“It must’ve been an accident,” Eva reassured him.
“Who did it?” Maddie came over to look out the broken window, avoiding the glass on the floor.
“Your brother, Otto. I’ll bring him back to clean up this mess.” Willis left the school and headed down the road with purposeful strides. Eva followed him as far as the front porch.
Out on the road a woman had stopped her buggy. She leaned out the door. “I saw the Gingrich boy break the window. He was deliberately hitting rocks toward the school,” she called out loudly.
Eva’s heart sank. She had assumed it was an accident. “Are you sure you aren’t mistaken?”
The woman scowled, apparently offended by Eva’s suggestion. “I am not. The bishop and the school board will hear what has happened.”
“They will be informed, of course, but it would be best if the confession comes from Otto. He needs to face the consequence of his actions.”
“Then he shouldn’t have run off.” She slapped the reins against her horse’s rump and drove away.
Maddie came out to stand beside Eva. The child planted her hands on her hips. “Otto makes Willis want to tear his hair out every day. He’s not sure what he’s going to do with him.”
“I’m sorry Otto and Willis aren’t getting along. Otto shouldn’t have run away, but I can imagine he was frightened.”
Maddie looked up. “He could have said Bubble did it.”
“That would be a lie, wouldn’t it? You don’t blame something on Bubble if she didn’t do it.”
“I did when she knocked over my glass of milk last week.”
“Were her feelings hurt? If you said I did something but I didn’t do it, my feelings would be hurt.”
Maddie scrunched her face and then beckoned Eva to lean down. She cupped her hands around her mouth near Eva’s ear. “She’s not real so she doesn’t have feelings,” she whispered.
“Willis will be delighted to hear that.” Eva walked down to the lawn. “I think it would be best if you went home now, Maddie.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow, Teacher. I’ll practice writing my name tonight.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Have your brother help you.”
“I’ll have Harley do it. He’s a right helpful fellow. Even Bubble says so.”
As the child crossed the road, Eva turned her attention back to the broken window. It would need to be boarded up until it could be replaced. Poor Otto was off to a rough start at his new school.
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