Page 32 of The Sound of Sleighbells

“You can ask.” Judd gathered up the pizza box, napkins, and soda cans and carried them to the trash. “Go ahead.”

Skip stood. “Yesterday you offered to show me how you did the flower design on the leather. I know you’re busy, but would you show me now? We might not have time later, and I’d really like to learn about it.”

Judd couldn’t have been more pleased, but he tried not to show it. “I guess I could spare a few minutes. Let’s wash our hands. Then come on over to the workbench.”

Skip followed him to the bench where he’d been working on the skirts for the presentation saddle. One of the pieces was done. He’d started on the other one.

“These are the tools.” He pointed out the pencil-sized metal stamps—the background textures, the edgers, the bevelers and shader pieces, and the different mauls for striking a stamp into the leather.

“This piece is ready to be worked,” he said. “Pick it up. Feel how damp the leather is. It needs to be soft to take the design.”

“And this is the design?” Skip touched the stenciled pattern with a cautious fingertip.

“Right. I’ve already outlined the flowers with a blade. Now we texture the background, so they’ll stand out. Here, I’ll show you.” He chose a stamp with a textured end, placed it along the side of a flower, and struck the top end lightly with the maul. “See? We’ll fill in the background with this texture.” He held out the stamp and the maul. “Want to try it?”

Skip’s eyes widened. “I’d better not. I could ruin the whole thing.”

“No, you won’t. I trust you. Try it.” Judd guided the placement of the stamp next to the previous one. “Now, just a sharp little tap with the maul. That’s it. See? It looks fine. Now, try another one, by yourself this time.”

Skip placed the stamp on the design again and tapped it with the maul. “Hey, that looks cool.” He made several more impressions, then laid the tools on the bench. “I’d really like to learn how to do this, Judd. Could you teach me—not now, but maybe after Christmas?”

Judd would have enjoyed saying yes. But he remembered Ruth’s bitter words. He wouldn’t be seeing her son after the harness was finished.

“I wish I had time, Skip, but I have to say no, at least for now. Talk to your industrial arts teacher at school. Or check out the district night classes. Or you might find something useful online.”

“I’ll check,” the boy said, struggling to hide his disappointment. “But nothing’s going to happen until the harness gets done. Thanks for showing me.” He walked away, his shoulders sagging a little. The next time Judd looked up to check on him, he was working on the harness again.

* * *

For Ruth and her daughters, opening Abner’s boxes was a magical experience. Lovingly packed between layers of quilt batting, the Christmas ornaments were precious. Some of them were charmingly old-fashioned, like souvenirs from Christmases long past. And the newer decorations were beautiful.

The girls exclaimed in wonder as they took each piece out of the box and lined it up with others on the kitchen table. There were little animals dressed in Santa suits—mice and rabbits, cats, dogs, and lambs. There were small angels with wings like butterflies and one large angel dressed in white and gold like a queen, with wings made to look like real feathers.

There were strings of lights that twinkled and even bubbled. There were boxes of jewel-like glass ornaments and strings of glittering tinsel and a star that had its own light inside.

“Mommy, I want to put everything on the tree,” Tammy said.

“There won’t be room for everything,” Janeen said. “The tree will look too crowded.”

“But you can choose what goes on the tree, starting with your favorite things.” Ruth made a neat pile of the empty boxes. One box remained, not large but sturdy, with a weight that she could feel when she lifted it. “What do you suppose is in here? Who would like to open this box?”

“You open it, Mom,” Janeen said. “We opened the other boxes.”

“All right. Here goes.” Ruth raised the snug-fitting lid and gasped. In the box, lovingly cushioned, was a complete manger set—but not just any manger set. Ruth had seen a similar one last year when she cleaned the mayor’s house. His wife, the formidable Alice Wilkins, had pointed out the set, which she had arranged on the mantel.

“Don’t you even touch these,” Alice had warned her. “They’re made by a company in Spain called Lladró, and they’re very expensive, practically priceless. You won’t see anything this fine in Branding Iron, I guarantee you that.”

Ruth remembered thinking that Alice’s manger set was beautiful. But this set was larger and more detailed, the figures elegantly tall in their flowing robes. Her hand shook slightly as she picked up the Joseph statuette and saw the Lladró stamp on the bottom.

Surely Abner hadn’t meant to give her this treasure. She would close the box and take it back to him tonight when she went to pick up Skip.

“What’s in the box?” Tammy asked. “Can we see?”

“You can look.” She held the box so the girls could look inside. “But don’t take anything out. I’m going to take these back to Abner. I’m sure he didn’t mean to give them to us. They’re worth a lot of money.”

“How much money?” Janeen demanded. “Enough to buy a house?”

Ruth sighed. “No, dear, not that much. And the money belongs to Abner. That’s why we’re going to give these beautiful things back to him.”

---