“Look who’s here!” Nellie, Alice’s oldest sister, stepped out of her kitchen door when Reed stopped the wagon in front of Nellie’s home. She had a look of concern in her eyes. “Is anything wrong at home?”
“Oh, no, nothing’s wrong.” Alice replied, realizing that her sister might assume Alice had accompanied Reed in order to deliver family news. Had she known there was a stop at Nellie’s home, she wouldn’t have accepted Reed’s offer to accompany him on this day. Obviously, Nellie hadn’t read last week’s newspaper, nor had she heard the gossip about Alice riding with Reed Browning.
Alice searched her mind for an excuse for her visit just as Zina, her next younger sister, stepped out onto the porch. One of the younger Gardner sisters always stayed with Nellie when Nellie’s husband was off on a survey job with their father. Alice pursed her lips. She took enough flak from her sisters at home about riding along with Reed. She didn’t need Nellie and Zina to start in on her. “Uh, I wanted to come along because I’ve missed seeing your girls and wondered how you’re doing out here without Evan.”
Both Nellie and Zina looked at Alice with questioning eyes. “The girls are all napping,” Nellie finally said, “and we’re doing fine. Come on in and warm up with a cup of coffee.”
Alice climbed down from the wagon and followed her sisters into the kitchen, stopping directly in front of the cook stove to warm her hands. The smell of coffee and freshly baked bread filled the room. She deliberately didn’t look at Nellie or Zina while Reed ran back and forth carrying in the mercantile order. When Reed finished, they all sat at Nellie’s kitchen table.
“Ah, this feels good,” Reed said, wrapping his hands around a steaming cup of coffee. “Thank you.”
“Have you heard anything from Jake?” Zina asked. Her smug look told Alice that she deliberately brought up Jake’s name in front of Reed.
“Of course, I’ve heard from Jake,” Alice said, her lips turning up on one side with a crooked smile that was meant to put Zina in her place. After all, Reed knew she and Jake were sweethearts. “Reed and I were just talking about how Jake’s doing before we got here.”
“Oh,” Zina said, looking surprised.
“How much longer before dad and Evan will be home again for a visit?” Alice asked. She already knew the answer; she simply wanted to take the conversation away from herself.
“They’re hoping to come again at the end of this week,” Nellie replied. “Only for a few days, of course, but we’ll happily take what we can get. With so many people moving out west, the state is opening up more land this year for homesteading, and fortunately for us, they need lots of survey work for a new dam and all the canals. This survey they’re working on might last through the summer and into the fall.”
“Can I sneak a peek at the girls while they sleep?” Alice asked, setting her coffee down. “I promise I won’t wake them.”
“Of course,” Nellie replied, and led Alice to the back bedroom. All three of Nellie’s girls lay on one bed with a warm quilt snuggled around them.
“You have such precious girls,” Alice whispered. She leaned over Zillah, the oldest girl, and gently pushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Thanks,” Nellie said, and then whispered, “so what’s happening with Reed Browning and you?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Well, he asked if I’d enjoy a morning ride while he delivers for the mercantile. That’s all there is to it, and there’s nothing wrong with me riding with Reed in broad daylight.”
“Oh, I didn’t say there was anything wrong.” Nellie kept her voice to a whisper. “Seeing you with someone other than Jake surprised me. That’s all.”
Alice snorted. “Is everyone in this town going to denounce me for having a little enjoyment while Jake’s away? It doesn’t mean that I like Jake any less. But I suppose my every move will be written up in the newspaper for all to read and criticize.”
Nellie’s lips parted. “You don’t need to be so peevish. No one is criticizing you or putting your actions in the newspaper.”
“I wish,” Alice said, and told her sister about the incidents with Reed and Frank Baldwin that had both made the Local News section of the Clover Creek Weekly.
“Oh, my,” Nellie said, her eyes widening. “I didn’t know.”
A tear slipped down Alice’s cheek. “I suppose you think It’s terrible for me to ride with Reed or go to the dances with Frank.”
“I didn’t say that. You needn’t be so touchy.”
“Sorry,” Alice said, sniffing. “It’s just that Fern and Beth have really scolded me for accepting Reed’s and Frank’s offers. And did you see Zina’s disgruntled look when she saw me with Reed? She feels the same way Fern and Beth do. I can tell.”
Nellie motioned toward the doorway. “It’s okay,” she said after closing the bedroom door. “I understand that’s it’s hard to have Jake so far away.”
A flood of tears now threatened Alice’s eyes. “Frank’s escorting me to the dance again this Saturday,” she choked out. “Is that so terrible?”
“No, no. I understand,” Nellie said. “You’re just wanting a little companionship in your life while you’re missing Jake, and your younger sisters are giving you a bad time. Is that right?”
Alice sniffed several times and nodded her head.
“Little sisters can be so annoying!”
Alice’s mouth fell open, and then a giggle escaped as she realized what Nellie had implied. “Surely, I was never annoying to you,” she said.
Nellie laughed softly and gave Alice a hug. “Only a few times. Don’t let the younger girls upset you. They all like Reed a lot and care about you. You deserve a little happiness, and hopefully, no one’s going to write up your comings and goings in the newspaper again.”
On the way back to the Gardner homestead, the sun warmed the countryside, allowing Alice to take off her hat and let the morning breeze flow through her hair. “Thank you for another lovely morning,” she called out after Reed dropped her off near the kitchen door.
Alice, still smiling, climbed the few steps and opened the door. Her cheeks, rosy from the cool morning air had a shine to them, and her hazel eyes sparkled. She hung her hat and coat on a peg and turned in time to see two sets of scowling eyes looking her way.
“What?” Alice said, her smile gone in an instant.
“Why do you still go riding with Reed?” Fern asked, scolding Alice further with her downturned lips. “Everybody in town sees you and it will make Jake sad.”
Alice put an apron on over her dress. She could have assured her sisters that her conversations with Reed always included something about Jake, but why should she? She preferred to antagonize them just a touch. “Why should Jake be sad? We’re not engaged, and Reed is very sweet. We had the most fun watching antelope and rabbits and other animal life along the way. The birds were spectacular this morning.”
“But I like Jake,” Beth said, her voice downtrodden. “He talks to me and makes me laugh when he comes to our house. I don’t like Reed or Frank. They think they’re too big to talk to little kids, but I’m not that little. I don’t want you to marry either of them.”
“You’re not to worry your pretty little head,” Alice said, deciding that she could be a little kinder to her sisters. “Reed and Frank are friends. That is all. You should know by now that I’m in love with Jake.”
“Doesn’t look like it to us,” Fern said, crossing her arms.
“Ma wants to ride into town to see Mrs. Stribling,” Beth said. “Maybe there’s a letter from Jake at the mercantile. Then you’ll think about him instead of Reed.”
Alice perked up at the mention of going to town. “I’m not thinking about Reed,” she replied. But the mention of Jake did make her think about him. She hoped there would be another letter from him. Surprisingly, when she had received two letters from Jake earlier in the week, each included a small gift. He had never written that often before or sent her a gif
t. “When does Ma want to go?”
“As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, and you clean the kitchen,” Fern said, her chin jutting out. “Ma said we could save the kitchen clean-up for you since you weren’t here to help make the bread.”
With that, Fern turned flippantly and took off for the parlor.
“I’ll help you clean the kitchen,” Beth said. “I hope you have a letter from Jake. Letters from Jake make you happy.”
Alice gave her youngest sister a hug. “You’re right,” she said. “Letters from Jake make me very happy.”
Sure enough, when Alice and her family walked into the mercantile and asked for their mail, there was another letter from Jake. Mrs. Jepson placed it right on top of the pile. It seemed to Alice that Mrs. Jepson was as happy about letters from Jake as Fern and Beth were. The thought made Alice uncomfortable. Was Mrs. Jepson talking behind her back about the number of letters she sent or received?
Alice sighed at the thought. She took the mail from Mrs. Jepson and thanked her. Then she turned and saw the hopeful eyes of Fern and Beth, knowing they wanted her to open the letter, and perhaps even share the contents with them. She smiled at her sisters and placed the letter safely in the pocket of her dress.
After picking up a few supplies, Mrs. Gardner and the girls drove over to Mrs. Stribling’s home. Mrs. Stribling, a wealthy widow, was practically a member of the Gardner family. She met them at the door, welcoming them with hearty hugs and smiles. Some townsfolk had thought Mrs. Stribling might move back east near her sister after her husband passed away, but the woman preferred to stay in Clover Creek where she and her husband had lived for years.
Alice handed their friend two jars of plums that had been canned last summer.
“Come into the kitchen,” Mrs. Stribling said, “and enjoy some apple cake. I’m delighted to see you!”
The conversation was lively while they ate. Mrs. Stribling fussed about each of the girls, asked about Charlie and Mr. Gardner, and each sister in the family who wasn’t present. When Mrs. Stribling was up to date on the lives of each family member, she lifted her brows and smiled. Reaching into her apron pocket, she retrieved a light-yellow envelope and held it to her chest.
“Treasure every moment with your sisters,” Mrs. Stribling said, addressing Fern and Beth in her rather loud voice. “And with your brother and your parents too. Siblings grow up way too soon and go their separate ways. But even so, family connections are the most important connections to sustain you throughout your life.”
Mrs. Stribling winked at Beth. “And sisters are a special treasure.”
Alice knew what was coming next. The letter that Mrs. Stribling held had to be from her sister, and she would ask one of them to read it to her. It was well known in the Gardner family that Mrs. Stribling loved to have one of the Gardner girls read her letters out loud. Even though Mrs. Stribling read her own letters, she claimed it made her feel young again to hear her sister’s words spoken by a young person.
This time she asked Fern to read the letter.
Fern’s brow wrinkled, but only for a moment. “I’d be delighted,” she said in her sweet clear voice. She slipped the letter out of the envelope and began to read.
My dearest Sister,
Mrs. Stribling interrupted with a nod of her head. “I’m her only sister, so I’m the dearest and the most obnoxious.”
Well, Rolla dear, the letter that I longed for came at last.
Mrs. Stribling interrupted again. “She acts like I never write, but I write to her every Monday morning, just like clockwork. And she always calls me Rolla, not Rollalinda. Don’t you think Rollalinda is a mouthful?”
Fern and Beth giggled, and then Fern kept reading.
It pains me to write this, but I’m so mad at you for not coming to see me in a very long time. I’m in my sixty-eighth year now, and it’s high time you bought yourself a train ticket to come and visit. It would seem pretty good to see a home face.
It’s easier for you to travel than for me, and it’s been much too long since I’ve seen your dear face. Please take the train and come in time for my birthday. I can’t think of anything more fun than to romp around town with you. We’ll have a gala party with some of my grandchildren.
“Her grandchildren are little terrors,” Mrs. Stribling said. “Actually, they’re not little any more. They have grown up and have kids of their own. Now their kids are the little terrors.”
Mrs. Stribling quit interrupting. She settled back in her chair with only a few sniffs and snorts while Fern finished the letter. No one said anything for several minutes, as though they all contemplated their own family connections. Finally, Mrs. Gardner thanked Mrs. Stribling for a lovely afternoon, and said they needed to be on their way. After hugs and promises to return soon, and Alice promising to return within a few days to clean, they were out the door.
Alice’s older sisters had cleaned house for Mrs. Stribling for the past several years, and now that the older girls were married with families of their own, Alice had taken over that opportunity. Mrs. Stribling insisted on paying for work rendered, or she bequeathed gifts in lieu of payment when the girls refused to take her money. Eventually, it had been determined that it brought the older woman joy to do things for the Gardner girls.
On the way back through town as the horses clopped along and the girls chattered, Frank Baldwin stepped out of his family’s bakery and flagged them down.
“Good morning,” he called out, nodding to Mrs. Gardner and Alice. “I was just over to the mercantile, and heard you were in town.”
Alice ducked her head and smiled. It bothered her to talk to Frank in front of her little sisters, knowing they didn’t like him. And sure enough, just as Beth had said, he didn’t acknowledge them in any way.
“I was wondering if you’d like to come for dinner Saturday evening, Alice? We’ll play some guessing games and whist with the family, and maybe a little checkers or chess before leaving for the dance. Mother is cooking a grand meal, and all the family is looking forward to your visit.”
Alice felt her heart skip a beat. She glanced at Fern and Beth in the back of the carriage, and immediately wished she had not. For a fleeting second, Alice thought of declining. After all, she had already accepted Reed’s offer to ride along on his delivery route Saturday morning. And she should offer to drive her sisters to the dance on Saturday night. Fern seldom attended the dances, but Beth loved them.
Alice fidgeted with the reins as she struggled whether to accept Frank’s invitation or not. It was difficult to think with Frank and his dark good looks right in front of her. And besides, it would be fun to have dinner with his family. He had a sister a year younger than Alice who was fun to be around, and he had twin brothers a little younger than that. They were just as charming as Frank. Her eyes brightened when her mother smiled at her. Mrs. Gardner had assured her more than once that it was good to spend time with more than one young man during this stage of her life.
“I’d love to have dinner with you and your family,” Alice heard herself say. But the moment she accepted the invitation, she thought about Jake and cringed. But Jake hadn’t been back to Clover Creek since he left for Boise, and Alice had had such a fun evening the last time she attended the Saturday night dance with Frank.
“Excellent! I’ll drive out and pick you up around six if that sounds good.”
“That will be perfect,” Alice said.
Frank nodded and saluted Alice and her mother before hurrying back into the bakery. Alice sat up straighter than before, flipping the reins gently to start Sage and Venus toward home again. She was going to a party and the dance on Saturday night instead of sitting home feeling sorry for herself. She was thrilled.
When Alice looked at her mother, her mother simply smiled as though she approved of the attention Alice was receiving. Alice refused to look at Fern and Beth, but she could feel their glaring eyes all the way through town.
Once they pulled up to the barn, Charlie came o
ut of the workshop where he was repairing farm equipment and offered to take care of the horses for them. Alice thanked him and raced into the house. She couldn’t wait to sit down on her bed with Jake’s letter. She ran upstairs, shut the door against her peeping sisters, and carefully pulled Jake’s letter from her pocket. How she wished Jake would tell her he was coming home for a visit sometime soon. Although she loved the attention of Reed and Frank, it was Jake she missed and longed to see. When she slit open the cream-colored envelope, an elegant lace collar slid into her hand.
Dearest Alice,
I haven’t time to write a long letter because I’m off to the city council meeting to write up a report about what’s new in the city. But I wanted you to know that all I can think about is you.
I hope you enjoy this lovely collar and will think of me when you wear it. When I saw this exquisite work of lace, I thought of you and had to buy it. Not that you’re fragile or anything, but you are elegant and sophisticated like this lace.
Guess what? I’m coming home on the train this weekend! I’ll get to Clover Creek a little before three on Saturday afternoon, and I have to leave late Sunday. It isn’t a long visit, but I can’t wait any longer to see my girl. If you haven’t planned anything ahead, I mean if you’re not all booked up, I’d love to spend a few pleasant hours with you. Please try and be home around three on Saturday and I’ll hurry out to see you as fast as I can. Hopefully we can go to the dance together.
I’m going to have a nice little surprise for you on Saturday! Something my friend is helping me pick out. He and I are going shopping this week. Since he is older and more experienced with what ladies like, I’m taking his advice.
Well, I’m off to find out what’s going on with the city.
Love,
Jake
Alice dropped the letter onto her lap and clasped the lace collar to her chest. Jake was coming home Saturday! And she had an outing with Reed in the morning and a commitment to spend most of the evening with Frank!
What was she going to do now?
A Cherished Gift Page 3