Alvin Jorneyman

To Alvin's consternation, some of the men took the fact that he came up with her name as proof that Amy was telling the truth about whatever it was she had said. “See?” they murmured. “See?”

“I'm done with this,” said Nils. “I'm done. I'm a farmer. Corn and hogs, that's my knack if I have me any.” When he left, several other men went with him.

Alvin turned to the others. “I don't know what I'm accused of, but I can promise you this, I've done nothing wrong. In the meantime, it's plain there's no use in holding class today, so let's all go home. I reckon there's a way to salvage every one of these pumps, so your work isn't lost. We'll get back to it tomorrow.”

As they left, some of the men touched Alvin's shoulder or punched his arm to show their support. But some of the support was of a kind he didn't much like. “Can't hardly blame you, pretty little calf-eyed thing like that.” “Women is always reading more into things than a man means.”

Finally Alvin was alone with Taleswapper.

“Don't look at me,” said Taleswapper. “Let's go on up to the house and see if your father's heard the stories yet.”

When they got there, it was like a family council was already in session. Measure, Armor-of-God, and Father and Mother were all gathered around the kitchen table. Arthur Stuart was kneading dough– small as he was, he was good with bread and liked doing it, so Mother had finally given in and admitted that a woman could still be mistress of her own house even if somebody else made the bread.

“Glad you're here, Al,” said Measure. “You'd think a piece of silliness like this would just get laughed out of town. I mean, these folks should know you.”

“Why should they?” asked Mother. “He's been gone most of the past seven years. When he left he was a scrub-size boy who'd just spent a year ru

“Would somebody please tell me what this is about?” Alvin said.

“You mean they haven't?” asked Father. “They were powerful quick to tell your mother and Measure and Armor-of-God.”

Taleswapper chuckled. “Of course they didn't tell Alvin. Those who believe the tale assume he already knows. And those who don't believe it are plain ashamed that anyone could say such silly slander.”

Measure sighed. “Amy Sump told her friend Ramona, and Ramona told her mama, and her mama went straight to Goody Sump, and she went straight to her husband, and he like to went crazy because he can't conceive that every male creature larger than a mouse isn't hottin' up after his nubian daughter.”

“Nubile,” Alvin corrected him.

“Yeah yeah,” said Measure. “I know, you're the one who reads the books, and now's sure the time to correct my grammar.”

“Nubians are Black Africans,” said Alvin. “And Amy ain't no Black near as I can figure.”

“This might be a good time to shut up and listen,” said Measure.

“Yes sir,” said Alvin.

“If only you had left when that torch girl sent you that warning,” said Mother. “It's a plain fool who stays inside a burning house because he wants to see the color of the flames.”

“What's Amy saying about me?” asked Alvin.

“Pure nonsense,” said Father. “About you ru

“With Amy?” asked Alvin, incredulous.

“Meaning that you'd do it with someone else?” asked Measure.

“I'd do such a thing with nobody,” said Alvin. “Ain't decent, and besides, there ain't enough unbroken living forest these days to get a hundred miles in a night. I can't make half so good a speed through fields and farms. The greensong gets noisy and busted up and I get too tired trying to hear it and why is anybody believing such silliness?”

“Because they think you can do anything,” said Measure.

“And because a good number of these men have noticed Amy filling out of late,” said Armor-of-God, “and they know that if they had the power, and if Amy was as moony toward them as she plainly is toward you, they'd have her naked in a lake in two seconds flat.”

“You're too cynical about human nature,” said Taleswapper. “Most of these fellows are the wishing kind. But they know Alvin is a doer, not just a wisher.”

“I hardly noticed her except to think she was sure slow to learn, considering how tight she seemed to pay attention,” said Alvin.

“To you she was paying attention. Not to what you said or taught,” said Measure.

“Well it ain't so. I didn't do anything to her or with her, and…”

“And even if you did it would be plain disaster if you married her,” said Mother.

“Married her!” cried Alvin.

“Well of course, if it was true, you'd have to marry her,” said Father.

“But it ain't true.”

“You got any witnesses of that?” asked Measure.

“Witnesses of what? How can I have witnesses that it didn't happen? Everybody's my witness– everybody didn't see any such thing.”

“But she says it happened,” said Measure. “And you're the only other one who knows whether she's lying or not. So either she's a plain liar and you're i

“So you don't even believe me?”

“Of course we believe you,” said Father. “Do you think we're insane? But our believing you ain't any kind of evidence. Measure's been reading law, and he explained it to us.”

“Law?” asked Alvin.

“Well, afore you come home from Hatrack River, anyway. And, now and then since. I reckon somebody in the family ought to know something about the law.”

“But you mean you think this might come to court?”

“Might,” said Measure. “That's what the Sumps were saying. Get them a lawyer from Carthage City instead of one of the frontier lawyers as has a shingle out here in Vigor Church. Lots of publicity.”

“But they can't convict me of anything!”

“Breach of promise. Indecent liberties with a child. All depends on how many jurors think that where there's smoke, there's fire.”

“Indecent liberties with a…”

“That one's a hanging offense, all right,” said Measure. “But I hear that's the charge that Clevy wants to bring.”

“Doesn't matter if they convict you or not,” said Taleswapper.

“Matters to me,” said Mother.

“Either way, the tale will spread. Alvin the so-called Maker, taking advantage of young girls. You can't let this go to trial,” said Taleswapper.

Alvin saw at once how such rumors, such publicity as a trial would bring, it would bring down his work, make it impossible to attract others to come and learn Making at Vigor Church.

Not that he was doing much good teaching Making anyway.

“Miss Larner,” murmured Alvin.

“Yep,” said Taleswapper. “She warned you. Leave now freely, or leave later because you have to.”

“Why should he he driven from his own home just because a horny lying little…” Mother's voice trailed off.

Alvin sat in the ensuing silence, recognizing his foolishness. “I spose I'm a plain fool for not heeding Miss Larner.” And then, stiffening his back, he closed his eyes, and said, “There's another way. So I don't have to leave at all.”

“What's that?” asked Measure.

“I could marry her.”

“No!” cried Mother and Father at once.

“Why not just sign a confession?” asked Armor-of-God.

“You can't marry her,” said Measure.

“It's what she wants,” said Alvin. “You can bet she'd say yes, and her father and mother would have to agree to it.”

“Agree to it– and then despise you ever after,” said Father.

“Doesn't matter about his reputation or what people think of him or anything, compared to this,” said Measure. “Waking up every morning and seeing Amy Sump in bed next to you, and knowing the only reason she's there is because she slandered you– tell me what kind of home you'll make, the two of you, for your babies?”