Chapter 3

Annie was concluding her day’s lesson with Esther, whose hand brushed with pride over the primer on the table. It was the same primer Martina and the other eight-year-olds in her former classroom were learning to read from. Using her familiarity with the schoolhouse to her advantage, she entered the building one Sunday morning while most of the town was at church. She found the primer, noted the publisher’s information, and reached out to them to order a copy. She had thought about taking it outright as her pound of flesh, but her successor was a rather severe woman with an affinity for the paddle; she didn’t want one of the students to pay the price if it were discovered missing.

Esther ... who the clientele knew as “Helen” ... had just read two entire pages aloud with nearly no mistakes and no hesitation. It almost made Annie feel like a teacher again. She wrapped her arm around the young woman and lightly embraced her. “I’m so proud of you!”

“As am I!” came Lydia’s approving voice from the entryway into the dining room. She approached the table, beaming as she touched Helen’s arm. She then turned to Annie. “I’ve just come from the depot, Annie. The postmaster had this for you.” She handed Annie an envelope, and when Annie saw the name of the sender, she was briefly taken aback.

“Hmm,” Annie vocalized briefly. “Well, let’s see if this one is any more...” She looked at Lydia. “Normal, perhaps?”

Lydia chuckled. “Well, thank heaven for small mercies that the first one had so little shame.” Annie had responded to another notice found in the discarded magazine pages in which she had found Mr. Crane’s notice.

She had felt she should be forthcoming about her current circumstances, but the man had responded with suggestions that she had never even imagined were physically possible. He further intimated that any woman currently sustaining herself as Annie was should willfully, even happily submit to such depravity. Annie not only burned the letter, she vigorously scrubbed her hands afterward to ensure all traces of it were eliminated.

Still chuckling softly, Annie opened the letter and began reading.

Lydia was standing in the kitchen minutes later when Annie, silently, with a dazed expression on her face, walked past her to sit on the back stoop.