But now, with Deborah’s detailed and careful work...
Eliza laid down her chisel and hammer and jumped up and down. “Deborah!” she squealed. “That’s a giant rib!”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Her friend joined her in a celebration. “So we have a dinosaur?”
Eliza twirled around, lifting her face to the sky. “Yes! I think we do!”
sixteen
“What is the use of anything only to make others and myself as happy as I can while I live. My greatest ambition is to earn enough money to make my folks comfortable and do the work I love. Although I have not reached that time yet the prospect seems better than ever before.”
~Earl Douglass
MONDAY, JULY31, 1916•PITTSBURGH
“I wish that girl would come home.” Dad set the biscuits on the table with a bit more force than usual.
Devin felt the same but had been working to tame his anger. He’d been so focused on his work when he got back that he hadn’t bothered to read the papers. Dad struggled with his eyes, and the doctor told him not to read for a while until a new pair of spectacles came in for him.
So yesterday, when a colleague at work teased him about the newspaper article on Eliza, Devin took the ribbing good-naturedly, pretending he knew what the man was talkingabout. As soon as he was able, he rushed home to find the article.
He read each horrible word, fingers turning white, he gripped the paper so hard. He tossed the paper aside. Wasthatwhat passed for journalism these days? Salacious gossip? Poor Eliza. What had this done to her? Why hadn’t she written him about it?
He took a sip of coffee before responding to Dad. “I’d like to take the next train west and get her, but I have no idea what’s happening out there. That article has been out for a while. Have they even seen it out West?”
“Hard to tell. But with the wireless telegraph and such these days, it would be hard to escape it.” Dad squinted at him. “Exactly why didn’t she come home with you again?”
“They started to dig again—and not just any dig. Eliza was put in charge. Earl Douglass is a phenomenal mentor, and she’s learned so much from him.” Devin ate a few more bites, then reached for a biscuit. “You’d enjoy seeing the quarry. Especially once you see the museum and how they’ve put together some of the large skeletons.”
Dad barely kept his grin hidden. “You sound like a supportive and encouragingfriend.”
“And what is so wrong with that?” Devin rolled his eyes. “Here we go again. You said you wouldn’t bring it up.”
“Well, after you asked me about your mother, it’s only fair. I’m not going to walk on eggshells about Eliza.” His dad laughed. “You seriously believe that the two of you—as close as you’ve always been—can stay apart? Especially now that you told her how you felt?”
Devin groaned and shook his head. He should have never told his father about his feelings. Ever since that night on the porch when they’d talked about Mom, Dad had been on the constant prowl to play matchmaker.
The telephone rang, and Devin got up and laid his napkin on the table. “I’ll get that.”
He went to the phone on the wall and answered. “Hello?”
“Is this Devin Schmitt?” A female voice he didn’t recognize.
“Yes.”
“Hi. I’m sorry to bother you at home, but I needed to talk to you right away. I’m Sarah Limon. I’m a friend of Eliza’s at the Carnegie Institute.”
Something in the tone of her voice set him on edge. “Is everything all right?”
“No. There are some terrible rumors going around at the museum about Eliza. They’re accusing her of stealing fossils and donor money. It’s awful. But once the rumors started, they just got bigger and more outlandish. And then that newspaper article fueled it all, even though Mr. Carnegie issued a statement to all the employees here about that. I’m worried about her, and she’s not here to defend herself.”
His blood began to boil. These shenanigans had gone far enough! “Who started the rumors?”
“I don’t know.” Crackling sounded through the phone. Then her voice was even softer. “But you know, there are plenty of men here who don’t like a woman working in the paleontology part of the museum.” Another crackling sound. “Eliza talked about you all the time, and I knew I could trust you. I’m just a secretary, so I don’t have any power to do anything to help. But I knew you could.” Some more crackling. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”
The line disconnected.
Devin hung up the phone.
