Chapter 11
Miss Georgia and Abigail sat in Abigail’s warm living room, sipping tea and looking out at softly falling snow.
“If this keeps up, Cab Moore will be getting out his sleigh,” Abigail said. “That old sleigh has been in his family for years. He likes to give rides to the neighborhood children.”
Miss Georgia smiled. “What a nice thing to do. I’m glad there’re people in the world who try to make things a little happier for others.”
Abigail sighed. “And then, there are those who live for revenge, like poor Miss Dodson.”
Miss Georgia shook her head. “I can’t imagine so much hatred inside of one woman. I think she had dwelt on revenge so much that it had unhinged her mind. I wonder what’ll happen to her?”
“I don’t know,” Abigail said. “I worried about my husband being a prosecuting attorney and I talked to him about the enemies he was making. He just laughed at me. I’m not going to press charges against Miss Dodson.”
Miss Georgia swallowed her sip of tea and sputtered, “You’re not?”
Abigail shook her head. “I think living with the sort of man she had, then having him locked away in prison and dying while she thought he was innocent all this time—I think that’s punishment enough.”
“I guess her thoughts of vengeance kept her going,” Miss Georgia said. “Now, she has nothing. Hatred is a white-hot flame that consumes the human soul.”
Abigail laughed. “Growing philosophical, are you? And what about you, Georgia? Aren’t you going to be lonely when you go back to your house in the country? You’re not teaching now and you have only Elmira for company.”
Miss Georgia gazed out at the trees and street which were quickly becoming beautiful. It would be a white Christmas this year. “I’ve been thinking about that. Those two houses on either side of you are empty. I wouldn’t want to live in Miss Dodson’s house, but there’s the other one. And, the Marshall family will be needing a place to live when James Stone sells their home,, so if mine is empty, they could move in there.”
Abigail squealed. “Oh, Georgia! Are you thinking about becoming my next door neighbor?”
Smiling, Miss Georgia set her teacup on the floor as Elmira jumped up on her lap.
“Why not? This has been the most exciting two days I’ve had in a while. I wonder what other puzzles two old friends might be able to solve?”
Abigail squeezed Miss Georgia’s hand. “This old town is bound to have plenty of them. And we’re just the two who can put the pieces together. I have a philosophy too–Friendship can warm the coldest day.”
Miss Georgia laughed. “There’s Cab with his sleigh. I wonder if he’d consider giving two old philosophers a ride?”
–The End —
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