Searching for Silverheels Read Free Page A

announced. “Bye, Imogene. See you later, kid,” he said, ruffling my hair. Then he headed out the door. Off for a day in the sunshine while I washed dishes.
    Imogene sighed and watched him go. “Only a month until the Fourth of July picnic. When do you think Willie will get around to asking me to go with him?”
    I didn’t think he would, but there was no point in telling Imogene that. She was determined to catch him.
    â€œIs George Crawford going to ask you to the picnic, Pearl?”
    My heart sped up a little, but I only shrugged. Sure, I had spent hours dreaming of going to the picnic with George, dancing at a Christmas ball with George, strolling along the creek under a parasol with George. Not that anyone in Como ever had Christmas balls—or parasols for that matter. But that didn’t stop me from dreaming.
    â€œCome on, Pearl. You’ve got to start planning. You only have a month!”
    â€œI can’t plan anything until he asks me. It’s the boy’s job to ask the girl.”
    â€œYou’ll never get George to ask you with that attitude,” Imogene said. “You don’t think boys know what to do on their own, do you? You have to let them know you’ll say yes before they’re willing to ask.”
    I pretended there was a spot on the counter and scrubbed hard at it so I didn’t have to look at her. “I’d rather wait for a boy to court me proper. I don’t want to be forward.”
    There was an indignant huff from across the room, and I reddened. I had forgotten about Josie. Of course she was eavesdropping on our conversation.
    â€œHonestly, until girls stop worrying themselves over boys and start thinking sensibly, we’ll never make any progress in this country. Start thinking about making something of yourselves, why don’t you?” she said.
    Imogene tossed her curls over her shoulder and stuck her nose in the air. “My pa says the only women who care aboutpolitics are the ones who can’t catch a man for themselves,” she said. Then she flounced out of the café, leaving me alone with Josie.
    I couldn’t believe Imogene could speak so rudely! I expected Josie to explode, but she didn’t. She just watched me over the edge of her cup, her black eyes cold and hard.
    â€œYour head’s full of drivel, girl. Waiting for a boy to court you and telling that mushy, cockamamie story to the tourists? Drivel and more drivel!”
    â€œI think Silverheels was very heroic,” I said.
    â€œSo a woman who stands up for her rights is a nuisance, while one who coddles a bunch of helpless men is a hero?”
    â€œI suppose you think Silverheels ought to have just let the miners die?” I said.
    â€œI think if the story’s true the way folks tell it, she was a mighty stupid girl.”
    â€œKindness isn’t stupid,” I said under my breath. She gave a little “hrmf” and my face flushed as I realized she had heard me. I knew better than to talk back to my elders, and if there was one thing Josie was, it was elder.
    â€œI’ll tell you what I think. I think the real reason she stayed was that she figured those dying miners would tell her where they had hidden their gold. Maybe they did, and that’s why she lit out in the end. Why else would she risk everything and stay?”
    â€œBecause those men needed her. They were her friends,” I said.
    â€œWere they?” she said, her eyes more challenging than ever. “Her friends?”
    â€œThey loved her.”
    Josie drained her cup and got to her feet. “Then why, if they were her friends who loved her, didn’t a single one of them know her real name?”

CHAPTER 3
    I stared at Josie, my mouth hanging open. I couldn’t think of a single answer. The truth was, I had never thought of it that way before. Josie’s lips stretched in a grin of victory. I snapped my mouth shut and gritted my teeth,