Sarah's Choice Read Online Free

Grandpa’s boat. The way he talks about the poor man, you’d never know Grandpa was his father.” Elias frowned. “Father said if I left Easton to captain Grandpa’s boat I’d never work for him again.”
    Ned leaned his head over the boat and spit out his wad of tobacco. “Aw, I’m sure he didn’t mean it. Probably just said that, hopin’ you’d change your mind. If you was to leave the canal and return to Easton, he’d probably welcome ya back with open arms.”
    “I’m not so sure about that.” Elias shrugged. “But I’m not going to worry about it either. I’m just going to do the job Grandpa wanted me to do.”
    “Guess that’s the best way to deal with things all right.” Ned pointed up ahead. “Looks like Walnutport’s comin’ into view. You’d best get out the conch shell and let the lock tender know that you’re needin’ to come through.”

    “Maria! Maria, can you hear me?” Sarah’s heart pounded as she knelt on the floor beside her pale-faced mother-in-law.
    Kelly entered the room just then and gasped. “Oh my! Is…is she dead?”
    “No, thank goodness. I can see by the rise and fall of her chest that she’s breathing.” Sarah cradled Maria’s head in her hands. “I think we should get Dr. McGrath.”
    Kelly stood. “I’ll run into town and see if he’s at his office. If he’s there, I’ll ask if he can come look at Maria right away.”
    Just then, Maria’s eyes fluttered open, but she stared at Sarah with a blank expression. “Wh–what’s going on? What am I doin’ on the floor?”
    “Kelly and I were outside visiting, and when I came into the parlor, I found you lying here.”
    “What happened, Maria? Did you get dizzy and pass out?” Kelly questioned.
    “I…uh…was heading upstairs to do some cleaning, and all of a sudden everything looked real blurry. Guess I must have tripped on the braided throw rug. Then I lost my balance, and…” She rubbed her forehead. “I must’ve hit my head, and then everything went dark.”
    “Let’s get you over to the sofa so you can rest,” Sarah said. “Then Kelly’s going into town to get the doctor.”
    “There’s no need for that.” Maria pushed herself to a sitting position. “Once I get my bearings, I’ll be fine.”
    “You’re not fine, Maria. You fell and hit your head. Now I insist that you lie down awhile,” Sarah said.
    “Oh, all right.”
    Sarah took hold of Maria’s left arm, and Kelly took her right arm; then they guided her to the sofa. They’d no more than gotten her settled when a knock sounded on the door.
    “I’ll see who that is.” Kelly hurried from the room.
    When she returned, young Pastor William and his wife, Betsy, were with her.
    “We were taking a walk along the towpath and thought we’d stop in to visit and see how things are going here.” Betsy smiled at Sarah, but her bright eyes and cheerful expression quickly turned to a look of concern when she saw Maria on the sofa. “What’s wrong? Is Maria sick?”
    Sarah quickly explained what had happened. “Maria’s vision seems to be getting worse, but she refuses to see Dr. McGrath,” she said, hoping Pastor William or Betsy might intervene. “I’ve suggested that Maria move back to Easton to live with her son, but she’s flatly refused.”
    “Sarah’s right.” Pastor William moved over to the sofa and took Maria’s hand. “The last time I was here, you were having trouble seeing, and I think you ought to see the doctor today and tell him what’s happened,” he said in his usual gentle tone.
    Maria shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll be fine; I just need to rest awhile.”
    “When Dr. McGrath examined Maria’s eyes a few weeks ago, he said her vision’s getting worse,” Sarah said.
    Betsy’s pale blond hair, which she’d worn down, swished across her shoulder as she knelt on the floor in front of where Maria sat. “If you moved back to Easton, you’d have access to a hospital and many good doctors, and