Maggie looked into Leah's eyes and smiled. "Thanks,
Leah, I needed that."
No one mentioned the development plans again. But
Maggie felt sad when Buckie and Kate excused themselves
early before having any dessert. They said they wanted to
catch a new movie in Byron, but she hoped it wasn't because
of the earlier disagreement. Before long dessert was served,
and after that the teenagers went out to the barn t9 play
some music; then the Hendersons and Elizabeth and Abigail
all said their goodbyes. The rest of the party settled into the
library to relax and visit.
''So, tell me, Michael,'' began Clyde as he leaned com-
fortably back into a club chair next to the fireplace, "what
exactly brings you to Pine Mountain?"
Michael smiled broadly, then stood up next to the fire-
place as if he was about to deliver a formal speech. "Thank
you for asking, Mr. Barnes. It is very good to be here. I do
not know if you ever knew my good friend Steven Harris,
but he lived in Pine Mountain a long time ago."
L.
68Melody Carlson
Clyde thought for a moment. "Yes, I believe I do
remember Steven. His family was quite prominent in town,
and I think Steven was about the age of my nephew. Very
good in sports as I recall. Then he got all religious and went
off to be some sort of missionary, I think I heard. His folks
had several businesses in town, but they moved away some
years ago, and I haven't really heard anything about any of
them since."
"Steven died on the mission field," injected Jed. "He was
also a good friend of mine. In fact, it was letters from Steven
that first helped me to realize how much I needed God in my
life." He looked down at the floor. "I never really got to
thank him for that."
*"This is all true," said Michael. "My friend Steven came
to live in my country, a tiny island of Papua New Guinea
4.
called Beni-Beni, when I was just a boy. After my mother
died, my father went to the copper mine to work. But he
never came back to get me; later I learned he had died in a
tragic mining accident. It was Steven who took me in. Steven
taught me to speak English. He also taught me about God.
Then he sent me to college to learn to be a pastor. Not long
after I came back to my village, Steven became very sick with
cancer. He wanted to get well so he could return to Pine
Mountain and tell the people there about God too. But he
did not get well. Before Steven died, I promised him that I
would come to his village to be a missionary in the same way
that he had come to my village. And for seven years I have