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Show 6-2 me questions and didn't wait for the answers, wondered why I wasn't at Bible School and prophesied great boredom for me in the long summer ahead. Mrs. Archibald asked me why Father had left County Hospital to go to St. John's. "It's Catholic, you know," she nodded to her neighbor, Mrs. Wade. "I see no reason for a good man like Dr. Metcalf from a good Christian family, to associate so closely with Catholics." "But, Dora, that's not the worst of it. It's the men out there. Stanley went out once to work on the plumbing and you should have seen them. The horror." She turned to me. "How can you father stand to be around them? Better they had died in Europe. They'll never be any good now." The men under the trees, so silent, so still. Better they had died, she said. Maybe. But Andrew? Mother called me from the kitchen. The lesson was about to begin and our job was finished until Grandmother needed us to help clear the dishes. We escaped to the back porch. We sat together on the wooden swing. "I didn't get a chance to ask you. Did you enjoy your visit yesterday?" I pleated my skirt carefully. "Hmm, yes. I met a nice nun. She knew who I was before I told her." "I imagine your father told everyone you were coming." She smoothed back my hair. "He's very proud of you, Annie." Was he still proud of me? Did he want me bothering his patients? "Do you think I can go again?" I looked up at Mother. "The patients don't seem to have much company." "Did you talk to the patients?" she asked quickly. "Oh, not really. They were playing cards and sleeping and things. I just wondered if it was allowed." |