“Tessie, I think we’d better make our choices soon. Otherwise, your uncle Jon may be forced to leave without us. I don’t think he’s feeling particularly patient today,” she said as the two women gave each other a knowing smile.
Shortly out of town Jonathan spotted a small grove of trees and pulled over so they could have their picnic. Dinner finished, the twins romped with Joey and Josh while the women discussed getting started on the quilt and the preparations they would need to make for the harvest crew. Jonathan seemed distracted and paid little attention to anyone or the activity surrounding him, appearing lost in his own thoughts, until quite suddenly he said, “Tessie, I’d like to visit with Phiney for a few minutes. Would you mind looking after the children?”
“No, of course not, Uncle Jon,” she answered, rising from the blanket where she had been sitting.
As soon as Tessie was out of earshot, Jonathan took Delphinia’s hands in his, looked directly in her eyes, and asked, “Have you read your pa’s letter yet?”
“No, I’d almost forgotten about it. I planned to read it when we got back home. I thought I had mentioned I was going to wait,” she answered with a questioning look as she patted the pocket where she had placed the letter.
“You did. I just thought perhaps you had glanced through it and had an idea of what he wanted. I’m concerned why he’s writing after all this time,” Jonathan remarked.
“Do you want me to read it now? In case it’s bad news, I didn’t want to spoil our trip, but I’ll open it if you prefer,” she responded.
“No, you wait like you planned. I suppose we really ought to be getting packed up before it gets much later,” he answered, starting to gather their belongings and placing them in the wagon.
“You’re right,” she said, forcing a smile. “Tessie, would you get the children together while I finish packing the food and dishes? We need to be getting started,” Delphinia called to the younger woman.
Noting Jonathan’s solemn disposition, Delphinia made every attempt to pull him out of his mood. She sang, made jokes with the children, and even tried to get him to join in their word games, but her attempts were fruitless, and finally, she ceased trying.
As they neared home, a light breeze began to blow across the fields of wheat, causing the grain to bend and rise in gentle waves. “Isn’t it beautiful, Jonathan? I’ve never seen the ocean, but my guess would be it looks a lot like that field of wheat, moving in a contented motion to greet the shore.” She smiled.
A smile crossed his face as he looked at her. “I never heard anybody get quite so poetic about it, but you’re right. It’s downright pretty. Almost as pretty as you!”
“Why, Jonathan Wilshire! You keep up that kind of talk, and you’ll have me blushing.”
“Looks to me like you already are.” Tessie laughed from the wagon bed as they pulled up in front of the house.
“Tessie, Josh, let’s get this wagon unloaded while Phiney gets Joey and the twins ready for bed,” Jonathan instructed as he lifted Delphinia down.
With one of the twins on either side and Joey in the lead, they made their way into the house, and without any difficulty, the younger children were in bed and fast asleep.
“I’ve got to get a few chores done, so I’ll be back in shortly,” Jonathan advised Delphinia from the doorway.
“Fine.” She smiled. “I’ll just put a pot of coffee on, and it should be ready by the time you’re finished.”
After Tessie and Josh had gone to bed, Delphinia sat down in the kitchen. She slid her hand into the pocket of her skirt, pulled out the letter, and slowly opened the envelope.
Chapter 14
Dearest daughter,
I have asked an acquaintance to pen my letter. I hope this finds you well and happy in Kansas. First, I must say I am sorry for not writing you sooner. I know it was thoughtless of me, and in these almost two years, I should have acted more fatherly. However, I can’t change what’s in the past, and I’m hopeful you don’t hold my unkind actions against me.
I wanted you to know I am in Denver City, Colorado, which is not so very far by train. As you know, I had planned on going to California in search of gold, but I stopped in Colorado and never got farther. I don’t expect I will either.
Delphinia, I am dying. The doctor tells me there is no cure for this disease of consumption, but…
Reading that dreaded word caused Delphinia’s hand to begin shaking, and the sound of Jonathan coming through the door captured her attention.
“What is it?” he asked, seeing the look of horror written on her face.
“It’s Pa. He’s got consumption,” she quietly answered.
“How bad is he?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t finished the letter yet. Here, let me get you some coffee,” she said, starting to rise from her chair.
Gently placing his hand on her shoulder, he said, “No, you finish the letter. I’ll get us coffee.”
Nodding her assent, she lifted the letter back into sight and read aloud.
…I have implored him to keep me alive so that I may see the face of my darling daughter before I die. He is doing all in his power, practicing his painful bleeding and purging remedies upon me. I am a cooperative patient, although at times I feel it would be easier to tell him: No more, I shall die now. If it were not for the fact that I must see you and know you’ve forgiven me, I would give it up.
My dearest, darling daughter, I implore you to come to Denver City with all haste so that I may see you before the end comes to me. I have taken the liberty of having a ticket purchased for your departure on the eight o’clock morning train out of Council Grove. You will go north to Junction City and board the Kansas Pacific, which will depart at four twenty in the evening and arrive in Sheridan at ten the next morning. It will then be necessary for you to embark by stage into Denver City on the United States Express Company Overland Mail and Express Coach. My acquaintance has made all arrangements for your departure on the tenth of July. Your boarding passes will await you at each stop.
I beg you. Please do not disappoint me.
Your loving father
They stared silently at each other, the lack of noise deafening in their ears. Finally, Delphinia gave a forced smile and commented, “I wonder who penned that letter for Pa. It certainly was eloquent.”
“Somebody else may have thought up the proper words for him, but it’s his command. He wants you there. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. It’s just so…so sudden. I don’t know what to think or what to do. How could I leave now? We’ve got the harvest crew due here in a week, and if I went I don’t know how long I’d need to be gone. Who would do all the cooking during the harvest? Who would take care of the children? Who would look after everything. It’s too much of a burden for Tessie, and yet…”
“And yet you’re going, isn’t that right?” Jonathan queried, knowing his voice sounded harsh.
“He’s my father, Jonathan. My only living relative.”
“Right. So where was your only living relative when you wanted to stay in Illinois? He was selling you off so he could go live his own dreams. He didn’t care about you,” he rebutted.
But as soon as the words had been spoken, Jonathan wished he could pull them back into his mouth, for he saw the pain they had caused her.
“Oh, Phiney, I’m so very sorry,” he said, pulling her into his arms as she burst forth into sobs that racked her body. “I’m criticizing your pa for being selfish and unfeeling, and here I am doing the same thing to you.”
She buried her head in his shoulder, his shirt turning damp from the deluge of tears. “Please don’t cry any more. You must go to your father. I know that as well as you. I’m just full of regret for waiting so long to declare my love and afraid of losing you just when I felt our lives were beginning.”
“You’re not losing me. I would be gone for only a short time, and then I’d return,” she replied.
“I know that’s what
you think now, but once you get to Colorado, who knows what will happen. I realize your intentions are to return, but if your father’s health is restored and he wants you to stay, or if you meet someone else… It’s better you leave and make no promises to return.”
“That’s unfair, Jonathan. You make it sound as though I have no allegiance to my word and that I could not honor an engagement—if you ever asked me to marry,” she haughtily answered.
He looked down into her face, feeling such a deep love rise up in him, he thought he would die from the thought of losing her. “Phiney, I would be honored to have you as my wife, but I’ll not ask you for your hand in marriage until you return to Kansas. You’re an honest, courageous woman, and I know you would make every effort to honor your word, but I’ll not try to hamper you in that way. It would be unfair. We’ll talk marriage if you return. Right now, we need to talk about getting you ready to leave.”
“If that’s what you truly want, Jonathan. But we will talk marriage when I return,” she answered adamantly.
They talked until late deciding how to accomplish all that needed to be done before Jonathan could take her to Council Grove to meet the train. By the time they had completed their plans, both of them were exhausted. Delphinia bid Jonathan good night from the front porch, and as she watched him walk toward his cabin, her heart was heavy with the thought of leaving this family she had grown to love. Yet deep inside, she ached to once again see her father and knew she must go.
Morning arrived all too soon, and both Delphinia and Jonathan were weary, not only from their lack of sleep but from the tasks that lay ahead. The older children uttered their disbelief that Delphinia would even consider leaving, sure they could not exist without her. Amidst flaring tempers and flowing tears, preparations for her departure continued.
Mrs. Aplington agreed to make arrangements with the neighboring farm women to feed the harvest crew, and she talked to Jennie O’Laughlin, who knew a widow who agreed to come and help care for the children. Delphinia packed her smallest trunk in an effort to assure Jonathan she would not be gone long, and the next morning, after many tears and promises to write, they were on their way to meet the train.
It was a trip filled with a profusion of emotions. Fear of riding the train and meeting a stage by herself, traveling such a great distance, leaving the farm, the children, and man she now loved so dearly, all mixed with the anticipation of seeing her father.
“We’ve got time to spare. Let’s go over to the hotel restaurant and get a hot meal,” Jonathan suggested, trying to keep things seeming normal.
The meal smelled delicious, but somehow the food would not pass over the lump in her throat, and she finally ceased trying. The two of them made small talk, neither saying the things that were uppermost in their minds.
“Better finish up. The train is about ready to pull out. They’re loading the baggage,” Jonathan remarked.
“I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. Let’s go ahead and leave,” she answered, pushing back the wooden chair, causing it to scrape across the floor.
She waited as Jonathan paid for their meal and slowly they trod toward the waiting train.
“Looks like there’s not many passengers, so you should be able to stretch out and relax a little,” Jonathan stated, trying to keep from pulling her into his arms and carrying her back to his wagon.
She smiled and nodded, knowing that if she spoke at this moment, her voice would give way to tears, and she did not want to cry in front of these strangers.
“Them that’s goin’, let’s get on board,” the conductor yelled out.
Jonathan pulled her close, and Delphinia felt as though his embrace would crush the life out of her. She tilted her head back and was met by his beautiful blue eyes as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with a tender kiss.
“I love you, Delphinia Elizabeth Hughes, and the day you return, I’ll ask you to be my wife,” he said as he lifted his head.
“I love you also, Jonathan, and I shall answer ‘yes’ when you ask for my hand in marriage,” she responded, smiling up at him.
He leaned down, kissed her soundly, and then turned her toward the train. “You need to board now. You’ll be in our thoughts and prayers,” he said as he took hold of her elbow and assisted her up the step and onto the train.
Standing on the platform, he watched as she made her way to one of the wooden seats, trying to memorize every detail of her face for fear he would never see her again.
Peering out the small window, trying to smile as a tear overflowed each eye, she waved her farewell while the train slowly clanked and chugged out of the station, leaving nothing but a billow of dark smoke hanging in the air.
Exhausted from the days of preparation for her trip, Delphinia leaned her head against the window frame and was quickly lulled to sleep by the clacking sounds of the train. She startled awake as the train jerked to a stop, and the conductor announced their arrival in Junction City. Gingerly stepping onto the platform, she made her way into the neat, limestone train depot and inquired about her ticket to Sheridan, half-expecting to be told they had never heard of her. Instead, the gentleman handed her a ticket, instructed her as to the whereabouts of a nearby restaurant, and advised her the train would leave promptly at 4:20 P.M. and that she best not be late.
The information she received was correct. As they pulled out of the station, Delphinia noted it was exactly 4:20 P.M. She found pleasure in the sights as they made their way farther west, but as nightfall arrived, she longed to be back at the cabin, getting the children ready for bed and listening to their prayers. They were due to arrive in Sheridan the next morning at ten o’clock, but the train was running late, causing Delphinia concern she might miss her stage although the conductor assured her they would arrive in ample time.
Once again, she found her ticket as promised when she arrived at the stage line, although the conductor had been wrong. She had missed the last stage and would have to wait until the next morning. That proved to be a blessing. She was able to make accommodations at the small hotel and even arranged to have a bath in her room. It was heavenly! In fact, later she tried to remember just how heavenly that bath had been, sitting cramped on the stage between two men who smelled as though they hadn’t been near water in months. The dust and dirt billowed in the windows of the stage, making her even more uncomfortable, but at least she hadn’t been forced to eat at the filthy way stations along the route. The hotel owner’s wife had warned her of the squalid conditions she would encounter on the trip, counseling Delphinia to take along her own food and water, which had proved to be sound advice.
The trip was long and arduous, and when the man beside her said they would soon be arriving in Denver City, she heaved a sigh of relief. The stage rolled into town with the horses at full gallop and then snapped to a stop. Delphinia’s head bobbed forward and then lurched back, causing her to feel as though her stomach had risen to her throat and then quickly plummeted to her feet. Not to be denied refreshment at the first saloon, her traveling companions disembarked while the coach was still moving down the dusty street. She almost laughed when the stage driver looked in the door and said, “You plannin’ on jest sittin’ in there, or you gonna get out, ma’am?”
“I thought I’d wait until we came to a full stop,” she answered with a slight smile.
“Well, this is about as stopped as we’ll be getting, so better let me give ya a hand,” he replied as he reached to assist her down.
“Thank you,” she answered, just in time to see the other driver throw her trunk to the ground with a resounding thud.
“You got someone meetin’ ya?” he inquired.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps it would be best if you’d move my trunk from the middle of the street into the stage office. I would be most appreciative,” she said.
Delphinia was on her way to the office to inquire if her father had left a message when she heard a voice calling her name. Turning, she came face-to-face with the m
an who had called out to her.
“Miss Hughes, I’m sorry I’m late. We expected you on the last stage. Your father was so upset when you didn’t arrive that I’ve had to stay with him constantly. He went to sleep just a little while ago, and I didn’t notice the time. Please forgive me. The time got away before I realized. I hope you’ve not been waiting long.”
“No, I just arrived,” she responded. “But how did you know who I was?”
“Your father told me to look for a beautiful blond with big brown eyes. You fit his description,” he answered with a grin.
“I find it hard to believe my father would say I’m beautiful, Mister…I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.”
“It’s Doctor…Dr. Samuel Finley, at your service, ma’am. And your father did say you are beautiful; you may ask him,” he replied.
“You’re the doctor my father wrote about? The one who diagnosed and has been treating him for consumption?” she questioned.
“One and the same. I’m also the acquaintance who penned the letter to you and made arrangements for your trip,” he advised.
“Well, I suppose my thanks are in order, Dr. Finley. I’m sure my father appreciates your assistance as much as I do. Will you be taking me to my father now?”
“Since he’s resting, perhaps you’d like to get settled and refresh yourself.”
“If you’re sure there’s time before he awakens, that would be wonderful,” she answered.
Having loaded her trunk, he assisted her into his buggy, and after traveling a short distance, they stopped in front of a white frame house with an iron fence surrounding the neatly trimmed yard. Small pink roses were climbing through latticework on each end of the front porch, and neatly trimmed shrubs lined both sides of the brick sidewalk.
“Is this my father’s house?” she asked with an astonished look on her face.
“No,” he replied. “This is my house. Your father needs almost constant care, and since he had no one here to stay with and I’m alone, we agreed this arrangement would be best.”
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