A broad smile spread across her face, and she handed Celia an envelope that had been inside hers. “Mrs. Brutherington sent you a letter along with mine so the town gossips wouldn’t have anything to laugh about. I explained your situation to her in my letter.”
“Thank you,” Celia answered and opened the letter with shaking hands. “Oh, Sarah, listen to this. Mrs. Brutherington thinks I would make an excellent wife. She sent a copy of her advertisements. She took the time to peruse them and circled the newest and her best suggestions. She said I was free to answer any of them, but in her opinion, one of the three she circled would be my best match.”
“Well, don’t keep me waiting,” Sarah insisted. “What do the three ads say?”
Celia held up the advertisement page and let her eyes roam over the ads. “Hmm, the first is a doctor in a small town in Montana. I don’t think I’d make a good doctor’s wife. Seeing a lot of blood makes me swoon,” Celia smiled.
“Then I suppose you shouldn’t answer that one. Read the second, please.”
“This one is from a mercantile owner in Missouri, but he has three small children under the age of five,” she scrunched her face. “I’m sure he could offer a good life, but I’m not ready to mother three little ones especially if I may have one of my own.” Celia blushed.
Sarah agreed. “You have one more plus you can read over every one of the others that Mrs. Brutherington didn’t circle.”
Celia nodded and read. “Oh, Sarah, listen to this. It’s from a rancher in Wyoming. He says he is a God-fearing man and attends church weekly. His ranch is close enough to town to attend regularly and also attend social functions in town. His father lives with him. He only asks that his bride to be is God-fearing, caring, and kind. He’s looking for a wife willing to wed soon. I think I fit that description. Mrs. Brutherington’s letter explained she has recommendations from local officials for all three men. I can let her know, and she’ll send them to me. Also, she said I could write to them directly.” She looked up from the paper and smiled.
“I think he sounds like the best match, Celia,” Sarah agreed. “Does he have a name?”
“I’m not sure,” she answered. “I mean I’m sure he does, but Mrs. Brutherington wrote that in her letter. Let me see. Umm, yes, Clint Hastings. She enclosed his address, too and said if I chose him to write immediately. Mr. Hastings is eager to wed. Do you think that’s a bad thing?”
“No, not at all,” Sarah answered. “Mrs. Brutherington explained that many grooms send her a ticket as soon as she lets them know she has a bride for them or after their first letter. Mail-order marriages happen quickly many times.”
“Oh, my,” Celia said. “I need to write him immediately. I have no idea what to say. I didn’t bring paper and ink this time. I need new clothes. Oh, Sarah, will you help me? My clothes are a bit out of date. If he likes me, I’ll need a wedding dress. Oh my,” Celia said dropping back into the chair.
Sarah was ready to answer when a knock on the door broke her thoughts. She saw Robert Masters and his brother, Michael, standing out on the boardwalk with a large crate on a small hand wagon.
“What on earth,” she said when she opened the door. “Hello boys, what do you have there?”
Robert spoke up, “Pa said this is your fabric order. It came early. We’re supposed to deliver it to you. Pa said your sewing machine should be here next week. Where would you like the crate?”
“Just inside near the window, please,” Sarah answered.
The boys unloaded the crate and asked, “Should we open it for you?”
“Yes, that would be nice. I don’t have anything here to open it.”
Robert pulled out a hammer and tapped the top loose until he could pull it off.
“Thank you, Robert. I do have a hammer. I didn’t know how to get it open,” she explained handing them each a coin. “I’m happy you did that for me.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Morey,” they called as they pulled the wagon back toward the mercantile.
Sarah turned to Celia. “I may not have the sewing machine yet, but I have patterns, more than enough fabric for anything you need, and time to measure you and cut out the patterns. When the machine arrives, I’ll sew them. You’ll have your wardrobe ready by the time your Mr. Hastings sends for you.”
Celia and Sarah admired a few of the bolts of fabric in the crate when Celia whispered, “I need new night dresses. Can you make them? I know I can buy some at Masters Mercantile, but all that Minnie carries look like something my grandmother used to wear.”
Sarah giggled, “Yes, I ordered fabrics for nightdresses and undergarments if you need them. You’d be surprised how romantic a nightdress looks with added lace and pretty ribbons.
Celia blushed red and murmured, “Thank you.” She fanned her cheeks and asked, “Please, help me with what to say to Mr. Hastings and I’ll go home and write to him right away.”
They spoke for a while, and Celia left. Sarah sat and stared at the crate full of fabrics and smiled. It was truly a good day. Her new life in Gentle Falls made her happy.
She sighed and stood. “Better to tackle that window drapery now,” she mumbled and grabbed her hammer and the nails Mr. Masters said would support the heavy drapery.
Sarah stood on a chair and held the heavy drape in one hand. She pulled the corner up to the edge of the top of the window and tried to get a nail positioned without dropping the fabric. Once she thought she had it in place, she hit the nail with the hammer only to have the entire fabric fall to the floor.
Sarah took a deep breath, but frustration got the best of her, and she tossed the hammer to the floor. What good was measuring and making sure she sewed the gathers into the drapery so it hung properly if she couldn’t hang them? Giles, who had been watching her from his front window across the street, grabbed his hat and rushed over to her shop.
Giles walked in and smiled, “Do you need any help?”
“Yes, I’m not sure how to hang these drapes,” she answered and before she could explain Sarah heard a knock at her back door. “Excuse me.”
Sarah found Joseph waiting at the back door with Molly’s bed. “Good day, Mrs. Morey, I finished the bed first as you asked.”
“Wonderful, can you take it up to the empty bedroom for me?”
“Certainly,” he smiled and walked out to his cart.
Giles wandered into the back room to see what was keeping Sarah and asked Joseph if he needed a hand. Joseph thanked him, and they carried the bed upstairs. While Joseph assembled the headboard and footboard to the side slats, Giles asked him what he knew about hanging drapery.
“Good news,” Giles said when he walked back downstairs. “Joseph and I will hang your drapes.”
Sarah stood in awe as she watched the two men make quick work of the job that she was convinced would have taken her hours. She offered to pay Joseph for his help, but he declined.
“You are paying me enough for all the furniture you ordered, Mrs. Morey. I’ll have the shelves and large work table you ordered finished in a few days.” He nodded and left.
“Thank you,” Sarah called after him.
“Is there anything else you need help with,” Giles asked?
Sarah shook her head and answered, “No, I appreciate what you’ve done.”
“I have paperwork to finish; I must go. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
“I’d love to, but I need to get back out to the farm before dark. Now that Molly’s bed is here; we can move in upstairs. I need to pack and get ready to bring my things into town tomorrow.”
“I understand,” Giles smiled at her. “Tomorrow will be a busy day and most likely tiring. Perhaps I could take you to dinner then. You won’t need to rush home before dark if you live in town.”
“No, I won’t,” Sarah said.
“I’ll see you at six tomorrow evening then,” he opened the door, stopped for a moment before placing his hat on his head, and left.
Sarah did her best to try
and calm her fluttering heart when the door burst open.
“I thought he’d never leave,” Celia exclaimed. “I wrote a letter to Mrs. Brutherington and one to Mr. Hastings. I thought you could read the one to Mr. Hastings before I mail it.”
“Have you been outside this entire time? You could have come in. Joseph was here delivering furniture and then he and Giles hung the drapes.”
“Oh, they look lovely, I adore that shade of blue,” Celia gushed thrusting a letter at Sarah. “Here see what you think.”
Sarah read over the letter and smiled. I think this letter is very sweet. You let him know you are the type of woman he wants and let him know you appreciate that he is a God-fearing, church-going man. Men like to hear those things. It is also nice that you mention his father. He’ll be happy to know you don’t mind that he lives with him. That could be a problem for some women.”
Celia shrugged, “I took care of both of my parents before and after they took ill. I don’t see his father as a problem.”
“Then you should go now and mail your letters. I have an hour before I need to head back to the farm. If you come back, we could choose some patterns and fabrics. I set the new fabric out on a few empty crates in the other room. Joseph said he’d have my shelves finished soon. He brought Molly’s bed, so we’ll be moving upstairs tomorrow.”
Celia hugged Sarah, “I’m excited for all of us.”
“I am, too. This is a new start for all three of us.”
~ * ~
Ten days later, the town of Gentle Falls hummed with excitement. Sarah and Giles had been out to dinner twice in the previous week, and he brought a basket lunch for Sarah and Molly during a busy Saturday afternoon. Sarah and Celia chose four fabrics for new dresses, and Sarah cut out the patterns and placed them away for the day her sewing machine arrived. Sarah also worked on several of Celia’s dresses to update them, and Molly enhanced many with lace and ribbon. Molly was a whiz with a needle and loved to work with the laces Sarah ordered.
Celia’s Mr. Hastings wrote to her and explained more about his ranch, the small town he lived in, and his still active father. If all went well, Celia would be on her way to Wyoming in a month.
She sighed when she spoke to Sarah, “If mail traveled faster, I could be on my way sooner.”
“But then I might not have time to sew the dress fabric waiting in the back room. It’s ready; I just need my sewing machine. You also need a wedding dress,” Sarah reminded her.
“Oh, I could wear my mother’s. Maybe you could alter it for me. I am a bit thinner than she was, and we were about the same height. I think it would fit me. It’s lovely. It’s all white silk and lace. I could bring it in today or tomorrow,” Celia offered.
“I can do that without my sewing machine. I prefer to use hand stitches on fragile fabrics. If it only needs alterations because of size, it will be quick and easy. I think wearing your mother’s dress is a lovely idea since none of us will be there with you when you marry.” Sarah smiled at her new friend wishing she could be present at her wedding.
“I will send you a very detailed letter, I promise,” Celia said and hugged Sarah. “I’m going to get the dress now. I’ll be back.” She rushed out the door and nearly tripped over Robert trying to get into the door.
“Robert, slow down. What is going on?”
“Oh, Mrs. Morey, I’m sorry. Pa sent me over to let you know the sewing machine arrived on the last train. We’ll bring it over as soon as Pa gets a break. Ma is coming, too. She said she’s never seen one. I have to go,” he said as he ran out the door again.
Sarah called up the stairs to Molly who was preparing their lunch, “My sewing machine will arrive this afternoon. Robert said Minnie is coming along to see it. I have a feeling the entire town will be here.”
Molly hurried down the stairs laughing. “This is exciting and of course, everyone will want to see it. It’s something new. People around here enjoy seeing new things. I’ll stay upstairs out of the way. It will be a good time for the ladies in town to see the inside of the shop. You worked so hard to get it ready.”
“You will do no such thing,” Sarah insisted. “You are my employee. The women will have to get used to the idea that you will be assisting me with their dresses. If they don’t like the idea, they can make their own or buy the ready-made ones at the mercantile.” Sarah fisted her hands on her hips and stared at Molly.
Molly fought back happy tears and nodded her head.
~ * ~
Two hours later, Sarah stood staring at her new sewing machine. Half the town tried to fill the front room of her shop and get a peek at the machine in its spot in her workroom. Sheriff Clay did his best to keep people from shoving and suggested they form a line and walk through into the back room to view the sewing machine and then leave via the back door.
He turned to Giles and stated, “Last time I saw a crowd pushing this hard for a front spot, I was at a hangin’.” He walked away to stop two men from throwing punches.
Giles murmured, “If the town gets this excited over a new sewing machine, it must truly be a quiet place to settle and raise a family.” Raise a family? Where did that thought come from he wondered? He heard Sarah make a comment about the machine, and he knew. She had stolen his heart.
Sheriff Clay managed to get the crowd under control and through the shop without further incident and then spoke to Sarah. “I think everyone in town has seen the sewing machine, but if I were you, I’d lock the front door to keep out any stragglers. You might not get any rest tonight otherwise.” He tipped his hat and left.
Sarah dropped into a chair and said to Molly, “We certainly attracted a crowd. I hope all the ladies that stated they would come back to have a dress made meant what they said.”
“I think they will. Many of them asked me what I would be doing here and when I explained that I enjoy adding the lace and ribbon to dresses they said they looked forward to picking out lace with me. A few even asked if I added lace to night dresses,” she smiled at Sarah. “You will have a lot of clients. I think every woman in town and the surrounding area was here.”
“Not to mention the men,” Sarah laughed. “They were interested in how the machine worked. I didn’t have answers to half their questions. I certainly am grateful the machine came with complete instructions.”
“Have you seen one before?”
“Yes, when I was Mrs. Carster’s ladies maid, she would occasionally take me along to the dressmakers. She enjoyed eating sweets, and when she over indulged during holidays or party season, I needed to adjust her dresses. When she purchased new dresses, she asked me to be sure they could be altered if required. I also needed to explain to the seamstress to be sure to leave extra wide seams for the adjustments that might be necessary. Mrs. Carster would never admit to needing it.”
Molly put her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. “Sorry, Sarah, I can’t believe the woman was so prideful that she needed someone else to make sure her clothes could be altered if she overindulged.”
“I could tell you many stories, but I think it’s time I see how to work this machine. Let’s take the sheriff’s advice. Would you lock the doors for me, please?”
Having a bit of knowledge of the machine from her visits to the Chicago seamstress shop, Sarah learned to work the machine quickly. She and Molly kept the shop closed for several more days to work on Celia’s dresses.
Molly pressed the last dress Sarah handed her and said, “I think Celia will be pleased. The dresses are pretty, and her mother’s wedding gown is lovely. You did a beautiful job altering it to fit Celia’s figure. Her Mr. Hastings will collapse when he sees her walking down the aisle.”
“I wish we could be there to see her wed, but we’ll think of her that day and maybe have a little party of our own to celebrate her happiness.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.”
“I’m tired. Let’s stop for the night and have supper. Tomorrow we can clean the shop and organize everything. Robert f
inished all the shelves and tables. I think we’ll be able to open on Monday. I can’t think of any reason for us to remain closed.” Sarah smiled and blew out the lamp.
Chapter 8
Nell carried the last of the dirty dishes into the kitchen when she heard the train whistle blow. “Train’s leaving,” she said to her husband.
Cal glanced over his shoulder from the stove where he stirred the last of the chicken stew and answered, “Yes, Nellie my love, I heard it.” He smiled and winked.
Nell blushed at his sweet attention. Even now that they were married, he made her blush and set her heart racing.
“Sorry, dear. I think I’m making a habit of announcing the last train. It’s a good feeling to know the day is nearly done. I’m tired.”
Nell set the dishes next to the sink and thought about sitting down for a few minutes when the bell above the front door announced a new customer.
“I’ll go,” Nell said. “You’re busy at the stove.” She smiled at him, and he winked at her again.
Nell walked back into the seating area and saw a small woman standing just inside the door. She clutched a brown suitcase in one hand and with the other, the hand of an adorable little boy.
“Good evening,” Nell said cheerily. “Welcome to Callahan’s. You must have been on the last train. You both look tired. Come and sit.” She led them to a table, and the woman helped the small boy to sit on a chair next to her.
“Thank you,” the woman spoke barely above a whisper.
Nell smiled. “Could I bring you coffee or tea? We still have some chicken stew left, if you’re hungry.”
“No thank you, we ate on the train, but tea would be nice.”
“I have milk for the boy and maybe a sugar cookie?” Nell asked.
The boy’s eyes opened wide, and the woman answered, “That would be nice, thank you.”
Nell hurried into the kitchen and said to Cal, “Last minute travelers. I only need tea, milk, and a couple of sugar cookies.” He nodded, and she filled a tray with the order.
Nell placed the teapot and cup in front of the woman and the milk and cookies just out of reach of the boy. She knew how quickly a little one could spill a glass of milk and stuff cookies in their mouths.
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