Hannah's Journey. Anna Schmidt

sighed and nodded. “Lily and some of the gals thought they spotted him on board last night but there was no sign of him. More likely they were all falling asleep when I was chasing the kid and they looked outside, spotted him then dreamed he was running through their sleeping car.”

      “Why’d you chase him?”

      “Because the train was about to move and he was dodging in and out between cars. The last thing we needed was for a kid to get crushed as we were leaving town. Business is bad enough without adding that to the mix.”

      Levi couldn’t debate that point. “I don’t get it,” he said, his attention now firmly back on the figures he’d been studying for days now. “Our last performances in Sarasota were sold out and yet…”

      “You gave all those tickets to that charity thing, remember?” Jake reminded him. “You’ll see. Things will start to look better now that we’re on the road. Besides, you aren’t exactly hurting, Levi.”

      “You know it’s not about my personal fortune,” Levi snapped. “We employ so many people, Jake. I’m responsible for their welfare—not to mention the welfare of their families. With the way the economy took a nosedive in Florida these past couple of years, I don’t want to have to start letting people go.”

      “Trust me, my friend. Everyone knows you’re going to do the right thing when it comes to taking care of the company. Whatever happens, everybody knows that when Levi Harmon gives you his word, it beats any official piece of paper you might ever hold in your hand.” Jake gathered up the orders. “I’ll go send these so the supplies are waiting at the next stop. And stop worrying!”

      Levi smiled for the first time since he’d sat down with his friend. Somehow Jake had always had a way of putting a new face on things—a more positive face—and Levi was grateful for that.

      Supper that evening was a somber affair. Levi was tired from the stresses of the day. Attendance for the matinee had been good but people had not spent the extra money for the sideshows and cotton candy and popcorn that they usually did. Although the wealthy classes were still thriving, these were hard times for ordinary folks and it did not look as if things were going to get much better for some time.

      But the real gloom that hung over the gathering was the fact that there had been no sign of the boy. Hannah kept her eyes lowered as she methodically sipped her soup. Levi doubted she was even aware that she was taking in nourishment. Gunther kept glancing at his daughter-in-law and sighing heavily. Only Pleasant seemed to be enjoying the meal.

      “Excuse me, sir.” Hans entered the dining area with his usual catlike grace. He was holding a piece of yellow paper.

      “A telegram?” Levi asked, reaching for it.

      “Yes, sir. It’s from Miss Ida.”

      Hannah looked up for the first time, her eyes flickering with some interest.

      “Ida Benson,” Levi explained to his guests. “She’s my personal secretary. She headed straight back to Wisconsin once the company arrived here yesterday.”

      Levi read the short message. Then read it again. He glanced at Hannah, then handed her the telegram. “It’s good news,” he said softly.

      Hannah felt as if everyone must surely be able to see the beat of her heart under her caped dress. It was hammering away so hard that she thought she could actually feel the blood rushing through her veins. Her hand shook slightly as she accepted the telegram.

      Amish runaway in my cabin. Stop. Just crossed into Indiana. Stop. Please instruct. Stop. Ida

      She read the words again. Amish runaway. “It’s Caleb,” she whispered as if to assure herself, then she turned to her father-in-law and handed him the wire. “It’s Caleb,” she repeated as relief washed through her like a cleansing dip in the Gulf. She grasped Pleasant’s hand as they waited for Gunther to scan the words.

      “Could be,” he said cautiously.

      “Must be,” Pleasant said firmly. “Now what?”

      All eyes turned to Levi.

      “There are several options,” he began slowly. “Miss Benson could put the boy on the next train back to Sarasota or she could get him a ticket to meet us tomorrow at our next stop in Georgia.”

      “She could not accompany him?” Gunther asked.

      “Miss Benson has a great deal of work to do once she reaches Wisconsin,” Levi explained. “That’s why she has traveled back ahead of the rest of us.”

      “Someone else, then.” Pleasant’s tone was less a question than a demand.

      “There is no one else. Miss Benson is traveling alone.”

      “You said there were several options,” Hannah reminded him. “Allowing Caleb to travel alone seems risky to me.”

      “And yet, Hannah, he has been traveling alone since the night he ran away.”

      “That’s my point. Caleb ran away and he hates to fail at anything so if he’s put on a train alone my concern is that he will decide to make another attempt and that this time we will have no Miss Benson to watch over him.”

      Levi slowly removed his reading glasses and set them on the pristine, white tablecloth as he leaned back in his chair and ran one large palm over his face. He looked so weary and certainly the last thing he needed right now was this. Hannah hated adding to his worries, but this was her son.

      “I suppose,” he began, then looked from her to Gunther to Pleasant before continuing. “I suppose that I could instruct Ida to take the boy with her, get him settled with a farm family she knows in Baraboo and keep an eye on him until you can all get there.”

      “Baraboo?” Pleasant asked, her eyes suddenly alive with interest.

      “Yes. It’s the town where we have our summer headquarters,” Levi replied. “Do you know it?”

      To Hannah’s shock, Pleasant blushed scarlet and returned her attention to her soup. “I…no…just a curious name.”

      “How soon would we get there?” Hannah asked.

      “By commercial train, two to three days depending on when we can get you tickets.”

      Hannah glanced at her father-in-law and saw him frown. She was well aware that he was calculating the expense. “I could go and you and Pleasant could return to Sarasota,” she suggested.

      “Absolutely not,” Gunther thundered. “The very idea of you traveling alone…”

      “Or you could continue as my guests and arrive back in Wisconsin in two weeks,” Levi suggested. “That way you will only encounter the expense of the return trip. In the meantime, I assure you that Caleb will be quite well-provided for and perhaps have the time to consider the error of his actions. The family I spoke of is Amish. The woman is a close friend of Miss Benson’s.”