A Cherished Gift

by Vicki Hunt Budge

  Alice held the handkerchief to her face for a few moments, thinking about Jake and all the attention he had been showering her on her lately. He was such a dear boy.

  She hurried to unfold the letter and see what he had to say.

  My Dearest Alice,

  You’ll never believe what happened! My friend Dusty bought himself an

  automobile! An Overland Runabout. It’s a year old, but in excellent condition.

  The gentleman who sold it said his wife threatened divorce if he didn’t get rid of it. Apparently, the man ran it through a picket fence while his wife was in it. It’s a flashy bright red with white wheels! Dusty took me around town in it last night and boy did we go!

  I think of you and your sweet smile often. I’m hoping to come to Clover Creek again soon. For today, I’m looking for extra work in the evenings. I’m saving all my money to marry a certain girl.

  Sorry this letter isn’t longer, but Dusty’s waiting to take me to a boxing match. Don’t

  worry your pretty little head about me going in for boxing. I’m only going as a spectator.

  Darling, right about now I have almost forgotten about the boxing match and I’m thinking of you. I still remember how sweet you were the last time we were together. That was a special time. I can’t wait to see you again.

  Everybody around here envies me. You see, the other boarders always see the mail before I get back to the boarding house because I work late most nights. So, they see how many letters I receive from you. I don’t mind when they tease me about your letters darling because I’m so in love with you. I’ll work really hard to earn enough money to marry you and, if you’re willing, bring you back to Boise with me.

  Yours forever,

  Jake

  Alice held the letter to her chest and tears spilled from her eyes. Being in love was the most wonderful feeling in all the world. She reread the letter over and over before placing it under her pillow.

  9

  Later that week, Jake painstakingly plunked away at the typewriter keys in the Boise newspaper office. Everyone else had gone to lunch, allowing him time to practice his typing skills. He practiced on the etiquette story he had worked on earlier in the week. Several ladies had complained about being pushed aside more than once by “brutes” hurrying along the new sidewalks. Jake had interviewed the ladies and then researched proper behavior for a man on the streets. He’d enjoyed the research, and besides, now that he was becoming a fashionable gentleman himself, he was eager to learn more about good manners.

  Good manners on the street, he plunked out on the typewriter, mark the gentleman, whereas rudeness marks a man of low breeding.

  The concrete sidewalks of Boise were something new to Jake, and he loved hurrying along without stirring up a cloud of dust. Of course, he would never push anyone aside, even if he was in a hurry.

  Another lady had complained that after a series of spring showers, the new sidewalks had puddles in the uneven areas, and some of the “ruffians” in town had splashed mud on her when they ran past. Jake had experienced this himself when someone ran by once and splashed mud onto his new suit trousers.

  Jake slowly typed, A gentleman never splashes water or mud onto another person. A gentleman should walk around puddles and wait patiently for crowded sidewalks to clear. The moment he typed in the last word, he stopped to stretch his fingers.

  Before he began typing again, Dusty barged in.

  “Hey! Have you heard the news? Lyman’s sending me to St. Louis to cover the Louisiana Purchase Exposition!”

  Jake jumped to his feet and shook Dusty’s hand. “Congratulations! What an opportunity! You’ll do a great job!”

  Dusty pulled out a cigar and placed it in his mouth. He stuck his thumbs in his vest pockets and talked around the cigar. “I’m running some errands in my runabout. Want to go for a ride?”

  “Sure!” Jake quickly gathered his papers. A ride in Dusty’s automobile appealed to him far more than pecking away at the typewriter.

  “Whadaya you think of my Rosy?” Dusty asked as they roared off in a cloud of exhaust and noise.

  “You named your runabout Rosy?”

  “Of course, most people who can afford an automobile name them. Gives the automobile a personal touch.” Dusty drove into a residential area where the homes were large and elegant. “Whadaya you think of this house?” he asked, pulling into the semi-circle of an elegant two-story house with intersecting roof lines, turrets, and bay windows. The large porch enjoyed elaborate decorative trim.

  “Nice house,” Jake said. “Who lives here?”

  “My friend. He’s the banker who prints my extra money.” Dusty’s lips curled to one side as he spoke. He pulled out his wallet and extracted a few greenbacks. “I’m running low on cash and going in to trade these for a whole lot more. Want to come in and meet my friend?”

  “How does this guy know you’re giving him real money instead of some of the counterfeit you bought from him last time?”

  Dusty’s laughter filled the air. “The man’s an expert. He can tell just by looking at a greenback whether it’s real or counterfeit, or by holding it in his hand.”

  “How many other people can tell a fake that easily?”

  “Only bankers, my friend. Only bankers. If the merchants can tell money is fake, they don’t care. It all mixes together and either goes to another customer for change or to the bank. The banks just pass it along. I’m telling you no one cares about counterfeit money.” Dusty’s lips curved up on one side again. “And the money helps the average guy like me buy an automobile.”

  Jake pursed his lips. Did people really not care if money was counterfeit? Dusty was always after him to buy the fake money. Was he being stupid to not try it out? A few days before, Jake had finally found an evening job washing dishes so he could save more money. He hadn’t mentioned the job to Dusty. Dusty would call him dull and laugh at him for sweating over a tub of hot sudsy water late at night.

  “Want to come in and buy some money to spend on that little girl of yours?”

  Jake sucked in a steadying breath. He’d thought about the counterfeit money almost nonstop since he’d returned from Clover Creek. The fake bills Dusty had given him were practically burning in his pocket. So far, he’d chosen to leave them there.

  Jake had struggled for days between believing Dusty or following his instinct that there was something inherently wrong with the fake money. He hadn’t had time to research counterfeiting to see if it truly helped the economy. So, as much as he was tempted to go buy some of the money with Dusty, he couldn’t make himself do it. “Nah, I don’t think so,” he finally said.

  “Your loss,” Dusty said and hopped out of his runabout. “Won’t take but a minute.”

  True to his word, Dusty reappeared within minutes, a smug look on his face. He pulled out his wallet again and fanned through a wad of greenbacks.

  “Let’s go shopping,” he said.

  On Monday morning, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and Alice needed only a shawl to keep her warm as she rode in the mercantile wagon with Reed. Still, she shivered as they rode along, knowing this would be her last morning ride with Reed. She didn’t know if her shiver was from the chill in the air, or if it was from the decision she’d made the night before and the effect it would have on all her relationships.

  She had written a letter to Jake telling him she accepted his proposal and that she looked forward to marrying him as soon as they could work things out. Charlie had taken the letter to post it when he left for town to pick up a part for his plow. The moment the letter left with her brother her mood had turned somber. Had she made the right decision? She loved Jake, but did she really want to live so far away from her family?

  Was moving to Boise what really bothered her, or was there something more?

  Ever since Charlie had taken off with her letter, she’d had that uneasy feeling that she and Jake weren’t ready to marry yet. Had she simply been too enraptured with his swee
t kiss and proposal to think straight?

  “You look a little lost in thought,” Reed said as the wagon jolted along the rutted country road.

  Alice smiled, a shiver running through her once again. Why had she been so impulsive about writing to Jake last night and accepting his proposal? “I’ve just got a lot on my mind,” she said. Then feeling the need to take the conversation away from her worries, she smiled and asked, “How’s your day going?”

  “I guess I’m sort of like you. I have a lot on my mind too.”

  “Well it’s a good thing we’re out enjoying this amazing fresh air so we can put our concerns behind us for a while.” Alice looked at the packages and boxes in the back of the wagon. “How many deliveries do you have today anyway?”

  “Only five,” Reed answered. “But three of them are way out where Nellie lives. In fact, one of the deliveries is for her.”

  “Oh, how fun!” Alice said, her face truly lighting up for the first time all morning. “I love seeing my nieces, and Nellie’s bound to have something good to eat and a hot cup of coffee.” But as the horses clopped down the road toward the little valley where Nellie lived, Alice’s countenance fell again. Not only was she worrying about sending her letter off to Jake, but she had to tell Reed that she had accepted Jake’s proposal, and this would be her last time riding with him.

  “Heard anything interesting from Jake?” Reed asked almost as if he’d read her mind.

  “Uh . . . the biggest news is that his friend at the newspaper office bought an automobile,” Alice said, and then silently berated herself. She had skipped over the biggest news as something she couldn’t understand kept her from mentioning her engagement.

  “Wow! I wish I made that kind of money. The newspaper business must pay a whole lot more than working for the mercantile.”

  Alice laughed, thinking about the frugal living of Jake’s family in Clover Creek. “I don’t think newspaper work pays too much,” she said. “His friend probably has a rich father.”

  “Or a hidden silver mine,” Reed said, and they both laughed.

  Neither said anything for some time, but finally Reed cleared his throat and seemed to inhale a deep breath of air. “I didn’t want to bring up the thing that’s on my mind because I’m sure there’s nothing to it, and I’m just overreacting but . . .”

  Alice turned to him when he quit speaking and saw that his face had turned ashen. She hoped something horrible hadn’t happened in his family or in the Jepson family. Her mind brought up all kinds of worrisome things that might be bothering him. “If you’d like to talk about your concerns, you know I’ll listen and keep what you say in confidence.”

  “I know, Alice. You’re a good friend and . . . and I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Me? Why are you worried about me?”

  “Do you remember when Jake was here last time?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well . . . he came into the mercantile and bought candy from Mrs. Jepson. He paid for it with a two-dollar bill and later she thought the greenback looked a little funny, so she asked Mr. Jepson about it. He knew right away that it was a counterfeit bill, but he didn’t do anything about it. Jake had already left the store and Mr. Jepson was sure that Jake didn’t realize it was counterfeit.”

  Alice’s stomach tightened. “Do you think Jake knew it was counterfeit?” she asked.

  Reed guided the horses around some deep ruts in the road. “Knowing Jake, I don’t think so, but . . . now that you’ve told me about his friend buying an automobile on a reporter’s wages, I can’t help but wonder where his friend is getting that kind of money. An automobile costs as much or more than most people make in a year. I wonder if his friend is possibly into counterfeiting.”

  “Jake said the automobile was used,” Alice said, but the knot in her stomach tightened. Even a used automobile cost a lot of money. Was Jake’s friend using fake money? And did Jake have some and spend it at the mercantile? She thought of all the gifts he’d been sending or bringing to her, and his new suit and vest. All that cost money. Where did that money come from?

  Reed smiled at her. “Like I said, I’m likely over reacting. I know Jake wouldn’t knowingly pass counterfeit money.”

  Alice could barely speak, but she felt the need to defend Jake. “If there’s counterfeit money going around Boise, Jake could have easily received some from someone and not realize it was fake. He probably wouldn’t know the difference between a real bill and a counterfeit. I wouldn’t know the difference. Would you?”

  “After Mrs. Jepson accepted that counterfeit bill, Mr. Jepson taught me how to tell the difference between real greenbacks and fake ones. I’m no expert though.” The wagon lurched to the side as it rolled through some deep ruts, and Reed guided the horses onto higher ground.

  “What happened to the money Jake gave them?”

  “Oh, Mr. Jepson turned it into the bank as counterfeit, so he suffered the monetary loss.”

  “That’s so wrong,” Alice said. She stared vacantly at the sagebrush countryside.

  “Don’t let what I’ve said worry you,” Reed said. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation. I’m certainly not going to mention the counterfeit money to anyone else and neither is Mr. Jepson. He’s positive it’s just a coincidence that Jake had it.”

  Alice was so lost in thought that she didn’t say anything for some time, and when she looked at her surroundings, she realized that they had nearly arrived at Nellie’s home. Nellie, her daughters, and Zina came out to greet them. Zina looked at Alice with disapproving eyes, but Alice simply looked away. She had too many other things on her mind to worry about a disapproving sister.

  Alice knelt on an old towel as she scrubbed the kitchen floor. Her hair was tied up in a scarf to keep it from falling in her face. She was glad for every job her mother asked her to do. The harder she worked, the less time she spent worrying about her conversation with Reed nearly two weeks ago.

  Did Jake know the money he spent at Jepson’s mercantile was counterfeit? The question had never left her mind during the past ten days.

  A splotch of dried jelly resisted the bristles of her scrub brush, causing Alice to scratch at the spot with her fingernail. She could have retrieved a kitchen knife to loosen the jelly, but she didn’t bother. She didn’t even care about her fingernails at the moment.

  “Stay out of here!” Alice hollered when Fern came bounding down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. “The floor’s still wet!”

  “You don’t need to bellow,” Fern snapped, and immediately turned and ran back up the stairs.

  Alice sighed. She had been crotchety with her two younger sisters all week, but everything they did or said irritated her. If she could simply talk to Jake and have his assurance that he didn’t know the money was counterfeit, she could relax. As she finished scrubbing the floor, she made up her mind to quit being so grouchy to her sisters.

  After the kitchen floor was completely dry, Mrs. Gardner and all the girls were crowded into the kitchen, setting the table, slicing bread, and placing a simmering pot of beef stew on the table. Charlie, who had returned from town with another plow part, walked in and brought the family mail. He pulled a letter out from underneath his father’s survey periodicals and waved it at Alice. But then he grinned and held it high over her head making her jump several times to grab it.

  “Give me that!” Alice demanded, and finally plucked the letter from Charlie’s hand. She scowled at her brother once she had the letter in hand.

  “Someone’s sure in a testy mood,” Charlie said.

  Alice glanced up, her eyes shimmering with tears that threatened to fall. “Sorry,” she whispered and then she ran up the stairs to read the letter in the privacy of her own room. She hadn’t heard from Jake since she’d written to accept his proposal of marriage. But now, after her conversation with Reed, her shoulders quaked with fear for their relationship. How much had Jake changed?

  Hoping and praying with a
ll her heart that Jake had written something to appease the uneasiness that filled her, Alice slit the envelope open.

  My Darling Alice,

  Your letter saying you’ll marry me made me the happiest man alive! I’m coming home this weekend so we can celebrate and make our plans. And guess what? I haven’t mentioned this before, but I’ve found an opportunity to make more money, so now we can afford to get married sooner than I thought!

  So, what do you think, Alice? Would you be willing to move to Boise with me? Living here might be for a few more months, or it might be for a long time. That is something you and I have to talk about. I love this city and would like to make my career here, but what you want means everything to me. So, we’ll have a lot to talk about when I get home. I really want to know your thoughts and feelings.

  Yesterday I was riding around town with Dusty just sort of killing time before going back to work. Dusty must have been half asleep because he ran his runabout into a big farm wagon and damaged the automobile pretty good. I got a cut lip and my hat got smashed.

  Darling, right now I have almost forgotten about the accident and I’m thinking of you. I know I sound silly, but I can’t help it. I’m so in love with you. I can’t wait to see you again.

  Love,

  Jake

  Alice reread the letter, going over and over the part where Jake said he found an opportunity to make more money. What did that mean? She held the letter to her chest and tried to hold back the tears. Fear about Jake using counterfeit money took over her heart and soul.

  10

  Jake reread an advertisement that had been running in the Omaha newspaper for several months. Idaho is one of the best irrigated states in America. People are moving here because hot winds, destructive storms and cyclones are unknown.

  So far, the state of Idaho had been successful in their advertising campaign, enticing people from the mid-west to uproot and settle in Idaho. Jake had interviewed several of the new settlers in the area for a news story.