by Rex Trulove

Created on: April 28, 2010

Joe Brown and his wife, Ada, had a little farm just out of town. They grew their own vegetables, a little wheat, and animals for food. The town folk didn't know much about them, though.

They stayed away from others for the most part. Even in the infrequent times they'd go into town to get supplies, they never spoke much to anyone.

Neither was out of the ordinary, either. They would never have stood out in a crowd. They didn't speak harshly of others, but few thought about that, because they seldom spoke at all.

Still, year after year, as misfortune affected one neighbor or another, Joe always seemed to show up in his buckboard, with the extra supplies that were needed. It could be eggs, fresh vegetables, wheat, or meat, but it was almost a given when he would show up, unload the supplies by himself, and leave, all without uttering a word.

Little changed for many years in the little town, and people got very used to Joe and Ada. They didn't speak about them, but after all, there wasn't much to tell. They both helped the community, but neither of them stayed around long enough to receive thanks.

The only man in town who noticed them was old pastor Silas. He'd seen how Joe and Ada would come into town with the same eggs and produce to sell, trading these for things that were of lesser value.

More than once, he'd seen Ada at the general store, looking longingly at the bright soft silk fabric, only to turn around and buy a small bit of burlap.

He'd seen Joe passing up a nice plow, in order to save a little money to fix an old, rusty, and dull one he already owned.

Pastor Silas had even been to their farm. The Browns were always civil, but they still didn't talk much. They would offer him iced water, but seldom anything else. Their old tired dog, known simply as "Dog", actually gave the pastor more attention than the couple ever did, and he would soon leave the farm. He noted that Joe and Ada never seemed that unhappy to see him go.

One spring, the Pastor recalled that he had not seen the Browns in town for some time. He was going to go check on them, but got distracted and forgot.

A few days later, Dog wandered in. He was dazed, singed, and clearly smelled of smoke. He walked directly to Silas, and laid down exhausted at clergyman's feet.

Carefully, Silas picked the old dog up, and ignoring the dog hair on his shirt and everything else, placed the dog carefully in the back of his buckboard, on top of some old potato sacks.

He drove the horses hard to get out to the Brown's

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