The Jewel of His Heart

by Maggie Brendan

  “Don’t forget what I said. The Good Book has something in there for everyone,” Josh said as they walked out into the bright sunshine.

  “I’ll take that under consideration, but don’t count on it.”

  Wes walked off, and Josh turned back to cross the street to the general store once again. His heart felt lighter somehow—until he remembered where he’d first heard the name Davin.

  Tall blue lupines swayed in the midday breeze along the weed-covered path leading up to Cynthia’s front door. Juliana had eaten a quick sandwich Miss Margaret had made for her so she’d have a minute to run over and check on Jane. She reached up and rang the doorbell, hearing the chime in the foyer behind a thick door badly in need of a good coat of paint. The door steps sagged, and one board had bowed up on one end, its nail pushing upward. The outside of the house seemed totally opposite of Cynthia’s air of privilege she carried around her shoulders like a mantle. Well, it was apparent that the house was in need of repair. Juliana knew there was a short distance from being wealthy to being poor. Just look at her mother and how she’d lived her final years.

  The hinges on the door squeaked as it swung open, and Cynthia’s solemn face appeared. “Juliana, what a surprise. Please come in.” She stepped aside, allowing Juliana to enter the foyer.

  “Cynthia, I’m on my lunch break, and I thought I’d stop in and see how Jane is doing.” Juliana stood looking about the interior that must have been elegant once, but now peeling wallpaper exposed the wall underneath, and the hardwood floor lacked its former luster. An old, musky smell clung to the house’s interior.

  “She’ll be delighted to have a visitor. She’s in her room. I’m afraid I can’t coax her to sit in the parlor. She says she likes it better upstairs, away from everyone. I must warn you, she isn’t walking yet, though Doctor Mark has assured me the use of her legs should come back in time.”

  Juliana paused at the bottom of the stairs. “Yes, I’m sure he’s right. She took a very bad blow to her head and neck.”

  “Follow me,” Cynthia said, her back straight and stiff as a rod. She turned at the top of the stairs to the first door on the right. “Jane, my dear. We have company. Juliana has stopped by to see you.”

  Jane sat in her bed, her pale face forming a half smile when she saw Juliana. “Miss Juliana, I’m so glad you came.” Jane spoke in a low tone, as if someone was in the room sleeping.

  Juliana walked over to the bed, lifted Jane’s hand, and patted it. “It’s good to see you too, Jane.”

  “Can I get you anything to drink, Juliana? I was just about to bring a tray up to Jane.”

  “Nothing for me, thanks.”

  Cynthia paused, looking at her daughter without a bit of expression on her face. “Well then, I’ll just run down and get your lunch, Jane. I won’t be but a moment.”

  Juliana pulled up a chair next to the bed. “So tell me, Jane, can you move your legs at all?”

  Jane looked wistfully out the window. “No, I can’t. I have a little tingling in my legs, but that’s all. I don’t have energy to even pick up my book to read.” Juliana watched as a tear slid down the young girl’s pale cheek. She leaned over and wiped it away, feeling an ache in her chest for the little girl’s suffering.

  Jane turned and looked at her with sad eyes. “I fear I’ll never walk again.”

  “Well, sweetie, if you continue to sit in this bed and don’t at least exercise your legs, you may be quite right. You will become too weak to do anything. But we can’t let that happen. Does your mother do any special exercises with you involving your legs?” Juliana was doing her best to sound upbeat, but she was worried at the lack of expression, maybe even hopelessness, reflected in the little girl’s eyes, and the monotone of her voice.

  “She does.”

  “It’ll just take time, but you must do it several times a day, you know. You need to go outdoors and get some sunshine. Do you have a wheelchair?”

  “What? Me in a wheelchair? Not hardly,” Jane snapped. “I’ll sit here in this bed and rot before I’ll sit in that contraption.” Jane pointed her finger in the direction of her bedroom corner. A used wicker-backed wheelchair sat waiting for its occupant with a lap robe draped over its arm.

  Juliana was taken aback at the anger in the crestfallen young face. What could she say that would be helpful? “I’m sure Doctor Mark and your mother are doing everything they can to help you. Have you seen Marilee?”

  Jane shrugged her shoulders. “She’s been by once since the accident. She doesn’t have time for a cripple,” she said bitterly.

  “I’m sure that’s not the case—”

  “Here we go.” Cynthia entered the bedroom with a lunch tray for her daughter and placed it in front of her.

  “I told you, Mama. I’m not hungry.” Jane cast an irritated look at her mother and pushed the tray aside.

  Cynthia glanced briefly at Juliana with a pleading look. Juliana understood her frustration. “Why don’t I read to you for about fifteen minutes until your appetite returns? Then I’ll get on back to work. Okay?”

  Cynthia threw Juliana a grateful smile, her large eyes blinking back tears as she left the room.

  “Mmm, all right. There’s a couple of books on my dresser. Take your pick.” Jane snuggled against her pillow.

  Before Juliana left, she was finally able to get a genuine smile out of Jane. She gave Jane a brief hug, promising to come again. Downstairs, she found Cynthia pacing in the foyer. When Cynthia saw her, she touched her on the arm.

  “Thank you so much for brightening her day. I’m not sure what to do with her. Doctor Mark says he can’t find any reason she shouldn’t be walking.”

  “She seems somewhat depressed. She needs to be around people. It’s the best medicine for the ailing. See if you can get Marilee to visit more often. Jane feels like Marilee no longer cares about her now.”

  “I’ll do what I can.”

  “By the way, I wanted to ask you—Margaret Spencer is looking for someone to help out with running the boardinghouse. Mark told me you might be looking for a job. Is that so?”

  Cynthia sighed and looked down at her clasped hands. “Unfortunately, it looks like I’ll have to go to work. Since my husband died a few years back, things are getting a bit tight,” she said, her lips pursing into a thin line.

  This didn’t sound like the Cynthia Juliana had first met at the Ladies Social Club. “Why don’t you stop in to talk to her and see what she has to offer?” Juliana hurried on to keep Cynthia from feeling uncomfortable talking about her finances. “I believe she’d be interested in talking to you.”

  “I’ll go speak with her about it. Thanks for taking an interest in Jane and me.” She opened the front door, and Juliana stepped outside.

  “Let me know if there’s any way I can help,” Juliana said. “I’ll be back again, but I must be off now. See you soon.” She hurried down the walkway toward the newspaper office, happy that the days were getting warmer. As she passed the hotel, she saw Marion on her way out.

  “Well, hello there, friend.” Marion paused on the boardwalk.

  Juliana almost decided not to speak but instead mumbled hello and gave Marion a curt nod, then left her standing stock-still with an odd look on her face. Juliana was in no mood to talk to her today.

  Miss Margaret sat in her favorite chair after dinner with her daughters and Juliana. Louise was playing a tune on the piano for their enjoyment. Juliana had always wanted to learn the piano, but that would have required her to actually own one. Her mother played for her when she was small, but the piano was one of the things left behind when her father decided they’d move to Montana. It wasn’t long after being settled in Lewistown that he left for Colorado in search of gold, and he’d left with a promise to return.

  Enough thinking about the past. It only made her heart grieve. She looked over at Miss Margaret, who gave Juliana an endearing look. How could she have been so lucky to live with this family? They had been wonderful to her, a
nd every night after work she looked forward to their chats during dinner. She even stayed around to help Natalie and Louise clean up the dishes.

  When Louise finished her tune, she sat down near her mother and picked up her needlework.

  “Thank you for entertaining us,” Juliana said. “I envy your playing.”

  Louise shot her a smile. “You’ll get sick of it when the holidays roll around.”

  “Oh, I doubt that.”

  Natalie flopped down on the settee with Juliana. “We’ll be a whole lot busier too. We usually add several new boarders to our mix in colder weather. Some of the miners share a room for a couple of months because living in a tent during the harsh winter can be brutal.”

  “The more the merrier!” Miss Margaret looked at them from over the top of her wire spectacles. “Having a lot to do keeps one young, I say—”

  “Yes, I know—idle hands are the devil’s workshop,” Natalie finished for her.

  Juliana snickered, then covered her mouth with her hand. Miss Margaret grinned at her daughter. “I guess I’ve said that one too many times.”

  The doorbell chimed, and Louise hopped up to answer it. “Good evening, Helen. Please come in.”

  “Is Juliana around?”

  “Yes, ma’am, she’s in the parlor with Mama and Natalie.”

  Helen swept into the parlor with her usual take-charge authority. “Wonderful. You’re all here.”

  Miss Margaret rose to her feet, steadying herself with her cane. “Do sit down, Helen.” She waved her hand in the direction of the chair across from her. “Whatever are you doing out at this late hour?”

  “It’s not late, Miss Margaret, and it’s a perfect spring evening. I have finalized all the plans for the fund-raiser the Ladies Social Club will host. It will be an art auction.” She clapped her hands with enthusiasm. “It’ll be such fun. I already have several artists willing to donate their work for charity.”

  Juliana saw the excitement reflected in Helen’s face. Her enthusiasm spilled onto the others.

  “Could you make sure we announce it in the paper, Juliana?” Helen asked. “Perhaps, since it’s for charity, Albert would donate the ad. What do you think?”

  “I’ll ask him first thing in the morning,” Juliana said. “Where will the art show be held?”

  “I suggest the church, but first we have to clear that with Reverend Carlson.”

  Miss Margaret took her seat. “The fellowship hall at the church would be a perfect place to hang the art, and I can’t imagine why Albert wouldn’t donate a space in the paper. I’ll see to that.”

  Helen beamed. “That’s what I thought.”

  “I can talk to the reverend tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll agree. I helped fund the addition for that room.” Miss Margaret laughed. “Of course, I was looking for a place to have church holiday plays, socials, and wedding receptions for my daughters.”

  Natalie and Louise seemed uncomfortable at the mention of the word wedding, Juliana thought.

  “Mother, one has to be engaged to have your plans carried out. Neither of us has a beau,” Natalie blurted out.

  “Girls, it doesn’t matter. You will soon, and I’m just looking forward to your futures,” Miss Margaret answered.

  Her daughters just laughed. Juliana thought it was wonderful that Louise and Natalie were so loved. She wished she’d had a sister or brother. While she was stunned at how Miss Margaret always spoke her mind, never mincing her words, Juliana admired the old lady.

  Juliana turned to Helen. “I saw Jane today. She’s lonely and misses Marilee.”

  Helen’s look was thoughtful for a moment. “Marilee told me Jane was not in a good mood and not fun to be around.”

  “True,” Juliana said, “but she really needs her friends right now to pull her out of the doldrums.”

  “I’ll try to encourage Marilee to go see her again.” Helen rose to leave. “I must be going now. I don’t want to keep Miss Margaret up late.”

  “I never said I wanted to go to bed. I just said you were out late,” the older lady quipped, and the others laughed. Miss Margaret got up to walk Helen to the front door, and Helen waved to the girls and hurried down the sidewalk into the moonlit night.

  30

  Springtime breezes shifted quickly to warmer days, and with them came swollen streams from mountain snow melts. Fledgling meadowlarks left their nests, and playful grizzly cubs tumbled under their mother’s watchful eye among rapidly growing wheatgrass. Chipmunks and black squirrels scampered below the towering ponderosa pines and hillsides. Josh noticed tufts of fur clinging to branches and nearby rocks, and he knew it was a sign that a molting gray wolf was in the vicinity. For this reason he had great concern for his sheep. He knew Shebe was a good sheepdog and would defend the lambs with her life, as she had last year. Still, she couldn’t be everywhere. It had occurred to him more than once that he really should acquire another sheepdog, especially since the fire.

  A sudden breeze carried the smell of rain and Andy’s simmering chili, and Josh’s stomach growled. They always had supper by dusk, which suited him fine. He reclined against a tree and looked over the flock. Their gentle movement and bleating, which was irritating to some, brought comfort to his soul. He’d already written a breeder about purchasing another ram while he was in Lewistown.

  Josh looked over toward the campfire, watching Andy stir the pot. He was glad his and Andy’s paths had crossed that day he’d arrived in Montana at the stage station. Andy had been fresh out of cash and a job. It had been Andy’s custom to go from ranch to ranch each season as a horse wrangler. He never revealed much of his past life to Josh, but Josh knew Andy had a little wanderlust in his spirit, because he’d left home at sixteen and might leave again whenever that urge struck. Presently, it seemed Nellie was the reason he was still here.

  Anyway, he was grateful for Andy’s friendship and eagerness to please. If it hadn’t been for him or Shebe, they never would have saved the dumb flock of sheep, who squealed with fright during the fire. Not without Juliana and Nellie’s help too, his conscience reminded him.

  Droplets of rain fell just as Andy called out, “Chili’s up!” Josh hurried over to the campsite.

  Andy stood with a wooden ladle in one hand and the cast-iron pot of chili in the other. “I thought I smelled rain. Make a run for the wagon. I’ve got cornbread in the oven.”

  “I’m right behind you,” Josh said as he entered the camp and rain pelted his hat.

  They scrambled inside the wagon to the cozy smell of cornbread warming in the oven, and Josh lit the kerosene lantern. Andy placed the heavy pot on the stove’s cooktop.

  Shebe ran up the steps and poked her head in the doorway, which they’d left fastened back to one side. “Come on in, girl,” Andy said to the sniffing dog. “We got just enough room for you.”

  Josh pulled out bowls and saucers for the cornbread. “Hand me Shebe’s bowl and I’ll cool a little chili for her, Andy.”

  “Before I met you, I wouldn’t waste my chili on no dog! But Shebe here is different and special, ain’t that right?” Andy said, looking down at Shebe. She responded with her usual bark and wagged her tail. “I know, you want some of that cornbread too. Bossy little thing.” But despite his teasing and protest, he proceeded to cut her a slice to cool on the saucer.

  Josh chuckled. “She is that. But she deserves to be treated special, don’t you think? Still, I’m thinking about looking for another sheepdog to help out. Plus it’ll be good companionship for Shebe.”

  Andy paused from ladling chili into their bowls and looked at Josh. “I think that’s a good idea. Know anyone who raises sheepdogs?”

  “When I found Shebe, I was lucky. But now I don’t know if I can locate the man I bought her from. I can always ask around town.”

  “Or you could run an ad in the paper Juliana works for. Give you an excuse to see her,” Andy teased.

  Josh only sighed and dug into the thick chili, smacking his lips. “This is so good t
o have on a drizzly day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you were a woman, I’d marry you.”

  Andy laughed. “Thanks, Boss. I enjoy cooking. If I had a real home, I could whip up some of the best dinners you ever had, instead of making do outside without all the essentials.”

  “Where did you learn to cook like this, Andy?”

  “I had no mother to teach me anything, but once I left home, I tried to learn whatever I could from being on the trail and on different ranches through the years. I guess it paid off. I like taking something and turning it into a delicious dish that makes people happy. Like a challenge, I suppose. Besides, I don’t usually like anybody’s cooking but my own.”

  “Does that mean you’ll be the cook when you and Nellie get married?” Josh finished off his cornbread, then handed Shebe the bowl he’d cooled.

  Andy’s face flushed. “If we do, I hope we can be a partnership.”

  “And that’s the way it should be, Andy.”

  Shebe stopped eating abruptly, lifting her head with her ears up. Josh asked, “What is it, girl? You hear something?” But she went back to eating after a moment.

  “Reckon there’s something out there?” Andy uncrossed his legs and walked over to the open doorway. “I don’t see anything.”

  “I think there might be a wolf hanging around here. I saw evidence of hair tufts today when I was out riding around the perimeter. They molt in the spring, so don’t be surprised to find one sneaking around the flock. We’ll need to be extra careful now and keep our eyes open. The sheep are just too dumb to run most times.”

  “I’ve never seen wolves up close, though I’ve heard ’em howling. Have you?”

  Josh stood and looked out at the drizzling rain. “I have. The gray wolf is not to be messed with. He’s quite large. I say we keep our guns close by.”

  By now Shebe had finished eating and wanted out of the wagon. Josh let her out and turned to help Andy clean up. “We’d better finish here and go check on the herd. If the rain stops, we’ll keep the fire going tonight.”