Sarah's Choice

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  Carolyn placed her hand on his arm. “I wish you’d reconsider and see Sarah with me.”

  “I’m not going, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t keep asking.”

  “Okay,” Carolyn mumbled. “Would you tell the Coopers I said good-bye?”

  “Sure.” Elias turned and tromped down the stairs. When he entered his cabin, his nose twitched at the musty odor. He ought to be getting used to it by now, but the lingering smell still bothered him.

  He dropped to his knees and reached under his bunk for the tin can where he kept his money, but felt nothing. “Now, that’s sure strange,” he muttered.

  He flattened his body closer to the floor and peered under the bunk, feeling around with his hands. The can was missing!

  Elias’s heartbeat picked up speed. Despite further searching, he still hadn’t found his pocket watch, and now his money was missing, too. Someone had obviously been in his cabin and taken these things. The question was, who?

  When Elias was sure the boat had gone through the lock, he went up to the main deck, finally ready to confront Frank about his missing things.

  “Pull the boat over near Cooper’s store,” Elias told Ned. “Carolyn’s getting off so she can visit Sarah, and I’ve got some business with Frank.”

  “Sounds good. Think I’ll go into the store and get some root beer,” Ned said. “Will you be doing some shopping there today?”

  “I’d planned to, but since I can’t find my money…”

  Ned’s bushy eyebrows shot up. “You lost your money?”

  “I’ll explain things later.” Elias moved over to where Carolyn stood near the bow of the boat. “Would you have some money I could borrow for the supplies I need? I seem to have misplaced my can of money.” He didn’t want to frighten Carolyn by telling her he thought his things had been stolen.

  “I’d be happy to loan you some money.” Carolyn went below and returned a few minutes later with an envelope. “Here you go,” she said, handing it to Elias. “Take as much as you need.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Do you need me to help you look for your money?” she asked.

  “That’s all right. I’m sure it’ll turn up.” It had better turn up, he thought grimly.

  “Okay.” She lifted the edge of her gingham dress and stepped onto the gangplank Ned had set in place. “I shouldn’t be at Sarah’s too long, and I’ll meet you back here when I’m done.”

  As soon as Carolyn left, Elias hurried off the boat. “I need to speak to you,” he said, joining Frank, where he stood several feet off the towpath, feeding the mules.

  “Sure, what’s up?” the boy asked.

  “Several weeks ago, Cooper’s store was robbed. Do you know anything about that?”

  Frank shook his head. “Just heard some talk about it, that’s all.”

  Elias rested his arm against a nearby tree. “The same day the store got robbed, I discovered that my pocket watch was also missing. Then a short time ago, I went to my cabin to get my money, but the can I keep it in is missing, too. Would you know anything about that?”

  “No, sir. I’ve never seen your pocket watch, and I don’t know nothin’ about your money neither.”

  “There were some things taken from Sarah’s garden the same day as the store was robbed. Would you know anything about that?”

  The boy’s face colored, and he hung his head. “I…I did snitch some of her carrots ‘cause I was hungry, but that’s all I ever took.” He lifted his head and looked at Elias with a sober expression. “Maybe you oughta ask Ned about your missin’ things. He’s on the boat most of the time, so he’s had more of a chance to sneak into your cabin and take stuff than I have.”

  Elias debated what to do. Ned had changed since his conversion, and even before that, as far as Elias knew, Ned had never stolen anything from him or his grandfather. Elias wondered how Ned would respond if he questioned him about this.

  He placed his hand on Frank’s shoulder. “I’m going to trust that what you’ve told me is true, but from now on, if you’re hungry or need something, I want you to tell me.”

  “Okay.”

  “And no more taking things from Sarah’s or anyone else’s garden. Is that clear?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Good boy.” Elias turned and headed for Cooper’s store.

  When Hortence let Carolyn into Sarah’s house, she informed her that Sarah was upstairs in her room.

  “Is she taking a nap?” Carolyn questioned.

  “I don’t think so. She said she was going up there to look for something in her trunk.” Hortence motioned to the stairs. “Why don’t you go on up? I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”

  Carolyn hurried up the stairs. When she saw that Sarah’s door was shut, she rapped lightly on it.

  “Come in,” Sarah called.

  Carolyn entered the room and found Sarah standing in front of her looking glass, wearing a beautiful, ivory-colored dress with a high neckline and puffed sleeves.

  “What a pretty dress,” Carolyn murmured. “You look lovely in it.”

  Sarah whirled around. “Oh, Carolyn, it’s so good to see you.” She moved quickly across the room and gave Carolyn a hug.

  “I’m heading back to Easton to get ready for the new school year,” Carolyn said. “I asked Elias to stop in Walnutport so I could come here and say good-bye.”

  “I’m sorry you have to go. Do you think you might be back next summer?”

  “I don’t know. I guess it all depends on whether Elias still has his boat.”

  “Why wouldn’t he have it? Is he thinking about selling it?”

  “I’m not sure; he hasn’t said anything about that. But even if I don’t come to Walnutport again, maybe you can visit me in Easton sometime.”

  Sarah shook her head. “As long as I’m stuck here on the canal, I won’t be able to visit anywhere.”

  “Maybe this winter, when the canal’s closed.”

  “We’ll have to wait and see how it goes.”

  Carolyn had a hunch the reason for Sarah’s hesitation was because of her financial situation. She probably didn’t have the money to make the trip to Easton by train, and with the canal closing down during the winter, catching a ride on one of the boats was out of the question. Even hiring a driver to take them by horse and carriage would be costly.

  Carolyn was tempted to offer to pay Sarah and the children’s way to Easton, but didn’t want to offend her, so she changed the subject.

  “Now about that beautiful dress you’re wearing… Please don’t tell me it’s a wedding dress and that you’ve decided to marry Patrick O’Grady.”

  “It is a wedding dress, but not for a marriage to Patrick.” Sarah shook her head. “I still haven’t made a decision on that. I think I’m going to wait until the end of boating season to make any decisions about my future.”

  “That’s probably a wise decision. You wouldn’t want to make a mistake about something you’ll have to live with for the rest of your life.”

  Tears welled in Sarah’s eyes as her fingers traced the edge of the collar on her dress. “If Sam were still alive, today would have been our tenth wedding anniversary.” She sniffed. “I thought it might make me feel closer to him if I tried the dress on today, but it’s only made me feel weepy.”

  “I’m sure you still miss him.”

  Sarah nodded. “Some days more than others, but as time goes on, the pain lessens.”

  Carolyn stared out Sarah’s bedroom window at the puffy white clouds floating past. She wanted to talk to Sarah about Elias but wasn’t sure how to begin.

  “Where are your thoughts taking you?” Sarah asked. “You look like you’re someplace else right now.”

  “I…uh…was thinking about my brother.”

  “How’s Elias doing? His boat has come through the lock several times in the last few weeks, but I haven’t seen him even once, and I—well, I’ve really missed him.”

  “He’s been staying below in hi
s cabin, while Ned steers the boat.”

  “All the time?”

  “No, just when he goes through the Walnutport lock.”

  “What’s the reason for that?”

  Carolyn drew in a quick breath. “He’s been avoiding you.”

  “Is it because I turned down his unexpected marriage proposal?”

  “Yes. No. Well, that’s only part of the reason.”

  Sarah tipped her head. “I don’t understand.”

  “Elias was deeply hurt when you said you could never marry a man like him. He thinks you turned him down because of his birthmark—because it’s ugly, and you can’t bear to look at it.”

  Sarah shook her head. “That’s not true. I’ve never minded Elias’s birthmark. The reason I said I could never marry a man like him is because he’s a boatman.” Sarah took a seat on the edge of her bed and motioned for Carolyn to do the same.

  “From the time I was a young girl, I vowed never to marry a canaler,” Sarah continued.

  “Why’s that?”

  “I’d seen how hard Mama worked on Papa’s boat, with little or no appreciation, and both my sister and I were expected to lead Papa’s mules, walking long hours every day with no pay at all. Papa kept all the money we should have earned.” Sarah released a lingering sigh. “I ran away with Sam, and we got married just so we could both get away from the canal. Then later, when we ended up coming back to Walnutport and he began tending the lock, I was faced with a different problem.”

  “What problem was that?”

  “Fear. I became fearful that something bad would happen to my husband or one of my kids because we lived so close to the canal. Sure enough, the canal took Sam, and if not for Elias, it might have taken Willis, too.” Tears welled in Sarah’s eyes as she slowly shook her head. “So you see why I could never marry a boatman or anyone else who works on the canal.”

  “I’m glad you explained all this. Now I just have one more question to ask before I go.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Do you care for my brother?”

  Sarah nodded. “Yes, I do. Even though I haven’t known him very long, his kindness and gentle spirit have touched my heart deeply. If Elias wasn’t a boatman, I would have accepted his proposal.”

  Carolyn took hold of Sarah’s hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Thanks for sharing from your heart. It gives me a better understanding of things.” She rose from the bed. “I don’t want to keep Elias waiting, so I’d better go. I’ll write to you when I get to Easton, and I hope you’ll write to me.”

  “Yes, I will.”

  Carolyn gave Sarah one final hug; then she hurried out the door. She needed to speak with Elias right away.

  Chapter 33

  Can I talk to you a minute?” Elias asked Ned, when he found him sitting on a rock near the canal with his fishing line cast into the water.

  “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”

  Elias lowered himself to the ground beside Ned. “I know you’re aware of the break-in that occurred at Cooper’s store several weeks back.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And you knew that someone had also taken some things from Sarah’s garden that day.”

  Ned nodded. “That’s nothin’ new around here, though. People steal stray chickens and snitch things from the gardens along the towpath all the time.” He offered Elias a sheepish grin. “Not that it’s right, of course.”

  “No, it’s certainly not, and neither is stealing from me.”

  Ned’s bushy eyebrows furrowed. “What are ya talkin’ about?”

  “My pocket watch came up missing around the same time as Cooper’s store got robbed, and now my money’s also missing.”

  “Maybe you misplaced them.”

  Elias shook his head. “No. I’ve been keeping the money in a tin can underneath my bunk, and it’s not there.”

  “Do ya think Frank might have taken it? I mean, the kid’s family is poor as a church mouse.”

  “I asked the boy about it before I went to Cooper’s store.”

  “What’d he say?”

  “He said he hadn’t stolen anything from me.”

  “And ya believe him?”

  Elias shrugged. “I’ve no reason not to believe him.”

  “Have ya looked in the boy’s cabin?”

  “Yes, I did that right after I spoke to him, but there was no sign of my watch or the money. I’ve looked pretty much everywhere on the boat—everywhere except for your quarters, that is.”

  Ned’s forehead wrinkled deeply. “I hope ya don’t think I had anything to do with it.” His face turned red as he pulled his fishing line in with a jerk. “Before I became a Christian, I had lots of bad habits, but other than a few vegetables and chickens I took when I was a kid, I’ve never stolen anything in my life!”

  Elias placed his hand on Ned’s shoulder. “Calm down. You’re getting yourself worked up for nothing. I wasn’t accusing you of taking my things. I was just going to ask if you knew anything about it.”

  Ned shrugged Elias’s hand away. “If I knew anything, don’tcha think I’d woulda told ya about it right away?”

  Elias’s face heated. “Well, I hope that you would.”

  “Did ya have anything missin’ before ya hired Frank to lead the mules?”

  “No, but—”

  Ned clapped his hands. “There ya go! He’s the one who done it, and I don’t care what he says.”

  Elias drew in a deep breath and released it with a groan. “Since I have no proof that he stole anything, I suppose I’ll have to take him at his word.”

  “Take who at his word?” Carolyn asked, touching Elias’s shoulder.

  He whirled around. “Oh, I didn’t realize you were back.”

  She gave a nod. “I just got here and heard you talking about taking someone at his word.”

  “I was talking about Frank.”

  “What about him?”

  Elias told Carolyn about the conversation he’d had with Frank.

  “He accused me of it just now,” Ned spoke up.

  Elias shook his head. “I did not accuse you. I just—”

  “It makes no never mind. The money’s gone, and I think Frank took it.” Ned rose to his feet. “The fish ain’t bitin’ today. Think I’ll wait for you on the boat.”

  When Ned left, Carolyn took a seat on the rock where he’d been sitting. “Do you think Frank was telling the truth about not taking your things?” she asked Elias.

  He shrugged. “I’ve got no proof that he did, so unless and until I do, I’ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Elias started to rise, but she placed her hand on his arm.

  “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s about what Sarah told me while I was at her house, saying good-bye.”

  He frowned. “I’m not interested in anything she has to say.”

  “I think you will be when you hear what it is.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “Elias, please let me tell you what she said.”

  He folded his arms and stared straight ahead. “Go ahead, if you must.”

  “When I told Sarah how upset you were over her saying she could never marry a man like you, she said—”

  “You discussed my feelings with Sarah?” Elias’s jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached.

  “Well, yes, and—”

  “How could you, Carolyn? How could you even think of talking to Sarah about my reaction to her rejection of me?”

  “Since you were so upset about it, I thought she had the right to know.”

  He shook his head. “Sarah doesn’t care how I feel.”

  “Yes, she does, and she wasn’t referring to the red mark on your face when she said she could never marry a man like you.”

  “What was she referring to?”

  “She was talking about the fact that you’re a boatman.”

  “You mean she’d be ashamed to be married to a
boatman?”

  “Not ashamed. Fearful.”

  “Of what?”

  “That the canal might take you or one of her children the way it did her husband. She’s also afraid that if she married a boatman, one of her children might be forced to become a mule driver, the way she and her sister were when they were girls.”

  Elias slapped his hand against his pant leg. “That’s ridiculous! I’d never force Sarah’s children or any children we might have of our own to lead my mules.”

  “That’s good to hear. Why don’t you tell Sarah that?”

  He shook his head. “If she’s fearful of the canal and doesn’t want to be married to a boatman, then I doubt she’d change her mind about marrying me.”

  “She might if she knew how much you loved her and if you gave her your word that you’d never make any of the children lead your mules.”

  Elias sat silently, mulling things over.

  “If you don’t do something soon, it might be too late.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Patrick’s still after Sarah to marry him, and she plans to give him her answer by the time the canal closes for the winter.”

  “That’s a few months away.”

  “Yes, but she might make her decision sooner, and if she chooses him, it’ll be too late for the two of you.”

  “She’d probably be better off with Patrick than me.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “He’s handsome and doesn’t work on the canal.”

  “But if she doesn’t love him…”

  “It doesn’t matter. Sarah won’t marry me as long as I’m a boatman.” Elias jumped up. “We need to get back on the boat. It’s time we headed for Easton.”

  “Did you get the painting and tell the Coopers good-bye for me?”

  “Yes, and I’m sure Mother will be very happy with her birthday present.”

  Carolyn sighed. “I wish we didn’t have to go. I wish we could stay right here and enjoy the sunshine and warm breeze blowing off the water.”

  “Well, we can’t. I need to get to Easton, and so do you.”

  Chapter 34

  Throughout the month of September, Elias avoided Sarah. He’d been thinking about the things Carolyn had told him but wasn’t sure what, if anything, he should do. If Sarah wouldn’t marry him because he was a boatman, then even if he spoke to her about marriage again, she wouldn’t change her mind. Yet if he didn’t speak to her about it, she might end up marrying the blacksmith. Still, if Sarah wasn’t going to give Patrick an answer until the canal closed for the winter, Elias had some time to decide what he should do.