“Who c’n come?” demanded Mrs. Grandoken, irritably. “Mr. King can’t, an’ we hain’t no other friends who’ll come to a cobbler’s shop.”
The question in her voice gave Jinnie the chance she was looking for.
“Yes, there is,” she insisted. “Now listen, while I say something; will you?” 266
“Sure,” said Peg, squeezing Jinnie’s fingers.
Then Jinnie started to repeat a few verses Lafe had taught her. She couldn’t tell exactly where they were in the Bible, but the promise in them had always made her own burdens lighter, and since seeing Lafe daily, she had partially come back to her former trust.
“‘The Lord is my Shepherd,’” she droned sleepily. Then on and on until she came to, “‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,’” and Peg broke into a sob.
“‘I will fear no evil,’” soothed Jinnie, amid the roaring of the wind and the crackling of the thunder over the hill.
“‘For thou art with me,’” she finished brokenly. “He’s the one I was talking about, Peggy. He’ll help us all if we can believe and be––”
Then she quickly ended, “Happy in Spite.”
Peg continued to sob. One arm was across her baby boy protectingly, and the other hand Jinnie held in hers.