by Heather Gray
When he made no move to leave the stage office, Sarah felt even more flattered. Then she caught the look Samuel and Ida exchanged and realized he would go nowhere until Ida was ready to leave. Of course he would remain with his cousin as her escort to keep her safe. Samuel was not, it became apparent, staying at the stage office for any reason other than his cousin’s safety. Remaining at the stage office for Sarah’s sake had probably not even occurred to him. Swallowing the hurt that unexpectedly rose in her throat at that realization, Sarah bent back to Ida’s list and got on with business.
Chapter Three
“Here, here! This meeting is called to order!” The mayor’s voice boomed through the crowded church. Every available seat was taken and virtually every square inch of standing space was filled as well. The turnout seemed to indicate everyone in town wanted to know what was going on. Many of the new men who had been showing up in town were putting in an appearance at the town meeting as well, though they had all been relegated to the back of the church to make room for residents closer to the front.
“I need everyone to settle down please!” A hush began to fall as people realized the mayor was trying to speak. With this many people crammed into the church, the noise was tremendous. The mayor glanced over at Reverend Green and nodded.
The reverend then stepped up to the pulpit and raised his arms high in the air as he always did on Sunday morning to indicate he was about to begin the service. As he stood there, a collective stillness fell across the crowded room.
“Let us pray,” spoke the reverend. “Dearest Lord Above, we are gathered here tonight to take care of town business. Help us to go about this business in a godly manner, Lord, and to keep You at the forefront of our thoughts and actions. Please bless the proceedings here tonight, Lord, and may Your will be accomplished in the lives of each person here as well as in the lives of those we are blessed to come into contact with in the coming days. Amen.”
This was a much shorter prayer than Reverend Green’s usual. Sarah supposed it was because this was a town business meeting and not a church business meeting. Nonetheless, she was touched by the prayer. It was true that, while the town was seeing an influx of unsavory characters as a result of this ad, there could also be a lot of good decent men responding to the ad who were likely to have their hearts clean broke when they realized there weren’t any eligible females here in town for them. Some of these men could have spent every penny they had to come to Larkspur in the hopes of winning a wife, not to mention the hundreds of men who had apparently written letters in response to the ad.
The mayor stepped up to the pulpit again and called the meeting to order. He glanced down and shuffled some papers. When he lifted his eyes to the room, he gazed steadily at the people who had trusted him enough to elect him mayor of their town. “Everyone, we’ve got a problem on our hands. I could give you a nice song and dance about what is going on, but I don’t see the point. I’m going to shoot straight with you, tell you what I know and what I am doing about the problem. After that, I will entertain some discussion and will answer whatever questions I can, but if this meeting runs too long we will end it and pick up again tomorrow evening. We don’t want any families out too late tonight. Someone placed an ad in a newspaper. We don’t know how many papers this ad ran in. The ad reads:
Seeking Husband
Must be honest, faithful and true.
Must be a good Christian man.
Send inquiries to:
Eligible Female
Larkspur, Idaho Territory
This ad came to our attention this morning. There have been several unusual occurrences here recently. The town has been inundated with mail addressed to Eligible Female. In addition, we have had a lot of new people showing up in town – all men from what I can see – and not all respectable-looking types. I don’t want to encourage you to judge someone by their looks, but we do need to be aware of what is going on around us. We have always been a peaceful town, and we welcome all law-abiding citizens, male and female. Having our town overrun with people who may be involved in anything that is less than legal, though, cannot be abided. While I’m sure some decent folk will come because of this ad, there will also be some men who mean no good. If too many of those men show up and realize this ad was a hoax or that we don’t have a stable full of fillies looking to get married, we could have a serious problem on our hands.
“Precautions are being taken to protect the citizens of this town. All women living alone need to find someone with whom they can stay until things have blown over. In his possession, Reverend Green has a list of families who are willing to take you in for as long as needed. We believe we have found a place for every eligible female in town. There will be no public announcements with names or locations. Reverend Green has already spoken to most of you. If you are a single woman living in these parts and he has not already spoken to you, please seek him out as soon as we adjourn here, and he will see that your needs are addressed. He probably already has a home for you but simply hasn’t had a chance to speak to you yet.
“Sheriff Spooner is deputizing some local men to help with law enforcement. These men are volunteering their time as we do not presently have funds in the city coffers to pay for several new full-time employees. I am asking all people – both locals and those here from out of town – to respect the authority of all new deputies. Any person acting questionably in this town will be arrested. The sheriff will then review the situation and determine if the person should be held or released. We absolutely will not tolerate men accosting our female residents, married or unmarried. There has already been at least one incident of a female being stopped on the boardwalk and forced into the road. Who knows what would have happened if someone hadn’t stepped in to protect the young woman in question. Let me repeat, any behavior that is questionable or leads us to believe any of our citizens are being put at risk will result in an arrest.
“The mail that has been coming in will be sorted out by Miss Jenkins and her staff. If you are an eligible female in this town and wish to look through any of those letters with the intent of finding a potential husband, please see Miss Jenkins. You will only be allowed access to the letters if you are genuinely seeking a husband.”
That last stipulation was there at Sarah’s request. She hoped it would cut down on the number of women wanting to read through the letters for the purpose of gossiping and laughing about the poor men who had written them. Sarah knew how mean-spirited some people could be and did not want that kind of behavior infecting her stage office. Having skimmed some of the letters, she knew there would be plenty of fodder for gossip if they didn’t put some firm rules into place from the start.
“Men who have come into this town in response to the ad are asked to report to the mayor’s office beginning tomorrow. Volunteers at the mayor’s office will take down your information. A list of the eligible men who are seeking wives will be compiled. We will be arranging some town functions, such as a picnic after church, to help foster a godly atmosphere in which the men and women can get to know each other better. As a man visiting this town, you will not be allowed to participate in any such functions unless you have registered with the mayor’s office. As the ad states, any man whose suit is to be entertained by an eligible female of this town must be a good Christian man who demonstrates honesty, faithfulness, and integrity. If you are in this town to find a wife and behave in a manner contrary to the above requirements, your suit will not be accepted for any eligible female in this town.”
Sarah was certain Mayor Smith was stretching the law a bit with that last part. If God himself could not force the women of Larkspur to marry churchgoing men, then it wasn’t likely that the city officials could either. She understood the mayor’s intent, though. He wanted to do his best to protect both the women of his town as well as the integrity of the town itself.
Though she was listening attentively to the mayor, Sarah’s eyes had strayed to where Samuel sat some time ago and had rarel
y left his face. Her eyes twinkled as she caught the look of surprise that appeared on his face when the mayor made that last little announcement. It broke up the intensity that had held his features up to that point. Sarah decided Samuel was simply too fine-looking for a woman’s good. Whether it was strength or humor that marked his face, the power emanating from him was sure to capture more than a few female hearts in Larkspur.
When she realized she was no longer listening to the mayor at all, Sarah broke her gaze away from Samuel so she could better concentrate. She heard the mayor say, “That is all of the information I have for you at this time. I want to urge every citizen of Larkspur to be careful and cautious in the coming days. No woman should go anywhere unaccompanied. While I’m sure many of the men who have come into town have honorable intentions, there will be men who do not. Any woman who goes anywhere without an escort will be putting herself at risk. The sheriff and deputies will do everything they can to keep this town and our women safe, but they cannot be everywhere all the time, and you absolutely must avoid putting yourself into dangerous situations. Thank you for your time.”
Henry Johnson, father of three girls who were not yet quite marrying age, stood up and asked, “Mayor, do we know who placed this ad?”
The mayor shook his head. “Henry, we have no idea. I’m sorry. If we knew, the man responsible for this would be speaking with the law, believe you me.”
Sarah had expected bedlam to break out at the end of the meeting. The people of her town did her proud, though. They calmly began exiting the meeting. She could see with which families some of the women went. The families would escort them to their own homes first so the women could collect necessary belongings before taking them on to their new temporary homes. Families from some of the outlying farms had opened their doors to more than one woman and, in two cases, to single women who had children with them. Yes, Sarah truly was proud to see the people in her community showing Christ-like compassion and service to one another.
Chapter Four
Mayor Smith asked Samuel to escort Minnie, Sarah, and Mrs. Smith home after the town meeting. Town business was going to keep him tied up for some time, and the mayor did not want the women to have to wait. Upon arriving at the Smith’s home, Samuel walked through the entire house to make sure no intruders were present. He also made sure all of the windows and doors were locked up tight. The women all waited in the sitting room.
Upon completing his search, Samuel returned to the sitting room. “Everything looks clear, ladies. Please feel free to move about the house. I’ll stay here with you until the mayor gets home.” When he looked at them oddly, Sarah realized that the expressions on her companions’ faces matched the puzzlement she felt.
Minnie seemed nervous, so Sarah tried to reassure her. “Samuel has checked the house out. We are safe here. It’ll be okay.” Turning to Samuel, she said, “I’ve never seen anyone check a house so thoroughly before. It was like something out of a novel.”
Sarah’s words did not have the calming effect she had hoped for. Seemingly even more upset than she had already been, Minnie declared, “I need to lie down,” and left the room in a flurry of swishing skirts and scampering feet. This was not at all like Sarah’s friend, so Sarah followed her up the stairs to make sure Minnie wasn’t feeling ill. When she walked into Minnie’s room, Sarah was surprised to find her dear friend looking white as a sheet and crying.
“What’s wrong Minnie?”
“Oh Sarah, I’ve really gone and done it this time!”
Knowing Minnie’s penchant for doing the unexpected but unable to bear her friend’s distress, Sarah reassured her. “I’m sure everything will be okay. Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad, now can it? It’ll be okay. You have wonderful parents who adore you. I am sure whatever it is, they will take it in stride.”
As Minnie’s crying only got louder and began to border on sobs, Sarah’s worry grew into dread. “Minnie, do you want to tell me about it?”
Minnie began to hiccup as her crying took its toll. She sat on the edge of the bed and gave Sarah her attention, sadness draped across her face. “I need to tell Mum and Dad something. I’ll wait for Dad to get home. They’re going to send me away to finishing school for sure this time.”
“For goodness sake, Minnie. You know you’re too old for finishing school. They stopped threatening you with finishing school months ago. Maybe they’ll marry you off instead.”
Sarah’s voice was full of humor as she tried to cheer her friend up. She thought it was a wonderful joke in light of the town’s recent influx of eligible men. Her joke did not go over well with Minnie, though, who began sobbing in earnest again.
As Sarah tried to explain how sorry she was for her ill-timed humor, Minnie spoke, “Go downstairs Sarah. I need a few moments alone. I’ll be down once Dad gets home. Don’t worry – I’m not mad at you. I made such a mess of things this time, and I need a little time before facing what I’ve done.”
Sarah went downstairs as requested, her heart still heavy for her friend. As she approached the bottom step, she paused to pray silently for Minnie. Lord, please ease the heart of my dearest friend. I do not know what she has done, but You do. Please give her the courage to tell her parents and to accept the consequences for her actions. Help me to be as good of a friend to her as she has always been to me. Amen.
“Is everything alright?” Samuel’s voice startled Sarah as she was about to take the last step into the foyer. She ended up missing the step altogether and began to fall as her foot found nothing to land on. Samuel plucked her faltering form up off of the stairs and set her gently down on the firm flooring of the foyer. “Sorry there, Miss Jenkins. I didn’t mean to spook you.”
Trying to regain her composure, Sarah let out a small chuckle. “Oh pish posh. If you call me Miss Jenkins, I shall have to call you Mr. Livingston.”
Samuel’s smile at her words warmed Sarah’s heart. She noticed the straight, white teeth and the dimple in his left cheek. Indeed, he had a most becoming smile. His hands still lingered on her waist from where he had rescued her from her would-be tumble. Sarah had never been this close to a man before, so close that, as she admired the sparkle in his eyes, she could also see the lines at their edges, telling her she stood before a man who smiled often. She had always imagined herself married someday to a man who was calm and patient and kind. Suddenly, though, she found herself wondering what it would be like to be married to a man with a charming sense of humor, someone who liked to laugh.
Marriage! Where had that thought come from? As Sarah fought the blush spawned by her thoughts, Mrs. Smith could be heard coming from the kitchen, likely with a service of tea in hand. Samuel released his hold on Sarah’s waist and stepped back as if he had been burned.
Sarah, so captivated by Samuel’s face, hadn’t even realized his hands were still on her until he’d removed them. Suddenly she longed for him to put his hands back. She felt off-kilter and a bit lost without his hands there to hold her steady. Her reaction to Samuel surprised her. Normally a common sense person who was not prone to flights of fancy, Sarah was confused by her response to Samuel’s touch, a response that was nothing but fanciful. Sarah shook her head as she tried to reign in the whimsy of her thoughts and bring herself back to reality. Clearly Samuel hadn’t meant to hold her that long, and their closeness was not having the same effect on him as on her. He had backed away so quickly… apparently he had no desire to touch her, even chastely.
Minnie remained above stairs, but Mrs. Smith, Samuel, and Sarah kept each other company in the sitting room while they enjoyed some hot tea. Mrs. Smith chatted lightly about the night’s meeting and the strangers in town. Addressing Sarah, she asked, “Exactly how many letters have you received for Eligible Female?”
“I have over four mail bags full of letters right now. That could easily be over a thousand letters. More are likely still on their way here as well. I am terribly surprised all of this mail came in one day. I would have expected som
e telltale letters to straggle in ahead of the bulk of them. The mail isn’t always predictable in its schedule, though.”
“However will you read all of those letters, dear? I am sure you have thought this all out. Please do tell me what your plan is.”
Sarah had often been made fun of as a child for being so methodical in the way she did things. She never failed to think through her actions. She was the product of having grown up with an inordinately calm and logical father. She inherited her father’s way of thinking, and it had never occurred to her to go about things differently. Mrs. Smith had once admitted to being fascinated by the way Sarah’s mind worked out problems.
“I glanced through some of the letters to get an idea what they are like. I decided to divide them into three categories: letters which are vulgar in some way, letters which are written by educated men, and letters which are written by men that appear uneducated. Then I will…”
“Wait a minute, Sarah,” interrupted Samuel. “Are you telling me you will discard a letter simply because the man does not have proper schooling? Lots of good, honest, Christian men who have wonderful work ethics and would make great husbands did not have the privilege of completing school. Tossing their letters aside hardly seems fair.”
Sarah was taken aback by the tone in Samuel’s voice. Evidently this was a sensitive subject and she had offended him. Sarah’s heart sank, and her stomach flipped. Why did his opinion matter so? Sarah rushed ahead, wanting to rectify his misunderstanding as quickly as possible.
“Of course not. That’s not at all what I meant. As Ida and I went through the list of eligible females in town, we saw two clear distinctions. One was education and one was age. We believed some of the women would only be interested in letters from educated men, and we did not want the letters from the other men to become a source of gossip or ridicule among those women. By the same token, we have some women who are not educated and who, we felt, would not at all be comfortable considering the suit of a college-educated man. Women won’t be forced to select from one group or the other. I want to try to protect and honor the intent of the men writing these letters. Some of them are quite lovely.”