Ransom of Love

by Al Lacy

  Even as Dan was shaking hands with the young man, he looked up and saw Benjamin coming out of car number three.

  “There’s my friend now!” he said. “Excuse me!”

  The trio watched as Dan hurried across the platform toward a tall, muscular young Negro.

  Jules swore. “Will you look at that! That is his new ranch hand?”

  “Must be, Dad,” said Wyatt.

  All three looked on, stunned. Their astonishment intensified when they saw the two men hug each other and pound each other on the back.

  Jules swore again. “Will you look at that!”

  “Uncle Jules,” Nat said, “how far is this guy’s ranch from yours?”

  “ ’Bout three miles.”

  “Well, you can be glad it ain’t any closer. Not with that black dude livin’ there.”

  “Uh-oh,” said Wyatt. “He’s bringin’ him over here.”

  “Well, I ain’t shakin’ hands with him,” Jules said.

  As Dan and Benjamin drew up, Dan said, “Gentlemen, I’d like for you to meet my best friend, Benjamin.”

  Jules’s face twisted into a mask of repugnance. “You just ruined what kind of neighbors we might have been, Johnson,” he said.

  Dan’s head bobbed in disbelief.

  Open contempt showed in Wyatt’s eyes as he looked at Benjamin and said, “Don’t be comin’ around our place. We shoot blackies.”

  “Let’s get outta here, boys,” Jules said and led his son and nephew away.

  Dan drew in a long breath. “Benjamin, I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t let it bother you, Mr. Dan. I’m used to it.”

  Moments later, they reached the Circle J wagon in the parking lot, and Dan said, “Just drop your knapsack in the bed, alongside the groceries and supplies, Benjamin.”

  “All right, Mr. Dan.”

  When they climbed up in the seat and sat down, Dan said, “That’s twice.”

  “Pardon me?”

  “I told you when you came here you would no longer call me ‘Mr. Dan.’ From now on, it’s just plain Dan. Okay?”

  Benjamin chuckled. “Yes, sir. And I told you it would take me a while to get used to it.”

  “Well, you work on it, my friend. The other four ranch hands just call me Dan. Since you’re not only a Circle J cowboy, but my very best friend, you address me without the mister.”

  Benjamin laughed. “I’ll sure try!”

  When they were out of town and driving through cattle country, Benjamin kept saying how good it was to see herds of beef cattle again.

  Soon they turned onto Johnson property and Benjamin got more excited when he saw cattle with the Circle J brand. He marveled at the beauty of the ranch.

  As they were approaching the thick stand of cottonwoods, Dan said, “So, is everything still on schedule for Priscilla’s wedding?”

  “Sure is. Still August 8. And Dorena’s expecting me to get her shortly thereafter.”

  “Good. Guess I might as well show you the surprise I have for you.”

  Benjamin chortled. “You didn’t go and get married and not tell me, did you?”

  “No!” said Dan, laughing. His mind went to Tracie McCleod, but no one on the ranch knew about her or about the fact that he had placed mail order bride ads in eastern papers.

  As the wagon passed through the cottonwoods, Dan’s thoughts stayed on Tracie for a moment. He was eagerly waiting to hear back from her.

  As they neared the clearing, he pointed with his chin toward the ranch house, barn, and outbuildings. “Here’s home, Benjamin! What do you think of it?”

  Benjamin could not find enough adjectives to express his pleasure. As they came nearer, he glanced past the ranch house and pointed at a long, low-roofed structure with several windows. “Is that the bunkhouse?”

  “Sure is.”

  “My new home!”

  “For a while. You know, we haven’t discussed where you and Dorena are going to live when she gets here.”

  “You’re right, Mr.—I mean, Dan. I knew I would be living in the bunkhouse with the other ranch hands, but I hadn’t given any thought to what I would do when I brought my bride here.”

  “Well, I did. Remember I said I had a surprise for you?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “A simple yes is good enough, Benjamin. None of the cowboys on this ranch call me sir.”

  Benjamin chuckled. “Yes, sir!”

  As the wagon came near the house, Dan kept the horses at the same pace and drove past the barn, sheds, and bunkhouse. It was then that Benjamin saw four men working on a new structure at the edge of a stand of trees. As they got closer, he could tell that it was a log cabin. The roof was on and the log walls were going up on the framework.

  As Dan drew rein in front of the cabin, the four men laid down their tools and headed toward them.

  Dan introduced Benjamin to Jose Martinez, Tim Cook, Chad Underwood, and Floyd Shaffer, who gave him a warm welcome.

  “Now, Benjamin,” Dan said, gesturing toward the cabin, “here’s the surprise I had for you. This is the house where you will carry your bride over the threshold when she comes.”

  Benjamin’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

  “Like it?”

  Benjamin finally was able to say, “I love it! Dorena will love it!” With that, he pounded Dan on the back and said, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

  “These fellas and I have been working on it a little at a time,” Dan said. “We figure to have it done and furnished by late July. In the meantime, you can live in the bunkhouse.”

  “Sounds great to me. I will tell Dorena about the cabin in my first letter. It will encourage her to know she will have her own house to live in.”

  “You tell her, my friend,” Dan said. “And tell her we’re looking forward to the time when she lives here on the ranch.”

  “I will, M—ah … I will, Dan!”

  It was on Wednesday, June 3, that Dan received a letter postmarked from Madison, Wisconsin, and with the name Tracie McCleod beautifully written in the upper left-hand corner. Unable to wait till he got home to read the letter, he jumped in the wagon, dropped the other mail on the seat beside him, and ripped open the envelope.

  When he unfolded the letter, his eyes fell on a photograph that showed him a beautiful young blond with a sweet smile and very expressive eyes. “Oh, Tracie,” he said, “you are a sight to behold!”

  While carefully holding the picture, Dan’s gaze hungrily took in the words of her letter. When he came to the explanation of her great heartache, and he read of Harold Liston’s death, he said aloud, “Bless your heart, Tracie. That had to be rough.”

  When Tracie told him how she had gotten peace from the Lord through her pastor and his wife, and they helped her to realize she must not feel guilty for wanting to find the man of God’s choice and marry, he said, “Bless your sweet heart again, little lady.”

  When he finished reading the letter, he looked at the picture again, holding it as if it were some great treasure. Waving the letter toward heaven, he said, “Thank You, Lord! Thank You!”

  People walking past the wagon stared at him, but he was oblivious as he slipped the letter and photograph back in the envelope, put the horses in motion, and drove down the wide, dusty street. Moments later, he hauled up in front of the town photographer’s studio.

  On June 9, Tracie McCleod arrived at the boardinghouse late in the afternoon and looked in the cubbyhole that held her mail. When she saw the letter from Dan Johnson, her pulse quickened. She snatched up the letter and hurriedly made her way down the hall to her room. When she had closed the door behind her, she opened the letter with trembling fingers.

  Inside the folded letter was a photograph of a handsome, dark-haired man wearing a big smile. Tracie smiled back at him and said, “Well, Mr. Dan Johnson, aren’t you the rugged good-looker!” Folded next to the photograph were several fifty-dollar bills.

  Her hand still shook as she held the letter and read i
t. Dan told her that after much prayer and seeking the Lord’s guidance, he felt perfect peace about asking her to come to San Antonio with the prospect of becoming his bride. He would provide her a place to live until they married. He thanked her for the photograph, telling her she looked a great deal like he had pictured her in his mind, but that she was more beautiful than he could have imagined.

  Tracie felt a swelling in her throat as she read the words, Tracie, somehow I love you already, even though we haven’t yet met face-to-face.

  He went on to explain that the money with the letter was for her travel expenses, and he asked her to come as soon as possible.

  Tears spilled down Tracie’s cheeks. As she wiped them away, she said, “Dear Lord, You have worked in my life in a marvelous way. I know in my heart this is the man You have chosen for me. It’s a little frightening, Lord. You understand. Just help me to be the wife Dan deserves.”

  The next morning, when Tracie entered the office building and headed down the hall, her heart was fluttering with joy. She would talk to the office manager and give her two-week notice. With that done, she would go to the railroad depot after work and buy the tickets for her trip to Texas. That evening she would write to Dan and give him her train schedule.

  Inside the office of the Madison Land Management Company, Tracie saw no sign of Leah Desmond yet.

  Glancing toward the rear of the large room, she saw that the office manager’s door was open. Bill Campbell was always at work ahead of the rest of the employees.

  Tracie opened a bottom drawer in her desk and dropped her purse in, then closed it and moved toward Bill Campbell’s office.

  Her movement in the doorway caused Campbell to look up. “Oh! Good morning, Tracie.”

  She noted a dismal look in his eyes that was not ordinarily there.

  “Good morning, sir, I—”

  “Come on in,” said Campbell. “I need to talk to you.”

  “I need to talk to you, too, sir.”

  When Tracie was seated, Campbell said, “Ladies first.”

  “Mr. Campbell, you don’t look like you feel well. I can talk to you later.”

  “Oh, no. I’m not sick, Tracie. Just a bit upset. But go ahead.”

  Tracie told her boss that she was going to San Antonio, Texas, to get married.

  “I’m so happy for you, Tracie! But …” Frowning, Campbell said, “How … ah … how soon are you planning to leave?”

  “I thought I would give you the usual two-week notice, sir.”

  Campbell shook his head and looked down.

  “Is two weeks not enough, Mr. Campbell?”

  “Well, let me tell you what I needed to talk to you about.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Yesterday, after you left the office, Leah quit her job.”

  “What? You mean she’s gone?”

  “Yes. She cleaned out her desk immediately after quitting.”

  “Did she say why she was leaving so suddenly?”

  “No. Just that she had to get out of Madison right now and that she was leaving on a train last night.”

  Tracie’s heart sank. “So, my giving notice just now has your back against the wall?”

  “It sure does. Tracie, I hate to ask you this, but I need you to stay until I can find someone to take Leah’s place. Then I’ll need you here long enough to train her. And in the meantime, I’ll have to find another secretary to take your place. Could—will you do this for me? I know it’s asking a lot, since you’ve no doubt set a date for your wedding.”

  Tracie thought of Dan’s message to come to San Antonio as soon as possible. But she did owe a lot to this company. She had been there for almost four years and they had been good to her … especially Bill Campbell.

  “Well, sir,” she said, her throat dry. “I feel I owe you this. I’ll do it.”

  Campbell wiped a palm over his brow. “Oh, thank you, Tracie! Thank you! I’ll get busy right away and advertise for someone to take Leah’s place.”

  On Monday, June 15, Dan Johnson sat in his wagon in front of the post office, reading Tracie’s long letter. She had started the letter by telling him she felt it was God’s will for her to come to San Antonio with the prospect of becoming his bride. She added that just as he was finding that he loved her already, she was feeling the same toward him. This had put Dan’s heart to pounding with elation.

  Tracie went on to explain that she had gone into her boss’s office on June 10 to give her two-week notice and then planned to go to the railroad depot after work and purchase her tickets. When Dan read that her coming would be delayed, and why, disappointment washed over him. However, he could see what she was up against and appreciated her loyalty to the Madison Land Management Company.

  On Tuesday, June 16, Tracie was at her desk when a Western Union messenger came into the office and said, “Ma’am, I have a telegram for Miss Tracie McCleod. Where might I find her?”

  “You’re looking at her,” Tracie said with a smile.

  As soon as the messenger was out the door, she opened the yellow envelope and took out the telegram. Tears filled her eyes as she read it. Pressing it to her heart, she said, “Thank You, Lord. Dan is such an understanding person.”

  After work that afternoon, she went to the Western Union office and sent a wire to Dan. She told him that two women had applied for the job Leah had vacated. She would keep him posted by mail how it was going and when to expect her. She closed off the telegram: “Love, Tracie.”

  As the weeks passed and Benjamin learned about Texas cattle ranching, he wrote to Dorena every week, letting her know of his progress and of the growing success of the ranch.

  Dorena wrote back each time, saying how much she missed him and how much she was looking forward to the day when Benjamin came to get her. In each letter, she asked questions about the cabin and how it was coming along.

  DAN KEPT HIMSELF QUITE BUSY at the ranch to help the time pass quickly. He prayed many times a day, asking the Lord to give the Madison Land Management Company a new secretary so Tracie would soon be free to come to Texas. He was tempted to tell Benjamin about her so that he could pray about it, too, but his desire to surprise Benjamin was too strong. He would just pray twice as much.

  Benjamin loved the church and was becoming friends with many people. He and Pastor Mike Custer were growing closer as Benjamin shared his plans to ransom Dorena, marry her, and bring her to San Antonio, and they spent time praying about it together.

  On June 23, Dan received a letter from Tracie, telling him that the two applicants had not worked out.

  Dan stayed awake that night into the wee hours, praying that the Lord would take control of the situation and let Bill Campbell find the right woman to take Leah’s job. He sent a letter to Tracie the next day, telling her how much he wanted her to be there with him, and that he was praying extra hard and long about the situation.

  Letters were exchanged twice more, with no change at the Madison Land Management Company.

  On Tuesday, July 7, Dan left his five cowhands at the corral, where Chad Underwood was breaking a newly purchased horse to the saddle. As Dan neared the ranch house, he saw a rider galloping across the prairie toward him. When the rider skidded his mount to a stop, he recognized Bobby Finch, one of the Western Union messengers.

  “I’ve got a telegram for you, Mr. Johnson,” said Bobby.

  “Would it be from Madison, Wisconsin?”

  “Sure is,” said the young man as he took a yellow envelope from his saddlebag. “Here you go.”

  Dan’s pulse quickened as he signed for the envelope.

  As Bobby galloped away, Dan hurried into the house, saying, “Oh, Lord, is this going to tell me my prayers are answered?”

  His eyes scanned the lines. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “Thank You, Lord!”

  Bill Campbell had hired two women on the same day to take the places of Leah Desmond and Tracie McCleod. Tracie explained that she would train them through Friday, July 17. She would board a
train for Chicago on Saturday and be in Houston on Monday, then arrive in San Antonio at 2:00 P.M. on Tuesday.

  Dan went to his bedroom and fell on his knees for a private praise service. When he returned to the corral, it was all he could do to keep from telling his men that his prospective bride was coming. But he wanted to surprise them—especially Benjamin.

  Chad Underwood was now trotting the stallion around the corral to the cheers of his fellow cowboys when Dan approached and told them he was going into town.

  As he headed into the barn to saddle his horse, Benjamin called to him.

  Dan turned and smiled. “Yes?”

  “Bring me a letter from Dorena. It has been eight days since I received her last one.”

  “I’ll do my best,” said Dan, and hurried into the barn.

  The sun was lowering in the sky when Dan stepped into the bunkhouse where the men had their supper on the stove. Benjamin’s eyes lit up when he saw Dorena’s letter.

  Later in the evening, when a full moon was rising over the Texas prairie, there was a knock at the back door of the ranch house. Benjamin stood there, and Dan invited him in.

  When they sat down in the den, Benjamin said, “Just thought I would tell you that Dorena says everything is still on schedule. Craig and Priscilla will be married on August 8. Mr. Charles told Dorena she would remain in the mansion, keeping her own room, until I come to get her. Since I will have the four hundred dollars after I get my pay on September 30, will it be all right if I leave the next day?”

  “Of course,” said Dan. “I want that young lady here as soon as you can get her here.”

  Benjamin smiled. “Me, too.” Then a serious look came into his eyes. “Dorena told me something else in her letter.”

  “Yes?”

  “Finn Colvin and his son, Edward, are dead.”

  “What happened?”

  “Dorena said Finn and Edward were beating on a slave in the barn when some sixty slaves broke the door down, charged in, and beat both men to death. The overseers were frightened and did nothing to interfere.”