by Al Lacy
Can this really be happening? She walked to the window and gazed out at the sparkling, star-studded sky.
Aloud she said, “Peter, I feel guilty about keeping Meggie a secret from Tom. Am I doing the right thing?”
Her attention was drawn to a carriage that pulled up in front of the hotel. She watched the man and woman alight then disappear.
“I know I’ve fallen in love with Tom. And…and I’ll be a good wife to him. And a good mother to Caleb.”
Tears started down her cheeks. “Meggie, sweetheart,” she said in a whisper, “Mommy will be coming for you as soon as I can. Don’t forget me.”
At midafternoon the next day, the snow still lay white and pristine under a brilliant azure sky. The sun had been shining all day, but the temperature had not risen above twenty degrees.
The wedding took place in the parlor of justice of the peace John Olson, whose wife and twenty-two-year-old son stood as witnesses.
Tom looked handsome in his one and only suit. Caleb wore a white shirt with string tie and dark corduroy pants. Both father and son looked spit and polished.
Kathleen was beautiful in her new dark green wool dress trimmed with a soft collar of creamy lace that was almost the color of her glowing, translucent skin.
Tom and Kathleen made a striking couple as they stood before Judge Olson.
A cozy fire popped and crackled in the fireplace, throwing a rosy glow on the faces of both bride and groom. Caleb stood in front of them, facing Olson. He was trying to stand still but kept shifting from one foot to the other while looking up over his shoulder at his father and Kathleen.
A serene smile graced Kathleen’s lips as she looked down at the boy and gently put a hand on his shoulder.
Kathleen thought that the only thing to mar her day was the small twinge of guilt she carried for keeping Meggie the secret of her heart. But she refused to let it dampen the happiness of the moment. She was about to become Mrs. Thomas Harned, and it was a wonderful feeling.
After the wedding, Tom, Kathleen, and Caleb rode in the family buggy toward the Silver Plume Hotel, where they would celebrate the occasion at the restaurant.
While the buggy rolled along the snow-covered streets, Caleb sat between the bride and groom, covered with the same blanket they had over their laps. He took hold of Kathleen’s hand, looked up at her with big blue eyes, and said, “Now you’re my real new mom!”
Kathleen squeezed his small hand and smiled. “Yes, and now you’re my real new son!”
“I’m glad you two are happy with the arrangement,” Tom said, chuckling, “because I sure am!”
At the restaurant, they ordered roast turkey with all the trimmings. Tom and Kathleen ate little while Caleb chattered away and devoured his food.
The newlyweds gazed into each other’s eyes, barely hearing anything around them.
At the house, Tom helped Caleb take a bath before going to bed. Though Loretta had helped bathe him, Caleb was a bit embarrassed for Kathleen to do it.
While he was getting his bath in the kitchen, Kathleen moved through the house, going from room to room. She thought of how Tom had carefully made room for her belongings. He’d told her that the night before he had put all of Loretta’s personal articles in a trunk to save them for Caleb if he should want them someday.
As she went throughout the house, she took mental notes of changes she would like to make right away.
When she returned to the parlor, Kathleen found father and son sitting by the fireplace, enjoying its cheery warmth. Caleb was in his flannel nightshirt and looking sleepy.
Kathleen stood over them. “I think we have a very tired little boy here, Dad. Caleb, could I have the privilege of tucking you in bed?”
“I’d like that, ma’am—I mean, Mom.”
Tom’s heart warmed as he watched Caleb and Kathleen leave the parlor, holding hands.
Ten minutes later, Kathleen came back. She had been crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing’s wrong. It’s so right! Caleb gave me an extra big hug, kissed my cheek twice, and told me he loves me. He’s such a precious child, Tom.”
“Yes, he is.”
“Would you like me to make some coffee so we can sit by the fire for a while?”
A broad smile captured Toms handsome features and he nodded yes.
When Kathleen came back into the parlor, she carried a tray with two cups, a steaming coffeepot, and a white envelope. She placed the tray on a small table near the fireplace, handed Tom the envelope, and said, “Here’s the five hundred dollars I promised to help stake your claim on a gold mine.”
“Oh, Kathleen. I wish I didn’t have to take your money.”
“I’m happy to do it. I have all the confidence in the world that you’ll strike a rich vein and we’ll both enjoy the benefits.”
Kathleen poured the coffee, handed Tom his cup, and sat down with her own cup in the identical chair next to his.
“Won’t be long now,” Tom said, “before I begin my search for a gold claim. I have several choices of where to start. All are either government or privately owned. Some of the areas are only a few miles from here, and others are as far as thirty miles away. I’ll camp out while searching, and I won’t come home till I’ve made my strike.”
“Would you explain to me how staking a claim works?”
“Sure, if I can have a kiss first.”
After they had kissed, Tom told her that some prospectors searched on remote land nobody cared about. Others did their searching like he was going to do—on government-owned land, or land that was privately owned. The land in the remote areas was usually not as productive.
When a prospector felt he’d found a rich vein, he paid either the government or the private individual whatever price they had set. The price depended on the size of the plot the prospector wanted. If it turned out to be a rich vein, the prospector was then a miner.
The miners also had to pay the owner of the land royalties—on a percentage basis—on all the gold they extracted from their claim. They also had to pay rent for the space their tent or shanty stood on while working the claim. The other main expense was for tools and the equipment it took to get the gold out of the ground, such as sluices, wheelbarrows, and the like.
When a rich vein was found, gold seekers flocked to it. Since staking a claim was rather expensive, most prospectors could only afford a small plot in which to dig. Hence, a rich discovery would bring a crowd, and a mining camp would spring up almost overnight.
Each mining camp would elect officers from among themselves and appoint a committee to draw up rules about encroachment on a mans claim. Anyone caught stealing another man’s gold would be hanged on the spot.
Tom left his chair to throw more logs on the fire. Before he sat down again he said, “Come here, my sweet bride, and sit on my lap.”
Kathleen slid her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly.
Weary from their emotional day, the bride and groom cuddled together in front of the fire and made plans for their future.
The following Monday, Tom Harned loaded the used wagon he had bought and hitched up the pair of mules that came with it. The wagon contained mining supplies, a tent, and groceries. He drove it from the small barn and corral behind the house and drew up at the front porch to say good-bye to Kathleen and Caleb, who waited for him just inside the door.
“I’ll be back when I’ve staked the claim, sweetheart,” Tom said as he took Kathleen in his arms.
“We’ll be waiting.” She rose up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Caleb and Kathleen watched Tom until the wagon and team were out of sight. Then Kathleen looked down at her new son and said, “I’d better get your lunch packed. Soon it’ll be time for you to go to school.”
Less than an hour later, Kathleen draped a shawl over her shoulders and stepped out onto the porch to watch a bundled-up Caleb bound off the porch to catch up with his school chums who were coming along the street
.
“See you this afternoon, Mom,” he called.
“I’ll be here, honey.”
Such a precious boy, Kathleen thought as she watched him moving down the street with his friends. Her heart yearned for Meggie, but she was thankful she had Caleb.
The small group of children was almost out of sight when Kathleen saw Caleb stop and say something to his friends, then wheel about and run toward the house as fast as he could.
He looked terrified as he ran into the yard and made a beeline for the porch and into her outstretched arms. “Honey, what’s the matter?”
“Mom, you said you would be here when I come home…”
“That’s right.”
“Do you promise?”
“Of course I promise, Caleb. Why do you ask?”
The boy swallowed hard, and in a tiny squeak of a whisper, said, “Please! Please don’t go away like Mommy did! Please, Mom! Don’t ever go away from me!”
A lump formed in Kathleen’s throat, and she held him close. “I won’t leave you, Caleb. I promise.”
He clung to her for a moment, then looked up into her eyes. “Thank you, Mom.”
He bounded off the porch again, then paused to wave before running back to his friends, who had waited for him.
Inside it was toasty warm. Kathleen tossed the shawl on a chair and went to the kitchen. She filled the dishpan with hot water and soap and plunged her cold hands into the sudsy warmth.
Once the kitchen chores were finished, she went through the house, going over the changes she wanted to make. Tom had told her two or three times to make any changes she wanted to.
She ran a critical eye over the parlor and decided that some of the pictures on the walls needed rearranging, as did some of the furniture. The curtains needed cleaning, and their bedroom could stand some sprucing up.
Mostly what was needed in the house was a good cleaning, even as Tom had said. She set about doing just that.
Kathleen knew that money was scarce, so she determined to make do with what was there. She also wanted to be careful that she didn’t upset Caleb with too much rearranging, especially in his bed-room. And some things she would leave as Loretta had placed them.
As the day wore on, she altered a few things in the kitchen and rearranged some light pieces of furniture throughout the house, as well as pictures on the walls. Tom had left no photographs of Loretta in sight but had placed them in the trunk with her other things.
She washed blankets, sheets, quilts, and rag rugs, including the large multicolored one in the parlor. She also washed and ironed curtains and gave the floors a good scrubbing.
By the time Caleb came home from school, the house was sparkling, and the yeasty aroma of baking bread greeted him as he opened the door.
Kathleen heard him come into the kitchen, and she turned from the stove to give him a hug. He took off his wet mittens, coat, and stocking cap, and she sat him down at the kitchen table on the side closest to the heat from the stove.
“How about some oatmeal cookies and milk?” she asked him.
“Oh, boy! Yes, thank you!”
As he ate his snack, Caleb’s eyes roamed around the kitchen, taking in the changes she had made.
Kathleen watched him closely to see if she could detect any sign of disapproval.
He spoke around a mouthful of cookie. “The house looks nice and smells good like it used to when Mommy—before Mommy went away.”
Kathleen smiled happily. She hoped Tom would approve of the changes when he came home. She so much wanted to please her two men.
As the days passed, with Tom gone in search of a gold strike, Kathleen often thought of her precious Meggie. Every time Kathleen and Caleb played games together, or went to the store together, she couldn’t help wishing she were also doing those things with Meggie.
When she was alone, she often cried over the burden and heartache of missing her daughter. It was especially hard because she couldn’t share her pain with anyone.
The same doubts taunted her over and over. When Tom found out about Meggie, would he understand why she had kept her existence from him? Would he stand beside her and help her win her daughter back? And what would Caleb think when he found out he had a sister his mom had not told him about? Would he want to share his family with another child?
Even so, Kathleen steeled herself and determined to find the strength to keep Meggie a secret until the appropriate time, and to believe that Tom loved her enough to understand and help her when the truth came out.
Kathleen and Caleb were happy to see Tom come home temporarily on Christmas Eve, bearing presents. Mom and son had also purchased presents, expecting that what they bought for Tom would simply be given to him whenever he came home.
Kathleen was pleased when Tom told her he liked all the rearranging she’d done in the house.
He’d found some attractive sites for staking a claim but wasn’t ready to settle on one yet. He thought there might be better ground elsewhere.
They had a wonderful Christmas together, and on the next day, Tom was gone again.
In the aftermath of having Tom home, Kathleen found herself plagued with fears once more. This time she was afraid Tom might spend the money she had given him to stake a claim, and the claim wouldn’t produce as expected.
She tried not to dwell on the possibility of failure, and she fought her doubts with all her might. Tom was a resourceful and intelligent man. He was determined to strike it big, and he would just do it, that’s all. And he would give her the money to hire the best lawyers in Chicago to beat the Stallworths at their own game.
As a couple more weeks passed, Kathleen made friends with some of her neighbors, most of them miners and their families.
On Thursday, January 17, she and Caleb had finished supper and were about to play a game in the parlor when they heard a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it, Mom, if you want me to,” said Caleb.
“Lets go to the door together.”
When she opened the door, Caleb said, “Oh, boy! Its Pastor and Mrs. Humbert!”
Kathleen smiled at the couple and welcomed them inside.
She took their coats and hats and said, “Come into the parlor. I’ve got a good fire going.”
Laurie set her soft eyes on Caleb and said, “I’ve sure missed you around our house, Caleb, and so has Mardy.”
“I’ve missed you, too. Is your baby at home with Miss Mardy?”
“Yes. Mardy’s going back home next month. Our house is going to seem empty without her.”
“I miss those Bible stories you used to read to me, too,” Caleb said.
Pastor Humbert twisted one end of his handlebar mustache, and with a twinkle in his eye, said, “I’m glad you liked those Bible stories, Caleb.” Then to Kathleen: “We just wanted to stop by and see if there’s anything we can do for you while Tom is out of town.”
“That’s very nice of you, Pastor. I appreciate it, but Caleb and I are doing fine.” She turned to Laurie. “Mrs. Humbert, I want you to know that I very much appreciate the way you took care of Caleb after Loretta died. Tom speaks often of your kindness.”
“Believe me, it was a pleasure. Caleb is a well-behaved, polite boy. I enjoyed his presence every minute he was in the house.”
The preacher adjusted his position on the love seat and said, “Mrs. Harned, I had hoped you and Tom would come and visit us at church.”
Kathleen grinned sheepishly. “Well…maybe when Tom gets back. I’ll have to see if he wants to. If he does, we’ll come. I promise.”
THE CHICAGO POLICEMAN STOOD in the lavishly decorated parlor of the Stallworth mansion, watching John and Maria as they sat distraught on one of the love seats. Alice Downing, her face deathly pale, sat across from them.
John put his arm around his wife. “We can’t give up hope, Maria,” he said, his voice strained. “They’ve got every available man on the force looking for Meggie right now. It won’t be dark for another two hours.”
“Daylight isn’t going to make any difference if Kathleen has come back and kidnapped her!” Maria said.
John could hear a note of hysteria in her voice. His wife was on the verge of collapse. “Now, dear, how could Kathleen have come into this house and taken Meggie? You know the doors are always locked. And we know we locked them before we left the house this afternoon. It’s as Alice said: Meggie let herself out while Alice was upstairs taking her bath.”
Sergeant Harrington adjusted his gun belt. “That’s what it has to be, Mrs. Stallworth. I checked the latch on the front door, and there’s no question in my mind that a four-year-old child could turn the dead bolt, flip the latch, and go outside. The little tyke must have decided to take a walk.”
Maria’s chin quivered as she looked up at the officer. “But Meggie couldn’t even get her fur-collared coat off the rack in her closet. She’s too short. You heard Alice; the coat’s missing. What else could have happened but that Kathleen somehow sneaked in here and took her away?”
“Well, if she did,” John said, “I’ll see that she rots in prison!”
The brass knocker at the front door rattled.
The sergeant headed for the door. “I’ll get it. It may be they’ve found her.”
Seconds later, two other uniformed men appeared with the sergeant, who was carrying Meggie.
“Oh, thank God!” Maria said.
John helped her to her feet. “Oh, Meggie, where have you been?” Maria continued. “Your grandpa and I have been worried sick, and so has Miss Alice! Where have you been?”
Meggie began to cry. “I was looking for my mommy.”
One of the other officers said, “Meggie was downtown at the intersection of Madison and Western, Mr. and Mrs. Stallworth. A clerk at one of the department stores was on his way home and found her crying. She told the man she was looking for her mommy, so he brought her to the station.”