think there are many women with husbands who say such nice things as you do, Dad.”

“It gets me what I want. A lesson for you, Luke. You don't have to spend a lot of money on presents to make a woman happy. Just tell her she smells good or her elbows are pretty or something like that. Anything, as long as it's nice and sweet.”

They continued their teasing, and five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of the Marion Hotel. The party
was going to be in the banquet room on the top floor. They left the car with the attendant and went inside, where they saw one of Peter's cousins waiting for the elevator.

“Barney, it's good to see you,” Peter said. “Peter, good to see you too.” The two men shook hands. At age seventy-one now, Barney's hair was silver, but he still looked strong and healthy, his face weathered from the African sun. He had been a missionary in Africa for many years and was the most famous of all the Winslows. “How have you been?” he asked. “You know my daughter, Erin, and her husband, Quaid Merritt?”

Peter shook hands with Quaid and greeted Erin and then pulled Luke and Joelle into the introductions.

“Oh, Mr. Winslow,” Joelle gushed to Barney, “I've read your biography over and over again.”

“Well, don't believe everything you read in it. It was written by my son, Patrick. I think he sort of gilded the lily.”

The door opened, and when they got on the elevator, Barney said, “You know, Quaid and Erin are both pilots. They're both serving as missionary pilots in Africa.”

Quaid Merritt was a tall, lean man with a pair of keen, observant eyes. “Say, Luke, I heard about your service in Spain. We could use you in Africa.”

Peter grinned. “Luke and Joelle already have a mission field.”

“That's right,” Jolie said. “They're working with girls who are in trouble and need a place to stay.”

“That's a wonderful thing to do,” Erin Merritt said. She had been a famous stunt flyer who was talented and beautiful enough that she had received offers to act in movies in Hollywood. She had walked away from it all when she married Quaid.

“What do you think about this matter of Japan?” Quaid asked. “They've been rattling sabers over there.”

“I read in the paper,” Luke said, “that their ambassadors
are meeting with our State Department. I hope it will work out.”

“I think we'll have more trouble with Hitler than Japan,” Quaid said as the door opened. They all stepped outside, and Barney whistled in a low tone. “Look at all the Winslows. I never saw such a mess of them. . . .”

****

The banquet was sumptuous. It was impossible, of course, to meet everybody, but Joelle was entranced by those who were in their immediate vicinity during the meal. Luke had introduced her to the couple on her right. “This is Lewis Winslow and his wife, Missouri Ann. You have to be very respectful of Lewis. He won the Medal of Honor in the Spanish-American War.”

Lewis Winslow was getting on in years but still looking vigorous.

“Did you make that charge up San Juan Hill?”

“Actually, it wasn't San Juan Hill. It was Kettle Hill. The history books have got that all wrong.” Lewis smiled. “Yes. I was with Teddy.”

“How exciting! Were you afraid?”

“It took more nerve to start a second family than charging up that hill with Teddy Roosevelt.” He gave his wife a sly grin. “Missouri Ann here scared me half to death.”

Missouri Ann was much younger than her husband. She was a large woman, full of energy, and she loved to laugh aloud. “It was the strangest courtship you've ever heard of. Lewis was out hunting and broke his leg out in the middle of nowhere. I took him to my cabin, set his leg, and told him God had sent him to be my husband. It nearly scared the daylights out of him.”

“I was too old to start a new family.” Lewis grinned. “At least, I thought so.”

“But you weren't. We've got three healthy children now—triplets, mind you—every bit as handsome as his first family.”

“It was a funny courtship. I didn't have any chance at all. What do you do when a woman just up and tells you that God has sent you to be her husband?”

“Now, why didn't I think of that?” Joelle said, winking at Luke.

The woman sitting across the table from Joelle tapped her fingernail on the table to get Joelle's attention. “I'm Barney Winslow's sister, Esther Krueger. This is my husband, Jan.”

“Esther is a very famous photographer,” Lewis said. “Does marvelous work.”

“I don't do much of that anymore. I have to take care of this husband of mine.”

Jan Krueger had a foreign look about him, and his accent revealed that English was not his native language. “I think I'm easy enough to take care of.”

“He's spoiled to death,” Esther said. “I had to give up my work just to pamper him. He's a famous heart surgeon now, and he gets so swollen with pride it takes half a day to bring him down to earth.”

Joelle was fascinated with the Winslows. It seemed there wasn't a run-of-the-mill person in the whole bunch.

“I want you to meet a real hero,” Luke was saying. “This is Logan Smith and his wife, Danielle. He was an ace in the Great War.”

“I'm so glad to meet you, Mr. Smith.”

“Most folks just call me Cowboy, at least they did in France when I went to serve over there.”

“Did you ever see the Red Baron?” Luke asked.

“Oh yes. I met the scamp. Nice enough fellow.”

“What do you think about the new planes, Logan?”

“Well, from what I've read, that Me-109 the Germans have is going to be a tough cookie. They're giving the Spitfires fits over in England.”

“I'd sure like to get into one of those P-47s that America's turning out.”

“So would I,” Logan said. “It's shaped almost like a jug.
Big huge airplane. You know, if I'd had one of those P-47s in France, I think I could have wiped up the entire Luftwaffe.”

The conversation was cut off when Peter Winslow stood up. He was sitting at the head table with Barney, and when he got everyone's attention, he said, “It's a dangerous thing to let a preacher speak at a banquet, but I have Barney's promise that he'll save the sermon for the Sunday morning prayer breakfast tomorrow. We hope all of you will come. As I think most of you know, Barney Winslow has been an intrepid missionary in Africa for many years. His brother, Andrew, is a fellow missionary, as are several of his family. I'm going to ask him to come say a word about the Winslow family. Barney, it's your show.”

Barney Winslow rose, and his voice was still clear, despite his age. He stood looking over them and said, “Last night I was reading the journal of Gilbert Winslow. I think you all know that he was the first of our family to come over on the
Mayflower,
of course. His brother Edward came also, and he was one of the early governors of the colony. Gilbert was an amazing man. My favorite part of his journal is the part that he wrote while he was in prison at Salem. Let me read a few lines of it:

****

“It appears that I will not be able to serve the Lord in this world much longer. We are all to be executed within a week. Strangely enough, I feel no fear, which is of the Lord's doing. No man can face death without fear unless God helps him.

“I am an old man now, and I have lived to see my son serve the Lord Jesus. We are privileged to be servants of the living God, and if today is the day we are to die, I shout hallelujah, for we will be ushered into the presence of the great King.

****

“Those words were written by a man on the threshold of death. Obviously Gilbert Winslow did not die within the week, as he had expected, but went on to serve God in many ways. He was the first of the Winslows to make his mark on
America, but there have been others. Some have been college presidents, some have been plumbers, and some have been governors. There is an admiral with us tonight who bears the name Winslow. We've had our villains and our weak men and women, but the Winslows have served the country and have served the Lord God faithfully throughout the years.”

Joelle and all the rest of the Winslows listened attentively as the old man talked for a long time, mentioning the names of Winslows who had come down through history. Joelle had not heard of most of them, but she was thrilled at the stories that he told.

Finally Barney grinned and said, “I promised that I wouldn't preach a sermon, and I won't tonight. But tomorrow I want every one of you back here in this very place. We'll have a great breakfast and then I'll preach you a sermon that'll curl your hair.”

Peter Winslow rose and grinned. “I always wanted curly hair. We'll all be here, Barney. Now I have an announcement to make, a very wonderful announcement. I'm going to ask my new daughter-in-law, Joelle, and my son Luke to come stand with Jolie and me here.”

Joelle found herself nervously getting to her feet, following her husband to the front. “What is this about, Luke?” she whispered.

“I have no idea. Dad always likes surprises.”

When the two of them were standing in front of Peter, he was grinning widely. “My spiritual gift,” he said loudly, “is meddling. Jolie and I have practiced this gift to perfection. The Winslows, as Barney has been pointing out, have always been in battle for the Lord. Because Jolie and I want to do our part in the battle, we have decided, Luke and Joelle, to join your ministry to wayward young people. Several of us have been working all week to set up a foundation called the Haven Foundation. A board has been selected to handle the finances. We're going to raise money from every Winslow we can find, and here is the first check from the Haven Foundation
to be used to start a residence for boys and young men. We Winslows don't like to lose, so we're expecting God to establish Havens all over this country.”

Luke took the check and held it so Joelle could see it. Joelle began to cry.

“That's the way it should be,” Peter said, smiling. “Now let's give a big hand to the directors of the Havens, and may there be one in every major city in this country to help the young people who need it.”

Joelle felt Luke's arm go around her, and she whispered, “I'm so proud to be a Winslow, Luke!”

****

The next morning, nearly everyone who had been at the banquet the night before returned for the prayer breakfast. Joelle had been able to meet all of the Winslows who would be on the board of the Haven Foundation, and she and Luke had made an appointment to meet with the board before they left town.

Barney was wrapping up his remarks. “I told you I would preach a short sermon and that's what I've done, even though it goes against the grain for me.” Mischief danced in his eyes. “The Masai don't have any respect for a sermon that lasts less than three hours, but I can see that this crowd doesn't have that kind of stamina.

“This has been a real pleasure for me,” he went on. “It's wonderful to see so many in this family of ours serving God, and I hope we gather like this again before I get my promotion to the throne room. But if—”

Barney broke off as his brother, Andrew, burst into the room calling his name. “What's the matter, Andy?”