The next two hours were filled with introductions and greetings, tours and explanations of how the school operated. “We’ve a program all planned for you tomorrow evening,” Charity explained. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”
Agnes went to her room to rest, and Jim took the team to be watered and bedded down. LisBeth followed Charity through her normal afternoon, plucking the rooster and peeling potatoes, sweeping the kitchen and setting the table.
LisBeth was full of questions and Charity answered them gladly. Agnes Bond woke from her rest and joined them in the kitchen to find Charity telling the story of a girl who had recently converted.
Charity’s face shone with joy. “I used to think that marrying the handsomest and richest man in Omaha would be about the best thing I could accomplish,” Charity shared shyly, “but, LisBeth, when Mary White Cloud said that she wanted to follow Jesus, I thought my heart would burst with joy. Being here is a prodigious amount of work, that’s true. And some nights I’m so tired I don’t think I’ll be able to stand another day. Still, I know in my heart that as long as God can use me here, I will work and be happy doing it.”
Agnes joined the two and Charity abruptly changed the subject. “Which brings me to another subject: Rachel Brown. She’s been failing for some time, and we’re all concerned. I’ve finally managed to convince her to take a leave of absence. But we’re concerned about her traveling alone. Along the river she’d be susceptible to the ague. Could she and her daughter perhaps go back to Lincoln with you, LisBeth? They could catch the train in Lincoln and then ride nonstop to St. Louis. Rachel’s parents would meet her there.”
LisBeth didn’t hesitate. “Of course they can come back to Lincoln with us.”
Rachel and Carrie came in carrying a basket full of greens from a foray into the nearby field. Rachel smiled quietly and held out her crippled hand. “You must be LisBeth. And this is my daughter, Carrie.”
Rachel turned to Carrie, who was standing quite still, staring at LisBeth in astonishment.
“Carrie,” Rachel said gently, “come and meet Mrs. Baird, Charity’s friend.”
Carrie stepped forward mechanically and pumped LisBeth’s outstretched hand. Then she looked at her mother and blurted out, “Mama—I seen her before. Remember, Mama? She’s the pretty lady in the picture. The one in the locket Mr. Soaring Eagle lets me play with.”
At first, LisBeth’s mind didn’t completely grasp what she heard. It latched onto the name Soaring Eagle and sent a chill through her body. Goose bumps prickled along her skin. In the silence that followed Carrie’s announcement, LisBeth held her breath. When she finally inhaled, she took in air sharply and sat down abruptly at the kitchen table. Charity and Rachel looked at one another, not knowing what to say or do. Carrie crossed the kitchen and put her hand on LisBeth’s arm.
“Mr. Soaring Eagle said that one lady was his mother and the other one—that’s you—he thought was his sister. He said you wouldn’t want to meet him, though.”
LisBeth heard the words, but comprehension came in minute fragments. She couldn’t link the words together. They came at her like shots from a rifle, in short bursts. “His mother.” LisBeth tried to comprehend the notion that Jesse’s lost son had perhaps been found. “His sister.” Now everyone would learn that LisBeth was half Indian.
LisBeth put her head in her hands and tried to force herself to breathe evenly as she considered the revelation.
At LisBeth’s response, Carrie grew immediately concerned. Looking up at Rachel she asked, her voice quavering, “Mama, did I do something wrong? I didn’t mean to do anything wrong.” Her brow wrinkled as she thought hard about the locket and Soaring Eagle. Rachel started to answer her daughter, but LisBeth spoke through her hands. “No, Carrie.” Then she dropped her hands and looked at the child with a vacant smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just need to think about what you’ve said, that’s all.”
Looking at the two women who still stood near her, LisBeth spoke feebly. “I . . . knew I had a half brother . . . somewhere. I thought he might be dead.” Tears coursed down her cheeks as she added softly, “Mac wore my locket into battle. I don’t know why I did it. He leaned over to kiss me, and I just took it off and put it over his head.” LisBeth shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve had nightmares about some Indian somewhere wearing that locket. I know they took trinkets . . . stripped the bodies.”
She began to shake, and Charity came to her side. Wrapping her arms around LisBeth, she hugged her tightly. “Don’t, LisBeth,” Charity ordered. “Don’t. It won’t help. Don’t think about those things. Think about,” Charity hesitated, but then she knelt down beside LisBeth and looked into her eyes as she said, “think about the fact that you have been given the opportunity to meet your brother. You have a brother. You’re not alone in the world, like you thought.”
LisBeth was still shaking. “A brother. Yes, I have a brother. And it appears my brother . . . may have killed . . . my husband.”
Jim Callaway had finished tending to the team and headed back for the house. He stepped into the kitchen just as the scene unfolded. LisBeth had collapsed into Charity’s arms and began to moan softly, “My mother . . . Soaring Eagle . . . my brother . . .” Jim crossed the room and helped Charity guide her upstairs, where she lapsed into a fitful sleep.
Agnes Bond had heard it all. Every word. She had been privy to the best bit of gossip ever to come her way. She paced nervously in Charity’s room, trying to fit all the details of the unbelievable story together. Agnes relished the next sewing circle when she would be able to report all the details.
A knock came at the door. Feigning sleep, Agnes sat down on the bed and rumpled the covers before offering a feeble, “Yes?”
Charity came into the room and wasted no words. “Mother, I have something to say to you.” Charity stood before her mother and her face was stern. “If you ever breathe one word of this to another living soul, you will never—do you hear me, Mother?—you will never hear from me again. LisBeth has just received a horrible shock. I don’t know how she will decide to handle this news. But whatever she decides, she must not live in fear that she will be gossiped about”
“Charity! I must protest!” Agnes began. Charity interrupted.
“You are my mother, and I will honor you. But, Mother, you are also a gossip. We both know it. God forgive me, I know it because I participated in it. But that’s past. God has forgiven me. He will forgive you, if you ask him. But that is not my concern at the moment. My concern is for LisBeth. You must go to her and promise her that for the first time in your life you will keep a confidence. You must convince her that she can trust you. How you will do that, I don’t know. But you must think of away.”
Charity’s words were serious, bitten off crisply in a short staccato that left no opportunity for Agnes to whine in self-defense. Agnes opened her mouth several times to protest. But when Charity had finished speaking, Agnes snapped her jaw shut It began to quiver.
“No tears, Mother. Just a promise. You will go to LisBeth and you will promise discretion.”
Agnes stood up. “Of course, dear.”
“I have your promise?”
“I promise, dear.”
“You understand that if you break this promise, you will lose your daughter?” Charity’s blue eyes were cold. Agnes shivered and nodded, and the career of Lincoln’s best-informed gossip was brought to an abrupt end.
While LisBeth slept, Charity, Rachel, and Jim discussed the situation. Carrie had been sworn to secrecy and sent off to play.
“Now remember, Carrie, not a word about this to anyone. We must decide what is best for LisBeth.”
Carrie had added, “And for Mr. Soaring Eagle.”
Carrie explained. “I asked him once why he didn’t go find his sister and his mother. He seems so lonely. He said his mother is probably dead. He said his sister wouldn’t want to see him. He looked awful sad when he said those things.” Carrie frowned. “I’m glad I know who my famil
y is. Mr. Soaring Eagle doesn’t have anybody.”
Rachel smiled at her daughter. “Yes, Carrie, you are right. We must try to understand what is best for Soaring Eagle, as well. So you go and play and keep this secret All right?”
Carrie was serious. “I can keep a secret, Mama. I keep secrets good. I won’t tell.” Carrie tripped out the door and headed off to the garden, where Charity had set Agnes to weeding. In a few moments the two were working side by side, happily chattering away. Agnes finally had someone to fill her mind with new gossip, and she slowly gave up on the best gossip and replaced it with Carrie’s stories to tell around the sewing circle when she got back home.
In the kitchen, LisBeth’s friends each contributed what little they knew about her and Soaring Eagle. By the time all the notes had been compared, the three had a fairly accurate picture of the situation that confronted LisBeth. Still, not one had a glimmer of an idea about what could be done to ease the shock or pain.
Finally, when they had shared all they knew and still felt helpless to do anything to help, they did the one thing that would help the most. At Jim’s bidding, they prayed.
Chapter 28
Bless the Lord . . . who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.
Psalm 103:2, 4
LisBeth awoke feeling numb. Then she remembered and tried to make sense of it. But there was no sense to be made. The sounds of children’s laughter caught her attention. She quickly scrubbed her face and arranged her hair, and then made her way carefully out of the family quarters and into the Birds’ Nest. Supper was in process, and twenty young Dakota girls were eating and chattering and passing food. LisBeth wondered which platter held the hapless rooster. Charity sat at one end of the table, Rachel at the other. Jim Callaway had been invited to join them and had managed to fold his long legs under the table at Charity’s right.
Conversation was held in a mixture of Dakota and English. Hesitating in the doorway, LisBeth noted with wonder that Jim was conversing in both languages with equal facility. Just as he reached over to serve more cornbread to the child sitting next to him, Jim noticed LisBeth. He was on his feet immediately and at her side, taking her elbow and guiding her to the table.
The group at the table maintained an awkward silence for a few moments, then Jim began telling a story and the meal was resumed with its usual clatter. The Dakota girls stole curious glances at LisBeth which she returned with a mechanical smile. She managed two bites of cornbread before her stomach warned her that further assaults would be refused. She turned to coffee and drank three cups, appreciating both the warmth and the stimulation the caffeine offered her dulled senses.
When the meal was over, the girls divided into teams and cleared the table, scraped the plates, and took over washing. One of the older girls politely encouraged “Miss Charity” and “Mrs. Rachel” to entertain their company and let the girls finish the evening chores. Charity and Rachel accepted the offer with relief and turned to LisBeth. Another uncomfortable silence ensued.
Agnes Bond spoke first. “LisBeth, dear,” Agnes said, nervously dabbing at her upper lip with a napkin. “Charity and I have talked, and I feel that it is necessary for me to assure you that I—um—” Agnes cleared her throat nervously. “Well, dear, we both know that I have a reputation of—” Agnes paused again. “What I wanted to say, LisBeth, is, that any revelations about your past that have been made here at Santee will stay here at Santee. Only those things which you yourself decide to share with others will go beyond the reaches of this mission.” Agnes blinked rapidly and looked over at Charity, who smiled and nodded with satisfaction. “And now, if you’ll excuse me, I promised Carrie that I would help her finish weeding the beans.” Agnes made her exit quickly.
LisBeth put her elbow on the table and leaned her head on her open palm. She stared at the scarred table and said to Jim, without looking up. “I didn’t know you could speak Dakota, Jim.”
Jim waited a minute before answering carefully, “You don’t know a lot of things about me.”
Charity interrupted, “LisBeth, we need to—”
LisBeth held up her hand and fairly barked, “No. I can’t talk about it yet. I’ve got to sort it out, think it through.” Jim reached for her. Taking her hand gently, he pulled her to her feet, wrapped her hand about his arm, and covered it with his own.
“May I request the honor of your presence on an evening walk, Mrs. Baird?”
With relief, LisBeth nodded and allowed herself to be led through the door of the kitchen and along the road that led over a gentle rise. Jim held his hand over LisBeth’s and didn’t say a word as they walked along. Finally, LisBeth repeated, “I didn’t know you spoke Dakota.”
“Guess I left that part out the other night. It was part of my duty in the army. I speak Lakota, too, which is the language you should learn if you want to know about your people. Learn the language and you go a long way toward understanding—not just what they say, but the way they say it. Even the things they don’t have words for.”
Once again, they were quiet until LisBeth asked. “Can you tell me about it? About how you learned?”
Jim took a deep breath and stopped walking. He studied the dust and then raised his serious eyes to LisBeth’s. Behind the gray-green, a light flickered. They had walked down the road and found the steep path that led down to the creek. Jim guided LisBeth down the path, and they settled by the creek. “After Slim Buttes, I was so full of bitterness and blind hatred—for life, for a God who would allow those things to happen, for men who do such things—and that included me. I groped through the miles and had decided to die when a bunch of Lakota found me. I told you about all that already.”
Jim looked down at LisBeth. She was listening, fascinated. “But I didn’t tell you the details about when I was in the village. One of them was called Soaring Eagle. He wore a locket and a cross and chain about his neck. He told me he had a white mother and a sister somewhere.”
LisBeth gasped and clutched at his arm. Jim answered. “God only knows how he made his way this far east. He saved my life—even gave me a horse from his own herd. I rode it south until it gave out. Then I walked until I stumbled onto your homestead in the dead of night. You know the rest. Joseph found me and took care of all the things that haunted me. I got a new life.”
LisBeth spoke low, “I wish I could find my way through the muddle, Jim. I wish there was someone to show me the way out.”
“He’s there, LisBeth,” Jim said confidently. “He’s there. You just have to ask.”
“This—situation.” LisBeth said. “What should I do? Where do I belong now? Everyone will know—”
“Do you want to meet Soaring Eagle?”
LisBeth frowned. “I don’t know.”
“If you don’t, we can leave now. Tonight. I’ll take you home.”
“We can’t do that. Agnes hasn’t had any chance to visit with Charity. Rachel Brown needs time to pack, to take leave of the children. We promised to distribute the clothing personally.”
“Then I’ll find him and keep him away.”
“Do you think he wants to meet me?”
“I can ask him.”
LisBeth considered the idea. “Do you think he really killed Mac?”
“What if he did?”
LisBeth shook her head from side to side in bewilderment. “I can’t quite fathom it. It’s too bizarre to be believed.”
“Unless there’s a supernatural force at work.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, maybe God is at work in both your lives. Maybe he’s using all this craziness to work out some plan for your good.”
LisBeth sighed. “I’m too tired for a theological discussion. I don’t know how I feel about it. I wish I could be like you—get over it—get on with things.”
“I had supernatural help.” Jim put his hand on her shoulder. “LisBeth, you have a hole in your heart. Only God can fill it I’ll always have
to come back to that until you’ve come to realize that only God has the answers to your questions.”
LisBeth avoided the spiritual direction of the conversation. “I don’t think I can bear to see him. I have this recurring dream of an Indian brave on horseback pounding at me, wearing that locket.” LisBeth shivered. “I don’t think I can bear to see him, even if he is my brother.” LisBeth shivered again, and they got up to go. They had only taken a few steps when she stopped abruptly and looked up at him. “Does it make a difference to you that I’m half Lakota?”
“I thought we already settled that. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it seemed to bother David Braddock quite a lot when I told him.”
Something flickered in the gray-green eyes. There was anger in his voice when he asked, “What did he say? Did he do something to hurt you?”
LisBeth shook her head and Jim relaxed. He took a deep breath, and said firmly, “It’s a big responsibility, knowing another person’s innermost hurts, LisBeth.” I know some of yours because they’ve been made sort of public, whether you wanted it to happen or not. That kind of knowing forms a bond between folks, but sharing the hidden hurts, that forms a bond that’s even stronger. I vowed I’d never let anybody know about my hidden hurts. But I’ve discovered that I can trust a few people.
“So when I tell you these hidden things about me, you got to realize that I’m saying something powerful about how I feel about things.” His eyes sparkled as he looked at her. “I’ve shared some things with you, and now you own a piece of me that no other woman on earth owns. And I gave it to you knowing full well about who your brother is.” Jim changed the subject abruptly. “We better be getting back.”
The two walked back to Birds’ Nest where Charity and Agnes, Rachel and Carrie waited anxiously. LisBeth bid Jim good night and went inside to face them.
Soaring Eagle was working James Red Wing’s black mare when a stranger drove a wagon into the farmyard and stopped near the corral. Climbing down, the stranger walked slowly toward the corral and leaned lazily on the fence, watching Soaring Eagle as he taught the black mare to change leads in midair. The mare was feisty and swift, but she was also intelligent. The moment she understood what was expected of her, she went through a dazzling set of flying lead changes. Pulling her to a halt, Soaring Eagle dismounted and patted her neck, praising her and watching with amusement as she tried to ignore him.
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