{"id":15398,"date":"2017-10-31T19:56:29","date_gmt":"2017-10-31T23:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15398"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:41:01","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:41:01","slug":"the-wrath-of-the-wailing-widow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15398","title":{"rendered":"The Wrath of the Wailing Widow (by DJK)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>The Wailing Widow is just a local legend, but Little Joe, Mitch, and Sally Lynn may convince a certain teacher that legends do come true. Written for the 2017 Michael Landon Birthday Challenge.<\/p>\n

Rating: K+ Word Count: 4009<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Wrath of the Wailing Widow<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhose it goanna be this year?\u201d Sally Lynn flopped down in front of Little Joe Cartwright and then demurely adjusted her skirts.<\/p>\n

Little Joe swallowed his half-chewed bite of molasses cookie. \u201cWhose it gonna be? What are you talking about, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhose gonna be the victim of your All Hallows\u2019 Eve prank this year?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho said I\u2019m gonna prank anybody?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn smirked. \u201cTell me a year you ain\u2019t tried to prank somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe took another bite, chewed, and swallowed before answering. \u201cWell, there is that, but maybe I learned my lesson about pranks. My Pa wasn\u2019t best pleased about what happened last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven your Pa would have thought that was funny if he hadn\u2019t ended up paying for Doc Martin\u2019s services.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe sighed. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean for nobody to get really hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was only two stiches. Mitch has had lots more stitches than that. He don\u2019t hold it against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know he don\u2019t; he was in on the joke, but \u2026 well, maybe I want to spend just one All Saints\u2019 Day sitting instead of standing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn pulled her knees beneath her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. \u201cUmm, maybe, or maybe you just ain\u2019t figured out a good enough prank.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe I just ain\u2019t telling you.\u201d Little Joe delivered a smirk he had perfected many years before. Sally Lynn, as she had many times previously, ignored it. \u201cWhat\u2019s it matter to you anyhow. You know I promised Mitch I wouldn\u2019t prank you, so you ain\u2019t got nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn\u2019s lips curled upwards. \u201cI wasn\u2019t worrying; I was thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

A chill ran down Little Joe\u2019s spine. \u201cYou and thinking don\u2019t go together too well. Leastways not the kind of thinking I\u2019m thinking you were doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Joe\u2026 you know what the trouble is with most of your pranks?\u201d Little Joe glared silently, but Sally Lynn continued. \u201cYour pranks always point the finger at you, and you get caught out even if they work just like you planned. Adam and Ross would have had you pleading for mercy even if Mitch hadn\u2019t ended up bleeding all over your floor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe chewed the corner of his lip; Sally Lynn had a point; he had never actually pulled a prank and remained an unknown perpetrator.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s much more satisfying if nobody can prove you did it.\u201d Sally Lynn\u2019s eyes held an identifiable gleam.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you know so much about pranking, why are you talking to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes two heads are better than one.\u201d Sally Lynn\u2019s eyes roved over the schoolyard checking on the privacy of their current situation. \u201cYou\u2019re good at ideas, Little Joe; I have to give you that. I\u2019m good at refinement, execution, and concealment.\u201d Little Joe\u2019s eyebrow rose in imitation of his older brother. Sally Lynn shrugged one shoulder. \u201cYou\u2019ll have to trust me on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll have to trust each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe studied the girl before him. \u201cYou\u2019ve got somebody picked out, don\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn leaned closer, but her whisper barely reached Little Joe\u2019s ear. \u201cYou\u2019ve never pranked a teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe gasped, and his eyes widened. \u201cNo, way! There\u2019s a reason I ain\u2019t never tried to prank a teacher none. Ain\u2019t no prank worth getting killed three times over.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree times?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPa, Adam, and the teacher.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to worry about getting killed even once if no one can prove we did it. Unless you don\u2019t think you can keep from confessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like lying to my Pa, Sally Lynn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you think I do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it comes a whole lot easier to you than to most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn dropped her gaze to her lap. \u201cI guess you got reason to think that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe shifted uncomfortably at the aching he heard in her voice. \u201cNo\u2026 I mean that\u2019s in the past; I don\u2019t\u2026 I\u2019m not calling you a liar\u2026 I just\u2026 You really want to prank Mr. Smithfield?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn glanced up at Little Joe through her lashes and softly breathed out two words. \u201cDon\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The bell rang to call the students back to the classroom drowning any answer Little Joe might have given, but the yes in his heart was clear in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Little Joe settled into his desk and opened his history text, yet his eyes kept glancing up to observe Mr. Smithfield as the teacher worked with the younger students on their math. Joe chewed the corner of his bottom lip as he considered just why all the students disliked the man so much. Many of the parents thought it was just that Mr. Smithfield had replaced the much-liked Miss Cutler when she married and moved away at the end of the last school term, but Little Joe knew there was more. Mr. Smithfield\u2019s assignments were no more arduous nor his discipline any stricter; proper behavior, obedience, and effort had always been expected within the school walls. No, it was the man himself that the children disliked. Anson Smithfield\u2019s correction came with condescension. His skill at belittling his students with subtle tones, meaningful glances, and double-edged comments that when repeated to parents would appear totally different in implication was well-honed and practiced on even the youngest pupils. Little Joe knew that the return of any essay penned by himself came with an illusion to his left-handedness that made clear the inferiority of that condition. For little Evie Sanders, each day brought a reminder that her lisp made her less adequate in the teacher\u2019s eyes. As he watched the little girl wave her hand to give an answer and then drop her head to sit with shoulders slumped after Mr. Smithfield\u2019s correction of not her subtraction but her pronunciation, Little Joe made his decision. Catching the attention of Sally Lynn, he glanced at the teacher and solemnly nodded his head. Sally Lynn smiled and returned her eyes to her history book content that Little Joe Cartwright was in her camp.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

****~****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have an idea?\u201d Sally Lynn made it clear that she felt overnight was sufficient time for Little Joe to have conceived a plan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking on it.\u201d Little Joe reached out, grabbed Sally Lynn\u2019s wrist, and pulled her further around the corner of the schoolhouse and into the shadow of the eaves. \u201cDo you remember when the three best essays were read?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn nodded. Each time Mr. Smithfield assigned an essay or story to be written, he would choose one to three that he considered worthy and have them read aloud. The assignment to write about a tale or legend had resulted in three readings. Actually, the entire school had enjoyed listening to their classmates’ efforts if not to the pride-deflating remarks from Mr. Smithfield to each author. \u201cOf course, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it\u2019s just I noticed\u2026 well, when Tuck read his about the Wailing Widow, well, Mr. Smithfield seemed, well, it seemed as if the story made him, umm, nervous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNervous?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYea, nervous or anxious-like, maybe. Anyway, I think he\u2019s the kind that could be scared, not just startled but scared, by the appearance on All Hallows\u2019 Eve of our own Wailing Widow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn bit the fingernail on her thumb. \u201cUmmmm, and we make the widow appear? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll pass Siddon\u2019s old livery barn on the way back home from the town social. I\u2019m thinking we could rig something up with the hay pulley and have that Wailing Widow fly right toward the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we be sure that he\u2019ll come to the social?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe grinned. \u201cThe church ladies are setting out a spread of pies and cake. Mr. Smithfield ain\u2019t missed one chance to eat free food since the day he came.\u201d Sally Lynn smiled in agreement. \u201cSo we rig up something with an old dress, maybe, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, that\u2019s not good enough.\u201d Sally Lynn\u2019s eyes glowed. \u201cWe rig up a real live wailing widow that will scare the pants off him and have him running back to town screaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlive? But\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn nodded in assurance. \u201cMe, Joe. I can be the wailing widow. If we wouldn\u2019t get caught out, I\u2019d give ya an example of just how fine I can wail. I\u2026. well, just don\u2019t you worry if you can figure out how to make me fly, I can make a costume\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, I don\u2019t know about you flying.\u201d Joe chewed his bottom lip. \u201cIt might not be real safe, and I don\u2019t want you getting hurt.\u201d Sally Lynn cocked her head. \u201cWell, I\u2019d never sit again if I let a girl get hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll see to it that you make it safe. I want to get Mr. Smithfield, but I ain\u2019t no fool.\u201d Little Joe cocked his own head. Sally Lynn\u2019s hand flounced dismissively. \u201cThe fire was because of the whiskey. We won\u2019t be drinking at the social.\u201d Sally Lynn bit her fingernail again. \u201cBut I\u2019ve been thinking too, and there is something else to consider if we don\u2019t want to be caught out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t prank anybody, well, someone\u2019s gonna wonder if the prank everybody knows about is yours, and I want everybody to hear Mr. Smithfield scream.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. \u201cEverybody might not wonder, but Adam\u2026\u201d Joe let out a deep sigh. \u201cAdam would figure it out and try to have it out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought as much, so you just have to prank somebody.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do? I thought I was gonna get to sit the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you will, \u2018cause it will be just some little foolishness your pa can let pass with a scolding because you learned to have more sense than what you\u2019ve tried before. Especially when your victim is quick to forgive you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy victim?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMe. You will prank me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promised Mitch\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn\u2019s hand brushed the objection away. \u201cWait, yes, that\u2019s it. We could use another partner, and Mitch is it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSally Lynn, what are you thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some details to work on, but basically I play the wailing widow, you and Mitch make me fly \u2018cause it\u2019s bound to be easier with two, and nobody thinks about it being you or Mitch even them that figure what scared Mr. Smithfield was a prank because just that time is when everybody we tell thinks you and Mitch were pulling a prank on me. Nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, nothing, nothing but the details.\u201d Little Joe heard Adam\u2019s voice in his head. The devil is always in the details, kid.<\/em><\/p>\n

The school bell rang, and both children ran since neither could afford to be late.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

****~****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe had to admit that Sally Lynn had been helpful with the details. In fact, by All Hallows\u2019 Eve Little Joe had decided that any powers that be, whether angels or perhaps devils in this case, were in favor of this endeavor because step by step everything had fallen into place. Mitch had been installed as a most eager third conspirator. Sally Lynn and Little Joe had staged a schoolyard argument that would deter their classmates from considering the possibility of any collaboration between the two; it would also lend credence to Mitch and Little Joe concentrating their All-Hallows\u2019 trickery on Sally Lynn. The needed materials were all carefully collected. Nothing was used that could be recognized as belonging to one of the three even by members of their respective families. Nothing was used that would later be noticed as missing except what would be used in the fake prank. Safety was kept in mind, and the appearance of the Wailing Widow had been scaled back from the first enthusiastic proposals, and the boys had even practiced raising Sally Lynn to hang in the air. None of the three had mentioned the Wailing Widow to anyone or shown any extra interest in the subject, yet several discussions of the legend had been overheard by Mr. Smithfield. Sally Lynn had told the man how her mother and several other ladies from the church were looking forward to the teacher trying their bake goods, and Mr. Smithfield had shown a rare enthusiasm in stating that he would most assuredly attend the social on All Hallows\u2019 Eve. Preparations had been completed, and the three children were currently enjoying the town\u2019s All Hallows\u2019 Eve festivities which had been organized to deter the young ones from engaging in the traditional mischief for which the night was known.<\/p>\n

Little Joe took another bite of the apple which was proof of his prowess at bobbing and watched as Mr. Smithfield set down another empty plate. He turned to Mitch. \u201cThat was his third piece of pie.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch nodded. \u201cAnd he had two pieces of cake before that, and I don\u2019t know how many cookies. Don\u2019t know where he\u2019s putting it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if he\u2019s got a hollow leg, I don\u2019t see him eating much more. Don\u2019t see him staying much after he finishes either. There\u2019s not many people in town he thinks worthy of conversation.\u201d Little Joe moved his head, and Mitch took a quick look over his shoulder. Sally Lynn was offering a plate to Mr. Smithfield. The teacher said something and took the plate. Sally Lynn turned in the boys\u2019 direction and gave a slight nod of her head. \u201cTime to go.\u201d Little Joe and Mitch started toward the door. Since they had to pass Hoss, Little Joe mouthed \u201cGoing to the necessary,\u201d and the boys slipped outside. As soon as they were sure they would be lost in the shadows should anyone look their way, the two boys took off at a dead run. Ducking under the eaves of the abandoned livery, they uncovered and checked the rope harness until Sally Lynn arrived five minutes later.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said that was the last thing he could manage to eat.\u201d Sally Lynn rolled her eyes, but there was not enough light for the boys to see her that clearly. Lighting a fire or a torch had been discussed, but the idea had been abandoned as too dangerous at Little Joe\u2019s instance. A nearly full moon, though, would provide enough light for the prank to be possible and effective. \u201cHe said he was leaving right after, so we best hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn\u2019s costume was a simple one, an old bed sheet covering her from neck to toe with a powered face. Not a particularly effective ghost but a common enough one so that there were at least a dozen other children similarly clad. Sally Lynn put her arms through a rope harness that the boys had attached to the pulley that had once lifted loads of hay and feed into the livery\u2019s loft. The ropes of the harness were covered with strips of dangling cotton that blended into the sheet and gave added length to the widow\u2019s stature. Little Joe tied the ropes tightly around Sally Lynn. He tugged and then tugged again, but he was not really concerned; his Pa had taught him how to tie a proper knot. At the same time, Mitch picked up a half-broken pot scavenged from a refuse heap and dipped his hand into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou ready?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn shuddered but nodded. Mitch proceeded to smear the pond slime they had gathered over her face and onto her flowing hair. He took a step back and smiled. Sally Lynn\u2019s hair had darkened and along with her face held an unnatural sheen. From even a slight distance she would be unrecognizable in the moonlight.<\/p>\n

Sally spit. \u201cGet set then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys opened the wide door slightly and moved into the interior shadows while Sally Lynn stood in the opening. After a few minutes, she looked over her shoulder and nodded. Then she turned and gave a soft call in a high and wispy voice. \u201cHelp me! Someone help!\u201d The boys heard a recognizable voice and relished the tremor it contained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs someone there? Is something wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHere! Someone hurt me. Here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Who?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn gave the agreed upon signal, and with perfect timing the boys yanked her into the air as she jumped forward with her arm pointing at the approaching man.<\/p>\n

\u201cYouuuuuuuuuuu!\u201d The wail that followed sent shivers down even the boy\u2019s spines.<\/p>\n

Anson Smithfield found himself flat on his back staring up at a hovering specter. Everything he had heard about the Wailing Widow and her desire for deathly revenge upon unwary gentlemen flashed across his mind. He whimpered and scuttled backwards. Then scrambling to his feet, he turned and ran screaming back the way he had come.<\/p>\n

The three children did not even take a moment to laugh. Sally Lynn was lowered to the ground, the ropes that held her slit, the rope pulled from the pulley, and the worst of the pond slime wiped from Sally Lynn\u2019s face and hair with the strips of dangling cotton. The three children then dashed around the back of the livery, and down an alley. Pausing only to toss the pieces of the widow\u2019s harness into an old manure heap, they raced back toward the lights of the town social. Stopping in the shadows about a block away, they could hear shouting.<\/p>\n

\u201cQuick.\u201d Sally Lynn panted and stiffened. Little Joe took a bucket they had tucked out of sight earlier and pour the contents over Sally Lynn\u2019s head. Mitch had already set off running when Little Joe dropped the bucket and started after him. Sally Lynn screamed. Counted to five and took off after the boys.<\/p>\n

\u201cHE\u2026 I\u2019LL KILL HIM! LITTLE JOE, JUST YOU WAIT!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe reached the lights of the social and skidded to a stop. He turned in time to see Hoss snag Sally Lynn as she ran by him in hot pursuit of the two boys. His brother\u2019s arm was around the girl\u2019s waist holding her against his chest while she shouted and struggled to get free. Little Joe started to laugh; the high-pitched peals rising above the other sounds around him. Mitch joined him, and the two boys laughed so hard that they had to hold each other up. They laughed until a hand on Little Joe\u2019s shoulder and the sound of Ben Cartwright\u2019s voice put an abrupt end to the hilarity.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoys!\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe turned and looked into his father\u2019s face. \u201cHey, Pa.\u201d He shuffled his feet and ducked his head. Hoss walked up and set Sally Lynn on the ground but kept a hand on her shoulder.<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn pointed at the two boys. \u201cThey did it!\u201d Ben did not bother to ask what it was. Something thick and sticky was dripping down Sally Lynn\u2019s hair and face staining the bedsheet she wore.<\/p>\n

Hoss cleared his throat. \u201cSyrup and \u2026\u201d He sniffed. \u201cRaspberry jam, I think. For a nice red color, I imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch ventured a softly voiced response. \u201cThat\u2019s all it is; nothing to harm her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBesides it makes her costume look a whole lot better. She\u2019s just mad she didn\u2019t think of blood herself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoseph!\u201d His pa\u2019s tone told Little Joe he would have benefitted from not speaking.<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn huffed. \u201cI never!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, yes, you have, Sally Lynn.\u201d Sally Lynn\u2019s oldest brother stepped from the crowd to stand beside her. \u201cMama\u2019s told you before that if you think some days are meant for you to pull pranks, well, then ya got to be ready to have some pulled on you.\u201d He took a step back as Sally Lynn\u2019s elbow connected with his ribs.<\/p>\n

Ben studied the girl before him. \u201cAre you all right, Sally Lynn?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m\u2026\u201d Her hand swept down her body.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there anything wrong that a good washing won\u2019t fix?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn gave an exaggerated sigh. \u201cNo, no, sir, not really.\u201d Sally Lynn used the bedraggled bedsheet to wipe her face. \u201cNo, I guess\u2026 well, I should have been waiting for something like this from those two. I guess no harm\u2019s been done, Mr. Cartwright. I was going to wash my hair tomorrow anyway. I guess I can just do it tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe held out his hand. \u201cBygones are bygones then?\u201d Sally Lynn took his hand and shook. She then took the hand that Mitch offered and shook it too.<\/p>\n

Ben rubbed his chin and cleared his throat. \u201cWell, then I suppose everything is settled, though I believe it would be beneficial for you to spend some time reading your Bible tomorrow afterschool instead going fishing, Joseph. Perhaps Mitch would like to join you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch\u2019s eyes dropped to the ground. \u201cIf my pa agrees, sir, I\u2019ll be there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do.\u201d Mitch looked up to see that his parents had arrived on the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cI best round up my brothers and get Sally Lynn home then.\u201d Her brother put his arm around Sally Lynn, and they walked off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, why was everybody outside? Where\u2019s Adam?\u201d Little Joe\u2019s eyes glowed with curiosity.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou weren\u2019t the only excitement tonight. Mr. Smithfield had a scare. Adam went with Roy and some others to investigate.\u201d Hoss looked down at his vest. \u201cI\u2019m thinking that you might spend some time cleaning my jacket tomorrow too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure! Sure! But what happened with Mr. Smithfield?\u201d Before anyone answered Little Joe, everyone\u2019s attention was drawn to return of the investigative party.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too dark to see much, but whatever Smithfield saw it\u2019s not there now. I\u2019ll lay ten to one that somebody was playing a prank, and I\u2019ll find the evidence tomorrow. Is Smithfield inside?\u201d Sherriff Coffee\u2019s eyes scanned the crowd.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, Clem was seeing him safe home.\u201d Hoss caught his older brother\u2019s eyes in a silent question, but Adam simply shrugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be leaving also.\u201d Ben Cartwright took a few moments to make his goodbyes while Little Joe got Hoss\u2019s and Adam\u2019s promises to tell him all the details of Mr. Smithfield\u2019s \u201cscare\u201d on the way home.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

****~****<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Little Joe and Mitch spent longer than they had planned reading the Bible the next day as school was cancelled due to the teacher being indisposed. In fact, school was cancelled for nearly two weeks as Anson Smithfield tendered his resignation, and the schoolboard had to arrange for his replacement. The afternoon before school reopened Little Joe and Mitch were interrupted while fishing.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing here, Sally Lynn?\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn swung down from the plow horse she had been riding and sat down on the bank between the boys. \u201cVisiting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVisiting why?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, Little Joe is that anyway to greet a \u2026a\u2026\u201d Sally Lynn seemed to search for the correct word.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s how I greet you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA partner in success. That\u2019s what we are: successful partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOne-time partners, Sally Lynn, and that partnership is over and best not mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn turned and smiled at Little Joe on her right while her left hand moved closer to Mitch\u2019s. \u201cAnybody shown any sign of suspecting any of us, even Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Most folks are pretty sure it was a prank, but nobody knows who or how. All anybody ever found was the slimy broken pot.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d Mitch nodded in agreement. \u201cI\u2019ve heard at least five different ways people think things happened and at least a dozen names of people who might have done it who ain\u2019t us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWas a few hours with your Bible and missing a little fishing worth the best prank ever played in these parts? You did say that you just wanted to sit on All Saint\u2019s Day.\u201d Sally Lynn\u2019s voice carried its usual smugness.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, yeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo we ever have to hear Mr. Smithfield\u2019s voice again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, and that is a service to every child around here.\u201d Little Joe\u2019s attitude brightened.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may not be able to take any bows, but we\u2019ve all heard the jubilation and know it is due to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitch leaned back and gazed up at the sky while slipping his hand over Sally Lynn\u2019s. \u201cIt worked, Joe; it worked better than I ever thought it could. Heck, I would\u2019ve thought it was worth it even if we had been caught out. You know what Tuck said about seeing the stain on Old Smithfield\u2019s pants, and he weren\u2019t the only one saw it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. Yeah, somebody up there must have known that he deserved a comeuppance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sally Lynn nodded. \u201cWe were just tools of the Lord. We delivered the school children the way Moses delivered the Israelites.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys murmured in agreement and allowed their chests to puff out a bit. \u201cStill, you never come calling without a reason.\u201d Little Joe cocked his eyebrow and settled his eyes on Sally Lynn.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour Pa is on the schoolboard. I figured you\u2019d know something about the new teacher. It\u2019s a woman this time, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah. She and her ma just came to town about a month ago. Her name is Abigail Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tags:\u00a0 Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright, Mitch Devlin, Prank, Sally Lynn<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: The Wailing Widow is just a local legend, but Little Joe, Mitch, and Sally Lynn may convince a certain teacher that legends do come true. <\/p>\n

Rating: K+ Word Count: 4009<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":143,"featured_media":5963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[23,1008,4,30,40],"tags":[1157,408],"class_list":["post-15398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-family","category-humor","category-prequels","category-challenges","tag-halloween","tag-mlblc","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1008-id","wpcat-4-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":2418,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Moon-Blind.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7694,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7694","url_meta":{"origin":15398,"position":0},"title":"Sally Lynn, Swimming, and Sweet Revenge (by DJK)","author":"DJK","date":"May 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 A young Little Joe finds out about feminine revenge. 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