Word quickly spread through the small, tight knit community that the Pearsons had lost their baby. Times were hard so there was a different kind of compassion, an unspoken understanding that each neighbor would do his very best to help the family in need.

In the early morning the Pearsons could see the dust being kicked up by horses, wagons and old model T and model A vehicles, all coming to pay respects and grieve with the family. Each family brought something to eat, whatever they had and that helped more than anything. The night before Phyllis had managed to catch an old rooster, wring his neck, clean the innerds, pluck the feathers and fry it up for the brood. There should have been at least two chickens to feed everyone but all got something. There was even a jar of pickles in the shelter and a jar of green beans that had been put away for almost two years, still good. The boys milked the old cow and they had fresh milk for the Brink babies. AND to top it off, she was able to whip up the cream that had been separated and found an old jar of apples. So there was dessert.

Etta was still on her bed and Betty had gone in to be with her when company started arriving. Both were silent, bound by a common pain that they knew would never leave them. Betty held her Mom's hand but did not look at her. Betty could not bear the suffering she saw in her momma's eyes, a reflection of Betty's own sorrow. They could hear the commotion outside the bedroom and realized that the poor little house was probably packed now with the busy folks that had come to pay respects to the Pearson family. Etta and Betty could smell all the food they brought and could hear the chatter as the women got things ready. The friends and neighbors, all with the same objective, cared for this family as the Pearsons had cared for them in the past. It was an unwritten law.

James, Thurber's father had not made it back the night before but Phyllis was not worried. He had driven Doctor Hoyt back to town and by the time they got there it was probably too dark to risk coming back to the farm. She knew he would be welcome in town and so it was that he stayed the night at the Droctor's house.

"Betty help me up honey. Bring me a robe if you can find one."

"Momma you need to rest, you know that."

But Betty knew her mother, knew her determination, her drive. This was the woman that had birthed seven children, ran the household, helped with the chores, milked the cows, tended a garden when there was a garden and took hold of everything that needed her attention so she got her mother an old robe hanging on a hook behind the door and helped her sit up and get ready to greet her guests. Etta would never have thought to do otherwise.

It was so hot and with so many bodies in the house it became almost impossible to stay inside. The children all ran outside to play the games they knew. Several boys including Thurber, Albert and Christian decided to explore the dam area. It was dry but there were treasures there. Christian found a real fossil once, a shell he kept in his private lockbox. The little girls found some shade under that scruffy old evergreen and started playing Cats Cradle, a game that one girl would start by using string wrapped around her fingers. She would make something and pass it off to the next girl. Whoever made the Cats Cradle won.

A few of the children went down in the shelter where Gretta and Wilow had an old Montgomery Wards catalog with which they would cut out paper dolls. They had their models, their clothes and even some furniture, all from a dream book that ultimately went to the outhouse.

The men from the community, almost a dozen stepped outside for a smoke and the most recent talk. James had returned bringing the Methodist Minister, brother Jones with him. They all moved up to the barn. There was business to discuss.

Alfred stood for a moment contemplating what he was about to say. There was so much to talk about and so little the quiet man wanted to say.

"You all know how much we, the missus and me appreciate your coming out like this, just spur of the moment." That would be as much as he could say about the death of baby Frederick.

"We all know that the Brinks have been havin' a hard time of it and you know, can I say it James? James and the family lost the homestead. You all know his family's been here since our folks came here. We came in covered wagons, we walked and we pushed and pulled our wagons and we built this place, all of us with our sweat and tears and hard work. We got the land if we homesteaded it and lived on it and built on it. We did that including James and his folks. It ain't right he's being kicked off his land by people who don't even care about it."

Alfred cleared his throat and looked down at his dusty, worn boots.

"I got an idea about this and I need your help. You know the bank's soon gonna auction his farm off to the highest bidder. It's an absolute auction which means the place goes to the highest bidder no matter what the offer. There won't be any minimum. What if we got all our money together and let James be the only one to bid on his land? What if there wasn't nobody else to bid against him? He could get his land back."

Alfred looked at the faces of each of the men one by one to get a reaction. There was silence and then one of the men spoke. It was Martin Jones, the Methodist minister.

"You know they send a man out from the bank to those auctions to bid against us and raise up the price. How can we get around that?"

"Good question Martin and I think I have an answer but I can't talk about it right now. I have a plan that I'm pretty sure will work. What do you say, can we take up a collection? If we do this, James and his family can go back to their homestead and wait 'til the auction."

James was overcome with emotion watching the men in his community dipping in to their pockets pulling out everything they had. That included the Methodist minister, the local druggist and the postmaster. Brother Jones mentioned that this was probably sinful and not to say too much more to him and hopefully Jesus would understand and forgive them all.

Lloyd came over early to check on Scout and tell him he'd be gone for awhile. He was going to hop a train to go see his mom and he had the money to buy her a nice present but when the men gathered out by the barn his curiosity got the best of him so he walked over to listen feeling pretty good about being there with the grown men. When Mr. Pearson asked for donations and the men started to put money into Alfred's hat Lloyd knew what he had to do.

He stepped up to Alfred and took out the .50 cents he'd hidden from his father, the money to buy his mom a present, to buy her admiration and maybe her love. He put it in the hat along with the rest and stepped away. His dreams of seeing her again were dashed but Lloyd knew if you were a man and you lived on the South Dakota prairie you did what you had to do.

The sum total of all the men had was $37.50, not much but like Alfred said, this was going to be an absolute auction, the land going to the highest bidder. And Alfred had a plan.