Sadie Miller knew she should never accept a ride from the Englischer even though it was snowing so hard she could barely see. Her driver failed to pick her up after work, and there was no telephone in her home for her to call her Dat for a ride home.
The Englischer didn’t give her a choice, however. He picked her up, spanked her, and put her in his car. Samuel Hilty thought the girl was being very foolish. Another car almost hit her and she had to jump into the snow filled ditch to avoid being hurt.
Sadie knew her Dat would be very angry and might very well punish her, but she was given no choice by Samuel except to invite him inside to meet her parents. Her Dat offered him a seat at their table, and she was surprised when her parents remembered his. His father was shunned and he took his pregnant wife and left the district. Samuel was raised in the Amish way as much as his Mamm could do so, and he’d come home to explore the Amish faith.
Samuel never expected to fall in love, but he knew he was going to have to prove himself to Sadie’s Dat, to the Bishop, and to the district before he’d ever be allowed to take her as his wife. When things seemed to be going well, someone started spreading malicious gossip about Samuel, and it would take a lot of strength, prayer, and spankings to help Sadie through the difficult time.
