They came to a service center near Toronto. Trevor said. “How about if we get ourselves a coffee and eat our sandwiches?”
Joanne said, “I’ll skip over. I won’t be too long.”
Trevor opened up the sandwiches. Joanne popped in beside him with the coffee.
Trevor said, “Did you ever taste headcheese like that?”
“No, never and on that homemade bread. That’s a real treat. No wonder Phoebe is so muscular and I was trying to brush it aside. Phoebe knew the ropes.”
After supper Nancy came down and picked up Phoebe. She was so anxious to hear all about phoebes sojourn in the bright lights.
Phoebe asked, “How did they make out with Brian’s heifer?”
Nancy said, “They nearly lost it but they think that it will pull through.”
Phoebe said that she would give Brian a call, “From your place before I go home.”
“Phoebe, what was the highlight of your visit up in the bright lights?”
“Darn it all, Nancy, it’s hard to say. I’m so befuddled. See, Nancy, Trevor and Joanne insisted that I be their guest at this exclusive club. But not without Aunt Helen’s permission. Trevor and Joanne came over to Aunt Helen’s. Aunt Helen and gave them the fifth degree. Aunt Helen said that the club is exclusive and if Phoebe were to go there she would be in over her head. ‘I know that Isabel Campbell is a member. They will be all decked out in their evening finery and jewelry. We certainly appreciate your invitation, Trevor and Joanne, but I think that it is no place for Phoebe. Phoebe is well-dressed but not in the category of that club.’ Joanne said, ‘Mrs. Forester, there is a big misunderstanding here. All sponsored guests come informally dressed. There will be other guests dressed informally like Phoebe. It is just the members of the club that are expected to come in formal dress. Please, Mrs. Forester, advise Phoebe to come along. We will be proud to have her as our guest.’ ‘Well, Trevor, it is three days until you meet. Could you please let us talk it over tonight and Phoebe will get in touch with you tomorrow. I feel terrible having to ask you to compromise.’ Trevor said, ‘I think that we understand your position.’”
“You see, Nancy, it was after that Sunday night church service that they approached me and gave me the invitation. I didn’t have a clue as to who they were but Auntie knew of them and knew they were part of Toronto’s elite. Auntie was hit with a brick to think that I had an invitation from them. I think that my country drawl played a part. I couldn’t help it that I was so reserved. Darn it all, Nancy, I was in over my head. The next day when I called Trevor, before I could get a word in, Trevor said, ‘You sound positive, Phoebe, am I right? I hope so.’ ‘Auntie feels responsible for me.’ Anyway, Auntie threw all caution to the wind and said, ‘Go, Phoebe, and enjoy yourself.’ I called Joanne and said, ‘If you still want me to go with you, I’m quite free to go and would appreciate your invitation to accompany you.’ Nancy, I wasn’t self-conscious but it was a bit of problem disguising the rural bloom. Geez, Nancy, you should have seen the gowns and jewelry those ladies of the upper echelon wore. Nancy, it would be a bloody scream to see you feed the calves dressed up to kill like that.”
Looking out the window, Phoebe spotted Dell driving up the Lane.
Nancy said, “You and I better get supper on.”
Dell came in and said, “How do you do, Lady Croiner. I heard all about you hobnobbing around Toronto with all the upper crust. I suppose you do not want to mix with us peasants anymore.”
Phoebe said, “You devil!”
Dell took hold of her and gave her a big squeeze. “Welcome home, kid. We are glad to welcome you back in the sticks. Really, Phoebe, I was talking to Aunt Helen and she said that we should all be proud of Phoebe. She got a great kick out of Phoebe being so determined to get that material for the Christmas pageant that’s she floored a picket.”
“ Surely she didn’t tell you about that episode. I’ll be getting myself a bad name. Dell, if you breathe that around here I surely will floor you too. Nancy, you see to it that he keeps that to himself.
Dell said, “I was really surprised that Aunt Helen condoned Phoebe for her courage. Anyway, Phoebe, I won’t breathe it to a soul around here.” At supper, Dell said, “We are having a meeting tonight and, Phoebe, we are going to count that loose change that you brought back from Toronto.”
“Well, Dell, I haven’t a clue what is in the pouch but whatever you do, do not elaborate for God’s sake. Just say I sang a few songs and that is what they gave me. I just inadvertently happened to say that we had a fire in our church. I bluntly told them that I wasn’t here to beg money. We may be down but like the sun we rise again. Dell, there may have been some millionaires there. I honestly said if some of you have no change God bless you just the same. Honestly, Dell Sinden, I sure as God stands me here money was the last thing on my mind. How I came to be on the platform is a long, long story. One lady in the gorgeous dress came to the platform. I had to get down on my knees to talk to her. She said that they would haul out the recording equipment’ if you would sing ‘There is a Silver Lining; for her father who is permanently bedridden from his war wounds.’ I told her that I would be pleased to and then some. Mrs. Isabel Campbell was mostly the go-between in these requests.”
“Nancy, I thought of a novel request. I had a feeling Trevor would like that I sing a song for his grandparents up and coming 60th wedding anniversary. I asked Mrs. Campbell if she would go to the table and ask Trevor what he thought of the idea that the request would be announced in his name. Mrs. Campbell returned and said that Trevor was thrilled. She said that he had that in mind all along but I thought it would be an imposition if he asked me seeing that I was his and Joanne’s guest. Nancy, I wanted to sing with all my heart not for money.”
“They’ve rolled out the recording equipment and also the big piano was positioned. Nancy, I loved to go with all the pep and ginger I could muster. The response was overwhelming. They were even pounding the floor with their feet. At the opening of the meeting, the president or maybe the chairman, came on the platform to announce the guests. There was a Dutch doctor, His guest was a nurse who had nursed the Australian wounded for thirty years. She got a big hand. Then there was an Air Force captain and his guest, a pilot who was lost in the northern bush for two weeks last winter. Boy, did he get a big hand. Mrs. Isabel Campbell had her son-in-law from BC and her daughter. Then, last but not least, was that Mr. Trevor Hazelton and Miss Joanne Arliss had as a guest and Miss Phoebe Croiner who was a guest soprano for the 108th anniversary of the Ashcroft United Church. Well, the response was just so-so. Nancy, I was very guarded addressing an audience but, one on one, it was at times difficult.”
Phoebe gave Brian a call. They chatted for sometime that made the date for Sunday afternoon.
Phoebe told Nancy, “We had better be on our way.”
Nancy said, “We will have to take the truck as Dell has the car.”
Nancy wasn’t long home after leaving Phoebe off when Dell pulled in.
Nancy asked, “How did the meeting go tonight?”
“Well,” Dell said, “Surprise, surprise. When we opened that pouch Phoebe brought, the money just rolled out like wool off a sheep’s back. I guess they didn’t have time to count it. It was like pennies from heaven.”
Dell said that he had one hell of a time keeping it in secret as to where the money came from. “They all argued that it will have to be known sooner or later and I agreed. I just said that she wanted to be an anonymous. Squinty Taggart said, ‘Boys, now we are getting somewhere. That female is a she.’”
Dell said to Nancy, “What could I say? I just said if you want any further information you will just have to ask Phoebe Croiner.”
Nancy said, “I can understand Phoebe really put you in a corner. What are you going to tell them, Phoebe? “
“Nothing. Only the truth.”
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