Saints Among Us Read Free Page B

she had worn over her T-shirt until she became too warm and hurried off the porch. “What is it?” She took the newspaper Jane offered.
    “Read the lead article,” Jane said. “It’s about animal-rescue efforts in the disaster area. I thought of you right away.”
    “Oh, thank you!” Alice clutched the newspaper, completely forgetting the broom, and hurried indoors as Jane continued on to the parking lot at the back corner of the inn. Her sister’s excitement reminded Jane to try to be more supportive of Alice’s interest in a trip down south to help the animals. She had felt bad on Saturday evening when they all inadvertently trampled on Alice’s enthusiasm with their concerns for her safety. She was sure Alice understood that their criticism, candidly expressed as they had been, were rooted in loving concern. But she also knew from personal experience on the receiving end of Ethel’s “suggestions” that they could sting.
    Entering the kitchen, she found that Alice had spread out the paper on the kitchen table and was eagerly scanning the article. Wendell, the family’s gray tabby cat, lounged in a patch of sun coming through the window, but he rose to his feet as he saw Jane enter the room.
    “Look at this, Jane,” her sister said. She pointed at a line in the article. “This woman—Shelby Riverly—was interviewed about her experiences at an animal-rescue camp. She says volunteers are desperately needed and probably will be for quite some time.”
    Jane nodded. She bent to run a hand over the soft fur of the cat’s back, smiling as he arched and butted her palm with his head for a second pat. “I read the article. I thought perhaps you could contact her to get more information about how to organize a trip.”
    “Oh, thank you.” Alice rose and hugged her sister. “I truly feel a calling to do this. But after listening to all of you Saturday evening, I started to think maybe I was foolish to even consider it.”
    Jane shook her head. “We’re just concerned for you, and we didn’t express ourselves particularly well. If you want to go, Alice, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
    Alice smiled. “You’re going to have your hands full with that committee for Aunt Ethel’s crafts fair. But just knowing you don’t think I’m crazy is helpful. Oh! I almost forgot.” She held up her hand. “Fred Humbert called. Aunt Ethel got the Seniors Social Circle together after church yesterday, and they decided to ask the board for permission to use the Assembly Room for a small-scale crafts fair. If Fred can gather enough members, there will be a special meeting of the board tonight to vote on it.”
    “Small scale?” Jane chuckled. “I don’t believe our aunt knows the meaning of that phrase.”
    Alice nodded. “She is quite…enthusiastic about this idea.”
    “I don’t know whether to hope they approve it or think Aunt Ethel’s wacky for trying to put it together in such a short time,” Jane said. She glanced at her watch. “Yikes! I’ve got work to do in the kitchen. Don’t forget you left the broom on the front porch.”

    Alice entered the Grace Chapel Assembly Room shortly before seven that evening for the emergency board meeting. To her surprise, nearly every board member already had arrived. Lloyd Tynan and Ethel waved at her from their side-by-side seats across the table, as did both Pastor Ley and Rev. Kenneth Thompson. Patsy Ley, who like Pastor Thompson was not a board member, sat in her usual spot preparing to take minutes, and Fred Humbert smiled at Alice from his place at the end of the table, where he presided over the meetings.
    “Hello, Alice. You’re the last person we’re waiting for because June Carter can’t make it tonight.” He cleared his throat and announced. “I’d like to call this special meeting of the Grace Chapel Board of Directors to order.”
    Fred swiftly dispensed with the essentials of
Robert’s Rules of Order
, and then Lloyd made a motion to open