The Secret Saddle_Anna Troy's Emancipation

by Dani Larsen

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  The Hempe family had farther to go to get to the church in Baker City. They left their ranch, outside of La Grande in Union County, shortly after sunrise so they wouldn't be late for George's wedding. It was still warm in Eastern Oregon in early October of 1908. The mornings were chilly and there was a little frost on the ground, but the afternoon sunshine made a cloak unnecessary. The leaves on the Big Tooth and Rocky Mountain Maples were already brilliant burnished reds and oranges, and warm winds swirled small dust devils on the road leading out of the ranch. A flock of Canadian geese spoke to each other loudly as they flew low overhead on their way north, as the family left for the wedding in Baker County. Frank and Caroline sat in the front of the old buckboard. Their three daughters; Mary, Ida, and Agnes, were sitting on hay bales covered with blankets in the back of the wagon. Their oldest son, twenty-four year old George, drove a black buggy, and his brother, Sylvester, sat next to him.

  George Hempe was handsome in a new brown suit, beige shirt, and string tie, that he'd recently purchased at a new shop in La Grande. He knew he would only wear the suit on special occasions, but thought the purchase was worth spending some of his hard earned money on. His little brother, and best man, wore a plain blue flannel shirt with his brown pants. Boots that had been thoroughly scrubbed that morning adorned both of their feet.

  Two ranch hands followed the rigs on their horses, and both wore the same clothes they wore every day on the ranch as they had nothing better. Gus had been with the family for only a couple of years, but was well liked and always seemed trustworthy. Jude had worked for the family for three years, and although he always seemed to have a sour look on his face he did his job well. Frank was a kind, charitable man. He felt sorry for Jude, and thought his unhappiness was due to a poor upbringing, as the man had told him that he was practically an orphan. Frank treated both men fairly and invited them to join in the festivities. Two newer ranch hands stayed behind to care for the ranch while the family was gone. It was a half a day's ride from their ranch to Baker City, so it was important to head out early.

  George was elated that he was finally going to marry the lovely girl he had fallen for the day he met her. He thought about that day, as he drove the buggy his parents had given him as a wedding gift toward Baker City.

  He had been headed into town to see if there was any mail at the Post Office in La Grande, on that warm summer day in late August. The sun had felt good beating on his back as he rode Smokey those few miles into town, letting the horse go at his own pace. He was surprised to see a rig sitting in the middle of the road with a broken wheel. As he pulled on the reins and brought his horse to a halt, he noticed a young woman sitting on a quilt under a big Quaking Aspen with her mare tied to a branch. She rose and came over to the road as soon as she saw him. She was so lovely he couldn't take his eyes off of her, and he suddenly felt tongue tied as he got off his horse and spoke to her.

  "Morning, ma'am, my name is George Hempe. Looks like you have a broken wheel on your rig. I'd be happy to help." His hands began to sweat and he felt light headed, and he wondered what was wrong with him.

  "Hello, I'm Anna Troy. I was coming to interview for the position as school teacher at the Hempe School, but when I turned onto this road my rig broke down."

  "I can take you to the ranch. You will want to talk to my father about the teaching position. Then I will come back and fix the wheel, and bring your rig back to you."

  "Thank you, Mr. Hempe. That would be much appreciated."

  He remembered helping her up into the saddle, and that his heart was beating fast. When she gave him that shy, sweet smile, as he pulled himself up in the saddle, he couldn't breathe. The sweet smell of her freshly washed hair blowing in his face as he rode behind her to the ranch was part of his first memories of her.

  That was the beginning of their romance. Frank had hired Anna immediately, and she returned by horseback the next week to board at the Hempe Ranch. Sparks flew from the start. At the Church Social, George bid against everyone for the opportunity to spend the day in her company, and to eat the basket of food she had prepared. There were several young men bidding for her basket, including Jude. George didn't pay any attention to the other men who were vying for her attention; he just made sure he outbid them all. He remembered the smile that had filled her face when she handed him the basket. They had found a hay bale to sit on and enjoyed the fried chicken, potato salad, cookies, bread and lemonade that filled her basket.

  There was also the barn dance where he had occupied her time, although several men kept bringing her punch and asking her to dance. Jude had gotten drunk that night and caused a scene, but as it wasn't the first time, George didn't realize that Jude was harboring anger toward him and his beautiful Irish lass. George was simply thrilled that he had won her heart.

  Jude wasn't talking as he rode his horse behind the black rig. He was angry, and he'd been angry ever since he heard that George and Anna were getting married. He hated Anna, almost more than he hated George, ever since the night at the dance when she had embarrassed him by leaving him on the floor after speaking to him like he was dirt. He had been trying to think of a way to get even with both of them, from the moment Frank had asked him if he wanted to join them for the festivities. He knew Frank was trying to be nice, and he wanted to get George's job, so he pretended to be excited about the invitation, especially after Gus acted happy about it. He contemplated all the things he could do to ruin their day, as he rode silently next to Gus.

  The Hempe family was pleased that George and Anna were getting married. They all loved Anna and had ever since she came to stay with them while she taught at the Hempe School. They were dressed in their Sunday best as they headed to Baker City. Frank was highly respected in the community and at his church. He always helped a neighbor or friend in need, and he built the Hempe School for the children in the Pyle Creek Valley. He wore the same brown suit he had worn when he married Caroline twenty-five years earlier in Tipton, Illinois, although she had let out the waist on his pants, and the shoulders on the jacket were a little snug. She wore the same pale yellow dress with a few alterations. Frank, at fifty-six, was still a handsome man, and his wife's face had a few worry lines, but she was a pretty woman at forty-six. They were proud of their children who were growing into trustworthy, upstanding adults. The two older girls had sewn their own cotton dresses for the occasion. Mary wore dark blue cotton with a bib front, and Ida wore a blue checked gingham dress with white lace trim. Little Agnes wore green plaid with a big bow in the back. All three girls wore their hair braided; the two older girls had pulled their hair back in one braid, while Agnes had two. Ida was more excited about George's wedding than her siblings were, as her own wedding was planned for the following month. She and her betrothed would be moving to Walla Walla, Washington after their ceremony.

  The little caravan wove its way southward out of Union County and down the Baker County roads, while the Hempe girls sang songs to make the ride go faster. George and Sylvester hummed along while their sisters sang. Gus smiled as he looked forward to the day ahead, while Jude's anger roiled up inside of him as he swore to himself he would find a way to ruin this day.

  Chapter Two

  "The Wedding"

  October 8th, 1908

  The Troys arrived at the church an hour before the service was scheduled. Anna's sisters carried in the flowers they had grown in their garden, and filled two vases from the sacristy with goldenrod and sunflowers. Then they went to the room the priest had assigned to Anna when they arrived, to prepare for their walk down the aisle. The men stayed out in front to wait for the Hempe family, and the few other invited guests.

  The Hempe Clan was the next to arrive. Frank, George, and Sylvester joined the Troy men, and the women went to find Anna. After getting their giggling daughters organized, Mary and Caroline came out to welcome the rest of the guests.

  "I can't wait to see Anna come down the aisle. She is such a beautiful girl." Ca
roline told Mary.

  "Thank ye Caroline, and George is such a handsome young man. They do make a lovely couple, don't they?"

  "Yes, I'm so glad they found each other. It seems like they were meant to be together. I could tell George was smitten that first day when Anna arrived at our ranch."

  "If ye hadn't put that ad in the paper about the teaching job at yer school, they never would have met. I've always said that we make our own destiny, sometimes without even knowing it."

  "It certainly does seem like they were destined to be together, doesn't it?"

  Jude was standing close enough to hear their conversation, and he scoffed and walked away to smoke a cigarette.

  Kate Foley and her husband, Will Branson, arrived next with Kate's son, Bobby Foley, and his girlfriend, Sarah. Mary welcomed them all, kissing her dear friend and her son, who introduced her to his girlfriend.

  "Sarah, how nice to meet ye, I have heard wonderful things about ye from me dear Kate. Let me introduce ye to Caroline Hempe. Her handsome son is marrying me Anna today. The Hempes have a large ranch outside of La Grande."

  Mary introduced the new girl to everyone, then took her inside and left her with the happy group in the bride's room. Mary came back to join Caroline and Kate, while Bobby and his stepfather joined the men's conversation.

  Kate had been a good friend of Mary's for many years. They met when they both lived in San Francisco. Mary was working as a governess for Rachel Goldstein at the time. Rachel, Kate, and Mary's youngest sister, Johanna, had been inseparable when they attended school together. Kate had come to Mary shortly after graduation, weeping, and asking for help. The seventeen year old admitted to sneaking out to see Mary's rapscallion uncle, Sean Foley, who had taken advantage of her naivety, and Kate had found herself pregnant. Giving up her son for adoption was the hardest thing she ever had to do. Forgiving Sean for his sin against her was the second. But, getting her son back at the age of nine was an answer to her prayers.

  Kate saw that her son was looking at her as he stood apart from the other men. She was suddenly filled with emotion as she went to talk to him. The upcoming wedding touched both of their hearts as it brought back the memories of Kate's wedding to his father, at Sean's bedside before he died, so many years ago. Reading each other's thoughts, they clasped hands as they waited for the signal to go inside the church.

  They stopped talking as Bobby's stepfather joined them. He had been involved in a deep conversation with John Troy and Frank Hempe about the financial opportunities available at his bank. Sarah and the Hempe girls came out of the church with the priest, who was motioning to George that it was time to get ready.

  Kate and Bobby's reunion after their long separation had led them to a protective and close knit relationship. It had been hard for them to let anyone get close to them. Kate owned a dress shop in town, and she focused on that and Bobby for many years after the tragedy. Will Branson had come into her life when Bobby was in his teens. Bobby had just started seeing Sarah, who was the first woman he had ever dated. At thirty, he finally felt that his mother could survive without him.

  The last guests to arrive were six cousins of Ah Kim. The three men and three women had stayed in touch with the Troy family and had great admiration for them. One couple owned the laundry in town and the other four owned a restaurant, where they served wonderful Chinese food native to their country. They had worked the mine on the Troy property for ten years after Ah Kim's tragic murder and Anna's kidnapping. The families sent thousands of dollars to their relatives in China, as requested in Ah Kim's will. The Troys were happy to see them and introduced their dear friends to the Hempe family. Only the ranch hand, Jude, walked away and spat on the sidewalk after he realized the Chinese people were going to attend the wedding.

  They all entered the small church just before the service. It was a full mass as they were both deeply devout Catholic families. After the happy couple walked down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. George Hempe, they all went to the Troy Ranch for a reception.

  The Troy women had spent the previous day baking cakes, pies, cookies, fudge and other delightful desserts, and had baked a turkey and ham that morning before they left for the church. As all the guests gathered in the back yard, the Troy women finished fixing potatoes, gravy and vegetables, and brought it all out to the tables that had been set and decorated on the lawn before they left for the church. The women filled vases with roses, goldenrod, and sunflowers, and placed them in the middle of each table. The luscious green yard was edged with buffalo grass and little bluestem grasses. Those blue-green summer blades had turned to a lovely reddish color for fall. To the left of the yard, several of the family's horses grazed on the grasses in their fenced in pasture. Several magpies sat on the fence, chattering to each other as the families celebrated.

  Anna sat next to George at the head of the main table shyly smiling at her new husband. She took a deep breath, inhaling all of the different scents that collided in her senses; the roast turkey and ham, the pies and cookies, and the fresh cut flowers combined to make memorable aromas of a day she planned never to forget.

  Everyone was served the family recipe for ale, and they each recited a toast to the happy couple. The Troy family toasted them with Mary's famous proverbs or blessings, and the Hempes toasted with sayings from their own country. It was a wonderful reception, except for Jude. He was angry, not only that George had won the woman that he had wanted, but also that the Chinese had been invited to the reception too. He thought they were just "dirty yellow eyes" as he had been raised to look down on anyone that was not white. He made sure he sat at a different table to eat.

  Jude sat down next to Gus and the two younger boys; Sylvester Hempe and Steve Troy. While he was eating he noticed some of the other Troy girls. Margaret caught his eye and he decided he would go talk to her. She was sitting with her younger sisters, and the Hempe girls. Mary, Ida and Agnes Hempe were at that table, but Jude knew better than to pay any attention to them. He didn't want to lose his job. He figured the Troy girls would be easy to flirt with. Since Jude was in his twenties he thought it best not to bother the younger girls, but the dark auburn haired Margaret was closer to his age, so he thought he'd give her a try. When she went over to the dessert table he walked over to talk to her.

  "Hello, Miss, I don't think we were introduced. I'm Jude Burden. I'm the head ranch hand at the Hempe Ranch. How are you today?"

  "Hello, Mr. Burden, I'm Margaret Troy. I'm Anna's sister."

  "Nice to meet you, Maggie. It was a nice wedding, I guess, as weddings go. I know your sister. I met her when she first worked as a teacher at the ranch. Nice girl, but kind of flirty."

  "What? Anna? What do you mean by that? Why she has always been the shyest girl."

  "Well, not with me. She's kinda been after me ever since she came to the ranch. I just didn't give her the time of day, so then she went after George. I guess he's got more to offer her anyway."

  "I can't believe you would say such a thing, sir."

  "Hey, Maggie, yer sister missed out on something special. I thought maybe you'd want to check out what she missed. How about meeting me behind the spring house in fifteen minutes?"

  "No, thank you. You are not my type either. And my name is Margaret, not Maggie. In fact I'd appreciate it, if you never talked to me again."

  Margaret picked up her plate and went back over to the table where the girls were. She was talking and giggling, and they all looked at him and laughed. Jude's face turned red, and he felt that familiar anger well up in side of him. He got up and went out to the front of the house where the wagons were. The horses had been watered and fed and were grazing in the pasture next to the ranch house.

  Jude sat down on a rock and fumed: I hate these uppity Troy girls, and I can't stand that George Hempe. They all think they are better than me. I'll never forget the night of the Church Social. I wanted to strangle George. He had more money than any of us other guys, so he could easily outbid all of the men who had bi
d on Anna's basket of food, and for the chance to eat it with her. And that Anna really thinks she is too good for me. That night at the dance she walked off the dance floor at the barn dance. All I did was tell her what a pretty little "filly" she was, and she had the nerve to say, "Are you comparing me to a horse?" When she walked straight into George's arms I was so mad at both of them I could have done them both in, without a thought. They need someone to teach them a lesson.

  Jude was raging with anger, and he decided he had to do something. He knew that George and Anna were going to take the buggy his father had given him, and take his bride into Baker City to spend a couple of nights at the hotel. Then they would come back to the Hempe ranch to live, until they could get a place of their own. An idea came to him, and he looked around to make sure nobody was watching him. He went over to the buggy and loosened the wheels on both sides, then quietly snuck back around to the back of the house where the party was going on. It was hard for him to act nice, but after he'd set his little trap to make their honeymoon go awry, smiling came easily. He couldn't understand why the Chinese people were there though. He had thought maybe they were there to serve the food when he saw them at the Troy Ranch. After all, he thought, what were they good for, besides being servants?

  A short time later all the brothers and sisters decided to decorate the bride and groom's buggy. The girls had made a "Just Married" sign that they mounted on the back of the buggy, and they tied all the old shoes, cans, and horse shoes they had collected to the back of the wagon. The nine siblings giggled as they decorated the buggy, using old string to tie their surprises to the back of it. Anna went in the house to change her clothes and to finish packing her mother's old trunk, with all the possessions she would take with her for her new life on the Hempe Ranch. The other adults carried on lively conversations as they watched the young people decorate the rig.