Julia's Last Hope Read Online Free

in the mill too,” Jennifer reminded Felicity.
    Felicity began mopping up. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose noisily. Jennifer was glad that the worst of the storm was spent. She crossed to her sister and laid a loving hand on her shoulder.
    “We’ll be all right,” she assured Felicity again, wishing with all her heart that she felt as confident as her words sounded.
    Felicity nodded. She pushed herself up from the bed and straightened her skirts. Then she went to the dresser, picked up a hairbrush, and brushed her hair into place. “I’m going to go wash my face,” she told Jennifer. When she returned a short while later she showed no trace of her tears.
    Jennifer wished that she could dismiss the incident as easily. Inside, she still felt knotted, twisted. In spite of her brave words to Felicity, she did not feel assurance about their future.
    “Let’s ask Mama if we can go get that green—” began Felicity.
    Jennifer stopped her with a quick shake of her head. “Not now!” she exclaimed. “Papa has no job.”
    Felicity looked surprised, as though she had already forgotten their circumstance, but then her eyes softened and she nodded her head in agreement.
    “I guess that would be unthinkable,” she finished lamely. “Well then, let’s ask if we can go to the drugstore for a soda,” she continued. “Surely we can still afford that.”
    Jennifer gave her a dark look, and Felicity stared back at her.
    “Felicity Harrigan,” said Jennifer sternly, “we are thirteen years of age. Surely we can be understanding when our parents are in trouble.”
    Felicity shrugged. “Okay, okay,” she said impatiently, “so what are you going to do to make things right, Miss Know-It-All?”
    “I—I don’t know it all,” stammered Jennifer. “I—I just know that we can’t be asking for things when Papa is without a job. There will be no money—”
    Felicity’s eyes brightened. “That’s it!” she squealed, and threw her arms around Jennifer’s shoulders.
    “That’s what?” questioned Jennifer.
    “Jobs! We are old enough to have jobs. We can help Papa.”
    Jennifer held herself in check for a moment; then she hugged Felicity in return.
    “Of course!” she agreed. “Of course. We can find jobs.”
    “Let’s not tell them,” suggested Felicity; “not until we each have found a place to work.”
    “But—” began Jennifer.
    “We will talk to Hettie. Tell her that we are going up town for a soda and she can tell Mama.”
    “But—” began Jennifer again. She would not lie—even to conceal their plans of helping the family.
    “And we will get a soda,” continued Felicity, walking to her dresser and opening a drawer. “Here,” she said, producing some coins. “I have enough for a soda. It’s from what Papa gave me last week.”
    Jennifer had never known Felicity to keep any of her spending money. But there were the coins in her hand. It reminded Jennifer that she too had money stashed in her drawer. But even as she thought of it she decided to leave the money where it was. Who knew how soon her papa would find another job? Perhaps her money would be needed for things other than sodas.
    “Okay,” she finally conceded. “Let’s go see Hettie.”
    As they proceeded to the kitchen, Jennifer’s mind was troubled. Never before had they made their own plans and gone off to the drug store without asking permission from their mother. Jennifer hoped that Felicity’s idea—as good as it seemed—did not get them both in trouble.

Chapter Four
    Sharing
    The news of the mill’s closing had traveled fast. The whole town was in shock. As Felicity and Jennifer sipped a common soda at the drugstore they heard the somber, low voices of men and the frightened, shrill voices of women. It seemed to be the topic of all conversations.
    “What on earth will we do?” they heard one woman ask. “We were just getting back on our feet after all of those medical bills. Now this.”
    Her friend tried to be