Entangled Hearts

Chapter 6

At four o'clock, Gene grabbed up his books and wraps in a hurry and was far down the road toward his home before Laura Mae and Philip even left the schoolhouse. If it were not for the loyalty he felt toward the Basketball team and toward his school, he would not leave his home that night. He could not bear to think of his pretty Laura Mae paying attention to someone else, but he was the main sub for the team and had not broken training, perhaps, they would need him tonight, so he decided to go to the game but he was sure he would not stay for the dance.

For almost a month the fields and roads had been covered with a soft carpet of snow about six inches deep. Each fence post along the road had a round white cap of snow. As Laura Mae glanced at the row of posts she smiled and imagined they were a row of bakers lined up for some sort of inspection. Lively little sparrows were flitting about, lighting on the wire fences to keep out of the snow. Laura Mae opened her lunch pail as she had always done on her way home from school ever since she was a tiny little girl down in the first grade and scattered bread crumbs for the hungry birds.

"Why don't the silly little things fly south when winter comes instead of staying here in the cold?" she asked Phil. She tried so hard to be jovial and carefree as they walked along over the crunching snow towards home. They chatted about everything that came to their attention, but all the while her heart kept calling her out to Gene. Phil did not seem to understand her and approve of the little acts she did, as did Gene.

"I guess they were just brought up that way. Or else they won't listen to the stories the other birds bring back," Phil answered. Grinning at his own cleverness. "But what I would like to know is what has happened to you and Gene." He tried not to show what this slight victory over his rival meant to him.

"Oh, nothing. We are only young kids, why should we get serious? He can go with someone else if he wants to." How she hoped Gene would not decide upon any such move.

"I never noticed you acting cool to him like you did today. Have you quit? Gosh, I could show him a merry chase if you would give me a chance." Somehow Laura Mae could not learn to care for Phil's bold way of putting things.

They heard the jingle of tug chains and the rhythm of trotting hoofs. They turned to see Eli Porter catching up with them in a bobsleigh. He stopped the team and told the young folks to, "Climb in." Eli turned to Phil with a friendly grin and asked, "How is Charles Luden making it this winter? I haven't seen him for weeks."

"He is just fine, thank you. He added five new cows to his dairy herd. How is everything with you?" Phil knew that he was well liked by Mr. Porter.

"We're getting along fairly well. Say. Do you two walk home together often?" he asked, glancing at Laura Mae's face as the blood crept up and flooded it, turning her cheeks to crimson.

"Not very often, Mr. Porter," Phil spoke before the girl could find her voice. "How will it be if I call for her and take her to the basketball game and dance tonight?"

"That will be right nice of you," Eli answered with his most pleased grin. He turned to Laura Mae. "Now that is the way any decent chap would do' come out like a man and ask a girl's father for permission to escort her places. "I can't stand a fellow who tries to beat it around the bush." Laura Mae knew well what her father's answer would be if Gene should go to her father for permission to escort her. If Everett Whitmer would only consent to sell her father the forty acres of timberland that adjoined his cultivated land along Cotton Creek, perhaps he would not be so hateful to Gene. Everett was keeping the timber as a relic of his hunting days and Eli Porter considered it a great waste to let it go uncultivated. "He just favors Phil, "Laura Mae thought. "Because Charles Luden is an old friend of his, with the same ideas about being conservative." Down deep in her heart, she had hoped that her father would say that she could not attend the dance and game, but now she knew that her father would force her to go with Phil because he had asked permission so politely. She was sure it would hurt Gene more than she had meant for it to do.

"I'll see you at seven o'clock then Laura Mae." Phil smiled and tipped his cap as he jumped from the sleigh at the crossroads. "Goodnight, Mr. Porter, thanks for the ride."

"He is a fine young fellow, my girl, a fine fellow. I am glad you like him." Eli said as they turned down the lane to the house.