by Rita Hestand
Mrs. Granger came between them now. "Don't intimidate her so, Joe. Let's listen to her story first."
"I got work to do, I don't have the time for this. We'll turn her over to the authorities as soon as we reach a good size town…" Joe said and stalked off.
"Joe…that's not very Christian of you…" Mrs. Granger came toward him.
"She's a stow-away Mrs. Granger." He half turned to look at her again. "If I let one, then I'll have twice as many next time. We can't tolerate that." Joe insisted. "It's against all the rules of the train. And you know it."
"We can listen to what she has to say…she hasn't stowed away very far anyway, just a few days out of Independence." Mrs. Granger pointed out. "And no one knows she stowed-away but us. We don't have to announce it. The poor girl looks starved."
Joe looked at Mrs. Granger, then the girl, and stomped back to Millie. He wasn't listening because he was interested or even wanted to. He listened because Mrs. Granger wanted him to. That's the kind of friend he was.
"Make it quick…" He said in a low voice, his eyes going over her thoroughly, pinning her to the spot.
"I'm to meet, Matt Hudson, just north of the Great Register of the Desert, I believe I've heard it called Independence Rock. We are to be married…I didn't have money for the trip, so I stow-away. But you don't understand…it is terribly important. And I'm sure Mr. Hudson will pay you when we get there."
Joe tried to put this together and it just didn't seem to fit. "Why didn't your beloved come and get you?" His words stung the way he said them.
"He's not my beloved…" She blurted out, then grabbed her mouth for admitting it out aloud. She'd be telling them everything if she didn't hold her mouth.
Both Mrs. Granger and the scout were staring at her strangely now.
"Joe…get on back to work, I'll take care of this. She can ride with me in my wagon, and help me with my team. That is if she knows anything about a team…"
"Oh I do…I can help. I know how stubborn a mule can be…" She blurted out again.
"So you been listening all along…" Joe's jaw flexed.
Joe stared at her dumbfounded. Nothing about this pleased him, she could tell.
She stood her ground this time, "Well I can't turn my ears off."
This man was not ready to listen to her, not willing to consider her story. His jaw was set tight, and she knew she wouldn't sway his way of thinking.
"Mrs. Granger, I’m not sure this is a good idea." Joe began.
Mrs. Granger smiled and walked up to Joe. "Don't you worry now. I'll take care of it."
"But…"
"She's in some kind of trouble, and I want to help her." Mrs. Granger put a hand on Joe. "It's the Christian thing to do, Joe."
"You don't know a thing about this girl…" Joe began. "She could be wanted for something."
"I'm not a criminal…" Millie blurted again. "I mean I did stow away, but I'm not a criminal, there is a difference."
"Not in my books there isn't." Joe frowned at her now.
Millie opened her mouth to defend herself, but Mrs. Granger shook her head and interrupted.
"I'm a Christian Joe, and she needs help. That's all I have to know…" Mrs. Granger said softly.
Joe stared down at the older woman and nodded. "All right, Mrs. Granger, I'll check on you later."
He shot the girl a quick frown and mounted his horse he had tied to the back of the wagon. "You give her one ounce of trouble and you are on your way to the Sheriff, understood?"
Millie nodded.
When he was gone, Mrs. Granger looked at Millie.
"Now child. Suppose you tell me all about it…"
Millie knew from the moment she met the woman she could trust her, but she also knew the scout didn't think much of her. She didn't want to cause trouble, but she knew she already had.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Granger. But I had to get to that rock they all talk about on the Oregon Trail."
"I can see that, but something isn't quite right. You let something slip out, that I don't think you intended to reveal. Let's talk about that." Mrs. Granger said as she motioned for Millie to get on the wagon seat.
Millie climbed up and sat beside her, taking the reins from her hands. She had the mules responding to her every command with those reins. The old woman stared at her in surprise and with a slight curving smile to her lips.
"I'm used to contrary mules, Mrs. Granger."
"Well now, you were listening, weren't you?"
Millie bowed her head and cut her a smile. "Yes, ma'am."
Mrs. Granger stared at her openly. Then noticing how well she handled the mules, she stared at her.
"Where'd you learn to handle mules like that?" The woman seemed amazed by her talent with the animals.
Millie shrugged. "I was raised on a sizable farm back home. Dolce and Rebecca were two of the orneriest mules I ever did see. But I finally learned to handle them. It took me a while. It's like you gotta figure them out, you see?"
"A farm girl, huh?" Mrs. Granger nodded.
"Yes, so to speak," Millie agreed.
"Now why are you so anxious to get to this fella that isn't your beloved?" Mrs. Granger pushed her hat back once more.
"You were listening too, weren't you?" Millie looked out over the vast prairie and sighed. "It's a long story. And I don't want to bore you with my troubles."
Mrs. Granger smiled, "We got lots of time girl…"
Millie glanced at her and smiled.
An hour later Mrs. Granger was shaking her head. "You mean to tell me, you are going to Independence Rock to marry a man you can't stand, to protect your family's ranch, back home?"
"That's right."
"So, tell me, how's he gonna do anything if he's in Nebraska Territory and they are in Missouri?"
"Because he's originally from Missouri. It's his home. He has friends and business associates there. He owns the bank there. My father took a loan years ago to pay the mortgage on the place. Hudson bought the bank out some time ago. He frequents Missouri often. They aim to foreclose on the ranch and he'll own it, unless I come out west and marry him. He's agreed to forgive the loan, if I do."
"Has he ever seen you?"
"Oh yes," Millie's eyes rolled as though praying. "He used to live there a while back. He was out to the ranch many times." Millie informed her.
"They behind in the payments?"
"Yes, my mother took sick and my father was forced to take care of her himself, since I was back east at school."
"And you didn't know any of this until it was too late to help, huh?"
"Yes. That's about the size of it."
"What were you studying back east?"
"I was going to be a doctor."
"A doctor! A female doctor?" Mrs. Granger frowned and stared at her again as though resizing her. "Never heard of such, although I don't know why not."
"Yes, I was going to school in Philadelphia. If I hadn't gotten such good grades in school and had so many recommendations, I'd have never been accepted into the school, because they sure didn't want me there."
Mrs. Granger shook her head. "Never heard of a lady doctor before."
"No, not many have. I had a devil of a time in that University. My father had a persuader with him though and that made a big difference in their attitude."
"What do you mean?"
"He was toting a rifle when I signed up."
"Oh my…I bet you had some hard times there then."
"Yes ma'am. I did. No one in the place seemed to want me there, especially the men and the head of the school. That's why I bent my head to the books all the time I was there."
"So, go on, tell me about your family. How did they get into such a fix anyway?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"By the time my father told me about my mother, she was too far gone to save, she died a couple of weeks later. I didn't get home in time to even say goodbye. But during that time the bills kept piling up. And Pa had to tend to Ma and it was too much for him. H
e nearly collapsed himself. Now it's just my father and three brothers. I can't very well let him lose the place, it's all he has. I had to sneak away, my father would never permit me to marry Mr. Hudson to save the ranch, but I won't let him lose it. He's worked so hard to build it up, and it is a beautiful piece of land, that's why Mr. Hudson wants it so bad. We have a thousand acres of the prettiest property in Missouri, and we are about to lose it. All of it. I just couldn't stand losing the Shenandoah."
Mrs. Granger nodded, "A pretty place, I reckon."
"Oh yes ma'am. We cleared every stump for miles around, the yards were well taken care of, the crops were plentiful, up until Mama took sick. My brothers are all a lot younger than me. They tried to keep it up, but by the time I saw it, it was in need of a lot of work. Still is I reckon."
"That's a shame."
"Between the doctor bills and my education it was expensive. Dad never told me how bad off things were until I couldn't do anything to help him. The boys help him at the ranch, but no one had the funds to pay the mortgage and Mr. Hudson came up with this idea that we should marry. I didn't want to, of course, he's much older and I have no interest in him at all, but he says he'll forgive the loan if I marry him. He's been wanting to marry me since I came of age. I don't know why; he barely knows me."
"He wants you pretty bad, doesn't he?" Mrs. Granger studied the story a moment. "Course anyone can see you are a beautiful young girl. You have a beautiful head of hair girl, and those eyes, brown of all colors. Dark brown."
"I never considered myself like that. I mean, at school the boys gave me such a hard time. And no one socialized with me. A lady doctor an all…The way they acted, ladies were not supposed to have a brain."
"Take it from me, you are beautiful…although you kinda stink right now…"
"Oh…" Millie laughed. "It was that tow-sack. Smelled like rotten potatoes."
"Oh yeah, I meant to throw it out, just never got around to it."
"Mrs. Granger, you are ever so kind." Millie said with a glint in her eyes. "But I don't want to make trouble for you on the train. I can see that scout doesn't want me around. It seems I have a tolerable time with men. They always seem to get the wrong impression of me."
"How long since you ate girl?" Mrs. Granger asked staring peculiar like at her.
"Yesterday morning. I found an apple in another wagon when I stowed away there."
"An apple? Well no wonder your stomach sounds like it backed into itself. I got something that will hold you until we make camp."
She reached back to a jar she had just behind the seat. She opened it and handed her two cookies.
"Cookies…oh my, they look so good…oatmeal?"
"Yes, with raisins." She smiled.
"Mmm…I'm in heaven. Thank you…"
"There's water in that canteen back there too, if you are thirsty."
"I been hoping out, going to the creeks every chance I got. But it's a pretty long stretch between," Millie said munching on the cookie. "And one time I hoped out and liked to not caught up with the wagons again. Scared me. I sure had to run to catch up. "
When she finished she took the reins from the woman and got the mules in line again.
"These are good; you'll have to give me the recipe."
"I'm not the greatest cook, but I love to bake. My second husband loved my cookies." She smiled.
Millie chuckled then reached for the canteen and took a swig.
"Now back to this banker fella. He a pretty powerful man?"
"As far as money and property goes, he is. He grew up in the banking business and when old man Tanner died, he bought the bank from his relatives."
"And you are gonna marry him? You've done set your mind to it?"
"Not because I want to…" Millie lamented. "You see; I owe my family."
"But child…marriage to a man like that!" Mrs. Granger shook her head. "Surely your family doesn't want that for you?"
"You have to do what you have to do Mrs. Granger. I have no choice. I won't let my father lose the ranch. I'm partly to blame for him being so broke in the first place." Millie cried now. "If only I'd known the debt we were in. I would have come home and taken in sewing or something." Tears rolled down Millie's cheek, but she didn't swipe them, she soaked them into her heart.
"Oh child, don't cry. I can see you got a mountain of trouble on you, but listen here. You don't worry. You can ride with me to where you are going." Mrs. Granger said gently. "As you can see, I need help with these critters and it would be doing me a favor. Joe stays on me all the time for being so slow."
"You mean it, about letting me stay with you on the train?"
"I do. How else can I have the chance to try to talk you out of marrying this…man?" Mrs. Granger chuckled.
Millie looked at her and smiled at her. Then she sobered. "But I don't think there is any chance of that. I have what they call a family obligation. And then there's my mother…." Millie hung her head.
Mrs. Granger's eyes misted and she grabbed Millie's hand. "Trust in the Lord, Millie…Losin' one you love is hard to take, but you got a passel of deaths to go through before it's over. The longer you live, the more you realize it."
Millie blinked hard, realizing what she said was not encouraging. She might not go to jail for stealing a ride, but she had a much bigger fate awaiting her. Talking about it, made her feel better, but it didn't solve her problems, it just made her face them head on.
She swallowed hard. She'd already made up her mind to do this, and now she had to swallow her pride and carry it through. It would be ages before her folks figured out what she had done.
She looked out over the barren land, where towns were too far away to see, where all the dangers of the trip seemed to shrink when she realized her true fate. Indians, sickness, wild animals, accidents, none of that scared her. Only one thing scared her, marrying Matt Hudson. And the saddest part was all her hopes and dreams were gone. She'd have no career and she'd be married to a man she didn't love. Once she reached her destination, her life as she knew it would be over. She had nothing more to lose but her dignity. And when she married that would be gone too.
But she wouldn't let her father lose…the Shenandoah.
Chapter Three
"I can't permit it Mrs. Granger," The wagon master said, his big belly rubbing against the frame of the wagon as he spoke. A.J. as they called him was a big man, tall and powerful looking with a wide face, almost white hair and a mustache that twitched when he spoke. His eyes though carried a powerful command, Millie noticed. "She'll have to get off at the next town we come to. What is that awful smell?"
Millie tried to shrink from the crowd, but Mrs. Granger wouldn't let her.
A crowd was building and most of the people were staring at Millie with frowns on their faces.
Some of the people sympathized, others were not for her staying.
"But I need help with the team and she can help me. She's good with them. And that way Joe won't have to stop and help me every day."
A.J.'s face was set in stone. "It's breaking the rules, Mrs. Granger. If I let you break them, then everyone will do it. I'm sorry."
"Please, please, we must help her. Can't we simply bend the rules a little." Mrs. Granger pleaded. "You’re a Christian man, I know you are. I can tell just by the way you act, the way you run things. She needs me and I need her. I've paid for the wagon, and she could just be considered hired help. She's proven she can handle the team of mules. It would be a godsend to me."
The wagon master blew breath. "Alright, alright, we'll take a vote…"
Mrs. Granger smiled and nodded. "Good."
"All those in favor of lettin' this girl on the train raise your hand." The wagon master asked.
Only half raised their hands.
Mrs. Granger fretted. "Then I'll pay her way…."
"Why, why on earth would you do that?" The wagon master asked with a furrowed brow and concern lacing his words.
"I want to, it's the Chris
tian thing to do." Mrs. Granger huffed. blowing a tendril of her hair out of her eyes. "I have the money…"
"But you don’t even know this girl. Her sad luck story could all be lies. You're easily taken in, and you know it."
"I know enough. Now what do you say?"
The wagon master talked it over with Joe. Joe kept shaking his head, but Mrs. Granger looked so pitiful. Finally, the wagon master stood over her, leaning toward her. "Alright Mrs. Granger, but I'm holding you responsible for her. The first sign of trouble, she's gone, understand."
"That’s fine…thank you Avery." Mrs. Granger smiled.
"Avery?" Joe Modoc repeated and grinned.
Millie saw that grin and was shocked. He looked so handsome when he smiled…it totally transformed his features. She considered him a handsome man when she first saw him, but that grin changed his whole appearance. When he smiled he transformed his personality.
"Alright, alright. That's enough." the wagon master told him. "You repeat that and you are in trouble."
"Alright, A.J." Joe laughed. "I can't believe you are letting that girl stay. Or that you are letting Mrs. Granger pay for her fare."
"What can I do. She does need help with those mules." A.J. scratched his head and stuck his hat back on. "We don't have the man power to spare someone to help her every day. It could be a blessing in disguise."
"I've been with you for five years and in all that time I've never seen you crumble to a stowaway before." Joe kidded him.
"Never had Mrs. Granger travel with us before. It'll be alright. She's just a girl. What harm can she do?" A.J. asked him as he took a drink from his water barrel.
"We'll probably find out." Joe told him, with a scowl on his face.
"What do you have against this little gal, aside from the fact that she's the prettiest little thing I've seen in a long time." A. J. wanted to know. "I think you're protesting a little too loudly for some reason."
"Just never seen you cave before, is all." Joe walked off in a huff.
"She's just a young woman, not a bear about to attack us. Don't get your hackles up, until there is a reason to."
Millie had heard them talking and sauntered up to the wagon master.