How many trees would it take to buy a car? It wouldn't have to be a nice car, just reliable enough to get her back and forth from work. Would Monroe Lumber Company buy only a few trees? But how would she get in touch with them. Wait, they came and got the vehicle, but did they find the magnetic sign?
Ma gave her a wizened smile. "Yer quiet this morning. Are ya thinking of a tall handsome young man?"
Mary Jo grimaced. "More like a tall tree."
Ma frowned. "Are you still frettin' about them trees?"
"If I don't, there shore ain't nobody else goin' to."
"Frettin' ain'ta gonna help."
Mary Jo finished her oatmeal and carried the bowl to the counter. "I think I'll ride Ol' Ned early this mornin' so we can put up the last of the okree later."
Ma stood and took her bowl to the counter. "Lawd knows you do enough around here." She picked up Billy Ray's empty bowl and gave Mary Jo a sly smile. "I shore hope you get to see him today."
"Oh Ma!" Mary Jo stomped out of the house. She was never going to hear the end of it. She caught her breath. Monroe asked if he could come see her sometime. Ma would be shoving her at him if she knew.
After a bath and a little more attention to her clothes than normal, Mary Jo saddled Ol' Ned and headed down the road. When she reached the place where the car had gone off the road, she anchored Ol' Ned to a tree beside the road. She took the same course that she had taken the day before. She worked half the way down without finding it. They must have picked it up. She started back up the hill and saw something white sticking out from under a bush. She used a stick to fish it out. Sure enough, it was the magnetic sign from the side of the vehicle.
She was continuing up the hill when she heard the ATV. It was probably one of the Hudson boys. She scrambled up the last few feet as fast as she could, trying to reach Ol' Ned before the ATV came around the bend. She didn't make it.
Lester brought the ATV to a halt so fast that the rear end slid around. He sneered at her. "Whacha got there hon?"
She continued toward Ol' Ned without answering him. She had her foot in the stirrup before he grabbed her arm.