Truly Yours Historical Collection December 2014

by Susan Page Davis, Paige Winship Dooly, Connie Stevens

  “Seana, I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do for her.” Megan blinked back tears.

  “But the babies. They need their mama. How will they eat?” Seana’s shoulders bowed as if she carried the weight of the world.

  Wrapping her arm around her sister’s shoulders, Megan tried to comfort her. “I don’t know what to do, Seana. It looks like Mama Kitty was attacked. She managed to crawl back here, but she didn’t live.” Megan fell silent as Shadow, their other mother cat, slunk forward to sniff at Mama Kitty’s body. The feeble cries of the kittens scraped at her nerves.

  “Seana, let’s pray. The Bible says God even knows when a sparrow falls, so He cares about these kittens. Let’s pray for them.” Megan took Seana’s hand and waited for her sister to bow her head. “Jesus, You know how these little ones needed their mother. We’re asking You to provide the help they have to have to survive since their Mama Kitty died. Please, help them. Help us, too, Lord.”

  Seana sniffled. For the past few days she’d been out in the barn every chance she could get free to see the baby kittens. She would watch them for hours. Shadow had kittens, too, but she wasn’t as tame and would move them every time Seana found them.

  “Seana, look.” Megan nodded her head at Shadow. The cat had backed away from Mama Kitty and was staring at the place where the kittens were huddled in a writhing ball.

  “Is she going to hurt them?” Seana whispered.

  “I don’t think so.” Megan wasn’t sure what the cat would do. Shadow inched closer to the yowling babies. She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder at Mama Kitty, as if trying to decide what to do. Taking another step, she leaned close and sniffed at the kittens. Their cries became more fervent, like they were begging for food from this stranger. With one more backward look, Shadow climbed in with the orphans. Making small comforting mews, she lay down and began to nudge and lick them as they sought the nourishment they needed.

  As quiet settled over the barn, Seana turned to look at Megan, her eyes wide. “Shadow is feeding them. Do you think God sent her to help Mama Kitty’s babies?”

  “I sure do.” Megan hugged her sister. “God has a way of knowing our needs and providing for them.”

  Seana turned back to watch the little ones nurse. “Just like God sent Jesse to us.”

  Megan tightened her hold on Seana’s shoulders. She couldn’t speak for a moment. “That’s right. When we lost Momma, Papa, and Matt, God already had Jesse there to help us. God always watches out for us, Seana.”

  “I still miss them.” Seana’s voice trembled, but she didn’t sound angry, only sad.

  “I miss them, too. That’s all right.”

  They sat quiet for several minutes, watching the miracle before them. Megan’s legs began to ache. She stood and brushed the hay and bits of dirt from her skirt. “Come on, you can help me bury Mama Kitty. Then we’ll fix supper together.”

  As Megan picked up the shovel, Seana stopped her. “I’m sorry I was so mean to Jesse. I do like him. I wish he would come home.”

  Megan hugged her again. “I know. Four weeks is a long time.”

  As they walked out of the barn, William rode into the yard. He waved an envelope at Megan. “I had to go to town today. I picked this up for you.” He handed her the letter. “Sorry I didn’t get there sooner. You doing all right?”

  “We’re fine, Mr. Bright. How are Edith and the children?”

  “They’re fine, except for that little one. He’s getting some teeth and is fussier than a runt piglet.” He tipped his hat. “I’ve got to get on home and do the chores.”

  “Can we get you something to eat or drink before you go?” Megan was torn between wanting to be neighborly and wanting to read her letter. She hoped this would be word from Jesse saying when he would be home.

  “No, thanks, but we’ll be seeing you on Sunday. Edith and the young ’uns sure do look forward to worshiping together.”

  “We’ll see you then.” Megan waved as William’s big roan cantered from the yard. Glancing at the envelope, she felt disappointment that the handwriting wasn’t Jesse’s. The neat letters looked like a more feminine hand. Shading her eyes to look at the sun, she stuffed the missive in her pocket. Reading this would have to wait until chores were done.

  She didn’t remember the letter until Seana was already asleep. Megan sank into the rocking chair to relax a moment before heading for bed. The crinkle of paper reminded her, and she brought the envelope from her pocket. Turning the lamp up, Megan still had to squint to read the fine writing.

  Dear Megan,

  My brother, Jesse Coulter, asked me to write to you and inform you that he won’t be returning to Dakota Territory. He apologizes for any inconvenience this causes you. He has many obligations here at home and will be staying to run the family business. Due to the unusual nature of your marriage, he’s been advised to apply for an annulment. The papers will be coming to you as soon as possible, and you will be free to remarry.

  Sincerely,

  Amanda Coulter Bradley

  Megan couldn’t breathe. Her chest felt as if she would explode from the hurt. Jesse wasn’t coming back. He was leaving her, Seana, and the baby. Deep down she’d always known this would happen. How could a girl like her attract someone like Jesse? Oh, how she loved him, but she understood, too. His family, and probably the girl he’d been engaged to, needed him more than she did.

  Crumpling the letter in a ball, she thrust it into her pocket. In a haze, she went about her bedtime ritual: checking Seana, blowing out the lamps, making sure things were ready for morning. After closing the bedroom door, Megan flung herself on the bed, still in her clothes, and cried until the covers were soaked. She’d never hurt so much in her life. What would they do? She and Seana couldn’t hope to pay the loan. They would be thrown off the land, and she could picture Mr. Sparks smirking as he watched them leave. Where would they go?

  Oh, Jesus, help us. You will have to perform a miracle for us to stay here. Help me to not worry, but to leave everything to You, Lord. She hesitated a moment. And, Lord, please watch over Jesse. You know how much I love him. No matter what he’s done, I still love him.

  She fell asleep and dreamed of being in a green pasture. The flowers smelled sweet, the grass was like a thick carpet. She lay there with her head on Jesus’ lap as He stroked her hair and told her everything would be according to His plan. The morning sun peeking in the windows woke her. Megan sat up and stretched, surprised to feel so refreshed and content. She had no idea how, but she knew Jesus would bring them through this.

  Megan worked hard, hoping the effort would keep her from dwelling on her problems. After all, she reminded herself time and again, these weren’t her worries, but the Lord’s. He could take care of anything.

  “Megan, someone’s coming.” Seana stumbled into the house, her face flushed, eyes shining with excitement.

  Following her sister out the door, Megan shaded her eyes, trying to see the approaching visitors against the late morning sun. One drove in a buggy, the other on a horse. Her heart sank as she recognized the sheriff and Mr. Sparks.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Coulter.” Mr. Sparks began to talk before he even had the buggy stopped. “Have you got the payment for the loan? This is the first of June.”

  “You gave us a two-week extension. We came to the bank and talked to you about it.” A surprising calm enveloped Megan.

  “Yes, well, I don’t believe we have any paperwork to that effect, do we?” Sparks heaved his bulk from the buggy. The sheriff swung down from his horse and stood behind the banker. Mr. Sparks stepped forward. “Have you got the money?”

  “No, I don’t.” Megan drew herself up tall.

  Mr. Sparks leered at her. “Where is this husband of yours?”

  “He’s gone back east. His father is very ill.”

  “That’s too bad. Sounds to me like he left you when times got tough. You should have taken me up on my offer.” Mr. Sparks chuckled. “Now, you’ll have two hours
to get the things you want and leave. The sheriff is here to see that you do go. We’ll wait inside.” He strode past Megan and Seana, entering the house like a king going into his castle.

  Twenty

  “I don’t want to leave here.” Seana sniffed as she wrapped her clothes in a blanket to carry to the wagon.

  “I don’t want to leave, either, but we have no choice. We can’t fight the sheriff on this. If we don’t go, he’ll arrest us. Then what will we do?” Megan tried to swallow around the lump in her throat. For the past hour, she and Seana had worked feverishly to pack what they could and load the wagon. Sheriff Armstrong offered to hitch the horses for her, but Megan refused his help. The man was guilty of helping Sparks throw families out of their homes. She didn’t want him doing anything for her.

  “I need to load that chair in the wagon.” Megan tried hard to keep the disdain from her voice as she faced Mr. Sparks, sitting in her mother’s rocker.

  Sparks rubbed his fingers over the armrest, stroking the dark wood. “Why this is one of the nicest rockers I’ve ever sat in. I think I might like this chair to stay with the house.”

  Megan held her clenched fists tight against her sides. “You can’t do that.”

  Narrowing his eyes, Sparks gave her a look intended to freeze her in place. “You have no idea what I can do. You should have married me. Then you wouldn’t be in this predicament.” He settled back in the chair and began to rock. “Of course, I know you’re regretting your decision by now.” His feral smile made her shudder.

  “Why would I do that?”

  “Because your new husband isn’t planning to come back, is he?”

  “How did you. . .?” Megan snapped her mouth shut.

  Paper crumpled as Sparks dragged a wrinkled envelope from his pocket. Megan’s hand slapped her apron where she’d stuffed the letter this morning. It was gone, fallen out when she hadn’t noticed.

  “That is private. Give it back.” She held out her hand, trying to keep it from shaking. Seana came back in and stopped. She could probably feel the tension in the room and wondered what was going on. Megan gestured for her to leave, but Seana ignored her.

  “I just found this lying on the floor. I couldn’t be sure who it belonged to.” Sparks smoothed open the paper. “Sounds to me like you’ll be in the market for a new husband soon. Mr. Coulter seems to have found better prospects.”

  “No!” Seana raced across the room, flinging herself in Megan’s arms. “He’s lying. Jesse’s coming back. He won’t leave us and the baby.”

  Sparks’s eyes widened. “Baby? Oh, this is interesting.” He heaved his bulk up from the chair. “I intended to make you an offer again, but I won’t take on another man’s child. Your time is as good as up. You’ve loaded enough of your things. Sheriff, see that they leave.”

  “But they haven’t finished packing.” Sheriff Armstrong frowned. “They still have about an hour left to gather their belongings.”

  Sparks’s face reddened. “I said their time is up. I pay you to obey my orders. Now get them out of here.”

  Megan could almost see the thoughts warring in the sheriff’s head. If Sparks admitted to paying him to do this work, then the sheriff wasn’t evicting them for legal reasons. Her mind raced as she tried to think of something to halt this travesty.

  “Come on.” Sheriff Armstrong gripped her arm and propelled her past the smirking banker to the door. “I’ll help you in the wagon, then load your chair for you.”

  “How does it feel to be a pawn?” Anger welled up in Megan at the injustice. “I thought you took an oath to uphold the law, not to work for whoever could pay you the most money.”

  “Quiet!” Sheriff Armstrong jerked her arm as he stepped outside. His reddened face and narrowed gaze told her she should be quiet, but she was too angry to stop.

  “Someday you’ll have to answer for what you’re doing here, for what you’ve done to all the people you’ve put off their land illegally.”

  “This isn’t illegal. Sparks has papers saying you can’t pay up on the loan your parents took out at the bank.”

  “My parents didn’t take a loan out at the bank. They did not owe him any money. Those papers are forgeries. I’m sure of it.”

  “Are you saying our esteemed banker is doing something illegal here?”

  “That’s what she’s saying, Sheriff.” They both jerked around at the new voice. “And if you don’t take your hands off my wife in the next two minutes, you’ll be in more trouble than you can handle.”

  “Jesse.” As the sheriff let go, Megan ran to her husband. He swung off his horse and pulled her into his embrace. The two men with him also dismounted.

  “Jesse.” Seana barreled into her sister and Jesse, laughing in delight.

  “Hey, Seana, I missed you.” Jesse leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead before straightening to face the sheriff and the banker. “I’d like to introduce you gentlemen to some new acquaintances of mine. This is Marshall Trumble and Mr. Owens, an auditor. They’re here to check into the practices of the bank and the way people have been losing their land and homes.”

  Jesse’s arm tightened around Megan. She rested her head against his shoulder. “It seems Mr. Sparks isn’t really Mr. Sparks. He comes from back East, where he lived as Mr. Wiggins, then as Mr. Burns. Marshall Trumble has been tracking him for some time. This isn’t the first time he’s forged papers and forced people out of their homes. He’s good at copying signatures of people who have done business with him.”

  Marshall Trumble stepped forward. A big man, he looked like someone used to getting his way. “Wiggins, you thought you got away, didn’t you? Well, you’re coming with me. We’re going over your bank records. If this place is like the last two, you’ve been skimming off these people’s accounts, too. Mr. Owens will help us get it all sorted out.”

  Stunned, Megan watched the marshall escort Mr. Sparks to his buggy. Sheriff Armstrong followed, looking like a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She guessed he would be accountable for helping with the fraud. Her heart was so full of thanksgiving, she couldn’t say anything as she walked to the house with Seana and Jesse.

  “What’s this?” Jesse bent to pick up the letter his sister sent Megan. It lay in the dirt where Mr. Sparks must have dropped it. Jesse scanned the writing, his face darkening in anger. “I can’t believe she did this.” He crushed the letter in his hand. “Did you believe her?” Jesse turned Megan to face him.

  “Mr. Bright brought the letter yesterday. I read it last night. Yes, I believed it at first, but after I prayed, I knew that everything would work out fine, and it has.”

  Jesse drew her to him. “Megan, I love you so much. All I could think of back there was coming home to be with you, Seana, and the baby. I wrote to you twice, but I gave the letters to Amanda to mail. I’m guessing she didn’t send them.”

  Megan couldn’t stop smiling. “I have you home. The letters don’t matter that much.”

  Epilogue

  October 1888

  A cacophony of sounds brightened the sunny fall day. Children laughed as they chased each other over the hills and around the new church building. Women chattered in excited voices as they set baskets of food on tables, ready to be opened and shared after the services. Men stood in groups discussing the weather, the harvest, or admiring the way the steeple of the church gleamed in the light.

  Jesse thought his chest would burst as he stood at the top of the steps and watched the gathering. The last few months had been busy. He and William Bright agreed to donate a piece of property where their land joined for a church, which could also be used as a school. The women were thrilled, since they lived too far from town for their children to attend classes. The new schoolteacher should be arriving any day. The harvesting would be over soon, and the children would be free to come.

  Megan moved among the women, comfortable in her role as pastor’s wife. She loved greeting each one and was adept at finding out little ways to help e
ach family. Her caring nature brought the women to her when they had problems or needed something. Megan always seemed willing to pray with them and offer what help she could. As her faith deepened, Jesse had come to depend on their discussions of Scripture. He didn’t know how he lived so many years without her.

  Running her hand over her bulging stomach, Megan glanced up at Jesse and sent him a brilliant smile. They were both anxious to become parents. Jesse didn’t think a baby had ever been wanted more than this one. They spent hours talking about names and planning things to teach and do with the baby. Megan insisted that since the death of Jesse’s father, they should take time to visit his mother after the baby came. She was careful to point out to him how important family would be to her.

  “Jesse, can I ring the bell?” Seana hopped up the steps, her cheeks flushed with all the running she’d been doing. This summer had seen a change in her. Megan said her mother tended to keep Seana in the house, afraid the frail child would get sick and die from exposure to the elements. Jesse insisted she needed the exercise and allowed her outside except in the worst weather. He thought that was the reason she had filled out and looked so healthy now.

  “Looks like everyone is here.” Jesse ruffled Seana’s windblown hair. “Go ahead and ring the bell. We’ll get everyone in and see if the building stands up to our singing.”

  Seana laughed as she skipped through the church doors. Jesse nodded at Mr. Owens as the man tied his horse to the hitching rack. Mr. Owens had taken over the bank. Jesse helped him some with business matters he wasn’t sure of, but it had taken the two of them weeks to straighten out the mess created by Sparks. The banker now resided in prison. Sheriff Armstrong insisted he was innocent and hadn’t known what Sparks was doing. Payment records spoke differently. Sparks had kept meticulous records, which helped convict Armstrong to a lesser degree and returned many properties to their rightful owners.