The Librarian of Boone's Hollow - Kim Vogel Sawyer Page 0,26
the mountain folk every week. Been a real good job for them, an’ it’s helpful for the hills families, too, gettin’ their youngsters some book learnin’.”
Emmett knew about various Works Progress Administration programs instituted by the president of the United States, even knew there were WPA lumber cutting and road building outfits right here in Kentucky. But one about book reading implemented in his very own community surprised him. And Bettina serving as a kind of librarian? An unusual occupation for a person who had no use for reading. How many times had she sneaked up on him during recess and yanked the book he was reading from his hands or called him a sissy for wanting to read? But he didn’t hold a grudge against her. He knew why she had no use for books.
He offered a slight nod and smile. “Good for you, Bettina.”
“It’s a heap o’ work.” She wrinkled her nose. “Takes the whole livelong day, near sunup to sundown, to visit all the houses on my route an’ get back home again.” She pointed to a short, plump gray-haired woman visiting with the preacher’s wife in the corner of the sanctuary. “That there’s Miz West, from Louisville. She runs the lib’ary, an’ she tells me an’ Glory an’ Alba what books to take where. She can’t do none o’ the actual deliverin’ ’cause she’s got some kind o’ breathin’ problem. So she stays at the lib’ary all day instead.”
Emmett frowned. “What library?”
“The one here in Boone’s Holler.”
“Boone’s Hollow has a library?”
“Why, sure we do. An’ it smells like ham inside.”
He must’ve heard wrong. “Did you say ham?”
Bettina and Maw laughed the way old friends sharing a joke do. Maw said, “Don’t see as it can help it since it was the Blevins’ smokehouse before it became our lib’ary. Now, I’m sure I wrote to you last November or so about some workers comin’ in, paintin’ up the Blevins’ smokehouse so’s the book lady the government sent would have a place to stay an’ store the books an’ such these gals cart all over the hills.”
If she had, he’d forgotten. Wouldn’t he have liked having a library to visit when he was a youngster? He rubbed Dusty’s head, tousling his brother’s thick dark hair. “What do you think about having a library? Do you check out books?”
“Nuh-uh.”
“How come? I know you like books.”
Dusty shrugged.
Bettina tossed her head, making her hair bounce. “It ain’t that kind o’ lib’ary. Folks don’t come in an’ check out books. The books get took to folks. But only certain folks.”
Emmett arched one eyebrow. “That doesn’t seem quite fair. Shouldn’t everybody be able to access the library?”
Bettina rolled her eyes. “Like I said, it ain’t that kind o’ lib’ary. Now, you wanna come to Alba’s place with me an’ the others? Miz Gilkey baked brown-sugar cookies an’ mixed up a pitcher o’ sweet tea.” She glanced toward the back of the sanctuary and grimaced. “Aw, shucks, ain’t none of ’em here now. They’ve all gone on. Prob’ly got tired o’ waitin’ on me. But”—her grin turned sly—“you an’ me can still go. I doubt Shay an’ the other fellas’ve finished off all the cookies yet.”
If Emmett escorted Bettina to Pat and Sophie Gilkey’s place, folks would take one look at the two of them setting off together and make assumptions. Incorrect assumptions. “I appreciate the invitation, Bettina, but—”
Maw squeezed his upper arm. “Go on now, Emmett. You been so busy studyin’ you ain’t had time for fun. It’ll do you good to cut up a bit. Besides, you ain’t seen your friends in a good long while. You go.” Then she winked. “But don’t stay out too late, you hear? The wagon that takes the men from here an’ Tuckett’s Pass to the coal mine leaves for Lynch real early. Shay an’ pret’ near all the other young fellers from these parts’ll need to be on it.”
Bettina caught hold of Emmett’s elbow with both hands. “Mr. an’ Miz Gilkey’ll shoo us all away no later’n half past nine. They’re always ready to have us come over, but they’re real particular about the hours Alba keeps.”
“That sounds just fine.” Maw cupped the back of Dusty’s head with her hand and herded him toward the door. “You have fun, Emmett. I’ll leave the string out so you can let yourself in.”
Bettina giggled and fluttered her eyelashes. “C’mon, Emmett. You recall the way to the Gilkeys’ place?”