Last night he had washed dishes until after midnight and hadn’t gotten into bed until nearly one. It had been tough to rouse himself from bed in time to show up at the office before seven, but he’d done it. He wanted to finish the article before Uncle Lyman asked about it.
Jake whistled Maple Leaf Rag as he placed the typed-up story on Lyman’s desk and pulled on his new suit coat. Lyman had kept he and Dusty busy with newspaper deadlines all week, but now they were going shopping during their lunch hour. Dusty needed new clothes for his trip to St. Louis and Jake needed a gift for Alice.
Jake had just placed his hat on his head, when he heard the rude blast from the rubber-bulb horn on Dusty’s runabout. He hurried outside before Dusty blasted the horn again and irritated everyone in the office.
“There you are,” Dusty said, grinning broadly. “Isn’t this a fine day to be out and about?”
“It certainly is!” Jake said, climbing into the bright red runabout. “I’m surprised your automobile is up and running so soon. I thought the repairs might take another week or two.”
Dusty tooted the horn and waved at some pedestrians as he drove away from the newspaper office. “Nah,” he said, grinning like a kid at Christmas. “I gave the mechanic an extra twenty dollars to expedite the repairs. And the damage wasn’t as bad as I originally thought.”
It was still hard for Jake to grasp the concept of just throwing money around like Dusty did. Dusty was still after him to buy the counterfeit money, and as much as Jake was tempted, the idea still bothered him. When Jake had finally told Dusty about his dishwashing job to earn extra money, Dusty had doubled over laughing. Then he had told Jake he was stupid.
Jake felt the wallet in his suit pocket and sat back contentedly. The extra money in his wallet certainly had not come easily, but he’d gotten paid last night after washing dishes, and he planned to buy something nice for Alice.
Dusty’s first stop was the men’s clothing store, where they left the runabout parked out on the street next to a fancy carriage. Jake’s happy countenance sank when they walked into the store, but not because he was behind on the payments for his suit and vest. He wasn’t. The thing that bothered him was spotting the pushy salesman and knowing he would try to bully Jake into buying more clothing.
“Well, how are you fellows this glorious day?” the salesman said, coming at them before they made it two feet into the store. “How may I help you?” He grinned, practically rubbing his hands together.
Dusty didn’t seem to be bothered by the man’s aggressive behavior at all. “I’m looking for two new suits,” he claimed. “The best you have.”
The salesman’s chipper demeaner escalated if that was possible, and he led Dusty and Jake to the fabric samples. “We can have the nicest suits made and ready to wear in only a week,” he said.
“Perfect,” Dusty said as he examined the fabric samples. “I’m leaving for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in three weeks, and I’ll need six new shirts, two vests, and three or four new cravats as well as the suits.”
“Very good, sir.”
As soon as Dusty chose the fabric he wanted for his suits, the salesman walked him over to the shirt and vest area.
Jake watched them go and hung back by the fabric samples. The salesman acted like Jake didn’t exist, and that was perfectly fine with Jake. He wondered if the obtrusive guy would be so excited if he knew that the cash Dusty handed would be counterfeit. Somewhere deep inside, Jake hoped the salesman wouldn’t know the difference. He couldn’t imagine being challenged about the huge amount of fake money during this clothing purchase.
An uneasy feeling crept into Jake’s mind. Did he really want to be an accomplice in cheating people this way? But was it really cheating? Dusty claimed it wasn’t cheating anyone. He claimed no one got hurt using the bogus money and everyone benefited. But still, it seemed like cheating to Jake.
After Dusty finished with his new purchases, he and Jake walked over to the mercantile. “Did you see how smooth and easy that transaction was?” Dusty asked. “That salesman never knew the bills I gave him were counterfeit. If he did, he didn’t care. He’d probably made the biggest sale of his week and that’s all he cared about.”
Jake nodded. “It looked pretty easy,” he said, admitting the truth.
“Now we’ll go in here and I’ll purchase a few more items that I need. And I’ll pay for them with the cash I got back from the men’s clothing store.” Dusty pulled a few bills from his pocket. “These are the real thing,” he said. “One of these days, I’ll teach you what to watch for so some swindler can’t cheat you out of your money.”
Jake’s mouth dropped open. Cheat?
They walked into the mercantile and while Dusty shopped for the supplies he needed, Jake moseyed on back to the wood-burning stove. Even though it was a beautiful spring day, there was still a chill in the air and the warmth of the stove calmed Jake’s nerves.
There in the far back corner was the book display that Jake had seen on his other shopping sprees. He picked up one book after another until a particular book caught his eye. A small leather book of sonnets by William Shakespeare.
The perfect gift for Alice.
When Jake and Dusty were ready to make their purchases, Dusty reached for the book of sonnets. “Here, I’m happy to pay for that along with my things.”
Jake placed his hand out to stop Dusty from reaching for the book. “Nah, he said. “Thanks, but I got paid for the second time at the restaurant last night, and I want to purchase this myself.”
Dusty wagged his eyebrows. “Gift for your girl?” he asked.
Jake smiled. He pulled out his wallet to pay the clerk and his eyes widened in confusion. There wasn’t a lot of money in there, but now he wasn’t sure which bills were real and which were the counterfeit bills Dusty had given him. He’d been so tired last night when he’d put the dishwashing money in his wallet. He thought the two bills in the back were the counterfeit one’s Dusty had given him, but he wasn’t sure. Why hadn’t he removed those things before now?
When they walked out of the store, Dusty started in before Jake could give the contents of his wallet another thought. “You do not want to keep washing dishes for your extra spending money,” he said. “You need to give that girl of yours something dazzling if you want to impress her more than the hometown boys. And look at your hands. They’re all red and raw looking. I’m telling you, you should start buying money from my friend. Then you can hold your head up instead of bending over a tub of hot water late at night. And you can buy that girl of yours a pearl necklace instead of a book.”
“Alice loves to read,” Jake said, defensively. “I could’ve spent more money on her, but I’m saving all my extra money to get married.”
Dusty’s laugh filled the air. Then he looked at Jake with narrowed eyes. “Do you really want to eke out a living as a married man, or do you want to keep your lady in style?”
Jake sighed. “I’m not sure what I want anymore. Trust me. What you’re doing is tempting. I just want to try this other avenue first.”
“Washing dishes?”
“Yes . . . washing dishes.”
By the end of the afternoon, Jake finished his work at the office and headed back to the boarding house. He thought of the money he’d been saving since starting the dishwashing job. It was enough to rent a small place for he and Alice for one month. If he kept up the night job, he could afford to get married.
Suddenly Jake lengthened his stride and moved out. He needed to hurry if he wanted to eat. Two new men had moved into the boarding house earlier in the week and both could eat enough for ten men. Jake hoped he wasn’t too late because when his landlady laid out the food, that was it. When it was gone, it was gone. And if you were late, you didn’t get any. But when Jake walked into the boarding house, no one was even sitting at the dining room table. All the men stood in the parlor talking and exclaiming loudly in angry voices. Jake heard only a few words before he charged up the s
tairs to his room, throwing the door open and dropping to his knees in front of the wardrobe. He knew before he even looked that his sock in the back corner would be gone. Just like what happened to the men downstairs, someone had broken into his room earlier in the day and gotten away with his hard-earned savings.
According to the men downstairs, the two new boarders were long gone, and no one seemed to know which direction they had taken.
Jake stewed about losing his savings all the way to Clover Creek Saturday morning. He’d been so upset he hadn’t been able to sleep. He’d spent his few hours before catching the train going over his financial woes. With the loss of his savings, it would take another two weeks of washing dishes to make enough for a small apartment for two. Would Alice be happy scratching out a living this way? Her father was one of the most prominent men in Clover Creek, and she was used to a lovely lifestyle.
But when two people were in love, they made sacrifices to be together, didn’t they? Wasn’t that what was in all the books?
Jake thought of the book of sonnets that he brought for Alice and a smile finally lifted his spirit. The book was wrapped in brown paper and tucked away in his canvas bag. Dusty seemed to think she’d be more impressed with jewelry, but Jake shook his head at that thought. Alice loved to read.
The lack of sleep caught up with Jake, and he leaned his head against the jolting train window. As his mind drifted off, he thought of a way to make more money. All he had to do was work more nights and wash more dishes.
When the train pulled into the station at Clover Creek, Milton picked him up. Jake ate a late breakfast with his family and helped his mother prepare a lunch for he and Alice.
“You certainly picked a lovely day to have a picnic,” Mrs. Weston said.
Jake grinned as he wrapped fried chicken and rolls in brown paper. His mother handed him a jar of pickled asparagus and two apples. When Jake finished packing the food, he kissed his mother on the cheek and hugged her.
“Have a lovely day, dear,” Mrs. Weston said, smiling at him.
The sky was a brilliant blue when Jake headed out for the Gardner homestead in the family carriage. Clouds hovered near the distant mountains making a picturesque scene. Jake couldn’t help thinking how beautiful his hometown was. Would Alice even consider moving to Boise? Would she be happy staying alone every day and late into the evenings while he worked?
For some reason Jake felt happy that Mr. Gardner was still out on a land survey and wouldn’t be home this weekend. He wanted to have everything worked out with Alice before he approached her father. He didn’t know how her parents might react if she agreed to move to Boise with him.
Fern and Beth were the first to greet Jake when he knocked on the Gardner’s front door. Their bright smiles calmed his nerves.
“Come on in!” Fern said. She led Jake into the parlor and had him sit on the sofa. Her eyebrows rose when Jake placed the wrapped book of sonnets beside him.
“Is that for Alice?” Beth asked.
“It is,” Jake said, kicking himself for not thinking to bring some small gift to Alice’s younger sisters. At least he had brought them candy the last time he had visited. The girls left the room after a few minutes, and Jake could hear them climbing the stairs. He looked around at the pale green walls with a matching shade of wainscoting, the rich floral sofa, and rose-colored wingback chairs. More than once he had wished he could offer Alice the quality of life she was used to.
Jake stood when Alice entered the room. She took his breath away in her forest green skirt and a green and white striped blouse.
“It’s good to see you, Jake,” Alice said, but there was a hesitation in her smile.
Jake stepped forward to hand her a bouquet of flowers along with the wrapped book of sonnets. “I’ve been counting the days until we could be together again,” he said, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
Alice smiled as she accepted his gifts, but she seemed so stoic, so reserved. Her response worried Jake. Was she was having second thoughts about accepting his proposal?
Was it possible that Reed or Frank had somehow influenced her to change her mind?
11
Alice pushed an errant curl behind her ear. “Thank you,” she said, taking the bouquet and package. She tried to act as though nothing was amiss, but she felt as though a boulder pressed down on her chest. She had to believe that Jake didn’t know the money he had given Mrs. Jepson was counterfeit, but what if she was wrong? Now that Reed had told her about the fake bill, she couldn’t quit worrying. She turned toward the kitchen. “Come in here and we’ll put these flowers in a vase.”
“I’m ready to leave for our picnic if you are,” Jake said. He grabbed the book of sonnets and followed Alice to the kitchen. “We can bring this package with us if you’d like and open it when we get all settled.”
Alice forced a smile. She could see by the confusion in Jake’s eyes that he sensed her unease. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she set aside the worry that had consumed her for the past two weeks?
Once they were in the carriage and heading toward the creek, Alice decided to bring up the counterfeit bill and get it over with. She had never felt awkward around Jake before, and she couldn’t stand the tension. If Jake had no idea the bill was counterfeit, she could relax and enjoy their time together.
“Jake . . .”
“Alice . . .”
They spoke at the same time causing them both to break out laughing. Alice felt a huge wave of relief. This was the same Jake she had gone to school with. The same Jake she had laughed with over the years. The same Jake she trusted and had fallen in love with. He hadn’t changed. Surely her worries were imagined. He wouldn’t have knowingly passed a counterfeit bill to Mrs. Jepson.
Their favorite picnic area was set back from the road amid a grove of cottonwood and birch trees. The creek had a small drop in elevation as it reached the clearing and water gushed over rocks and boulders before fanning out into a shallow area.
Jake took care of the horses while Alice carried the picnic basket to a couple of large boulders near the creek. Boulders they had sat on many times in the past laughing and talking. Alice inhaled the sweet-smelling air and allowed the water tumbling over rocks to fill her mind with peace. Now that she was with Jake again, she felt certain that he was still the same honest, endearing person she had grown to love.
“You look so beautiful sitting here by the creek,” Jake said as he walked up and sat down beside her. “I’ve looked forward to this moment for days.”
Alice blushed. “Perhaps you’re just happy to be out of the city and back in the country.”
He took her hand. “I’m incredibly happy to be back here with you. Would you like me to offer a prayer over the food?”
“Yes, please. I would like that very much.”
While Jake prayed, Alice felt shivers run through her. All her fretting seemed so foolish as she listened to his rich tenor voice expressing thankfulness.
After they finished eating, Jake cleared away the picnic supplies. He placed everything in the back of the carriage and returned to the rock next to Alice. Placing the wrapped package in her hands, he encouraged her to open it. His eyes grew in anticipation as Alice pulled at the string and then the wrapping paper.
Alice let out a shriek of delight as she pulled the book from the wrapping paper and hugged it to her chest. “Oh, Jake! Thank you so much. I can’t wait to read more of Shakespeare’s work.”
Jake smiled. “I hope you enjoy it,” he said. Then, he gently took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. “This is a more romantic setting for a marriage proposal than in your father’s office with your sisters charging in.”
They both laughed and Alice’s heartbeat quickened, leaving her breathless. Was he going to propose all over again? Her smile came from deep inside like a radiant glow flooding through her.
Jake gave her fingers a tender squeeze and spoke again. “I’ve loved you since our early school days,” he said.
“Sure, I had my friends to fool around with back then, but I always kept my eye on you and what you were doing with the other girls.”
The warmth of his hands and his sweet words brought a flush to Alice’s face. She picked at a twig on her skirt and then looked back into his eyes as he spoke again.
“When we got older and spent more time together, I knew you were the only girl for me. I love you, Alice.”
Alice’s eyes filled with tears. “I love you too, Jake. I’ve hoped for this day for a long time.”
Jake leaned forward and kissed her cheek. When Alice inclined toward him, he cupped her face in his hands and brushed his lips over hers. He kissed her again and again, his lips so warm and soft, causing a sense of wonder and tingles to surge through her. She felt like her heart might burst with happiness.
“Will you marry me and move to Boise with me?” Jake murmured between kisses. “I can make enough money to support us now.”
At the mention of making money, the sweetness of the moment collapsed. That horrible worry that he might have known about the counterfeit money flooded through Alice. She had to ask him about it, and she had to do it now. As much as she wanted to marry Jake and even move to Boise with him, she had to know where his extra money came from.
The tears that had filled her eyes spilled over.
“Jake, I . . .”
“I promise you’ll love Boise if you come with me,” Jake said. He held her shoulders gently with his hands. “I know it’ll be hard to move away from your family, but I promise to cherish you for the rest of our lives. The train only takes a few hours, and I’ll bring you back to Clover Creek often. And I promise to shower you with so many gifts that you won’t have time to feel homesick.”
Alice couldn’t speak. Gifts. More gifts. Where did the money come from to buy them?
A feeling of foreboding consumed her, making her stomach churn. Why was she so afraid?
A Cherished Gift Page 9