4
Jake sat in his room and counted his money after breakfast. He had two one-dollar greenbacks, a two-dollar greenback, and a handful of coins. He needed enough money to pay his rent next week, enough to pay for the train fare to Clover Creek, and enough to buy a gift for Alice.
Jake pursed his lips while staring at the greenbacks and recounting the coins.
Suddenly he leaped to his feet and pulled the bed away from the wall. Fluffy dust balls lurked everywhere. Two weeks ago, he’d dropped a two-bit piece on the floor and the coin rolled under the bed. At the time, he hadn’t been hurting for money, and he’d never bothered to retrieve it. But now, after Dusty had laid out a plan to keep Alice’s mind on Jake all the time and get her to forget about the hometown boys, he needed more money.
Dusty had instructed Jake to write letters to Alice at least two or three times a week, instead of occasionally like he had been doing. Jake was to shower her with gifts along with his letters. And most important of all, Jake needed to return home to see her often and take her to the Saturday night dances and on picnics.
Jake needed all the money he could muster if he was to follow Dusty’s advice. He dropped to his hands and knees on the cold floorboards and dug around in the dust balls until he found his lost quarter. After sneezing several times, he stood up triumphantly, holding the coin out in front of him. Then he dusted it off on his already dust-covered trouser legs and pushed the bed back against the wall.
Donning his coat and hat, Jake took off for work. Now that Dusty had tutored him on how to impress a woman, he wished he hadn’t been so quick to decline Uncle Lyman’s offer to live with his family while staying in Boise. The wage his uncle paid him covered his room and board, with only a small amount left over. At the time, Jake figured that was all he needed, and he hadn’t wanted to live in his uncle’s home. Lyman had a large home, but he also had five noisy daughters, and one married daughter who lived there with her young family.
When Jake reached the office, he had a lot to do before he met Dusty for lunch. He had to finish an article about homestead notifications for tomorrow’s newspaper. The article listed five settlers who filed notice of their intention to make final proof on their homesteading claim. Four witnesses were named for each case. These witnesses provided proof that the settlers had had continuous residence on their land and had cultivated the land during the past five years. Once he got all his facts and names lined up properly, Jake had to wait for his turn at the typewriter.
By the time Jake met Dusty at a downtown restaurant near the largest dry goods store, he was a bundle of nerves. He still worried about his shortage of money and the fact that Reed Browning and Frank Baldwin were in Clover Creek possibly trying to court his girl at this very moment.
“So, update me,” Dusty said while they waited for their food order, “what have you done so far to follow my plan?”
“I’ve written to Alice three times this week already.”
“And . . . did you include a small token of your love?” Dusty snickered when he asked about the token of Jake’s love, causing Jake to squirm.
It almost felt like Dusty’s plan to win Alice was somewhat on the shady side.
“Well, I sent her a lace collar in my last letter. My landlady makes them and sells them.”
“And . . .?”
“In the first letter, I sent her a printed bookmark edged with pink flowers and a portrait of a young girl on a swing.”
Dusty narrowed his eyes. “I hope the girl on the swing looked like this Alice girl.”
“Of course she did. At least she had the same color of hair.” Sweat crept across Jake’s forehead and down into his shirt collar. Why did he feel like he was being interrogated for doing something shady?
The waitress came and poured each of them a cup of coffee. As soon as she walked away, Dusty started in again. “What about the other letter?”
“I sent her a packet of seeds in that letter.”
“Seeds!?” Dusty hit his forehead with the palm of his hand, a pained look took over his whole face.
“Yeah, you know, seeds, flower seeds.” When the wrinkles in Dusty’s forehead deepened, Jake sighed and added, “Forget-me-not seeds.”
Within seconds Dusty’s robust laugh filled the air. He reached over and slugged Jake in the shoulder. “You’re not too bad, kid. You’re not too bad at playing this game of romance.”
“It’s not a game to me.”
“Of course not, but you’re learning fast kid. Swamp her with little tokens of your affection. When are you leaving to go see this chick?”
Jake didn’t care for the term Dusty used for Alice, but before he could say anything, the waitress brought their roast beef dinner and they both dug in. About halfway through their meal, Dusty brought up a new subject. “Have you heard who your uncle is sending to St. Louis to cover the Louisiana Purchase Exposition?”
Jake had just put a big chunk of roast in his mouth. He shook his head, and after he swallowed, he said, “I know it won’t be me. Lyman will send someone with experience. Someone like you probably.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” Dusty sat back and smiled. “I’m planning to go places, starting with St. Louis and ending with . . . who knows, Europe maybe.”
Jake’s mouth went slack. His idea of really going places had been moving to Boise.
“You need to think big,” Dusty added, almost as though he’d read Jake’s mind. “Like offering to take your lady to St. Louis for a wedding gift during this exposition. This thing lasts seven months so there’s plenty of time for a wedding. The whole tide of world travel this year will be to St. Louis.”
Jake snorted. “I can’t even afford to get married, let alone think about a wedding gift.”
Dusty stood. “We’ll see about that.” He pulled out his pocket watch. “Time to head on over to the men’s clothing store and find you something flamboyant to wear,” he said. “You need to look like a man of confidence and style when you see your girl!”
With that, Dusty walked off, leaving Jake to pay for their lunch.
Jake swallowed. He hadn’t planned on paying for Dusty’s lunch or buying fancy clothes for himself. But, since Dusty was spending so much time teaching Jake how to win Alice away from Reed Browning and Frank Baldwin, he guessed it was only fair to buy the guy’s lunch.
Jake left some of his hard-earned money on the table and sprinted after Dusty to stop him from going into the men’s clothing store. He didn’t have enough money to pay for new clothes, a gift for Alice, and a train ticket to Clover Creek.
The men’s clothing store was the very one where Jake had acquired his first newspaper ad, and he didn’t want to go back there. It was the most luxurious building he had ever seen with its inlaid wood floor and dark wood paneling on the lower walls. The store even smelled expensive.
There was no catching up to Dusty, though, until he had reached the store and stepped inside. Jake lunged after him to pull him back out, but a salesman appeared out of nowhere and asked if he could help them.
“This man needs a new suit,” Dusty said.
“No, wait a minute. I don’t . . .”
“Excellent,” the salesman replied in a slick voice. He rubbed his hands together, and then latched onto Jake’s arm, tugging him toward the suit section. “We’re having a lovely sale on suits, but why buy a ready-made suit when we can make you one of higher quality? A higher quality suit will last you twice as long as one of these ready-made suits. Fit, style, and workmanship guaranteed.”
“But wait . . .” Jake said.
“Of course, if you are in a hurry, we can fit you in one of our best ready-made suits.” The salesman raised his chin like he could barely tolerate the idea of a ready-made suit. “We offer the best suits in all of Boise.”
It was all Jake could do to not shout, “I don’t want a suit! I can’t afford a suit!” What on earth was Dusty doing? Did he think Uncle Lyman paid him a high salary because he was family? Did h
e think Jake came from rich folks? “Dusty,” he growled as he leaned closer to his friend, “I can’t afford a suit. I barely have enough money to buy my train ticket and a gift for Alice.”
The owner of the store, a Mr. Masterson, walked toward them now, coming from the back room. “May I help you?” he asked, a deft smile spreading across his face.
Jake sucked in a huge breath of air. This was the man who bought the ad from him. Before he could say a word, Dusty started in.
“This man needs a suit.”
“Excellent,” Mr. Masterson exclaimed. “We have the best suits in all of Boise, and Mr. Weston here knows they are all on sale right now.”
Jake groaned inwardly. The store owner remembered him and had taken pity on the struggling young country boy who had talked him into an expensive ad. How could Jake not buy something from the man now.
“I, um, really don’t have enough money to buy a suit at this time,” Jake said, cringing under all the pressure. “Maybe just a vest for now.”
The store owner’s smile turned from deft to knowing. “Buy now and pay when you can!” he said, pointing to one of the signs that dotted the store walls. His smile grew. “It’s our new store motto and we’ll be happy to help you with a suit.”
It was all Jake could do to not throw a punch at Dusty.
“Why did you do that?” Jake shouted at Dusty after they left the men’s clothing store and walked toward the dry goods store. “I don’t need a suit! I can’t afford a suit! But you trapped me into buying one!” Jake waved his arm back toward the men’s clothing store where his newly purchased suit was being altered.
“Look,” Dusty said. “You wanted my advice on how to win that girl in your hometown and you got it. If you want to compete with the boys back home, you must impress the lady more than they do. Nice clothes do that. And you’re an up and coming businessman anyway. You need to look the part. Besides, I’m the one who put the two dollars down on the suit.”
“Yes, and now I owe you two dollars and the clothing store over ten more.”
“Nah, you don’t owe me a thing. It’ll be worth two bucks to see you all spiffed up in your fancy new suit. Now let’s go shop for your girl!”
The dry goods store was the same store that Jake had browsed in earlier when he had chosen the bookmark and seed packet for Alice. The building had large windows facing the street, but inside it was long and narrow. The farther a person walked toward the back, the dimmer the lighting got. The shelves on every wall were loaded with textiles, household supplies, ready-to-wear clothing, shoes, and personal care items. Glass cases holding jewelry and other valuable items ran the length of the store, leaving a long walkway to the back. Everything was neat and orderly, and a salesman approached, offering to help.
“This man wants to buy a gift for a lady friend,” Dusty said, “nothing too intimate, but something of quality.”
The salesman walked Jake straight to the jewelry case and brought out a pearl necklace that cost more money than Jake could earn in a year. When Jake stiffened and shook his head, the salesman picked up a pearl pendant that only cost half as much. Jake, looking anxious shook his head again. Dusty made an exasperated sound while the salesman led them to the back of the store where women’s clothing was displayed.
A wood-burning stove gave off a cozy warmth to the back of the store and a calico cat lay nearby soaking in the heat. Jake saw a display of books in the very back corner, and his anxiousness fell away. “Alice loves to read,” he said. “I’ll buy her a book!”
“A book?” Dusty’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He gave Jake a look that made Jake feel about three feet high. “You can’t impress a lady with a book.”
The salesman had stopped in front of a display of gloves, picking up a pair of fur lined, suede gloves that looked almost as expensive as the pearl necklace. “It is always appropriate to buy a lady gloves,” he said.
“Alice already has gloves,” Jake said, still eyeing the book display over in the corner. Between the sales pressure and the wood burning stove, he could feel sweat breaking out in several places.
“It’s impossible for a woman to have too many gloves.” The salesman rocked back on his shiny black shoes, a cunning smile spreading across his face. He spread his hands out as if conveying that Alice would love every set of gloves on the table. “The finest gloves available in the west. And trust me, women want gloves in every shade and color. You’ll impress your lady with a pair or two of fine gloves.”
“I agree,” Dusty said, nudging Jake’s shoulder. “A lovely pair of gloves is an excellent choice if one insists on being practical.”
Jake remembered seeing Alice’s driving gloves when she drove her father’s carriage into town before he left for Boise. They were worn and scratched, unlike the nicer gloves she wore to church. And besides, some of the more practical gloves in the display were reasonably priced. Since Dusty had tricked him into buying a new suit, he needed to conserve his money more than ever.
Jake looked longingly at the book display, and then back at the gloves. He chose a pair of dark green gauntlet gloves that would be perfect for driving the Gardner carriage.
The salesman pursed his lips.
“Don’t buy those,” Dusty said, disgust oozing from his voice. “Buy something fancy looking like these.” He held up a delicate pair of white lace gloves.
Jake shook his head. “No, these dark green ones are perfect for Alice this time of year. And look at the fancy stitches on the top. She’ll love them. Maybe I’ll buy her lace gloves next time,” he added, hoping to get the salesman and Dusty to quit pressuring him.
“Humm, smart boy to think down the road!” Dusty slapped him on the back. “Okay, bring the gloves. Now back to jewelry.”
“Jewelry?”
“Yes, jewelry. You can’t give a girl gloves without jewelry. Gloves are practical. Jewelry is romantic. You have to give your girl something romantic to go along with the gloves.”
“Ah, perfect!” the salesman said. “A practical and romantic young man impresses the ladies.”
Jake cringed. Here came the pressure again. He couldn’t afford even the least expensive piece of jewelry, not after buying a suit for himself and gloves for Alice, not to mention his and Dusty’s lunch when he could have eaten at the boarding house for free. “I don’t know what kind of jewelry Alice likes,” he said, clumsily following Dusty and the salesman. “She doesn’t wear jewelry that I remember except for a small pendant at her neck.”
“All the more reason for you to buy jewelry!” Dusty announced. “And from now on it’s your job to notice what Alice likes. It’s important to a woman that you notice what she likes. Now come, let’s take another look at the jewelry.”
The salesman showed them several pieces that Dusty thought appropriate, but the price tags left Jake reeling.
“I’ll be with you in a few moments,” the salesman said to two ladies who entered the mercantile.
“I can’t afford these,” Jake hissed, while the salesman spoke to the ladies.
“You’ve got to lay out some cash to impress your lady,” Dusty said not bothering to lower his voice. “Those hometown boys are swamping your girl with attention. You have to give her something stunning. You can afford one nice piece. Trust me!”
About that time, Jake was thinking that perhaps he had trusted Dusty too much.
Dusty shoved an emerald green broach at him. “Here’s the perfect gift,” he said. “It’ll match her gloves. Women love things that match, and you want to give her something she’ll love.”
Jake took the broach and turned it over to look at the price tag.
“Look, I know you’re short of funds,” Dusty said. “I’ll buy the broach for you. I’m invested in seeing you successful in your love life. In fact, I’ll buy the gloves too. After all, you bought my lunch.” With that, Dusty pulled out his wallet and handed some crisp new greenbacks to the clerk. “We’ll take this one and the gloves,” he said handing the broach t
o the salesman.
Jake felt sick as he watched the salesman accept Dusty’s money. Money that Jake hadn’t earned. And he felt sick about buying a suit that he’d be paying on for months. His parents never bought anything on credit unless it was something essential for the newspaper business.
But Dusty was adamant that this was how to impress Alice and keep Jake foremost in her mind while Jake was away. This was exactly the plan that Jake had agreed to. And by now, Jake just wanted out of that store and away from all salesmen.
“I’ll pay you back,” Jake grumbled.
“Don’t bother.” Dusty casually leaned against the glass case while one side of his mouth turned up. He looked as contented as the cat in the back of the store. “I won’t even miss the money.”
When Jake and Dusty were back in Dusty’s carriage and headed toward the newspaper office, Jake hung his head. What was he doing? What was he thinking? He loved Alice and wanted her to wait for him until he could afford to marry her, but at this rate, he was going so far into debt, he’d never be able to marry.
Dusty pulled the horse to a stop at the side of the newspaper office. “Now, Jake,” he said. “I meant what I said about the money. You don’t owe me a thing, and I won’t miss the money I spent on your lady’s gifts. Look at this.” He pulled out his wallet and flashed a wad of greenbacks in front of Jake. There was an abundance of two-dollar bills, five-dollar bills, and ten-dollar bills!
“Where did you get all that money?” Jake asked, his eyes wide. “Newspaper reporters don’t make that kind of money.”
“Exactly,” Dusty said. “There are better ways to come up with money than working day and night. I don’t intend to be a newspaper reporter forever. I have bigger plans in mind. There’s a guy who sells these bills for fifty cents on the dollar, and I can get you set up with him. Here, give me two dollar bills.”
Jake felt confused, but he dug into his pocket and pulled out two one-dollar bills. It wasn’t nearly what he owed Dusty, but it was a start. When he handed the greenbacks to Dusty, Dusty handed him two two-dollar bills in return.
A Cherished Gift Page 4