Chapter 33Winter came early in ‘69, so Smith’s mortification remained unavenged as far as we knew. Despite the early onset, the weather had not been overly harsh, allowing us to take to the rackets for nearby hunting and a little ice fishing in the crick beside the bridge.
Snowmelt arrived on time, and when we were finally free to travel, we headed west to find the Tillers had survived the freezing months in good form. Bella was in her third pregnancy, making me wonder if a new child would overfill the small cabin.
Shortly thereafter, James visited the town and returned with a winter’s worth of news. Events had moved apace while we hunkered down by our fireplace with snow swirling about the house. That was all right. At least the world had left us alone for those few months.
Smith’s act
