Heaven (Casteel 1)

widen with surprise. "NO! Yer wrong. Weren't

Heaven that good-looking new boy was staring at! It

was me!"

"What boy?" I asked.

"The son of the new pharmacist who's come to

run the drugstore," explained Tom. "Didn't ya notice

the name Stonewall? He was in the store when Miss

Deale bought us the cones, an by gosh, he sure

seemed taken by ya, Heavenly, he sure did." "Liar!" yelled Fanny. "Nobody ever stares at

Heaven when I'm there, they don't!"

Tom and I ignored Fanny and her screaming

voice. "Heard tell he's gonna be comin t'our school

tornmorra," Tom continued. "Made me feel funny

t'way he looked at ya," he went on in an embarrassed

way. "Sure will hate t'day when ya marry up an we're

not close anymore."

"We'll always be close," I said quickly. "No

boy is ever going to convince me I need him more

than I need an education."

Yet, in bed that night, curled up on the floor

near Ole Smokey, I stared through the dimness to

where I could imagine seeing a brand-new pretty blue

dress, never worn by anyone else, hanging on a wall

nail. Foolishly, as only the young can believe, I

thought that if I wore beauty it would somehow

change the world about me. I woke up knowing I

wanted a new dress more than anything--and

wondering, too, if that new boy would like me even if

I never had anything new to wear.

three Logan Stonewall