Sarah: Bride of Minnesota (American Mail-Order Bride 32)

by Katie Crabapple

  Mrs. Billings gawked at her. "You've never even met the boy. You can't say that."

  Sarah shrugged. "No, I've never met him, but I know what it is to be orphaned young with nowhere to go. So does my husband. We'll take him." She would tell Karl what she'd agreed to as soon as he got home, and she prayed he wouldn't be angry with her. She would do whatever she could for the boy.

  Mrs. Norman smiled at Sarah and nodded, as if she'd known that would be Sarah's answer. Sarah only hoped her husband wouldn't want to have her head when he heard what she'd said.

  There was a knock at the door, and the small work-party began, with Sarah hovering and getting drinks and snacks for everyone.

  Amelia looked around the parlor and nodded, her face excited. "I don't think it matters how big our meetings get if you're willing to always host them here, Sarah."

  Sarah nodded, knowing she was probably agreeing out of turn. In less than an hour she agreed to take on a teenage boy to raise and open her home three days a week. Surely Karl would do his best to understand before he strangled her.

  They were able to make six pairs of socks that afternoon as the sound of laughter mixed with the clickety-clack of a dozen knitting needles. As everyone left, Sarah looked around at the house, realizing that all of the ladies had taken the time to pick up after themselves. She only had to wash the few dishes they'd used, and the house would look normal—well, after she got the chairs back into the kitchen that was. Surely three times a week having the ladies there wouldn't interrupt their routine too much.

  She was putting dinner on the table when Karl came in. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, going to him and kissing his cheek.

  He nodded. "How was your day?"

  "Busy! I finished your socks."

  "Oh, good." He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't thought she could do it and keep up with all the other things she had going. "Did anything exciting happen?"

  Sarah bit her lip, sitting down to explain about Mrs. Billings and her promise. "I couldn't let the woman keep fretting over what would happen to the boy if she died."

  Karl shook his head. "I wish you'd asked me first."

  Sarah frowned, wringing her hands together. "What would you have said?"

  He sighed. "I'd probably have agreed, but I would have liked to at least be consulted about it!"

  "I understand. Please forgive me."

  He closed his eyes, annoyed, but not angry. "I know why you did it." He was sitting at the table, and he caught her at her waist, pulling her to him. "I just want us to have some time alone together." He cupped her cheek with his hand and pulled her down for a sweet kiss. "I feel like you're jumping into life here with both feet and without a look forward. For a little while, I want to be the most important thing in your life."

  Sarah smiled. "Well, God comes first, but you're only a little below him," she said with her eyes twinkling. "Karl, I put you before everything and everyone. I spent all morning thinking about how you would be least affected by people being in our home all day."

  He frowned at that. "I'm not trying to make things harder on you, but I do want you to consider me before you do all these things." He sighed. "I feel like I'm having to compete with the whole world for my new wife's attention."

  "So you'll take him in if something happens?"

  Karl nodded. "Of course I will. Do we even know his name?"

  Sarah's eyes widened. "I think it's Simon, but I'm not sure. Does it matter?"

  Karl laughed. "I guess not. Sarah, your heart is too big. You care too much about everyone but yourself. You'll work yourself into an early grave."

  "That may be so, but I don't know any other way to be. I love people. How could I not do everything I can for them?"

  Chapter Nine

  After church on Sunday, Karl had two of his workers over for lunch, and they helped him move the furniture from the room Sarah was using up the stairs. They decided together that if they were possibly going to take Simon in, they wanted the house ready for him. Sarah had no problem sleeping upstairs for the next couple of weeks as they finished getting to know each other.

  Sarah enjoyed meeting his men, and agreed to go to work with him for a bit on Monday morning, so she could meet his older brother, Jakob. She would have to hurry home, though, so she could make sure she was ready to host the ladies in the afternoon.

  Karl's brother was a surprise to Sarah. He was as dark as Karl was fair. "It's nice to meet you," she mumbled as she met him.

  Jakob's eyes seemed hard to Sarah as he looked at her. "Jah. Nice to meet you." Jakob's accent was a great deal more pronounced than Karl's as well.

  To Sarah, Karl spoke English perfectly with a German accent hinting at one or two words. Jakob, though, his voice sounded as if he was more comfortable with the German language than with English. It didn't surprise her at all when Jakob switched to German almost immediately, effectively cutting her out of the conversation.

  Karl had assigned one of his men to drive her home after she met his brother, and that man stepped forward. "If you'll come with me, Mrs. Schneider." Sarah shook her head in disbelief. Had she really spent time getting ready and traveling to work with Karl just to spend two minutes meeting her brother-in-law? She stepped forward to kiss Karl's cheek before she left for home, wondering if she should speak to Karl about his rude brother.

  She wasn't at all impressed with Jakob, and really, she had no desire to meet his children if the rude man had raised them.

  After she was dropped off at the house, she hurried to bake cookies for the ladies that afternoon. She made twice as many as she would have otherwise so that Karl could have some. She would never again bake something for the relief society and not extra for Karl. She'd learned her lesson there.

  Just before she sat down to lunch, she received a letter, and she tucked it in the pocket of her apron to read with her lunch. She loved receiving letters, and this was the first she'd received since her marriage to Karl.

  As soon as she'd prayed, she pulled the letter out, her eyes eating up the words from her friend.

  Dear Sarah,

  Thank goodness Miss Miller had your address! I miss you so much and can’t wait to hear how you are. What is your husband like? Are you happy?

  Mama was terribly ill when I got back to Vermont. She passed on a few hours after I arrived. No words can express how hard that was for me. I wish I could have faith and believe that all is well as I know you and Roberta would both say. But as you well know, it’s just not in me to think that way. There was no work for me in Vermont, so I had to move on.

  I know I said I’d never marry, but there was nothing left for me to do than try to become a mail-order bride. To that end, I spent this very day with Elizabeth Miller who found a suitable solution for me. I told her if she could locate the kind of fellow I really wanted, I’d be on the next train. And, she did!

  I’m leaving for Texas in a matter of hours. Texas! Can you imagine a city girl like me heading out West? It’s really preposterous. Please write to me in Coltonville and let me know how you’ve fared in your new life. I don’t want to lose you.

  Your friend,

  Gabby

  P.S. Poppy has gone to Alaska!

  Sarah said a prayer for Gabrielle as she finished her lunch. She wanted her friend to find happiness very badly, but more than that, she wanted her to find God. For as long as Sarah had known her, Gabby had felt strong resentment toward God, and she really wanted her to realize that the people on Earth who called themselves His, were not always good indicators of who He was.

  Just as she finished the lunch dishes, she heard a knock, and she rushed to the door. Mrs. Norman stood there with tears streaming down her face. "I'm going to Mrs. Billings. The doctor isn't certain she'll make it through the day."

  "What can I do to help?" Sarah asked, desperately wishing she could go with her friend, but there were too many people due at her house within the hour for that to be feasible.

  "Have everyone pray for her. I
hope you have a room ready for Simon."

  Sarah quickly hugged Mrs. Norman. "I do have a room ready. If you think Mrs. Billings will rest easier knowing that, please tell her."

  "I will. I'll let you know if anything changes." With that Mrs. Norman hurried away. Sarah wished there was more she could do than pray for the elderly woman, but she knew prayers were important.

  *****

  Karl had just walked in the door after work that evening when there was another knock. Sarah hadn't even had the chance to tell him about what was happening with Mrs. Billings yet as he rushed to the door, while she put the food on the table.

  Karl came back into the kitchen followed by Mrs. Norman and a young teenage boy she'd never seen before. She understood immediately, and smiled at him, going forward to take his hand. "I'm Sarah."

  The boy nodded, his eyes dry, but he seemed unsure of himself. He obviously didn't want to be there, but he had nowhere else to go. "I'm Simon."

  "Are you hungry?"

  He nodded, and she took another bowl from the shelf for him to have some of the hearty stew she'd made for their supper. "Let's eat and then I'll change the sheets on your bed. Did you bring your things?"

  "Yes'm. They're by the front door."

  "We'll get you all sorted out as soon as we've had dinner." Sarah's eyes met Karl's and he nodded slowly, indicating that he was ready for this.

  Sarah was a little nervous, because there were only two beds, so this meant she would have to share with Karl much earlier than planned, but that would go how it would. She refused to worry about it. She cared for the man, and she knew he cared for her.

  Mrs. Norman quickly excused herself, promising to help if there was any trouble.

  After they prayed, Karl asked the boy questions, trying to draw him out and get to know him better. "Do you enjoy school?"

  Simon shook his head. "No sir. I hate it."

  "Why's that?"

  Simon explained that he'd been to schools in six states, and he had fallen behind. "I feel like a dunce."

  "Would you allow me to help you catch up?" Sarah asked, wanting to make sure he would stay in school. Her brothers had both dropped out around his age to start working, and she wanted better for him—for everyone.

  Simon shrugged. "I guess."

  Karl said, "The funeral will be Friday from what Mrs. Norman said. Why don't you take the week off school? Sarah can help you catch up, and you can go back Monday."

  Simon made a face. "What do you do?"

  "I run a lumber camp."

  "Why can't I work there? I can chop down trees!"

  "You're too small," Karl said automatically. "When you've grown another seven or eight inches, we'll talk."

  Sarah frowned. "What if he does that in the next year?" Surely Karl wouldn't allow him to work instead of going to school.

  "Then we'll talk," Karl said, not backing down. He knew Sarah wanted the boy to get an education, but he also knew the boy would do fine if he started working right away. His brother hadn't gone to school past the age of thirteen, and he ran a lumber camp. He couldn't even read English!

  Sarah said nothing in response. She refused to argue in front of Simon, but she would tell Karl exactly how she felt later.

  Simon grinned. "You mean it?"

  Karl nodded. "I do."

  Sarah changed the subject to avoid getting angry and saying something she shouldn't. "Do you need your clothes washed tomorrow, Simon? I have to do laundry tomorrow anyway."

  "Yes'm. Grandmother hasn't been able to wash my clothes for a while." He looked down at his bowl, stirring the soup around, but not eating much. "Are you healthy?"

  Sarah understood his question immediately. "Yes, we're both healthy. You're not going to lose us."

  Simon shrugged. "Hope not." He acted nonchalant about it, but Sarah knew better. The boy wanted a permanent home.

  After supper, Sarah took care of changing the sheets on the bed in Simon's room and getting her things out. She didn't want the boy to know she hadn't been sleeping with her husband. Too many questions would be asked that she wasn't ready to answer.

  When she had his room ready for him, she led him up the stairs to show him where he'd sleep. He looked at all the empty rooms up there in surprise. "Planning to have a lot of kids?"

  Sarah laughed. "Karl thinks we should have fourteen boys and one girl. I hope we can count you as one of the boys, because I'm not sure about having that many."

  Simon smiled slightly. "How long have you been married?"

  "Just two weeks."

  "That's not very long."

  "No, it's really not. We're still getting to know each other in a lot of ways."

  Simon nodded. "Well, I'll put my things away."

  "Take any dirty clothes and throw them down the basement steps. I'll get them washed tomorrow."

  "Yes'm."

  Sarah hurried back down the stairs into the kitchen. She washed and dried the dishes quickly, before joining Karl in the parlor. She took the spot beside him on the couch. "I want him to stay in school."

  "I know you do. I don't think it's terribly important though. He's been in long enough that he should know how to read and write. He should be able to do some ciphering. Not much more is really necessary."

  "I disagree. I think he should stay in school and learn as much as he can. What if he discovers that he wants to be a doctor? Or a lawyer? He'll never learn to do either of those things unless he finishes school and goes on to college."

  Karl shrugged. "My brother stopped school right around his age. He does well. He can support his family with no problem. I think the choice should be left up to Simon when he's big enough."

  Sarah sighed. "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"

  "No, you're not. He's already too old to change his ways. His opinions are already formed on most things. He'll do what he's going to do. We'll guide him as best we can, but we can't make every little decision for him."

  "No, you're probably right." She shook her head. "I'm going to have to find a way to let the ladies know we won't be holding relief society meetings here for the rest of the week. I need to work with Simon on his school and see what we can do to catch him up."

  Karl reached out and took her hand, winding his fingers through hers. "I think that's a very good idea. Why don't you talk to Mrs. Norman and have her spread the word?"

  Sarah nodded, jumping to her feet. "I'll go do that now. It'll just take me a minute or two."

  Karl nodded, watching her go with a frown. His Sarah couldn't sit still to save her life. How he wished she was a quiet demure woman, instead of a feisty Irishwoman. Of course, he knew she wouldn't change, and she was pretty special as she was.

  Sarah quickly asked Mrs. Norman to get a message to the relief society's leaders so they could tell the others. She simply couldn't ask Simon to deal with the people in the house while she was working on teaching him.

  "I'll handle that for you. You just take care of Simon."

  "Thank you so much. And thanks for bringing him to us. He's going to be a lot of work." Sarah knew in her heart that she wanted to help the boy as much as she could.

  Mrs. Norman smiled sadly. "All children are."

  Sarah said good night softly, going back home to sit with Karl, her heart beating rapidly. This would be their first night to share a room, and she was nervous to be sleeping so close to him. She knew she loved him, though, so she'd be fine.

  The thought that she loved him surprised her a bit. When she'd first seen him, she'd thought him to be an odious man, but she'd learned that he was simply inept with women. Whether it was his German heritage, or just who Karl was, it didn't matter to Sarah. He was a good Christian man, and God knew what He was doing by sending her to Karl.

  She hung up her coat and sat down beside her husband on the couch again, snuggling into his warmth. "Mrs. Norman said she'd take care of everything."

  Karl nodded, his face brushing against her hair. "Then she will."

 
; "May I have a snack?" Simon asked from the doorway of the parlor that led to the kitchen.

  Sarah went to get up to serve him something, but Karl held her firmly in place. "Is it all right if he eats those cookies?" Karl asked.

  Sarah nodded. "Yes, of course. Just get yourself a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. Will that work?"

  "Yes'm." He disappeared back into the kitchen and joined them in the parlor with his snack, looking at the two of them. "I feel like I'm going to be in the way with as short a time as you two have been married," he said, just before crunching into a cookie.

  "You might be a little," Karl said. "But we're happy to have you here, and if you can put up with finding us sitting close on the couch or kissing, then we'll sure be happy to have you here."

  Simon shrugged. "Don't matter to me. Maybe I'll learn something for when I'm ready to court."

  Sarah blushed. "Did your grandmothers take you to church, Simon?"

  Simon nodded. "Yeah, most of the time. I haven't been for about six months, though, because my grandmother was so sick, and then she died." He shrugged. "I've missed my friends there."

  "We'll take you every Sunday," she told him.

  "Sounds good." He ate another cookie. "You're a good cook. At least I won't starve." With those words, he got up and they heard him put his plate and glass into the sink. "Good night!"

  Sarah looked at Karl. "He's—odd."

  Karl grinned. "He is at that. He'll be fun to have around, though."

  "He's gone through a lot. Hopefully we can give him enough love that he'll be able to move on and thrive."

  Karl pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "We can. We'll pray about it and figure out the best way to handle him. Through God, we can do anything!"

  "I know we can."

  *****

  Sarah woke up early and got the laundry started before breakfast. She wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible helping Simon catch up with his schoolwork.

  As she washed Simon's clothes, she realized he had nothing that didn't have several holes in it. She sighed. Keeping her two men in clothes would be a job.