Sophie's Dilemma

by Lauraine Snelling

  ‘‘I don’t know.’’

  ‘‘Hmm. I wonder. Does the son want to do this?’’

  ‘‘He doesn’t say.’’

  ‘‘Well, if he wants to work, this is the right place to come.’’

  Ingeborg nodded. ‘‘He must be close to the same age as Astrid. Such different lives they have led.’’

  ‘‘But how can we not?’’

  ‘‘I know. Shall we talk it over with Thorliff and Andrew?’’

  ‘‘And Astrid. She’ll be around him the most. We better pray about this and not make a hurried decision.’’ Haakan folded the paper along its creases and tapped the fold on his other forefinger. ‘‘I wonder what ever gave Mr. Gould an idea like this.’’

  That first Sunday in February when the family all gathered for dinner at Ingeborg’s, she passed the letter around. While Kaaren and Andrew had already read it, the others laughed and joked at the possibilities.

  ‘‘So what are you going to do?’’ Thorliff asked while his wife finished reading.

  ‘‘We’re all going to talk about it. We want to hear what you think.’’ Haakan tipped his chair back on two legs, caught Ingeborg’s glare, and eased it back to four-point contact with the floor.

  ‘‘What if he doesn’t want to come?’’ Astrid asked.

  ‘‘Or comes and doesn’t want to stay?’’ Andrew started to copy his father in leaning his chair back, caught his wife’s throat clearing, and changed his mind.

  ‘‘Guess that’s between him and his pa.’’ Haakan picked up his coffee cup and propped his elbows on the table. Taking a sip, he wrinkled his nose.

  ‘‘Need a warm up?’’ Ingeborg brought the coffeepot and, after filling Haakan’s, motioned to the other family members gathered around the table. As she went around filling cups, she rested her hand on the shoulder of the cup holder. When one of them passed the cream pitcher, she thought back to Chicago and Haakan’s bringing her the lovely clear glass pitcher and sugar bowl as a gift. He who never went shopping but for machinery. She smiled to herself. Ah, the joy of all those present. No longer did she take having everyone home around the table for granted. Both of her sons lived in their own houses, and the death of Hamre still lay heavy on her heart. So unexpected.

  When Ellie’s baby kicked up a fuss, Ingeborg held out her arms. ‘‘Here, let me hold him. You finish your coffee.’’

  Taking the baby, she strolled around the kitchen, baby Carl against her shoulder with Bestemor patting the tiny back. How good it felt to hold a baby again, to have babies in their house. She hummed and brought herself back into the discussion.

  ‘‘What could it hurt?’’ Andrew raised and dropped his hands. ‘‘We get a free hand for the summer; he gets a taste of farm life. He goes back to New York, we go on as we always have. Shame he can’t be here to go with the crew on harvest. Now, that would be a real education for him.’’

  ‘‘His name is Jonathan.’’

  ‘‘Okay, so getting his hands dirty for a change might be real good for Jonathan.’’

  Ingeborg raised an eyebrow at the tone of her son’s voice, especially the inflection he put on the young man’s name. ‘‘I doubt he’ll be afraid to get his hands dirty.’’

  Andrew had the grace to flush at the censure in his mother’s voice. He cocked an eyebrow and grinned at her. ‘‘We all know that city boys have a hard time of it in the country.’’ His sally made the others laugh.

  ‘‘And country boys wouldn’t have a hard time in the city?’’ It was Haakan’s turn to raise his eyebrows.

  ‘‘Nah,’’ Andrew said. ‘‘Country boys are more adaptable.’’

  ‘‘Andrew Bjorklund.’’ Ellie smacked her husband on the shoulder. ‘‘What a thing to say.’’

  ‘‘We should all go to Minneapolis to see the wonder horse, Beautiful Jim Key. That’d give you a taste of the city,’’ Thorliff told his younger brother. ‘‘See how you like it.’’

  ‘‘Oh, wouldn’t that be marvelous.’’ Astrid clapped both arms around her middle. ‘‘You think he can really do all those things they say, or is it all a fake?’’

  ‘‘I think he’s really that smart. Remember how we taught old Jack to shake hands and bow?’’ he asked his sister over his shoulder. ‘‘And he was a mule, a stubborn old mule.’’

  ‘‘I’ve heard it said that mules are smarter than horses.’’ Haakan sipped his coffee and caught his wife’s eye with a smile.

  ‘‘I don’t know if mules are smarter, but they sure are sneakier,’’ Astrid said with a grin. She’d been pushed into the stall wall more than once by Jack.

  ‘‘Well, think how fast Paws took to herding cattle. He’d watch for hand motions—didn’t even need us to shout at him.’’ Thorliff smiled at his wife rocking Inga, who was almost asleep.

  ‘‘Wouldn’t it be fun to go?’’ Astrid leaned on her father’s shoulder.

  Haakan turned to look at her. ‘‘Who would milk the cows?’’

  ‘‘Don’t you want to go?’’ She stared at him, surprise widening her eyes.

  Haakan shook his head. ‘‘Not really. I like it right here. That Chicago trip about made me sick, all the stink and noise and dirt. Big cities aren’t for me.’’

  ‘‘Minneapolis isn’t as bad as Chicago.’’ Elizabeth added to the conversation. ‘‘Having been both places, I’d say there’s a world of difference. If we went, we could go to Northfield and visit my parents. I know they’d love to keep Inga with them while we went to the show.’’

  ‘‘You could write it all up for the Blessing Gazette and then sell the article to other papers.’’ Astrid smiled at her brother.

  ‘‘Now there’s a thought,’’ Thorliff said. ‘‘I never would have come up with it myself.’’

  ‘‘Go ahead and be sarcastic,’’ Astrid countered. ‘‘I think it would be the most wonderful thing in the world to do. He’s almost as famous as Black Beauty.’’

  ‘‘Black Beauty wasn’t real. Beautiful Jim Key is.’’ Andrew turned to his wife. ‘‘You think he could spell Thorliff or Trygve?’’

  ‘‘Would you like to go?’’ Haakan looked to Ingeborg, now swaying from side to side with a sleeping baby in her arms.

  ‘‘Yes and no.’’

  ‘‘Now, there’s a definitive answer for you.’’ Thorliff grinned at his pa.

  ‘‘Yes, if we could all go. No, if you decided not to.’’

  Haakan nodded. ‘‘We shall see.’’

  They all stopped talking at the jingle of sleigh bells. Ingeborg handed the baby back to Ellie and went to the door. ‘‘Pastor Solberg, come on in.’’

  ‘‘No. I just came to get you all,’’ he said from atop his horse.

  ‘‘There’s something you have to come and see.’’

  ‘‘Right now?’’

  ‘‘You wouldn’t want to miss out.’’

  ‘‘Where?’’

  ‘‘At Hjelmer’s.’’

  ‘‘I thought he was in Bismarck.’’

  ‘‘He was. You have to come see.’’ Solberg backed his horse. ‘‘I’m going over to Lars’s. See you in a bit.’’

  ‘‘It must be something really important if he wants us all to come.’’

  Haakan shoved his chair back.

  ‘‘Are we all going?’’ Astrid asked.

  ‘‘Why not? It’s Sunday afternoon and awhile before chores need to be done,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ll get the sleigh.’’

  ‘‘We’ll take our sleigh and go home from Hjelmer’s.’’ Thorliff stood too and patted his wife’s shoulder. ‘‘Figured it was someone needing a doctor. Come on, Andrew. You can help harness up.’’

  The women bundled themselves and the children and were ready when the teams drove up to the house. Once they were all snuggled under the buffalo robe that was kept for winter travel, Ingeborg said, ‘‘And here we were all having such a serious discussion and never decided anything about Mr. Gould’s son, Jonathan. We just took off about that horse and now this. Uff da. You
just never know.’’

  ‘‘But going to see Beautiful Jim Key would really be fun, don’t you think?’’ Astrid tucked her mittened hand through her mother’s arm and laid her head on her shoulder. ‘‘Ride the train to Minneapolis and see the sights. Go to Northfield. Maybe Thorliff would give me a tour of St. Olaf. I wonder if they have a nursing school there now.’’

  ‘‘Would you want to go there?’’

  ‘‘I don’t know. I’d like to see the place.’’

  ‘‘But Elizabeth really wants you to go to Chicago.’’

  ‘‘I know, but there is the nursing school at the college in Grand Forks, and that is closer to home. I could come home sometimes on the train for even a couple of days.’’

  Ingeborg heard a note of wistfulness in her daughter’s voice. ‘‘You know, you don’t have to go away at all if you don’t want to.’’

  ‘‘I know. I read about some doctors getting all their training from another doctor. So I suppose nurses can do that too. But if we build a hospital here and I want to work there, then I want to make sure I know all I need to know.’’

  ‘‘I don’t ever want to leave Blessing again except to go visit ma and pa,’’ Ellie said, snuggling her baby close. ‘‘I have all I want right here.’’

  Ingeborg put her arm around Ellie and hugged her. ‘‘I love having you so close.’’

  ‘‘Actually, what she means is, if you go visiting, you can leave the baby with her.’’ Astrid leaned forward enough to see Ellie’s face. ‘‘She’s as happy as a pig in the mud with babies to hold.’’

  ‘‘That’s a fine picture,’’ Ingeborg said. ‘‘Thank you so much.’’

  ‘‘Would you look at that?’’ Haakan turned over his shoulder so they could all hear.

  Astrid scrambled out from under the robe in the wagon bed. ‘‘What? What do you see?’’

  26

  ‘‘MRS. BJORKLUND, CAN YOU BE GONE for a bit?’’

  Sophie glanced up from her ledger. ‘‘Why, whatever is wrong, Mr.

  Wiste? You look all flustered.’’

  ‘‘Not flustered, but you must come see this.’’ He stayed on the mat by the front door so as not to track snow all over the entry.

  The man was nothing if not polite. ‘‘And what is it that I must come see?’’ She glanced down at the columns in the ledger as if they were the most important thing in her entire world. She really didn’t feel like getting all bundled up to go outdoors. While the February sun was shining, although heading toward the horizon, winter had yet to lose its lock on the land.

  ‘‘I think everyone in town is there.’’

  ‘‘Really?’’ She couldn’t help but get her interest piqued. ‘‘I need to be helping Mrs. Sam with supper soon.’’ She thanked God daily that Mrs. Sam had finally gotten well enough to return to work. Otherwise she and Lily Mae would be hard at it themselves. Finally she’d been able to take some time with her bookwork. Besides, no matter what was going on, stepping outside with Mr. Wiste would be pleasant. He makes anything pleasant. Now, where had that thought come from? ‘‘I’m sorry to hear that. It would be a shame to miss out.’’

  At the saddening look on his face, Sophie pushed back her chair. ‘‘All right, but I can’t be gone very long.’’ Feeling like giggling at the pleasure lighting his face, she fetched her wool coat out of her room, stopping in front of the mirror to nestle a black felt hat into her upswept hair and pin it in place. To keep her ears from freezing she added a long scarf under the collar of her coat so she could cover neck, ears, and even face if need be. At least she had warm boots on already, along with wool socks and a quilted woolen petticoat. There was always a draft coming down the lower hall and into the vestibule where her small desk hid right behind the higher counter for checking in guests.

  ‘‘Sorry it took so long.’’ She smiled at the waiting man as she joined him.

  His appreciative glance made her neck warm. ‘‘It was worth the wait.’’ He held the door for her and took her elbow as he let it close. ‘‘Be careful. It’s icy.’’

  ‘‘That’s because we’re in North Dakota. You didn’t have ice in the winter in Minnesota?’’

  ‘‘Not to the degree as here.’’

  Sophie heard laughter and people calling to each other from the other side of Penny’s store. She glanced up at Mr. Wiste.

  ‘‘You have to see it to believe it.’’

  ‘‘Hjelmer brought back another contraption.’’

  ‘‘What gives you that idea?’’

  A bang that sounded like three rifles firing at the same time made her want to duck. ‘‘Who’s shooting?’’ Surely there would be no hunting today, although anyone would be grateful to bag a deer. In fact, if someone shot one, she’d gladly pay for half of it. They’d not had venison on the menu for some time.

  ‘‘I don’t think anyone is.’’

  ‘‘Crank her again!’’ That was Hjelmer’s voice.

  ‘‘Horses don’t need no cranking,’’ someone shouted.

  They stopped at the end of the porch that fronted Penny’s store so they could see over the crowd. As Mr. Wiste mentioned, most everyone in Blessing was there—all in a big circle around a contraption, as she’d guessed.

  ‘‘It’s a horseless carriage.’’ Sophie had heard of them and had seen pictures of them in Thorliff ’s newspaper. Riding in one would surely be an adventure. Interesting that there might be adventures even here in Blessing. Now where had that thought come from?

  ‘‘They’re calling them automobiles now.’’

  ‘‘How long do I have to crank?’’ Andrew straightened from his efforts.

  ‘‘Until milking,’’ someone shouted.

  ‘‘It’ll fire any time now.’’ Hjelmer fiddled with some knobs and levers. ‘‘There now, try it again.’’

  Another explosion that puffed smoke out of the rear of the conveyance sounded even louder this close up. But this time the monster coughed and stood shaking with the engine rumbling.

  ‘‘Who’s going to ride with me?’’ Hjelmer asked, looking around the crowd.

  ‘‘You take it out on the roads here and you’ll get stuck for certain.’’

  Haakan shook his head.

  ‘‘Well, I drove it off the train and right to here, so I imagine we can go to the boardinghouse and back. Come on, get in.’’

  Haakan climbed in and settled into the seat. ‘‘Can’t be any worse than the steam engine.’’ He waved to Ingeborg. ‘‘Hang onto the horses, all of you. Over in Grafton they had two teams run away when the first of these came to town.’’ He turned to Hjelmer. ‘‘All right, what are you waiting for?’’

  Hjelmer shifted into reverse and gunned the engine. The wheels spun on the snow, throwing ice in every direction, but the automobile gave a little jerk and started backing up. The putt-putt of the engine made Sophie want to cover her ears.

  ‘‘Do they have to be so loud?’’

  ‘‘They’re getting better. I rode in one in Minneapolis before I came here. This must be the first one to come to Blessing.’’

  ‘‘As far as I know. I’ve seen pictures but never one moving. Look how fast they are going.’’

  ‘‘Won’t be long before they take over the horse.’’

  ‘‘Pa said the horseless carriage is just a fad.’’

  ‘‘I hate to argue with such a lovely young lady, but mark my words, they are here to stay and will only improve as time goes on. The combustion engine is just in its infancy.’’

  ‘‘How do you know so much about it?’’

  ‘‘Thought of buying one, but there aren’t enough roads for them yet.’’

  ‘‘Sophie!’’ Astrid and Grace pushed their way through the crowd and stepped up beside Sophie.

  ‘‘Good afternoon, Mr. Wiste,’’ Astrid said politely and then turned to Sophie. ‘‘I want to go riding in it. What about you?’’

  Sophie shook her head but nibbled on her bottom lip at the same time, the shaking turni
ng to nodding. She leaned out to watch Hjelmer turn the car in the middle of the street and pick up speed again on the return. They were going almost as fast as the train. But when Hjelmer tried to slow the thing down, it swerved and headed for the people gathered along the road to watch.

  ‘‘Look out! He’s in a skid,’’ Mr. Wiste yelled and began pulling people back. ‘‘Move fast. Get out of the way.’’

  ‘‘Hjelmer Bjorklund, what in the world are you doing now?’’ Penny leaped out of the way as the front end of the monster connected with one of the posts on the steps to the porch of her store. It shook and shuddered and the post and rail splintered, the crash of it filling the air. With a snort, the beast shivered to a quiet that sounded loud after the racket.

  ‘‘I’m sorry. I pressed on the brake pedal, and the thing took off all on its own.’’ Hjelmer stepped out of the carriage and lifted his hat to smooth his hair back. ‘‘Now, look what you went and did.’’ He shook his head at the car and the destruction it had caused.

  ‘‘You could have killed someone.’’

  ‘‘Or at least injured one of us.’’

  Hjelmer raised his hands, asking for silence.

  ‘‘I’m sorry for the scare. Guess I have more to learn about driving.’’

  ‘‘At least horses stop when you whoa them.’’

  Astrid leaned close to Sophie’s ear. ‘‘They all jumped around and ran like rabbits.’’

  Sophie tried to keep a straight face, but a snicker caught her by surprise. She clamped her mittened hands over her face to keep from laughing out loud, although her heart had nearly leaped out of her throat when that thing was heading straight for Penny. When she heard a harrumph behind her, she turned just enough to see Mrs. Valders glaring at her.

  Oh, now what? Sophie tried to close her ears, but it didn’t work.

  ‘‘Not even six months since her husband died, and here she is with another man.’’

  I hope Mr. Wiste can’t hear her. All I did was walk over with him to see what all the ruckus was about. No wonder even Mor complains about that woman at times.