If she hadn’t known he had an artificial leg, she wouldn’t have been able to detect it today. His walk wasn’t the smoothest, or the most graceful, but it lacked yesterday’s decided limp.
He mounted slowly and held his head for a few minutes afterward. She waited for him to indicate he was ready, feeling a twinge of guilt at his suffering. While they sat there, Ma came out of the house.
She looked at Monroe first and then at Mary Jo. “I thought you was gonna take the buggy.”
Monroe lifted his head and looked at Mary Jo. “Buggy? You have a buggy?”
She nodded. “It’s a lot farther by road, though.”
Ma gave her a stern look. She didn’t need to say what was on her mind. It was cruel to do this to him, timber man or not. She looked at Monroe.
“If you don’t feel up to this, we can take the buggy. It’s farther, but it would be a smoother ride.”
He studied her for a minute, obviously giving the idea considerable thought. Finally he shrugged. “I’m all right. Let’s take the shorter route.”
Ma watched them until they reached the forest. She’d probably have something to say about this tonight.
Ma watched as Mary Jo disappeared into the forest with Monroe. She had a feeling that Mary Jo had met her match – in more ways than one. Any other time she might be uneasy about her daughter traipsing across the wilderness with a stranger, but he wasn’t in any condition to do her harm - even if he was so inclined. If Mary Jo was going to drag him into the forest to teach him something, now was probably the safest time. Still, he didn’t seem the type to cause trouble.
She pulled the bills from her pocket. Fifty dollars was a lot of money to simply hand someone. Of course, as he said, he would have paid that much between a hotel and food, but he didn’t need to give her anything at all. He didn’t give it out of charity. She was certain of that. He gave it because he felt he owed it. No doubt he was one of those people who didn’t want to be obliged to anyone.
She lifted her gaze to the forest and smiled. He was as determined to do his job as Mary Jo was to save the trees. He was respectful toward her, but he didn’t back down from her the way the other boys did. Mary Jo could be downright pretty when she took the time to dress up, but you’d never know it by the way she dressed today. She certainly wasn’t trying to impress Mr. Monroe. That was the problem. Mary Jo didn’t try to impress any man. She acted as if she didn’t want to leave the mountains. What kind of life could she have if she stayed here? Sure, the mountains were beautiful and peaceful, but they provided little in the way of income – nothing Mary Jo would approve of, anyway.