Outskirts Press, INC.

The continued saga of Tobias and Judith as they go their own ways to Europe in search of their own destiny!

As Tobias and Judith venture into more awkward situations abroad, they meet new friends and learn to overcome obstacles set to ensnare them. While the two young lovebirds have flown from the nest in Tennessee, life continues to unfold for Pastor Alexander and Penelope. Romance blooms and reveals that love is truly the light that illuminates the darkness! Historical sites and events are included to remind the reader of a history so far away that was lived by those who were not much different than we are today. Through the adventures of Tobias and Judith, we are able to see their maturity in difficult situations and their faith grow when there is nowhere else to turn, but to the Hand that spins their lives as a child's dreidel.

PROLOGUE 8 Forbidden Love Arthur Marks was a lonely man who had suffered many setbacks in his young life. He had discontinued his education at an early age to help his father in the saw mills of Northern Tennessee. These mills were instrumental in the construction of many fine homes in Knoxville. His father had dreams of living in one of those nice homes along the river, or perhaps on a high hill overlooking the growing metropolis below. A dream for his family to enjoy the life of those he worked for. But, suddenly, the family lumber mill closed its doors, his father’s dreams died with it. While working in his father’s mill, Arthur was usually left to his own devices. He was a natural carpenter, but inept on the workings of the hard country life. He was a city boy in a rural community. Life proved difficult for Arthur particularly when he tried to introduce himself to the fairer sex. He was too shy and socially awkward for his age of twenty-four. He offered nothing in return for even a modest nuptial. The only person who seemed to give him any notice was a much younger woman, Susan Morris. She was a woman who was everything to Arthur; yet, cost everything for his father. In one short summer, Arthur had become a ‘somebody’ to someone. By fall, he had lost it all. It all began where it would end; Knoxville. Susan was from a wealthy family in Knoxville. Arthur and Susan met while he accompanied his father to deliver milled lumber for Susan’s father. Mr. Morris was a banker and a builder. He would develop areas for new growth and finance the development from his bank. He was a cunning man, ruthless to the core and determined to attain his goal. The end would always justify any means. Susan thought Arthur was the most sophisticated man she had ever met. This assessment of Arthur was a reflection of the sheltered life she suffered. Her mother forbade any male associates in her life, so when she met Arthur, she was captivated by his knowledge of life outside of Knoxville. She dreamed of leaving the city and exploring lands beyond the mountain ranges that hemmed Knoxville in. Whenever an opportunity would present itself for Susan to be alone around Arthur, she would covertly smile or flutter her eyes. She was too cautious to speak directly to Arthur, in fear someone would overhear and report the indiscretion to her mother. But, on the rare afternoon she would be visiting her father at the bank; she would accidently run into Arthur with his father, and would have to make some gracious conversation. Not to do so would be rude. Despite several months of such covert interactions, Arthur had not realized Susan’s intentions were by design. She sought him out, by chance, in the livery stables, as he hitched his wagon. She would run into him, accidently, as he sat on the boardwalk, waiting for his father to complete his business. She finally managed to join him, coincidently, while he had a soda at the local drug store. Arthur was completely unaware of the advances Susan threw at him. She would compliment his hair, only for him to cover it with his hat. Susan would tell him how tall he was and how she always liked tall men. This would cause Arthur to walk stooped over. Whatever Susan revealed in Arthur, he would hide from her. It looked like Arthur would never see Susan as Susan saw Arthur. He could hardly relate to her fashionable life. Try as he might, she was from a different world. A world he was not eager to participate in. He had grown up very distant from lives in wealth and comfort. He could not imagine living among luxury. To Arthur Marks, Susan Morris was from a different world, not merely a different county. Though she might be pretty to look at, and she might be friendly to speak with, she could never be someone he could hope to love. Susan’s mother would remind Susan of the same. She built barriers around Susan as high as the surrounding hills of Knoxville, to keep her from falling in love with someone that could not compete with their standard of life. Workers worked and servants served. Mrs. Morris was above them all, high on her mountain. But as high as Mrs. Morris had constructed those walls, worlds would collide one hot summer day. Susan was taking a ride in the nearby hollows looking for a refreshing stream or spring to swim in. She was not exactly sure what she was looking for in means of watering holes, but she was sure to find what she sought if she continued to follow Arthur out of town. Arthur was overheard at the mill saying he was leaving early for the day to go for a swim. Swimming was an escape for Arthur and he would venture off as often as he could to avoid his problems. It was unbearably humid and the sun stood over Knoxville as if it had nowhere else to go. Susan overheard his intentions and quickly made her way to the livery stable to rent a horse. She followed Arthur at a safe distance hoping to be undetected. As she slowed her horse near the sound of a rustling waterfall, she could also hear water splashing and Arthur singing. Cautiously, she dismounted and carefully crept toward the sounds. As Susan poked her head through some cedar branches, she could see Arthur dipping and bobbing in the water. He floated at times, as he would sing a simple tune and then he would submerge himself. She leaned too far into a cedar tree trying to get as close as possible to where Arthur was swimming. A squirrel happened to be in the same tree and let out a squeal as it headed higher up the branches. Susan shrieked and pulled her head back from the tree just as Arthur turned behind him to see what the disturbance was. Seeing the moving branches, Arthur suspected one of the lumber mill workers had followed him. He thought the worker was there to inform on him to his father. This concerned Arthur, as his father seldom encouraged him to succeed. “Who’s there?” Arthur shouted out. “Come, show yourself if you dare!” He was trying to act brave though the stream hid his knees as they knocked together underwater. Arthur shot glances up and down the bank of the stream and listened intently for any movement or response. Terrified, Susan tried to retreat to a safe distance. She hoped the meeting would be welcomed, but Arthur seemed upset; she could not be sure he would be happy to see her. As she stepped backward, she snapped a limb under her feet. The sound definitely gave away her position. “I know you’re out there. What are you, a coward? Show yourself.” Arthur repeated his empty threats. He actually hoped that whoever was there would be too intimidated to respond and leave without incident. “It’s me, Susan, Susan Morris from town.” Susan had to speak now or make the whole afternoon a wasted effort. It would be difficult to predict if she would have another chance like this to be completely alone with Arthur. She had to tell him how she felt now, or never. “Susan?” Arthur repeated with apprehension. He looked down at his totally naked frame and asked again in a much higher pitch, more terrified of the answer, “Susan, who?” Obviously, Arthur did not associate all of those chance meetings with the name of his father’s main account. He lowered his body into the water, so only his head remained visible. Susan made her way around the large cedar tree that sheltered her from Arthur’s view only to see all of Arthur’s clothing on the bank of the stream. Realizing Arthur was completely bare, she stepped back from the bank and gasped. After months of trying to expose Arthur’s qualities for him to take notice of her, she was now faced with being exposed to Arthur au natural. She wanted to speak with him, but this was too risqué, even for her. Susan stammered in panic while she tried to cover her embarrassment. “I was out for a ride and wanted to visit my favorite swimming hole.” She finally offered as her explanation for her intrusion. “You just happened to be here? That does not seem likely to me.” Arthur countered in an impatient tone. He still couldn’t comprehend that Susan was looking for him, not a secluded bathing site. “If you want me to leave, I will.” Susan replied timidly. She was wondering if Arthur would ever connect with her interest in him. She turned to slowly leave, hoping he would ask her to stay. Arthur slid under water and remained submerged for some time. His absence drew Susan’s curiosity. She turned back to the swimming hole and searched the ripples for any sign of Arthur. Not seeing any sign of Arthur began to make Susan anxious. She clutched her hands together and peered desperately into the still waters. Her lips were pressed tightly together, wanting to speak, but not having the words to reveal. She waded into the stream while reaching behind her to hang onto a branch for balance. Her long dress dipped into the chilled waters. With her free hand she brushed her long brown hair from her eyes. “Arthur?” She asked in a hushed, reserved voice. She was trembling from the chilled water and the fear of not hearing a response. Nervously she pressed farther into the water. “Arthur?” She asked again in a louder, yet less steady plea. She was now in the water to her knees. The colder water was causing her to shiver, but she continued to press forward inch by inch. “Arthur? If you can hear me, show yourself.” Her desperation was turning to impatience at the thought this could be a ruse. She was beyond the reach of the overhanging branch and used both hands to pull her dress as high out of the water as possible. She waded until the water reached her hips. Her dress was now floating on the water. “This is no longer humorous!” The colder water was now becoming unbearable and the thought of his disappearance was looming larger than some prank. Suddenly, her feet were pulled from beneath her. In an instant, she was completely immersed in the cold water. She let out a gasp, but the water covered her before she could scream in fear. Laughing uncontrollably, Arthur surfaced with an upward lunge from the deeper stream. He was hanging onto one of Susan’s ankles, not realizing that if he had her lower limb, her upper body was still below. Susan’s arms began flailing against the surface of the stream. Wildly she tried to regain balance on one leg. After she gained as much balance as she could be afforded on one foot, she had to reach out for Arthur to attain full support. Arthur was still laughing at the whole ordeal while hanging onto her foot. “Arthur Marks!” She shouted in fear and desperation, not for him any longer, but for her own safety. “What in the world do you think you’re doing? Trying to drown me?” Susan sputtered as she spouted her tirade through gurgling water she had ingested during her plunge. “I thought you wanted to see what I was doing.” Arthur teasingly replied. “You seemed so interested in my swimming time, and you said you came here to go swimming, so here you are. You are swimming!” He continued to laugh all the more. “This is not what I had in mind, Arthur! You release me this instant, or I’ll, I’ll...” She could not think of any of her threats used in town. Neither her father nor her mother was there to protect her; and she could hardly call upon them later to explain her situation with them. “You’ll what? What will you do, Miss Morris?” Arthur asked coyly while pulling Susan closer to him by her leg. “Will you scream for the mountains to fall upon me? Will you ask some great power to chase me into the woods? What will you do, Susan Morris?” His nose was directly in front of her nose at this time. She could not release herself from his grasp. Arthur continued toying with Susan knowing she was completely helpless, but willing to linger in the cold water within his warm embrace. He stared into her eyes waiting for her response. As she tried to avert his glance by moving her head, he would shift his gaze to follow hers. “Ohhh! You are making me so mad!” Susan protested. She ceased from her struggles to gain freedom, but wanted to put up a defiant act of wills as her last defense. She tried to avoid making contact with Arthur, but she had to hang onto his shoulders for balance in the current. “Well, let’s just go to the bank and talk about it.” He said as he led Susan to the shallow water. She seemed to relax as she followed, but looking at the bank where his clothing lay, she suddenly realized everything he had to wear was not being worn. “Wait! We can’t get out of the water! I mean, you can’t get out of the water. You have nothing on. Arthur, let go, this is not right!” Susan continued her tempered complaints, as Arthur continued to walk her out into the shallow waters. She closed her eyes and tried to retrieve one of her hands to cover her eyes. When they reached water hitting their waists, Arthur released her and nudged her to the shore. He followed with one hand still on her back to continue steadying her balance among the trees. “I’m not looking! I’m not looking, Arthur! My eyes are closed.” Susan repeated through her chattering teeth. “I will wait over there while you get dressed.” She said with one hand over her eyes and the other pointing toward some trees. As soon as Susan’s feet reached the bank, she scurried off to the trees and hid with her back to Arthur. He slowly followed, laughing at her display of modesty. Arthur dressed and sat on a stump for some time watching Susan to see if she would turn around on her own, or if he would have to invite her out of her hiding. The remainder of that hot, humid summer of 1916, Arthur and Susan would return to this location for moments of refreshing in each other’s embrace. Arthur’s work allowed him to take leave during the day and Susan had little or no obligations to distract her. Time flew for the young couple. Their greatest danger would come from being found out by Susan’s mother. They would hide around town in various dark and dingy locations. Susan could be spotted coming from the livery stables, flushed and smiling. Arthur would exit some time later, leading a horse and whistling. They tried to hide their romantic excursions without any thought they would be found out. But, found out they were. One day as Susan was exiting the nearby theater, she was met by her mother. Mrs. Morris had been waiting for Susan to show herself after watching her enter the Bijou from the general store across the street. Mrs. Morris held her finger against her lips to silence Susan before she could alert Arthur. Arthur came out of the theater with his typical whistle and lively gait. He was looking down at his hat in his hands rather than the looming shadow of Mrs. Morris. He walked directly into her. He tried to excuse himself without realizing who he had bumped into, and then he heard Susan whimper. Looking up to see Susan in her mother’s grasp, Arthur shuddered and shrunk in his posture. “Mrs. Morris, it’s good to see you.” He timidly tried to begin. Looking at Susan, he tried to smile, but realized by her expression that they were caught. His countenance grew firm as he looked back to Mrs. Morris. “Mrs. Morris, I can explain.” He tried to reason with the angry parent. “There is only one explanation I wound entertain, and that would involve your arrest for accosting my daughter. And, if you remain before me, I will most certainly oblige her by filing such charges.” Mrs. Morris made her thoughts heard then exited, pulling a terrified Susan behind her. Arthur followed at a distance trying to approach Mrs. Morris to explain his intentions, but she would have nothing to do with him. Without gaining ground with Mrs. Morris, Arthur slowed his pace. Mrs. Morris and Susan slipped into the bank pushing exiting customers to the side in haste. Arthur knew the trouble had just begun. He returned to the livery stable to wait for his father so they could ride back north toward home. After several hours, his father did arrive. Not to yell at Arthur as he had anticipated. Not to angrily trample on Arthur’s heart. No, he came in the livery stable and quietly saddled his horse. He did not even look at Arthur. He did not speak nor make any gesture that acknowledged his presence. Arthur saddled his horse and slowly followed his father out of town. Along the ride, he tried to speak to his father. He realized his trouble had brought larger problems for his father. He could not undo what had been done, but he wanted to remedy his fractured relations with his father before they were extinguished. Finally, his father spoke. “I’m not to return to Knoxville with you.” He spoke under his breath. He was shaken and distressed in having to repeat the lone statement which he had earlier received from Mr. Morris while standing in his employer’s office. He did not look at Arthur as he spoke and did not wait for a response. “Arthur, I needed you to help with this and other jobs. We had the chance to make something down here, maybe set up a business here and move out of that God forsaken shack in the hollows. I promised your mother I would do better by her. I would show her the life she deserved.” Mr. Marks shared his defeat of having to choose between a life of possibility or the possibility of losing his son. “What am I to do, Arthur?” He continued. “I needed you to help with the increased work. I wanted you to take over the business. This will take some doing to repair. Mr. Morris tried to be decent about his decision, but he left me no choice. If I want to remain as his supplier, to build and provide lumber, I need to leave you out of the picture. Completely.” The remainder of the ride was silent between the two men. Arthur would try to speak, but his father would increase his speed and ride ahead. When they arrived home, Arthur offered to lead his father’s horse to the corral. His father dropped the horse’s reigns and turned toward the house. That night’s meal was even more silent. Mrs. Marks could only look at her son in pained anguish. She felt more hurt for her husband, but did not want to see her son in the middle of such calamity. Especially over a girl, since his mother so often tried to introduce women to Arthur. It was difficult timing for the Marks’ family, which received more difficult news in the coming days of a competitor taking over the lumber business in Knoxville. The loss of business caused the family mill to close. Arthur was asked to leave home by his father. Arthur wandered for weeks trying to find a place to settle. One family after another would turn him away not wanting to become involved in the Marks’ family dispute. Through the process of solitude Arthur had time to reflect on his life. He had no skills; no plans for the future; and now, no home. With nowhere to turn, Arthur looked toward the military. With the raging war in Europe, the Army might provide a second chance for Arthur. He turned into a recruiting center and discussed his future. Arthur tried to contact Susan to let her know his intentions. Each time he placed a call to her residence, it was intercepted by attendants or staff who directly gave the phone to Mrs. Morris. Dejected and rejected, Arthur set out to explore more of life and himself on his own. “Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous; but I said, truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.” Jeremiah 10:19