Chapter 22

The small house looked empty and I would have thought so had I not seen the small curl of smoke coming form the chimney. I hollered for Maisy as I got down from my horse and tied him to the hitching post. I looked up when I heard heavy footsteps on the porch and was surprised to see a middle aged man standing there. He looked as if he hadn't shaved in weeks and his clothes were rumpled as if he had been sleeping in them.

"Who are you?" he asked in a booming voice, looking at me as if he suspected me of something. I cleared my throat and removed my hat, "I'm James McAllister, the doctor Maisy sent for, who are you?" I asked in return. The man then broke into an easy smile and stuck out his hand, "Well, hello Doc, get up on this porch and set for a bit. My name's Yancy Lancaster, Maisy's, my momma," he replies as I stepped up on the porch to greet him. "Mary-Anne," he hollered over his shoulder, into the darkened cabin, "Come on out here and meet the Doc who momma's always goin on about and bring us something to drink." I heard movement inside the home as I made my way to the porch swing. "Do you know why Maisy sent for me?" I asked, "Where is she?" "Well," Yancy said as he eased down into a chair, "2 weeks ago Harley Shoemaker got home late in the evening and bedded down in the barn so he wouldn't wake his kin folks in the house. Seems he had been to New Orleans for awhile working and had come home to visit. The next morning his daddy, old Harley went out to fork some hay and found him in the barn passed out cold. He was a sweating and shivering and his face was real red from having a high fever. So old Harley hollered up some of his youngen's and they got Harley in the house. Betty, his wife made up a bed in the main room where it was warmer and would be easier to tend to him and had them put him in there. Well, other than being real weak and all he seem to be feeling fine and just laid around for a day or two. Then about the evening of the second day he complained about his mouth being sore and how it was hard to eat. When he stuck out his tongue he had red spots all over it and inside his mouth. Well, Betty mixed and mashed him up some small food and gave him cool things to drink and old Harley gave him some of his "special remedy" to help him rest. The next morning when Betty got up to check on him he was covered in small red spots all over his body. The ones in his mouth had busted open and was awful. He said he was feelin' better but just that his mouth was sore. Then later on that night he started running a fever again. Well, Betty set in to treatin' him again, trying to get him better. After about a week he seemed to start healing, but he had sores and scabs all over his body, and then Betty other youngen's got to showing the same signs. That's when old Harley sent for momma. She's been up there bout 4 days. That was my boy that rode to your house, momma said for us to stay here at her place where it was safe and to tell you that it looked like the pox to her."

I stood up so quickly, I bumped into the small woman that had stepped out of the house carrying a small tray. I turned to look at her and was surprised by her regal look. Her hair was pulled back into a bun and she had the sharp angular face of an aristocrat, with high cheek bones, slim nose and small pouty lips. "Ma'm" I said, as I reached for the tray. Yancey stood up and held his hand out to her, "This here's Mary-Anne, my woman. I found her 'bout 2 years ago living in a broke down, dirt floor, shack. She was down close to Atlanta and had been thrown out of the big house she had worked in every since she was a young girl. Seems the man of the house was too fond of her and a little too close for his Missus' comfort so she had her thrown out of the house with nothin' but a small satchel to carry her things in. She tried to get a job in other homes, but the Missus bad talked her around town and nobody would hire her. I seen her sitting outside that old shack and made her an offer she couldn't refuse." Mary-Anne looked up at her husband and smiled. I set the tray down on a small table and sat back down.

"Why did Maisy wait so long to send for me," I asked. "Well," said Yancey as he sat back down and pulled the extra chair over for Mary-Anne to sit on, "She said you was up here 'bout last Wednesday and they didn't send for her until late Wednesday evening. She wasn't sure what it might be, but as soon as she got there and saw all those sick folks spotted up and all, she figured it out. Had one of the neighbor boys ride out to tell me to get my family here to her house where it was safe and to send for you. It took us a day to get our stuff up and the animals farmed out. As soon as we got here, my boy lit out for your place. I got some stuff gathered up momma wanted and she said for you to bring it when you come. She didn't want us no where around.

I stood up, "Where and how far do I need to go?" I asked. Yancy stood and said, "Mary-Anne reach round that corner and grab momma's bag while I give the doc directions," he said. She did as she was asked, while Yancy walked me down off the porch. "Stay on this road here for about 2 miles. You gonna come to a fork in the roads and you need to stay to the right. It's real woody up through there but the road is smooth and good. Stay on it for about 4 more miles, up to the top of the mountain and you're gonna come to a small settlement, that's Mountain Top. From there they can direct you to the Shoemaker place."

Mary-Anne came to the edge of the porch with a small carpet bag and canvas pouch. "These are the items that mother Maisy requested," she said, "the medicinal items are in the carpet bag and I made several sandwiches for you." I was surprised by her high, precise voice and the crisp way she talked. Not at all like the local accent. Yancey looked at me and grinned, "She talks real purty, don't she?" he asked. I replied, "Yes, just how is it that you came by that?" I asked her. Mary-Anne replied with a slight smile, "My mother worked for the Landreau's for years. I was born in the small house she and my father shared on their property. I grew up with the Landreau children, first playing with them, then later on as a handmaid. I sat side by side with the girls when they received their lessons in schooling, dancing and manners. Mrs. Landreau had no problem with it and the children accepted me as a cousin. I attended parties and gatherings with them, not participating of course, but was there as a chaperone. In doing so, I picked up on the finer graces of life. When the older girls were up in their teen years, Mrs. Landreau passed away, Mr. Landreau married a lady he met at a social gathering, a coming out party for a friend's daughter. It was a brief courtship and when she arrived as mistress of the house, she decided I needed to go. The eldest girls were away at a boarding school and the youngest children had a nanny. Mr. Landreau had only been gone a couple of days on a European business trip when his wife insisted I had to leave."

I mounted my horse, settled my hat on my head and spoke directly to her, "Have you adjusted?" he asked, sure that he could see something in her eyes. "Yes," she replied, "I am teaching school along with manners to some of the girls in the area. They are coming along quite well." I replied, "I feel sure that the Landreau's lost is our gain. I will have my wife check around our house. I am sure we have some children's books we can donate for your finishing school," I said with a smile. She looked up at Yancey and he said, "Doc any help you can give would be fine by me. She's got her head set to teach these girls around here how to be town girls instead of mountain girls. Don't know how they will ever get married off," he said with a grin at her, as she hit him lightly on the arm. "Have a safe trip and let momma know she's in our prayers," Yancey said, as I turned my horse and headed off to Mountain Top for my first real look at the place I had only heard about from Maisy.