The Delivery

by James Edwin Branch

  “Tell me more,” Millicent inquired.

  The woman began to tell Millicent the story of how she and her husband were married as part of a merger between two prominent eastern families before the Civil War.

  The war took most of the family’s wealth, but by then, the bond had formed between the woman and her husband. She waited patiently while he went off to war and returned.

  “Where are you going?” Millicent asked.

  “I’m just going to Pittsburgh to see my sister. She’s been in ill health lately, and I thought I could help her.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Millicent replied as she watched the young man. He seemed to grow tired of the women’s conversation.

  The older woman was bold and spoke up at seeing his expression.

  “If our talking bothers you, young man, perhaps you could ride up top with the driver.”

  “Humph,” he bellowed and turned towards the window. Though he was young, he knew better than to irritate the woman. It was as if she had a sign on her dress that said, “Stand down if you want to live.”

  Both ladies smiled at the young man's obvious lack of interest in a confrontation. The older woman got busy knitting with the things in her bag. Millicent watched with interest as the woman knitted and explained the procedure to her. Teaching Millicent to knit became the two women’s way to pass the time as the hours slipped away.

  They spent that night at a way station along the roadway. The trail through the mountains was actually quite pleasant that time of year and lush greenery seemed to encompass them as they resumed their travel the next day.

  That day would be uneventful with only sketchy conversations between them to entertain them as the hours passed.

  Another night in yet another way station before the final day of the stage trip would bring them close to their destination.

  By nightfall on the third day, they could see the lights of Pittsburgh in the distance. The trail was clear and there would be no more stops before arriving.

  Nightfall came just before they rolled into town. Only the sprawling lights of the city before them lit their way that last half hour.

  The lights seemed to be more than a beacon to Millicent: she saw them as realization that her future was in front of her, and there was little reason to look back.

  The train depot almost overshadowed the rest of the town as they sped past it on their way into the city. Tomorrow she’d be on a train and headed south.

  Chapter 2

  A Night in Pittsburgh!

  When they arrived at the stage depot, the driver signaled the event with a loud shout, “Pittsburgh, stay seated till I open the door on the coach!”

  A small cloud of dust bellowed as he jumped down to the dirt street and opened the door with a grin that was befitting his accomplishment. He seemed pleased they reached their destination on time and without mishap. His demeanor and the big grin seemed infectious, and all of them, even the rowdy youngster, managed a smile.

  “I shore hope you folks enjoyed your travel with us,” the driver said as he held open the door and they all exited the coach.

  Millicent left the stage with the rest of the passengers, and one of the men near the station was quick to carry her bag to the nearby hotel. Although he didn’t ask, his conversation and swagger showed how taken he was with her beauty. She was polite and thanked him without spurring any more attention from him.

  His interest was flattering, but she’d made a commitment now, and she intended to keep it. Even a simple flirt in those days could be misunderstood. After all, she was a lady, not one of those saloon women.

  The young man left her and her bag at the hotel desk and seemed to disappear as quickly as he arrived; it was plain to him that she wasn’t interested in any of his advances.

  The train to Atlanta wouldn’t be leaving until late afternoon the following day. This left Millicent considerable time to explore the bustling community.

  She’d never been west of Philadelphia, so anything new was a treat for her. Her eyes were like those of a child bursting with curiosity over everything she saw. Although that curiosity was spiked, she was also tired from her three days on the stage, so sightseeing would have to wait to begin on the following day.

  She settled into her hotel room and then later, after she’d washed up, went down to the restaurant for some dinner. As she ate, she watched the street through a window near her table. There was considerable commotion on the street at that hour, and the window presented an opportunity to view the activity without having to be in the center of the action.

  She ordered a plate of boiled potatoes and a beefsteak with a side of fresh carrots. The street scene provided entertainment as she enjoyed the evening meal.

  She saw the young man from the stage as he swaggered down the street. He couldn’t have been more than 15 or 16, yet there was something about him that led her to believe that someday he’d be a character in someone’s memoirs. She shook her head as she watched him adjust the gun belt on his hip and straighten his attire. He wore an odd bowler hat that seemed out of place in this environment.

  The older woman from the train came by and joined her for a moment before leaving.

  She’d been waiting in the hotel lobby for her sister’s husband to pick her up and take her to their home. According to their previous conversation, Millicent knew that the woman’s sister lived on a small farm just outside of town. As she approached Millicent’s table, she noticed Millicent watching the young man through the window.

  “That young man out there is surely destined for trouble,” the older lady exclaimed.

  “Why would you say that?” Millicent asked as she waved for her to have a seat.

  “He was run out of town back in Philadelphia for violence and I heard they did the same to him in New York.”

  “Really?” Millicent questioned. “Why?”

  “His name is William Bonney, and they say he’s already killed a man in a gun fight.”

  “Oh,” Millicent replied, “I guess I didn’t see that in him.”

  “Yes, the marshal told him to get on the stage and go as far west as he could or he’d end up on the gallows.”

  “Oh, my,” Millicent exclaimed, “He seemed troubled, but I wouldn’t have taken him for a killer.”

  “You be careful, young lady. I can see that you lack the experience to be much of a judge of men.”

  Millicent nodded, she knew that her new friend was right. She lacked a working knowledge of such things. Her life in Philadelphia had been somewhat guarded. She didn’t realize how guarded until she’d set out on this journey. Her family had always insulated her from such things.

  As Millicent watched, a buckboard pulled up in front of the hotel, and her friend smiled and waved at the driver. He smiled and waved back enthusiastically.

  It was evident to Millicent that there was a lot of love in the family. It made her ache when she thought about the fact that her sisters hadn’t even come to the stage to see her off. Both of them were afraid of their father, and they thought it might offend him.

  “Well, there’s my sister’s husband, I suppose I should get going,” the woman announced.

  “I did so want to thank you for teaching me how to knit,” Millicent replied.

  “It was my pleasure, Millicent. Perhaps it will help you to remember me.”

  Millicent stood and gave her a soft, gentle hug as they parted.

  As she walked away, the woman turned, smiled at Millicent, and said, “I wish I were going with you on your adventure. You have a lot of life ahead of you and so many sights to see.”

  Millicent smiled and waved as the older lady walked out the door.

  The man with the buckboard met her on the walk. He hugged her, and then loaded her bags in the back. After helping her up, he climbed up, and then slowly turned the rig around in the middle of the dirt street. Once the rig was turned, he flipped the reins and they began to pull away.

  “Haw!” he commanded
as the team picked up speed and pulled steadily down the dirt main street.

  Millicent watched as they rolled out of sight.

  Already on her journey, she’d met someone that was not only interesting, but also very nice. It made her smile. She wondered what else would happen along the way. She knew that this journey would only happen once, and it was important that she consider each encounter along the way. They were all memories she could share with her new husband when she arrived.

  After dinner, she returned to her room and secured the door behind her for the evening. The sounds of the busy street gave way to an eerie quiet as the night began to pass.

  It was warm, so Millicent slept with the window partially open. Around midnight, a cool breeze filled the room. There was an odd smell in the air coming from the large smelting plant off in the distance.

  A large stack bellowed thick black smoke from the time she came into town until the following morning when she awakened to the sounds of the town coming alive below. From her window, she could see the smoke from the stack still filling the morning sky.

  The sun was only up an hour when she stirred from her room. She’d already packed her travel bag and carried it downstairs to the desk on her way out of the hotel. That single bag now carried all of her worldly possessions. What little she stored inside it represented her past giving way to her new life ahead. Whatever she needed after this would be her new husband’s responsibility to provide. It was a daring change from the security she’d had and her life in the big house she’d grown up in Philadelphia.

  As she neared the front counter, the man at the desk called out to her.

  “Miss Anders, would you like me to have your bag taken to the train station?”

  “You can do that?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes, ma’am. I’d be happy to make sure it gets there safe for you,” he exclaimed.

  The young man was a little too chipper for her this morning, but it was certainly better than the alternative.

  She didn’t answer him but merely nodded as he reached for her bag. He smiled as he handed it to the bellman. It was only a minute before the bellman took her bag down the street to the station.

  “We provide the best service in the east,” he said as he nodded at her. Her room, along with her tickets, was provided by the bridal agency. She was certain that they would charge her future husband handsomely for their efforts.

  She watched from the window and saw the bellman arrive at the train station. Once he arrived, she turned towards the desk clerk and thanked him for his diligence. Along with her thank you, she provided a shiny nickel for the bellman. She knew he had no idea how important the bag was to her.

  Although there were only a few items from her past in the bag, each one was something she’d carefully chosen and felt she needed keep. Each item would be a treasured memento in the years ahead.

  She smiled and walked towards the door. There were several men discussing something near the doorway as she walked past them. She heard a familiar name and just shook her head.

  That young man, William Bonney, had apparently gotten into trouble again during the night. She wasn’t sure what he’d done, but the men in town were certainly astir with it.

  Although she wanted to hear the gossip, and her curiosity was in a fever, she managed to fight back the urge to ask a total stranger. She was certain that at some point during the day that she would hear the whole story somewhere. Young Mister Bonney seemed certain for notoriety.

  That was the last time she heard much about him except for the folklore later. Some made him out to be a rebel or a hero, while others made him out to be a cold-blooded killer.

  Considering her first and only meeting with the boy, she believed the latter.

  She shopped for about an hour, making sure she stayed within her budget. She bought several items needed for the next leg of her journey. She also bought a couple of skeins of yarn and some knitting needles to try out her newfound skill.

  While she was shopping, she noticed a tall black man in an alleyway across the street from one of the shops. He appeared to be trying to stay out of view. It was as if he was hiding from everyone. Although she didn’t understand, she watched for a moment as he got settled under some stairs and out of view of the street.

  She probably wouldn’t have noticed, but he stirred during one of her scans of the area, and she just happened to catch sight of his movement.

  He noticed her the first time she glanced in his direction, and he quickly moved under the set of stairs. Then he looked out at her as if he had something to hide.

  His movements were only curious enough to cause her to stare in his direction for a moment or two.

  He wondered if she would inform someone that she’d seen him, but she just went about her business.

  His business was none of hers, she contended, and there was no reason to discuss his presence with anyone. She’d noticed him smile when he caught her looking at him. He seemed harmless enough.

  When she finished her shopping, she walked around town for a couple of hours, taking in the sights before she went back to the hotel. Once there, she sat patiently in the lobby until the train arrived later in the afternoon.

  Along with her yarn and needles, she did manage to buy some dime novels from the general store. As she waited, she read several stories about life in the Wild West. Each one seemed more exciting than the last. Their amazing descriptions of life in the West intrigued her and sparked her interest.

  The stories served to make her even more excited about her trip and the new life that awaited her.

  Those Dime Novels often painted the west as an exciting, exhilarating place to be. They seldom revealed the danger that accompanied living in such an untamed arena. Even the lives of settlers appeared to be more fascinating than those of similar families in the east.

  She wondered if these stories were part of the reason so many people were traveling west these days. There was steady movement to populate the new states and territories.

  There was an exciting world out there, and even a girl named Millicent could have an exciting adventure. Little did she know, but her adventure had just begun. Soon, she would be facing more excitement than she ever imagined.

  The train would take her south towards Atlanta, Georgia. The city of Atlanta was thriving these days.

  It was burned almost to the ground during the Civil War, and now like a phoenix, it had risen from the ashes. Even after the Civil War had ravaged it, Atlanta was growing by leaps and bounds and held much promise. Mills were springing up everywhere and most of the nation’s cotton passed through there before becoming fabric for clothing, which was one of cotton’s many uses. The south was beginning to modernize like the north.

  The north was growing with the beginnings of an industrial nation and many of those jobs were filled by immigrants and freed slaves from the south. Freedom and the sympathetic populace seemed to draw many of them to the large cities in the northeast.

  On the other hand, many families were beginning to leave the north for the adventure and promise of the land rushes to the west. There was an abundance of cheap land for a man and his family that was willing to settle and work for it. The whole thing seemed like a cycle to Millicent.

  Millicent wondered if that’s how her husband-to-be got started. Though they had written many letters between them, there was still so much she didn’t know about him. He hadn’t spoken much about his family other than to comment that his father was an odd man of sorts.

  All she really knew was the things he’d told her in his letters and the tintype photo he’d mailed her. He was dressed in his finest suit and standing with his horse and rifle. It was not much of an indicator of what her life with him would be like, but she had a good feeling about him.

  That feeling is what made her decide to take the chance. She wasn’t one to take people at face value, but this man seemed genuine and appeared willing to work hard to find some common ground between them.

&nb
sp; It was 5 p.m. when she made her way to the station. She already had her ticket so all she had to do was board the train. It was on time. At 5:20 p.m., the locomotive pulled in and came to a stop in front of the station.

  There was a loud “Shssssssssst” as the air was released from the train’s brakes. Smoke rolled from under the engine and several men began walking back and forth from each side of the cars attached to the engine.

  People exited the rail cars, and the platform filled with several passengers that would be traveling south on the train with her.

  Millicent needed to enter a Pullman car that was about mid-train, and she walked down to the loading area with her bag in hand.

  As she neared the car, a familiar sight caught her eye. It was the black man she’d seen hiding in the alleyway when she was shopping. He was hiding across from the station, and as the men walking the platform turned and began walking back, he quickly sprinted to the baggage car directly behind her Pullman car.

  She realized then that he was trying to catch a ride on the train, and it seemed as though she was the only one that saw him.

  At one point, she thought the men on the platform might see the black man trying to hop the train so she distracted them by acting as though her ankle was bothering her. A slight moan from a pretty woman and the security men were quick to come to her aid.

  She wasn’t sure why she did it. Maybe she just felt for him and his situation. She didn’t know him or anything about him, but she had a feeling that if the security men caught him, it probably wouldn’t go well for him.

  As she cried out, the men immediately shifted their attention towards her. She faked the injury while she watched the stranger board the baggage car behind her Pullman.

  He knew what she’d done for him, but he didn’t know why. There was no reason for this lady to help him. She didn’t even know him, and he didn’t know her. Still, she’d faked the injury and even had the railroad security men carry her bag onto the train to make sure he had plenty of time to get on board.

  The security men seemed more than happy to help a pretty woman to her seat and make sure she was comfortable.