"You're not dressed yet, Jennie," she said in a shocked voice. "It's time we were leaving for Mass."
"I'm not going, Mama," Jennie said tonelessly.
"But you've not been to church since ye came home from the hospital You've scarcely been out of the house."
"I've been out, Mama." She turned toward her mother and the dark circles under her eyes looked even darker in the light. "And everybody stared at me and whispered as I went by.
I can't stand it.
I won't go to church and be a freak for everybody to stare at."
"You're denying the Savior!" Ellen said heatedly. "How do ye expect forgiveness for your sins if ye don't attend church?"
"What sins does the child need forgiveness for?" Her husband's voice came from behind her.
She whirled around, her temper immediately rising.
"It's enough we have one traitor to the church in this house," she said. "We don't need another." She turned to Jennie. "Get dressed. You're coming with me if I have to drag ye."
"I’m not going, Mama," Jennie said. "I can't."
Ellen took a threatening step toward her daughter. She raised her hand.
Suddenly, she felt her wrist caught in a grip of steel and she turned to look up into the face of her husband.
His usually soft blue eyes were cold and hard.
"Leave the child be! Have you gone completely mad?"
She looked up at him for a moment and then the flashing anger dissolved within her, leaving her spent and weak.
The tears started in her eyes.
"Father Hadley asked me to bring her. He said he'd offer up a prayer for her comfort."
He felt the release of her anger and let go of her wrist. Her arm fell limply at her side.
He turned to his daughter.
"Is that the reason you won't go to church, Jennie Bear?" he asked gently.
"Because they stare at you?"
She nodded silently.
"Would you go if I were to come with you?" he asked suddenly.
Jennie looked into his eyes and saw the love there.
After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, Daddy."
"All right, then. Get dressed. I'll be shaved in a minute."
He turned and left the room quickly.
Ellen stared after him, almost too surprised to realize what had happened.
There had been a buzz of surprise as they walked down the aisle to their pew.
Tom could see heads twisting as they gaped, and a shudder ran through him at all the cruelty that was inherent in all human beings.
His hand tightened on his daughter's and he smiled as he knelt toward the altar and crossed himself before taking his seat.
But as bad as it had been when they came in, it was that much worse when they came out.
The curious had had time to gather on the steps in the bright morning sunshine.
It was like running a gantlet of idiots.
"It's over now," he said softly as they turned the corner.
They crossed the street, walking toward the drugstore on the next corner.
A group of boys were lounging about the store window, dressed in their Sunday best.
The boys fell silent as they approached, staring at them with their wise, street-corner eyes.
Tom stared back angrily at them and their eyes fell before his.
They walked by and turned the corner to their house. From around the corner behind him, Tom could hear the sudden explosion of their whispered conversation.
Then one boy snickered and another boy laughed and the merriment had a sick, dirty sound to it that tore at his heart.
Abruptly he let go of Jennie's arm and walked back around the corner.
They looked at him in surprise, the laughter frozen on their lips.
"What's the joke, boys?" he asked, his anger making his face white and cold. "Tell it to me so I may laugh with you." They stared at him silently, shamefaced. They looked down at their feet, they shuffled awkwardly, glancing at each other with secret looks filled with a meaning that Tom remembered from his own youth. It was as if they'd been surprised looking at dirty pictures. A shame for what he'd been at their age came over him and a sick weariness replaced the anger. "Get off this corner," he said softly. "And if ever I hear of any of you laughing or making any remarks about me or any member of my family, I’ll come down here and tear the lot of you apart with my bare hands!"
The tallest of the boys took a step toward him. His eyes were sly and insolent.
He was slightly taller than Tom and he looked down at him with a faint, contemptuous smile.
"It's a free country. We can stand here if we like."
The resentment in Tom suddenly exploded.
He seized the boy by his jacket lapels and forced him to his knees.