Chapter One-Part Three
Phillip DuFrow was nineteen years old, above average in height, slender of build, with very dark brown hair that on first glance looked black. His dark eyes were serious when serious matters were concerned, but quickly could dissolve into merriment when a humorous situation arose. His family consisted of his parents, Edward and Nelda DuFrow, a younger brother, Teddy, and two sisters, Susan the older and Betsy, the youngest of the group.
The small town of Bellfield consisted of a population of perhaps, a thousand. The four families who first arrived, gave it the name it still retained, because from the surrounding hills one could hear cattle bells from the cows and sheep that grazed all day long in the warm sunshine.
DuFrows were of the original four families who built their homes here, but gradually others came, finding it an ideal place for rural living. The people came now from different nationalities, attracted by the new industrial town that was springing up ten miles to the northwest of Bellfield.
The DuFrows were a deeply religious family, living their faith every day, by their concepts, illustrating their Christian character. They came to America with the Huguenots from which the present family were descended, being proud of their heritage as as this, their native country.
On Nelda DuFrow side were an aristocratic and wealthy heritage of England and Scotland, whose first members came as British officers to rule certain colonies of the Americas, thus fighting in the Revolution. When England bowed her royal head to the Yankee Doodlers, two of the British officers preferred remaining with their conquerors.
This, briefly, was the heritage of Phillip DuFrow, handsome, proud, and independent.
As is all small communities in the middle twentieth century, the social life was centered in the church, with young peoples meetings, which consisted for the most part, of singing, games, an occasional prayer, and sometimes heated arguments. There would be picnics in summer and ice cream socials.
Maggie Kenwick never joined the church, nor had she ever been a member of any church, as her family were not church-going people. But always she attended church service and social gatherings, since coming to Bellfield. Every opportunity found Maggie and Phillip DuFrow together, falling more deeply in love with each meeting.
Maggie's parents were pure Irish, having come to America twenty years previously. Maggie and brother Kerry had attended public school, and in all activities were as interested as other young people in the rapidly growing town.
Their mother was a small, patient and kind woman, being occupied much of the time with trying to cope with her husbands' temper. Tall, sturdy and re-haired, belligerent Thomas Kenwick would rather fight than make a friend. Somewhere in their Irish back round they were of Catholic extraction, but had never belonged to that persuasion since coming to America, nor did they ever attend church.
Phillips' parents found this situation a matter of no little concern, but welcomed shy, sweet Maggie as a possible member of their family. Phillip went to work with a new vigor to save money to marry on, as his parents insisted he must do, at the building supply company where he was employed.
At the end of the year, they were married quietly by the Rev. Richardson, and went directly to housekeeping in a small cottage they were fortunate enough to find for rent. Thus their marriage was happily begun, and in the eleventh month their son was born, bringing to a greater degree, their personal happiness. The grandparents DuFrow were overjoyed with a grandson, as were the other members of the young fathers' family.
Over the following year, Maggie was finding the task of caring for her infant son a tiring and never-ending occupation. When he was fourteen months old, and the young mother again found herself pregnant, she had began to rebel. Somehow, which was hard to account for, her shy sweet nature gradually changed to one of self-pity and rebellion.
It was in this state of mind that Susan DuFrow, aged 16, found Maggie, when she went to the home of her brother one day, and found her sister-in-law in tears. Susan was very much concerned. "What is wrong, Maggie, are you sick?"
Maggie lifted flooding eyes to the young sister as she replied, "Yes, I'm sick. Phillip promised to care for and protect me, and now I'm going to have another baby!"
Susan was somewhat bewildered by this demonstration, as Maggie emphasized her displeasure by tramping the floor one side of the room to the other, and back again.
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