Reluctant Volunteer
Nalin held her husband's hand and surveyed the crowd. She felt tired and nauseated but also thrilled to be at such a momentous event. Women far outnumbered men in the street. Husbands of suffragettes like her own dotted the scene. A raised platform had been erected in the center of Main Street, and the dense crowd lined the street in six blocks going both directions from the stage. The organizers of the event could be distinguished by their white sashes, which spelled out their names. One such organizer made her way through the masses handing out gold sashes for the attendees that said "Votes for Women."
"Welcome, ma'am," the woman said to Nalin. "I'm Mrs. Elizabeth Stanton."
Elizabeth was several decades older than she and Carter. Her voice was soft, and she had a matronly, kind look about her. Nalin took a shine to her right away.
"I'm Nalin Barnes, and this is my husband, Carter. I'm honored to meet an organizer of this great event, Mrs. Stanton."
Elizabeth shook Nalin's hand and then Carter's. Nalin placed the green sash over her head.
"Mrs. Barnes, we're honored by your attendance here, too. We need all the support we can get." Turning to Carter, she said, "We're grateful to you also, sir, for being here with your wife. Would you care for a sash as well?"
Carter took it and wrapped it around his chest good-naturedly, and Mrs. Stanton smiled widely in appreciation of his gesture.
"Does Miss Susan B. Anthony still plan to speak today?" Nalin asked.
"Yes, she's the second speaker. You won't want to miss her. A more intelligent, persuasive women never existed."
A ruckus nearby interrupted their conversation and averted their attentions. Law officers had corralled a group of screaming women and fastened cuffs to their wrists. One deputy punched a woman who refused to still herself for the cuffing, sending her to the ground and leaving her face bloody.
Nalin felt fear, and she gripped her husband's arm. She turned to Elizabeth. "What did those women do wrong?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "Nothing much, probably. Most of the deputies are overzealous and misogynistic. Avoid them if you can. Many women will be arrested and imprisoned today, but we will ensure their release tomorrow. I must continue to hand out sashes. Take care, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes. Very nice to meet you."
Nalin looked up at Carter, who was frowning in the direction of the arrests. He addressed her, his brow furrowed. "Let's move back a little, Nalin."
Nalin wished to move forward toward the platform but didn't argue. Carter was already upset about their hotel arrangement. There were no hotel rooms available nearby, forcing them to take up at one two miles from the convention, which they'd have to walk to at the end of the day. Their horse and buggy were in the livery stable a block from the hotel, the only stable not completely filled in the general vicinity. Consequently, there was no place for Nalin to rest during the convention if she became ill or tired. Nalin tried to assure Carter that she'd be fine, but he wasn't convinced and wore a fixed scowl on his face.
Nalin felt invigorated seeing the determined faces of so many women united in a common goal. Many women held signs. A popular one stated, "To Ask for Freedom Is Not a Crime." Nalin thought those particular signs must be a result of the arrests that happened at every convention.
A hush befell the crowd, and Nalin observed the first speaker climbing the steps onto stage. She introduced herself as Miss Victoria Smith. After formalities and welcoming words, she got to her main point.
"Suffragettes, my call to action today is for you to vote in the upcoming election. I must warn you that it is illegal for women to do so most places. You may be arrested. If you are, we urge you to file suit in federal courts demanding that your right to vote be recognized. I realize this requires a great deal of courage, but courage is required if we are to cause change."
Nalin felt in awe of the woman speaking. She wondered whether she herself would ever possess the courage to do such a bold thing as vote illegally. She looked over to find Carter frowning at her, most likely wondering the same thing. Carter held her gaze for only a moment, then returned to scanning the crowd, clearly disturbed by the mayhem, which was only becoming worse. Two deputies stormed the stage and slapped handcuffs on the speaker. The crowd reacted with boos and shouting. Expletives exited the mouths of women all around them, and some people threw food at the deputies in protest.
Nalin felt horrified and scared once again. "Carter, why are they arresting Miss Smith?"
Carter shook his head. "I don't know, honey."
"Do you think it's because she asked us to break the law?"
"That would be my guess, though it's not right if so. She's allowed free speech, even if it's not agreeable to some people's ears."
Nalin felt her heart swell with pride at her husband's words. His sense of right and wrong didn't waver, despite his skepticism over the women's suffrage cause. She realized then that her husband's stubborn streak, which didn't allow for much sway in opinion, was also responsible for his steadfast morality.
Nalin felt a strong wave of nausea. "Oh no," she said under her breath.
She released Carter's hand and moved away from him quickly. She hated for her husband to see her vomit. It was vain, she knew, but she didn't relish the thought of him seeing sick spewing from the same lips that kissed him. Having successfully struggled a distance away from him, she searched desperately for a place to be sick. She couldn't see a single empty spot on the ground. People crowded around her and she felt herself get carried away by them. Desperate, she pushed through with all her might, trying to get to the edge of the masses before throwing up. She didn't make it. Sinking to the ground, she heaved into the dirt and onto an unlucky woman's shoe.
"Damn it," she said. "I'm so sor—" Before she could apologize, she was throwing up again. Oh, the mortification. She felt like every eye was on her, while people accidentally kicked her in the tight shuffle. From her spot on the ground, she looked around but didn't see Carter. Billowing skirts allowed for no visual insight past a few feet, and she deeply regretted letting go of his hand. Tears stung her eyes. How would she find him now?
Apologizing to the strangers around her, she stood and pushed toward a place that looked free from people, gasping for air. Finally, she found herself in an empty alley with a stray dog. She fell to her knees and threw up again. Exhausted, she moved away from the vomit but remained seated in the dirt. She leaned against the side of the building in the alley. She needed water, but Carter held the canteen. Her throat felt like she'd swallowed sand, and she thought with some amusement that she'd probably done just that while gasping for air on the ground. The dog licked her face and she gave him a scratch on the head. He lay down and flipped on his back, and Nalin rubbed the dog's belly while she thought about what to do.
She knew she needed to muster up the energy to find Carter in the crowd. If she couldn't find him, she needed to go somewhere he would think to look. The only logical meeting place Nalin could think of was the hotel. She decided that after hearing Miss Anthony's speech, she would try to see if she could spot him, and if she couldn't, she'd walk the two miles to the hotel and wait for him there. Eventually he would show up if he hadn't already had the same thought and beaten her there.
Nalin stayed in the alley with the dog, feeling comforted by the animal's simple friendship amongst so much complexity and chaos. She gave him the bread and cheese she had on her person, since she didn't feel like eating it anyway. A booming female voice brought her to attention. The voice introduced herself as Susan B. Anthony. With some effort, Nalin stood to her feet and tried to catch a glimpse of her. She strained her eyes and was just barely able to see the tall, dark-haired lady with the confident voice.
"As you have just observed, my friend and fellow suffragette has been taken into custody. No advanced step taken by women has been so bitterly contested as that of speaking in public. For that we've been cruelly abused, condemned, and antagonized. I am saddened that you witnessed this today, but
I also think it important. You've now seen with your own eyes the injustice delivered to women who wish only to speak their minds and to have their ideas given equal credence to men's. We wish no more than men, but no less than them either. These are the most basic principles of equality."
Nalin continued to listen to the end with unremitting attention. Anthony made her points in a strong yet compassionate manner. Nalin wondered if Carter was listening and if he felt any shift in his beliefs after hearing her words. She desperately wished her husband was by her side. She scanned the multitude of people. For being a tall man amongst women, he was dreadfully hidden, but she recognized that her vantage point wasn't good. She was short, and she couldn't see to the top or other side of the crowd. Nearly depleted of energy, she didn't have the strength to insert herself back amongst the people. She decided to delay the journey to the hotel no longer. She felt sick, thirsty, and more tired than she could ever remember feeling before. Upon scanning the crowd one last time in the hopes of seeing Carter, to no avail, she turned and left the convention.
The walk seemed to take an hour, but it took no longer than half that. Nalin felt grateful that the innkeeper recognized her and let her into their room even though Carter held the key. She worried over the fact that Carter had not yet returned to the hotel, which meant he was still looking for her in the crowd. This knowledge gave Nalin pause. She wondered if her decision to return to the hotel was the right one after all. She sighed wearily. Regardless, it would have to be good enough. She didn't have the energy to return to the convention.
Nalin took a long drink from the pitcher of water in their room. The dust kicked up by the crowd clung to her sweaty skin and dress. She thought about requesting hot water for a bath, but decided she was too tired and wished only to sleep. She stripped out of all of her clothes except her shift and drawers and climbed into the bed. Although it wasn't as comfortable as the bed from the previous hotel, exhaustion ensured she fell into an immediate deep sleep.
# # #
Carter couldn't find Nalin anywhere. One moment she was holding his hand, the next she was gone. He pushed to the edge of the crowd. He stood on a mounting block near a water trough to observe the masses of people. He couldn't spot her. Rubbing a hand around his face, he thought about how best to find her. He knew she was excited to listen to Susan B. Anthony's speech, so she likely would be stationary at that time, which meant he should search for her then. If they were both searching and moving about at the same time, they'd be more likely to miss each other in passing.
Using that line of thought, he stayed in one place, constantly scanning the crowd from his perch on the block until Miss Anthony took the stage. While she spoke, he forged into the masses to perform an up-close search. No luck. When the speech ended, of which he hadn't heard a word, he questioned people. Describing his wife, he asked everyone in the general vicinity of where they'd been standing if they'd seen her. After a half hour, he received some helpful information.
A woman furrowed her brow. "I may have seen her. Not sure whether she's one and the same, but a woman fitting that description fell on the dirt and threw up on someone's shoe."
Carter felt sadness hit him. That had to be Nalin, and he knew that experience would have been mortifying for her. "What happened to her after that?"
"Sorry, mister, I can't say for sure. Last I saw, she was struggling to get to the edge of the assembly, probably trying to find a better place to be sick."
"Which way did she go?"
The woman pointed. Carter thanked her and headed in that direction. He reached an alleyway where a dog sat and thumped his tail at him in greeting. His eyes fell on what he guessed was Nalin's vomit on the ground. He looked around but didn't see her. He closed his eyes and tried not to panic. His wife was alone and sick, and he couldn't think of how to find her. Not knowing what else to do, he continued to search for another hour without success.
He witnessed four women being arrested roughly and suddenly felt a new kind of concern. She wouldn't have gotten arrested, would she have? No, that was impossible, he assured himself, trying to settle his panicked thoughts. His wife had a mouth on her and a rebellious streak, but she showed real fear at witnessing a brutal arrest earlier, and he didn't think she'd put herself in that kind of danger. Still, he didn't have any better ideas, so he found his way to the jail. He told the sheriff his predicament and asked that he be allowed to check the cells to make sure his wife wasn't locked in one of them. Carter could hardly believe what he was asking. Never in his wildest imagination would he have guessed he would one day ask to see whether his wife was behind bars.
The sheriff reluctantly agreed and took him to the back hall, which was lined with cells. Carter felt ill at the sight and the smell. At least a hundred women had been stuffed into the cramped spaces. They were so packed in that not all of them could sit at the same time. They looked at him with hopeful expressions, which didn't make sense to Carter. He was a stranger to them and a man of imposing appearance. Men of his rough look were what got them here.
The hall had no windows and the air inside was hotter than the air outside. He immediately began sweating profusely. He didn't see water, let alone food for the prisoners. A full pot of waste was present in each cell. The human waste, combined with body odor produced by sweating in the blazing temperature, filled the hall with a gut-wrenching stench. Women's moans and coughs echoed from the walls. Carter knew after moments spent observing each cell that Nalin was not one of the unfortunate lot. He felt relieved not to find her there but also concerned that his search was going nowhere.
Although he wasn't particularly in the mood to be chivalrous or even civilized, he decided to comment on the prisoners' conditions. Addressing the sheriff after they'd returned to the front of the jail, he said, "Sir, I would ask that you provide these women with water immediately and empty their chamber pots in a timely fashion. What's happening here isn't proper. Animals are treated better."
The sheriff glowered at him. "I don't have enough deputies to maintain order in this damned flusteration, let alone one to play nursemaid. Care to volunteer for the tasks?"
Carter closed his eyes, feeling frustrated and impatient. He wished only to search for Nalin, not to become involved in the workings of the jail. That he felt a sense of duty and compassion toward the prisoners enraged him, especially because he couldn't ignore it.
"I guess I volunteer, sheriff," he said through his teeth. "Point me to the well."
The sheriff did so and Carter went about pumping water into the first large bucket. He scratched his chest and felt that he was still wearing the suffrage sash. It dawned on him. No wonder the women looked at him like he was their knight in shining armor. Fisting the green material, he ripped it off and threw it onto the ground next to the well. He would not be associated with this suffrage nonsense! He would only ensure that none of those blasted women died from lack of water. Then he would find Nalin and get her the hell out of this place.
He lugged a bucket into each cell. The women swarmed around them. They drank water desperately from their hands in the absence of cups, another shame forced upon them, but at least they wouldn't die of thirst. He planted a bucket into the final cell.
A hoarse voice addressed him. "Thank you, Mr. Barnes."
Carter's head snapped up, shocked to hear his name amongst so many unfamiliar faces. A woman stepped forward. He recognized her as Elizabeth Stanton, the event organizer who gave the sashes to him and his wife. Her lip bled, and her left eye was swollen nearly shut. Carter felt furious upon seeing the condition of her face. He had met her only briefly, but he couldn't imagine how the soft-spoken older woman could have done anything that warranted such rough treatment by the authorities.
"I'm a very reluctant volunteer, Mrs. Stanton, but you're welcome for the water. These conditions are appalling, and I couldn't very well do nothing."
"That's where you're wrong. You could have. Most people do just that, Mr. Barnes—nothing. The spirits of
many women will break tonight in these cells, which is the point of the arrests, but at least no one will suffer dehydration thanks to you. What brings you to the jail?"
Carter briefly explained his hunt for Nalin. He told her the name of the hotel where they were staying and how it was two miles away. He explained how the distance wouldn't allow Nalin to take breaks and rest like she should in her pregnant state. Worse, now she was sick and lost in the crowd.
"I'm sorry you haven't found her yet," she said. "But try not to worry. I saw fire in that little girl's eyes. She knows how to take care of herself. Men sometimes forget that women aren't helpless."
He shook the hand she offered him through the bars. "I'm grateful to you for reminding me of that, Mrs. Stanton. Best of luck to you and your cause."
She smiled, wincing when she did, having forgotten about her split lip. "I hope one day you'll see it as your cause too, Mr. Barnes. I saw fire in your wife's eyes, and I see integrity in yours."
Carter tipped his hat. Next he went about dumping the waste from each cell's chamber pot. He returned the pots empty for further use. He uttered curses the entire time he spent performing the chores instead of searching for Nalin. Finished with dumping the waste after twenty long minutes, Carter scrubbed his hands with soap and water and strode back outside to the fresher-smelling chaos to continue his search. Another hour passed without luck.
Carter leaned against a beam at a storefront and tried to think. He held his forehead in his hand until an idea struck him. Perhaps she grew tired and returned to the hotel. He'd been operating under the assumption that she would ignore all signs of discomfort and weariness in favor of staying at the convention until the end, but it was possible she paid attention to her needs and thought to get some rest. Inspired by this new idea, he practically ran the two miles to the hotel, praying he would find her there. Taking two steps at a time, he climbed the stairs to their room and unlocked the door.
Carter's eyes settled on her, and he could have wept. Nalin slept soundly in the bed, not even stirring at the noise of his entrance. He closed the door quietly and sank into a chair at the small round table. He stared at her, relief flooding every part of his body and relaxing his tense muscles.
The Submissive Suffragette (Lone Star Love Book 1) Page 7