Anne wasn’t home. I had to talk to Hannah, especially because her father knew who I was. I left the fabric roll in the kitchen and went back outside. Crossing the creek at the railroad bridge brought me in near the east edge of town. I jumped down off the tracks and hurried across an open field on the outskirts.
After running into Daniel, I was leery about who else might be about. So I went into town a roundabout way—past the ice company to Third Street and then over toward Market. The houses there were all tall, free-standing soldiers, some a bit down at heel, with small lots in between them like spaces for veterans on parade. Only a few had first-floor stores, so the street wasn’t nearly as busy as Second Street that time of day. If the marshal was still poking around, I hoped he wouldn
