Out to Canaan Read Online Free

brownies made by the preacher.”
    â€œThanks.”
    â€œAre you OK?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œNo kidding?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œGood!” said Cynthia. “Lace Turner asked about you the other day.”
    â€œThat dumb girl that dresses like a guy?”
    â€œShe doesn’t dress like a guy anymore. Oh, and your friend Jenny was asking about you, too.”
    â€œHow’s Tommy?”
    â€œMissing you. Just as we do. So hurry home, even if you are going to spend the summer at Meadowgate, you big creep.”
    Dooley cackled.
    â€œWe love you.”
    â€œI love you back.”
    Cynthia placed the receiver on the hook, smiling happily.
    â€œNow, you poor rube,” she said, “where were we?”

    He sat on the study sofa and took the rubber band off the Mitford Muse.
    Good grief! There he was on the front page, standing bewildered in front of the UPS truck with his nose looking, as usual, like a turnip or a tulip bulb. Why did J. C. Hogan run this odious picture, when he might have photographed his hardworking, good-looking, and thoroughly deserving wife?
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    Primrose Tee Draws
Stand-Out Crowd
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    Clearly, Hessie had not written this story, which on first glance appeared to be about golf, but had given her notes to J.C., who forged ahead without checking his spelling.
    Good time had by all . . . same time next year . . . a hundred and thirty guests . . . nine gallons of tea, ten dozen lemon squares, eight dozen raspberry tarts . . . traffic jam . . .
    The phone gave a sharp blast.
    â€œHello?”
    â€œTimothy . . .”
    â€œHal! I’ve just been thinking of you and Marge.”
    â€œGood. And we of you. I’ve got some . . . hard news, and wanted you to know.”
    Hal and Marge Owen were two of his closest, most valued friends. He was afraid to know.
    â€œI’ve just hired a full-time assistant.”
    â€œThat’s the bad news? It sounds good to me, you work like a Trojan.”
    â€œYes, but . . . we won’t be able to have Dooley this summer. My assistant is a young fellow, just starting out, and I’ll have to give him a lot of time and attention. Also, we’re putting him up in Dooley’s room until he gets established.” Hal sighed.
    â€œBut that’s terrific. We know Dooley looked forward to being at Meadowgate—however, circumstances alter cases, as my Mississippi kin used to say.”
    â€œThere’s a large riding stable coming in about a mile down the road, they’ve asked me to vet the horses. That could be a full-time job right there.”
    â€œI understand. Of course. Your practice is growing.”
    â€œWe’ll miss the boy, Tim, you know how we feel about him, how Rebecca Jane loves him. But look, we’ll have him out to stay the first two weeks he’s home from school—if that works for you.”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œOh, and Tim . . .”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œWill you tell him?”
    â€œI will. I’ll talk to him about it, get him thinking of what to do this summer. Be good for him.”
    â€œSo why don’t you and Cynthia plan to spend the day when you bring him out? Bring Barnabas, too. Marge will make your favorite.”
    Deep-dish chicken pie, with a crust like French pastry. “We’ll be there!” he said, meaning it.

    â€œWill you tell him?” he asked Cynthia.
    â€œNo way,” she said.
    Nobody wanted to tell Dooley Barlowe that he couldn’t spend the summer doing what he loved more than anything on earth.

    She opened her eyes and rolled over to find him sitting up in bed.
    â€œOh, my dear! Oh, my goodness! What happened?”
    He loved the look on his wife’s face; he wanted to savor it. “It’salready turned a few colors,” he said, removing his hand from his right temple.
    She peered at him as if he were a