The Witch Tree Symbol Part 3

The others glanced up the road. An Amish woman, wearing a black dress that reached the top of her high shoes, a black bonnet, and a white shoulder kerchief and ap.r.o.n, walked slowly toward them.

"Perhaps she knows somebody who can help us," Bess suggested.

To the girls' surprise, as the figure came closer, they could see that she was very young-probably no more than sixteen years old.

Nancy hastened toward the girL "h.e.l.lo," she said. "Our car won't run. Could you tell us where we might have it fixed?"

The Amish girl was very pretty, with large brown eyes and long lashes. She smiled sweetly at Nancy.

"I am so sorry about the car," she said. "You are visitors here, ain't?"

Nancy gave her name and added that she was from River Heights. She introduced the cousins.

"I am MandaKreutz," the girl told them. "I am walking from Lancaster."

"Lancaster?" George repeated. "That's more than ten miles from here."

Manda nodded. "It is good to walk," she said, "and I know short cuts across the fields." Then her face clouded. "I am returning to my home, but my father-maybe he will not take me back."

The girls were startled by this announcement. They also were curious to know what MandaKreutz meant, but they did not want to embarra.s.s her by asking for an explanation.

Apparently Manda decided to trust the three friendly visitors, as she explained, "We are Amish and my father is very strict. When I finished eighth grade, he wanted me to stay home and work on the farm. But I wanted to study more and learn about the world."

She had decided recently that perhaps this was wrong. Life was good on an Amish farm and there was never any want.

"But I did not appreciate this," she said. "I ran away from home three months ago and went to Lancaster. In the daytime I worked in a bakery and evenings I attended night school."

Wistfully she added, "But I miss my people. And yet I am so afraid my father will not let me live on the farm any more."

The three girls a.s.sured Manda that everything would probably work out, and wished her the best of luck. Nancy again asked her if she knew anyone nearby who might repair the car.

"Yes," the Amish girl replied. "Rudolph can help you. He is on a farm a mile from here."

Manda offered to stop there and ask him to bring his tool kit. Nancy thanked her, but said she would walk along with Manda and talk to Rudolph herself. Also, she was eager to learn more about the Amish people and their customs. Bess and George decided to remain with the car.

As the Amish girl and Nancy hurried along the road, Manda talked freely about her problem. "Papa is afraid if I learn too much I will not be an Amish woman any longer. But he is wrong. I might not be so strict as he is. We have no conveniences in our house or on our farm. I think that is foolish. Papa and Mama work too hard. I like learning about things, but we have no books except our German Bible and the GabrauchBuch."

"What is that?" Nancy asked.

Manda explained it was something used in powwowing-a means of curing people who are ill. "Powwowing is accomplished by the 'laying on of hands.' Not everyone can make it work. But Mama can," she said proudly.

Presently a farmhouse came into sight and Manda said that this was where Rudolph lived. Her farm was beyond it.

"Why don't you wait until my car is fixed and I'll drive you home?" Nancy offered, smiling.

Manda looked frightened. "Oh, no! My Father is strict House Amish and would never forgive me if I came home in an automobile. I thank you. I will walk the rest of the way."

As the girls separated, Nancy went up the lane to Rudolph's house. A rosy-cheeked, red-haired young man wearing a straight-brimmed black hat and black homemade cloth suspenders over his red s.h.i.+rt saw her coming and greeted her with a bow.

"I was told by MandaKreutz that you are an expert mechanic," Nancy said. "My car is stuck down the road. Can you help me out?"

"Ya, I will help you," he said. "I will get my car and tools." He disappeared behind the house for a few minutes, then drove out a small car. Climbing in, Nancy directed him to the stalled convertible.

When Nancy introduced the young man to Bess and George, Rudolph said, "You are a girl? Your name is George, ain't?"

George chuckled and nodded. Rudolph remarked emphatically that among plain people, a man has a man's name and a woman, a woman's name.

The tomboyish girl did not take offense at the criticism. Laughing, she told Rudolph that she had not named herself. "But I like having a boy's name," she admitted. "It's different."

Rudolph made no further comment. He checked the car, working with amazing speed. One minute he was beneath the convertible, the next he was tinkering under the hood, and a moment later he was reaching in to the dashboard to test the ignition. Soon he announced that he had found the trouble. "The feed line -a twist in it!"

It was not long before Rudolph had fixed the car. When the girls were on their way again, Nancy decided it was too late to call on Mr. Zinn that day.

"Besides, I'd like to stop at the Kreutz farm to see how Manda made out," she went on. "If her father is as stern as she said, he may not let her stay. In that case we can take her wherever she wants to go."

The girls found the Kreutz place easily. It was a large, plain two-story house without blinds or curtains. Nearby was a large stone barn built on two levels of ground. Several other smaller buildings dotted the yard.

Nancy's knock was answered by an Amish woman who looked as if she had been crying. "You're Mrs. Kreutz?" the girl asked, smiling.

The woman nodded silently.

"Is Manda at home?" Nancy inquired.

"You know Manda?" the woman asked.

Nancy replied that she had met the Amish girl on the road and told the whole story.

Suddenly Mrs. Kreutz burst into tears. "Manda has gone again! Papa is so strict! He told Manda she could live here, but he gave orders that n.o.body in the family could speak to her!"

"How dreadfull" Nancy thought.

"We have six sons," Mrs. Kreutz explained. "They are married and have their own farms near here. But Papa is mayschter, and we obey him."

The woman looked pleadingly at Nancy. "Maybe Papa would listen to you, since you are outside our family. He will not admit to us his feelings are hurt because his only daughter has left home. Please talk to him about Manda. He is near the barn, by the bull pens."

Nancy agreed, though she had little hope she could persuade Mr. Kreutz. Bess and George joined Nancy, and the three girls walked toward the barn. They saw a large enclosure with three pens. In each stood a large black bull.

Mr. Kreutz was a giant of a man, with a ruddy complexion, sandy hair, and a long beard. He was working in the first pen.

As he heard the girls' footsteps, the farmer looked up. At the same instant the huge bull beside him lowered its horns, caught up the man, and threw him across the pen!

CHAPTER IV.

Nancy's Strategy

BESS screamed. This angered the bull. With a loud snort he lowered his head as if to make a second attack on Mr. Kreutz, who lay stunned near the gate. Bess cried out again. The animal delayed his charge momentarily, eying the girl.