"Mom the dishes are done, the floor's swept and the bread is rising, can I go now?"

"Where are you going Betty?" Etta said as she stitched away on a piece of fabric, an old worn shirt that belonged to Alfred and needed mending.

"It's SO nice out today, I want to see if I can get some of those catfish over at Schneider's dam. He says I can fish anytime I want over there."

Etta looked out the back door. It was particularly warm for November. The boys were out by the barn in shirtsleeves and everyone was enjoying the weather but it didn't seem right to her. Something was in the air.

"Betty it's almost a mile over there. I just don't trust the weather's going to stay like this. I don't think you should leave right now."

"Mom please, I can also pick up some cow pies while I'm there. We need fuel for the fire. Our wood's running a little low right now and won't be getting anymore until the end of the month. I won't be very long, I just want to get away for a little while. PLEASE!"

Etta looked out at the clear blue sky and drew in a breath of fresh air which was not heavy with dust for a change.

"OK, baby but you take a jacket, hear?"

"Oh Mom it will just weigh me down. I'm going to take a sack and a pole. I'll catch something to put on the hook when I get there."

"Take a jacket Betty or you can't go." Etta was firm and Betty knew that was her final word.

So Betty gathered up her things, the sack for the "pies", a stringer for any fish she caught, her pole and, OK, a light jacket. She would be home long before dark, it was so nice out she just couldn't understand what the big deal was.

As she left the yard her brothers called out to her.

"Where are you going Betty? Can we go?"

"No, Daniel, you can't. I want to be by myself for once."

"Where you going to be by yourself Betty?"

"Schneider's dam. I'll catch us some catfish for supper." And with that Betty left the yard and turned her attention to the dirt road that was calling her name.

As she walked down the country road she felt a promise. The prairie was brown and barren and looked like those old photos her mom kept in a box, Sepia tone it was called although mother's photos turned brown with age. It was unusually warm for November and there were creatures taking advantage of the day along with Betty.

What was the promise that the day held? Betty could feel it in her bones, in her heart, in every breath she took and it felt good to be promised something, whatever it was. She skipped a little and remembered she was a "grown-up".

After amost an hour Betty came to the Schneider's gate. The house was long gone but there was an old pumphouse sitting by the dam and cows were around the water's edge drinking from it, stepping in the mud, and munching on what dry prairie grass there was. Betty decided to find some bait and drop her hook in the water and then go collect some "pies" if she could find some dry enough. Cow dung actually made pretty good fuel when wood got low.

Betty looked around for some bait and Voila! There sat a robin on a fence post with a worm in its mouth. Betty threw a rock at the bird which scared her enough that she dropped the worm and flew away.

"Perfect!"

Betty ran and picked up the poor hapless worm and made her way down to the water's edge. It was muddy, the sun having warmed the cold earth around the dam and there were deep depressions where the cattle had stood but Betty was delighted with her good luck. The Promise!!! It was going to be a great day, just Betty and the worm.

She hooked the wiggly, damp creature on her hook and dropped it in the water. Next she took the gunny sack she brought and headed up the hill to find "fuel", dry cow dung.

Schneiders were rich, at least by Betty's estimation. They had about 100 acres of land and about 20 head of cattle. They brought feed in from outside the area and the cows looked healthy. Schneiders owned a butcher shop in town and everyone knew their meat was good.

Sometimes Mrs. Schneider would give away meat scraps and bones to folks. Betty visited the shop when she could and Mrs. Schneider always gave Betty something to take home. It made great soup or stew depending on what was at hand and Betty really appreciated that. Betty really wanted to work in the butcher shop selling the fine meat. Soon she would be old enough. She started collecting her "fuel" while watching the fishing pole.

Alfred came in for lunch after working all morning in the barn mending harnesses. He heard from the other farmers that 1941 was supposed to be a better year for crops and he was anxious to start over again. After all he was a farmer.

He was a quiet man, not given to smiling, laughing or small talk but he was concerned today. As he came in the door, he noticed the wind had picked up slightly and had changed direction. It was now coming out of the Northwest.

"Mother, where are the kids?"

Etta who had just put away the shirt she was mending started to heat up the cookstove to fix them a cup of coffee and some soup.

"Cristian is in town with Willow. They're getting a few things we need from the grocer. Albert and Daniel were in the barn with you and Gretta is in the bedroom looking at the Christmas catalog. Why? What's wrong?"

Etta knew instantly having been married to alfred for so long that he was concerned about something.

"The wind has changed direction. It's coming out of the North now. Where's Betty?"

"She's over at Schneider's place fishing."

"When did she leave?"

"About two hours ago. Said she needed a break and was going to bring home some fish for dinner. She should be along anytime now." But now Etta had a look of concern. Betty had been lost once before in a dust storm, a black blizzard and only saved by the old cow who knew her way to the barn.

"Betty is smart, she knows if the wind comes up, she needs to head for home." Etta didn't sound very convincing.

They sat at the kitchen table looking out the back door hoping to see Betty coming down the dirt road. The wind was picking up and the temperature was beginning to drop. The two younger boys had come in and were in the parlor playing checkers. No Betty. The parents sat drinking a cup of coffee along with a bite of soup and they could see clouds, rain clouds forming to the North. The temperature was now dropping rapidly.

"What did Betty have with her Mother?" Alfred asked, all the while looking to see if Betty was coming down the road.

"She took a sack, her fishing pole and, I hope, a light jacket. I didn't see her leave. Alfred do we need to go get her? Does the old truck run?"

"Christian has the truck in town so I'm gonna hike on over to Schneider's place and bring that girl home. It's getting cold out there. I think we're in for a bad storm."

Alfred was irritated that he had to get out in what was becoming a windy, cold day but he had to find Betty. This was going to be bad and he knew it.