by Dagny Rand
Rose looked at her sister
“Funny she’s never asked me anything like that about her.”
Kaylee had heard enough and ran up the stairs. Alice looked at her sister.
Chapter Two
Upstairs in her room, Kaylee held back her tears. Aunt Alice had no right to say those hurtful things about her and her mother just stood there. She didn’t defend her once. She looked on the floor near her bed where the magazine was. She picked it up and looked at a few of the classifieds stopping at one that caught her eye. “Comfortable thirty-three-year-old rancher interested in a young lady between the ages of twenty-six and thirty-three to marry. She must be willing to relocate to Wyoming near the town of Jackson. All inquiries will be kept confidential. Please send responses to this publication to Add M 34.”
“Well let’s see Mr. M 34 if I can get your attention.”
She spent the better part of the evening composing the letter stating her qualifications and interests. After her fourth try at the letter, she was pleased with it and placed it in the envelope. She glanced at the clock on the mantel and noticed it was already eleven o’clock. She got ready for bed she would mail the letter tomorrow.
Sometime during the night, the rain had stopped and the start of a new day promised to give us some sunshine. She came down the stairs only to find Rose had left her a note stating she was at Mrs. De Rosa’s. Kaylee left and headed for the post office to get the letter mailed. As she made her way to the window, she was greeted by Mr. Jensen.
“Well, morning Miss Kaylee. What can I do for you this morning? Horace Jensen had known Kaylee since she was a little girl. He always said she was one of the nicest girls in town and hard working.”
Kaylee smiled at him.
“I’d like to mail this letter Mr. Jensen, and could you tell me about how long it will take to get there?”
He looks at the address then back to her
“Well, it’s going to Chicago that will take at least five to six days Miss Kaylee. We get a lot of letters to go there. Is Miss Lucille sending for some of those new dresses that are in the catalogue?”
“Are you sure Mr. Jensen? By the way how do you know about the dresses Mr. Jensen?”
“Oh, Miss Kaylee most of the women in this town get this magazine every month. What I’d like to see is Miss Lucille making one of those dresses for you. You’d sure make a pretty bride Miss Kaylee.”
“Thank you, Mr. Jensen.”
Kaylee begins to blush as she smiles at the man and makes her way out of the post office and heads for Miss Lucille’s. As she makes her way up the main street she wonders if you would miss the city, would she be willing to give up all this and live on a peaceful stretch of land in Wyoming. To give up the hustle and bustle of White Plains and take life a bit slower. She realizes that she was thinking a bit ahead since she just sent the letter out and there was no guarantee that the mysterious M34 would even consider her from her letter. Standing there
Waiting for the traffic cop to allow her to cross the street, he does and she smiles at him.
As she got to the front door of the shop, she sees Aunt Alice in the waiting room at Lucille’s looking at the clock. She sees Kaylee walk in the door and immediately walks up to her.
“Kaylee, we’ve been waiting here for you for ten minutes!”
“Aunt Alice I’m on time I don’t have to get here until eight o’clock and its eight-o-one right now. The store doesn’t open until eight o’clock how did you get in?”
“Oh I had the cleaning staff let me in and I said you’re late!”
Her voice started to get louder and at this point, Miss Lucille‘s attention and she was walking over to them.
“Is there a problem here?”
Alice looked at Lucille.
“Yes, Your employee here is late and we had an appointment for eight o’clock this morning, and she comes in late, and now she’s denying I had an appointment, what type of establishment are you running that lets employees come in late and leave clients to wait?
Lucille looks at Kaylee.
“Miss Morrison is this true you had an appointment with Mrs….”
Alice looks at Lucille
“Whitfield, Alice Whitfield.”
Lucille nodded
“Did you have an appointment with Mrs. Whitfield Miss Morrison?”
“She says she did, we can check the appointment book to make sure.”
Lucille went over to the front desk and checked with the receptionist. In a few moments, she returns.
“I’m sorry Mrs. Whitfield but there is no appointment for you in the book.”
“That’s a lie! I tell you I demand to get service here and now.”
Lucille tries to calm her down.
“Mrs. Whitfield I can have you seen by another seamstress if that is agreeable to you.”
“I’m sorry I cannot agree on those conditions and I will not be using your facilities again. Good day.”
With that, she storms of the shop with her brother in law’s daughter. Lucille looks at Kaylee.
“I’m sorry, Miss Morrison.”
“No, I’m sorry Miss Lucille I should have been a bit more tactful with my aunt.”
“She’s your aunt?”
Kaylee puts her head down and nods.
“Well, there poses another problem. I’m sorry Kaylee I’m going to have to let you go. “
Kaylee looks at her.
“Let me go?”
“I just can’t afford to have her outburst like that with clients in the store. I’m sorry you’ll have to go.”
Kaylee looks at the woman who gave her a chance at a decent job and because her aunt she is now out of a job. When will it all end? This curse that seems to follow her.
Kaylee turns to leave when Lucille stops her.
“Kaylee wait a moment.”
She stepped into her office in a few minutes she returns.
“This is your salary for the days you’ve worked. Again I’m sorry to lose you, Kaylee.”
“I’m sorry to leave also.”
“Good luck Kaylee.”
She nods and walks out the door.
Chapter Three
For the next few weeks Kaylee tried to find some place to work, but thanks to her Aunt Alice and her vicious tongue the story of why Lucille let go of her was due to Kaylee’s incompetence. Of course it was a lie but it made sure no one would hire Kaylee. It seemed Alice was interested making sure her niece would never have success.
Three weeks had passed and Kaylee still had no job. She went to the post office each day hoping to get an answer. Right now it was the only hope she had left. She walked into the post office and saw a smile on Mr. Jensen’s face. As she got up to the window and Mr. Jensen hands her the letter.
“Is this what you were waiting for Kaylee?”
All Kaylee could think of was to get the letter and get home and read it.
“Oh thank you, Mr. Jensen, thank you so much.”
She headed out the post office and made her way back home when she noticed her aunt’s carriage in front of the house. Well going home was out of the question so she thought or a moment and decided the church would be the perfect place. It the quiet corner of the chapel up the street Kaylee sat and read the letter from the mysterious M34. “Dear Kaylee, I received your letter and am very interested in meeting you. I would be willing to have you come out to Wyoming where you can see for yourself that it truly is beautiful. If you find it’s what you are looking for we can make future arrangements, if it’s not what you are looking for I will pay for your way back home to New York. Enclosed you will find a picture of me and train fare for you to get out here. I await your response. Gil Cosgrove.”
She looked at the photograph and saw a handsome young man. He was tall well the impression in the photograph was his hair was light again with a black and white photograph one can only guess. I now had to make a decision. Do I want to go to Wyoming and get off this carousel once and for all? The
re was no question her choice was to leave.
Chapter Four
Once again Kaylee wrote to Mr. M34. This time, it was to inform him she would be delighted to come to Wyoming and should be expected in about three weeks after settling her affairs were in New York. Now came the hard part, telling her mother she was leaving. Funny after all these years she was starting to feel sorry for her mother and what will she do once she is gone. Of course, when Rose told Alice there was a family meeting, she looked at Kaylee.
“You are a selfish and ungrateful excuse for a daughter. After all your mother has done for you, you decide you are going to leave her and run off to some God forsaken town in Wyoming and face God only knows what.”
She started to something but her aunt silenced her.
“I warned your mother this day would come. I warned her you would disgrace the family. Going off to be a mail order bride, it’s a fancy word for what we all know it really is.”
With that, the room began to agree and speak in hushed tones.
“But since you have refused your duties to your mother before you leave I expect you to leave her enough money that she can live on for at least three months. It’s only fair since you can’t very well leave her penniless.”
Kaylee looked at her aunt.
“Three months why that’s …”
She stopped again knowing to argue about it would only prolong this meeting.
“Three months would be fine.”
“Good, then we will establish fifty dollars a month for three months to be left to your mother on the day you leave.”
“Fifty dollars for three months why that’s one hundred and fifty dollars!”
It was five days that Kaylee has been on the train headed for Wyoming. She was alone on the platform waiting for the train. No one came to see her off. She was so glad that there was no scene at the train station was short since she just told both her mother and aunt she was leaving and nothing more. She had stopped at Miss Lucille’s and purchased a dress, nothing fancy just something presentable when she got to Wyoming. She boards the car and finds a window seat and smiles at the conductor.
“Good morning ma’am.”
“Good morning.”
Suddenly the passengers boarded the train and within a half hour the train was on its way.
Back in Wyoming just out of the town of Jackson, Gil Cosgrove was having his ranch get prepared for Miss Morrison’s arrival. Lupe Vasquez and her husband Raul had been with Gil’s
Parents since Gil was born. After the senior Cosgrave’s pass on Lupe and Raul stayed on to help. It was Lupe who suggested Gil place that advertisement.
“Senor Gil, you’ve been alone too long, it’s time you find a fine woman to give you many little ones.”
A big small came to Lupe’s face. It’s true she and Raul never had children and since Gil knew that if he had children, Lupe would be a perfect babysitter. He looked up at Lupe.
“I’ll tell you what if I find a girl.”
Lupe corrects him.
“A lady. She must be a lady.”
“Alright if I find a lady and marry her how do you know she’ll want children?”
Oh Senor Gil, every lady wants children. Some of us can never have them.”
He had forgotten it was a sore subject with Lupe. Both she and Raul would be wonderful parents yet they had been married all those years and no children. Gil knew she would love to see little ones running around the house.
“Well, Lupe I know if there are any little ones running around this ranch you can be the one to catch them. Is that a deal?”
The woman smiles at him.
“Oh Senor Gil, I will run after the little ones.”
She smiles and heads back to get Gil’s breakfast with Raul behind her.
“Buenos dias Senor Gil.”
“Good morning Raul.”
Raul sits at the table as Lupe places a cup of coffee in front of him.
“So Senor Gil do you want to get the herd done from the north ridge today?”
“It’s getting pretty cold up there we can’t hold them up there too much longer. So far we’ve been lucky.”
Raul gets up and heads for the door.
“I’ll get the men together.”
Lupe comes in as Raul heads out the door.
“Senor Gil, I want to remind you that in three days the Senorita from back east will be here. I do hope you are prepared to be at the station to meet her.”
“There will be someone to meet her. I promise.”
“Bueno, now finish your breakfast.”
An hour later Gil and his men were on the north ridge getting the herd down from the mountain. It was Raul who came beside him as they watch the herd coming down the mountain pass.
“So tell me amigo are you anxious to meet the Senorita?”
“Oh I guess a little after all I only have her picture to go by.”
He takes her picture from his pocket to show to Raul. Raul takes a look at the photograph then looks back at Gil.
“Lupe was right the Senorita is a pretty lady. What do you think amigo.”
“Well she’s pretty but it’s just a picture.”
“But such a picture amigo.”
We’ll see Raul, we’ll see.”
Lupe was busy at the house the changing Gil’s old bedroom and now the store room into a guest room for the Senorita. She removed all the old curtains and bedcovers of bright and sunny bedroom. Lupe herself is excited to have another woman at the house to talk to. On she hoped the young woman would stay not just for company but for Gil also.
Chapter Five
The herd was moving slowly down the mountain pass, for some reason, the ground was soft a bit too soft for this time of year. Suddenly Gil’s horse slipped and started to tumble sending Gil off the horse and sliding down the hill unable to stop. Raul tries to reach him in time but he had gone half way down the ridge and had broken his leg in the process. Raul throws a rope around Gil and stops him from falling any farther. He gets off his horse and runs to Gil.
“I’m glad I was able to stop you, amigo. Lupe would skin me alive if anything happened to you, especially now when the senorita is coming.”
Gil looks up at his foreman.
“As it is she still might skin you, Raul. I’ve got a busted leg.’’
“Well, I’m sorry amigo I’m gonna have to get you back to the house and then come back here and finish the job.”
Lupe was hanging out the wash when she noticed wagon heading toward the house. She knew something was wrong when she saw Raul was driving the wagon. He drives up to the front porch and jumps off the wagon.
“Lupe ven aquí rápido, rapido!”
“¿Qué pasa? Qué ha pasado
“It’s Gil he’s been hurt, help me get him in the house I’ll go into town and get the doctor.”
Raul grabs his arms and puts Gil over his shoulder and takes him in the house with Lupe ahead of him.
“How did this happen?”
“We were on the north ridge and the ground was too soft his horse lost his footing and Gil went sliding down the hill. I tried to stop him but he was falling so fast. When I got my rope around him and stopped him, he had already broken his leg.”
Lupe looks at Gil.
“Senor Gil look what you have done to yourself.”
He looks up at her and tries to smile
“It ain’t so bad Lupe I still have another leg.”
“Te dije que tenga cuidado. Que la señorita venía..”
“In English Lupe, English.”
The woman looks at him
“I was saying I told you to be careful. That the Senorita was coming.”
She looks at him even with his face covered in dirt and scratched he still was her little Gil. Yes, she favored him always and treated him as her own but there were times he did try her patience.”
When the doctor confirmed the leg was broken in not one but two places everyone knew it meant six weeks in a cast
for Gil.
“Don’t worry Doc I’ll be riding in two weeks.”
“I’m not letting you leave this house Gil. If you push that leg, you’ll end up doing more damage to it. I want your promise you will not do anything until the six weeks is up.”
The doctor looked at Lupe.
“Lupe you see he follows my orders. “
“Yes, doctor. Doctor Senor Gil has a Senorita coming to visit in a few days can he go to the train station to meet her?”
“Absolutely not. Someone can go get her and bring her here.”
Raul walked out of the room with the doctor and on to the porch with him.
“Raul, make sure he doesn’t get out of the bed for any reason than to sit on the porch and not to do that until three days have passed. I want that break to heal. I gave him something to make him sleep. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Si Doctor.”
The doctor leaves and Raul walks back into the house, to find Lupe waiting for him.
“Raul, did I not tell you to make sure nothing happened to Gil?”
“Chiquita, he’s going to be fine. You know he’s strong and besides it’s one way to keep him on the ranch while the Senorita is here.”
“Estúpido how can he show the Senorita around with his leg in a cast?”
“You really should stick to one language Lupe you’re starting to confuse even me.”
Raul went into Gil’s room and just sat by his bedside. He was sleeping peacefully and that was a good sign. He knew Lupe was mad but she’ll get over it, she’s like most women, they get mad for a while and then they’re fine.
Three days had passed and they had to practically tie Gil to his bed to stay down. Raul took in his morning breakfast and he threw it out the door.
“I will not do any of this stuff. I want a real breakfast. You can’t keep me tied up here, I have a ranch to run.”
Lupe comes back in and looks at him.
“Senor Gil I have tried to do as the doctor said but you are not making it easy. Now I am having
Raul come in here and get you cleaned up the Senorita is coming today and I will not let her see you looking like a cerdo.”