The Heartbeat of the Mountain

by Joan Foley Baier

  Luvella thought she saw Daddy wink at Reeder, but she wasn’t sure.

  Suddenly, Luke said, a note of alarm raising his voice, “Reeder. Wait up!” He was pointing across the road, toward Luvella’s store.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Smoke! Over behind the caboose,” Luke shouted as he ran across the road.

  “No!” Luvella screamed, running after Luke. “Daisy’s there!”

  As if in response, a terrified whinny came from the back of the caboose. Luke and Reeder were already ahead of Luvella, their long legs devouring the road.

  Somebody yelled, “Get your buckets!”

  “Daisy! Here, Girl!” Luvella called. She ran around the caboose where Reeder was leading a wild-eyed Daisy to safety. Luvella tugged Daisy’s lead back to the hotel and gave the horse to Anna to tether.

  Returning to the caboose, Luvella’s heart stopped. A long lick of flame spiked toward the sky from behind her store. She zig-zagged among the men, each carrying buckets of water, to the back platform. Hisses and steam filled the air as each pail of water doused the flames and drowned the smoking embers.

  Reeder grabbed Luke’s arm. “I just saw someone in the woods. Luke, run to the mountain road, at the end of these woods, and wait for him in case I don’t catch him. Lars, can you get Dushore’s sheriff before he leaves here?”

  Both Luke and Reeder disappeared, leaving air and space where they had just been beating out the fire.

  Half an hour later, Daddy declared the fire out and the caboose safe. “It looks like we got to it fast enough to keep the damage low, Luvella.” He had his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. “Thanks to Luke’s keen smeller.”

  She knew he was trying to lighten her mood. He continued, “With all the iron there, looks like we’ll only have to rebuild the platform and refinish that door.”

  Shouting from the road grabbed their attention. Reeder and Luke were handing over Mr. Bocke to Dushore’s sheriff. Mr. Bocke, face smudged and the crown of his derby charred, begged the sheriff to take him away, to protect him from “these ruffians.”

  The sheriff retorted, “Oh, don’t worry, sir. I’ll keep you away from them—and a good many other people.”

  Mr. Harley, still holding a pail, said, “Thanks, Sheriff, for letting me know about Mr. Bocke’s forged warehouse receipts. I knew I shouldn’t have given him the cash. At least I didn’t give him the whole five hundred dollars.”

  He turned to Luvella and Mr. Johannson as he joined them. “I didn’t have time to tell you today, Lars. The sheriff checked on that carload of cotton and told me that our Mr. Bocke must have forged those receipts he gave me. He doesn’t own any bales of cotton, let alone a carload.”

  Mr. Johannson grinned down at Luvella. “Looks like it’s just you and the railroad, Luvella.”

  ****

  Everyone was subdued on the ride home. Hannah and Frank and little Matthew rode in Mr. and Mrs. Raven’s wagon. Luke jumped in next to Luvella and rode in the back of her wagon with Mama. Daddy and Bill rode on the driver’s bench.

  Mr. Raven, driving right behind the Andersson wagon, said, “Luvella, everyone tells me that you’re the person behind this whole Basket Bonanza. You are quite a remarkable young lady.” He glanced at Luke, then continued. “I managed to squeeze through the people there in your caboose to see your store, and you sure have a nice collection of things to sell. No wonder you were so popular today.”

  Luke leaned toward Luvella, his arm touching her shoulder, sending shivers through her, and said, loud enough for everyone to hear, “I told him to say nice things to you.”

  They all chuckled, settling into a mellow mood. Matthew had fallen asleep with the rocking of the wagon and at the laughter, Luvella saw him wriggle in Hannah’s arms, then snuggle down again.

  “Really, Uncle Isaac came up with the baskets idea,” Luvella said, still talking to the Ravens, who were close behind them. “I was trying to think of some theme for a festival, and he said he could get lots of baskets for us to sell. That’s just the idea I needed.”

  Bill said from the front of the wagon. “Luvella, you must have really cleaned up today. I swear I saw more people going and coming at the caboose than anywhere else.” All the others nodded.

  “I did sell almost everything,” Luvella answered. “Now I have to beg people to bring me some more replacements.”

  Mrs. Raven leaned forward from her bench seat. “Well, I crochet pretty well, Luvella, and I noticed the people from out of town loved the Muncee things.”

  Luvella shook her head yes in quick nods and laughed. “Yes! I think they thought they were getting something from the wild, wild west.”

  After more chuckles, Mrs. Raven said, “Well, I could make some prettier Indian dolls, too, dolls that you could charge more than two cents for.”

  “Mrs. Raven, any time you have some things made, whether it’s sweaters, doilies, baskets, dolls, or anything else, just have someone bring them to me. Give me an idea of how much you want me to pay you, and when they’re sold, I’ll get the money back to you.” Luvella was grateful for the business talk. It helped to calm her down from the fire and thinking about the walk she was going to have with Luke.

  “Maybe Uncle Isaac would like to come visit us again. He wouldn’t be breaking his mourning period if he were delivering things, would he?”

  “Yes, how is Uncle Isaac managing?” Mama asked, leaning forward from her hay seat. “I was hoping he would be here for the bonanza.”

  “He misses Aunt Hilda, but he keeps busy and then spends a lot of time in the woods, I think probably praying.” Mrs. Raven leaned forward again. “He talks about you a lot, Luvella. Says you remind him of his Hilda, that you look like her across the eyes, and you have her spunk.”

  “Ha!” Luke roared, as Matthew stirred again. “Spunk and then some!” He grinned down at Luvella and she giggled in spite of herself.

  The conversation, warm, comfortable, faded as they climbed the mountain. The sun’s low rays beamed out across the road like stripes from between the trees. At home, everyone took a job and the horses, wagons, and leftovers were taken care of in minutes.

  Mrs. Raven told Luvella to “go along,” that she and Mama could finish cleaning up from the picnic. So Luvella went out to the porch where Luke was leaning against the railing, waiting for her. He smiled as she came out, scanning the group of men there before she saw him.

  They fell into step, walking past the back of the house on a path that led to the creek. Their hands touched often as they swung their arms, each touch sending tiny chills through Luvella. They crossed the footbridge, Luvella clinging tightly to Luke’s arm with one hand and the rope railing with the other as she went. She never forgot the time she had fallen into the creek that spring, years ago, and nearly drowned.

  On the other side of the creek, Luke motioned to a boulder on which he had folded a saddle blanket earlier, making a comfortable seat for the two of them. Luvella sat obediently, her heart making loud thumps that she was afraid he could surely hear.

  An orange-red beam from the sun danced on the rippled surface of the creek. Luvella glanced up to the sky and saw a few crimson clouds floating sleepily by, but one small cloud, over to the west, caught her interest. She pointed to it. “I think that’s holding my nephew, Junior,” she said softly to Luke, feeling confident that he wouldn’t ridicule her for believing that. “He died from the typhoid. I thought poor Bessie would never get over losing him.

  “But there are some days, I just know he’s up there, watching us and laughing. Today was one of those days.”

  “Sometimes you sound like a Muncee, Luvella.” He was smiling at her.

  “Sometimes now I feel like a Muncee.” She laughed.

  He shifted on the blanket to face her and took one of her hands. Her heart exploded. “You asked how my vision quest was.” He looked down at her hand, held it up against his and smiled. Her fingertips came to just the first knuckle of his fingers. “As I
had feared, it took me a while to concentrate, to forget you.” He rested his elbows on his knees, holding her hand in both of his now.

  “But I finally was able to make two decisions before I went home from my quest.” He stood and paced in front of Luvella. “When I found you in the woods, so sick, so hurt, I wanted to make you better. I wanted to heal you. When you actually did feel better after I took care of you, I felt…I just felt like I wanted to do it again, to make someone who’s been sick well. This was different from when I helped the doctor at Carlisle. This was just me making the decisions. I knew I wanted to be a doctor.”

  He looked at her, as if for approval. Luvella thought a moment. “Luke, I remember how careful, how gentle you were with me. You were, really, just like a doctor, now that I think about it. In fact, you know we never did call a doctor for my ankle. You were my doctor. But how are you going to be one?”

  He appeared pleased at her question. He moved closer to her on the blanket. “There’s this doctor in Hughsville…” he began.

  “Dr. Jordan!” Luvella interrupted. “He came from Hughsville every week to take care of Daddy and Reeder and Bill when they had typhoid fever. And Mama. Daddy just talked to him on Mr. Pearson’s store telephone a few weeks ago. Mama had pneumonia, remember?”

  “Yes, his name is Dr. Jordan. So you know him?” His eyes lit up with another connection established between them. “Well, he has agreed to have me work with him. His training will be very valuable. As I work with him, he’ll go through the text books with me so I can take the exams at the school. I already have the recommendation from Carlisle’s doctor, from when I worked in Carlisle’s clinic helping him. Of course, I’ll have to attend some classes at Albany, too, to get a degree.” Luke leaned his elbows on his knees again.

  “Dr. Jordan knows I’m a Muncee, but he says he needs help, nobody else wants to be available for doctoring twenty-four hours a day, and he’s willing to train me and teach me if I’m willing to follow him around at all hours.”

  “Oh my goodness!” Luvella said. “You are really very fortunate, Luke, and I know first-hand that you’ll make a really good doctor. But Hughsville is so far away—even farther away than Forksville.” She looked up at him, wanted to say Will I ever see you again? but thought that would be far too forward of her.

  “Yes, it is. And I may not be able to get back home, or to Muncy Valley”—he watched her—“for maybe two years, at least. Dr. Jordan just might let me come home for a spell when things are quiet in Hughsville, but I can’t plan on that. And then I’ll be away for at least another year at medical school.”

  Luvella was too busy thinking to say anything. Finally she remembered his vision quest. “You said you had made two decisions,” she said. “What was the other one?”

  He peered at her, intently, his eyes like melted chocolate again. “The other one is about you,” he said, a sudden huskiness in his voice. “I’ve made a decision, but it depends on your answer to my question.”

  Luvella almost wished she hadn’t asked. She felt so nervous, and she could feel his…fear? He reached for her hand again, covered it with both his, and kept squeezing it and patting it. He’s nervous, too.

  “Look, Luvella, I know I’m a lot older than you are…”

  “You are not a lot older than I am,” she interrupted heatedly. “You’re only eighteen, two years older.”

  “All right, just two years older in years. But I wasn’t brought up in a home, with parents who really cared about what happened to me. I was practically imprisoned in a government school by people who only wanted to scratch out any Indian”—he accented the word—“traits or traditions I might have. When they were through with me, they would have opened the gates and let me out to find my own way back home, miles away.” He let go of her hands and crossed one leg over his other knee.

  “As it turned out, their Infirmary needed someone to help the doctor there—which is where I learned a lot about medicine already—and Pop Warner wanted to build a winning football team. I’d been on the team two years, so I agreed to stay on for another couple years.” He sat up straight again and turned toward her.

  “That’s what I mean by older, Luvella. I’ve been out in a rough world. The only good thing about that boarding school was that I did get a good education, even beyond high school, and a lot of medical training.”

  “I’m sorry, Luke. That must have been awful. I can’t imagine growing up without Mama and Daddy and my brothers, even though Reeder is a terror sometimes.”

  Luke chuckled. “Ayup. But I really like him.” He knit his fingers through Luvella’s. “The other decision I made was about you, as I said. I know what I want to do for my life’s work—doctoring—and I know I’d like to have you with me.” He held their clasped hands up and examined them, then put them down again. “For the rest of my life.” He whispered it.

  “But like I just said…” He cleared his throat. “It may be three or four years before I can start working as a doctor on my own.” He let go of her hand and folded his together. “I’d like to hear about how you are, Luvella, how your life is, and I’d like to tell you about mine. If I wrote you letters regularly, would you write me back? Would you…spend your free time with me, at least by mail? And then, think about the rest of your life?”

  He had said what had been on his mind and he sighed now, obviously relieved. Luvella sighed, too, searching for the words to answer him.

  “I haven’t written very many letters in my life, but I think writing you would be easy. I’d kind of like to tell you about how my store is coming along, and about my trip to Pittsburgh for the Chamber convention, and you’re the only person I really feel easy talking to about my mountain.” She hunched her shoulders up to her ears, smiled at him, and let her shoulders down. “Yes, I’ll write you back.”

  “Faithfully?” he asked. “I mean, would you forget that Pearson fella and…wait for me?”

  Luvella looked at him, waiting for his grin, but he was inspecting her face. And his was very serious, emphasizing what he said.

  “Yes, Luke, I will write you. You know”—she looked down at her hands and raised her eyes back up to meet his—“I have no interest in Max Pearson or any other boy. And yes, I’ll wait for you.” She knew, at his look of relief, that she had said what he wanted to hear and what he had had a difficult time asking her.

  A light splash from down creek brought their attention to that direction. “Hmmm, guess it’s time for the animals to come for their evening drink. I’d better get you back to the house. But first…”

  He cupped his hands on either side of her face and gently lifted it as he bent his head. His lips caressed hers. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her. His mouth seized hers, pressing, demanding. His hands crushed her against him as a small groan escaped him. Luvella responded, with all the naturalness inherent in a woman.

  He released her, while she was still trying to breathe, to stop the pounding in her heart. Then he stood and pulled her to her feet, keeping a tight hold of her hand.

  “I want you to be mine, Luvella, forever.” He held her shoulders and bent to give her another kiss, light and quick. He led her back to the house.

  Just as they walked from the bridge, Reeder rode up on Daisy. He was whistling and spread a grin clear across his face when he saw them. “Ah, ’tis a lovely night, ’tisn’t it?” He sighed.

  Luvella put her hands on her hips. “Reeder, don’t you go breaking Anna’s heart or I’ll…I’ll…”

  Reeder had jumped off Daisy, slapping her rump so she’d walk into the barn, and ambled over to Luke and Luvella. “Sis,” he said softly, pointing his finger at her, “you girls can break the boys’ hearts too, you know.”

  Luvella was speechless, for once. She had just seen a rare, emotional side of Reeder. She couldn’t wait to talk to Anna tomorrow. Reeder tipped his hat back on his head and walked to the barn to bed down Daisy. Luke and Luvella continued to the porch.

  “I’ll
see you tomorrow morning before we leave,” he said. “Good night, Luvella.”

  “Good night, Luke.” She walked into the kitchen somehow. She couldn’t feel the floor under feet. Mama, Daddy, and the Ravens were all looking at her, but she couldn’t talk to them. How could she? She was in Heaven, or in some special place where nobody talked; they just smiled.

  “Luvella.” Mama’s voice brought her back and she looked at them all around the table. Matthew was sleeping in his basket on the floor, next to where Hannah and Frank were sitting. “Come sit with us.”

  “Oh! Yes, Mama,” she said, and Hannah giggled at her.

  Luke and Reeder came in together, Luke’s eyes finding Luvella’s immediately. Hannah caught the look and leaned over to squeeze Luvella’s hand under the table. They smiled at each other.

  Daddy said, “Ayup. We’ll be going to Forksville in two weeks.” Mr. and Mrs. Raven nodded, with big smiles. Daddy continued,” Want to come with us? We’ll leave late on Saturday and come back Sunday, when our businesses will be closed.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful, Daddy!” Luvella squealed. “We can see Uncle Isaac again. And can we teach Mama and Daddy how to dance Muncee-style?” She looked at Hannah and Mrs. Raven. Everyone laughed. The Ravens said, “We’ll see.”

  Luke spoke up, looking at his parents. “I won’t be there,” he said, “two weeks from now.”

  Mama and Daddy stared at him while Mr. and Mrs. Raven beamed. Luke explained how he was going to study to be a doctor, that Dr. Jordan had wanted him to be there last Monday, but gave Luke permission to help his parents with the bonanza first. Luke would be leaving for Hughsville Monday morning.

  Luke finished by saying, “I think maybe I’ve always wanted to be a doctor, but helping to heal Luvella’s wounds, that time in the woods, really made me think I should be a doctor.”

  Hannah interjected, “He was probably born to it, like he was to dancing.”