restaurant wasn’t open yet and Father wouldn’t wait. Bonnie, you tell him one more day to rest wouldn’t hurt.”
Bonnie shook her head. “We can’t stay, the police stopped by last night and told us we are camped illegally in a public park. They said if we moved on out this morning, they wouldn’t write a complaint and make us pay any fine.” She passed around the last biscuits, telling the boys to just be patient. “I promised we’d be gone.”
“You should have been here,” Tom said.
“A whole crowd of people stood around watching us get in trouble,” Jim said.
“Bonnie made us sing, but the officer let us stay when he learned we were Irish. They were Irish too,” Tom added.
“See,” Father said.
Claire didn’t want to give up. “ A ren’t you tired to the bone of all this. We must have walked a thousand miles already, but Father says we’re only now getting started. Isn’t it horrible?”
Claire watched her friend pour the batter into a long pan to shove into the campsite stove. The metal box was another clever invention Father had made.
Bonnie straightened, “It’s not been all that bad. When I get tired, I just climb up on one of the oxen and ride a few miles, just like the boys.”
Bella and Henry picked their way carefully down the path. Then suddenly Bella brushed past Claire and raced to the wagons, calling her son’s name as she ran. Barney sat beside the campfire, happily wedged between the twins on the oilcloth, with the dogs stretched out beside them.
“Hi, Momma,” he called and Bella’s face changed as she turned and smiled. She said good morning to her beloved child with a noisy kiss. The boys sprang up, to give her room, excited to talk about the cattle rustlers who had visited in the night. While they jumped around and talked, Father and Henry asked dozens of questions.
Bonnie was just finishing explaining how she’d heard the oxen’s bells and fired the shotgun. “I think they were going to steal whatever they could find in the wagons,” Bonnie said.
“I thought the dogs would be some protection, give a warning. Didn’t any of you stay awake to guard?” Father asked.
The boys were interrupting again, defending their beloved animals. “We were on watch, but we ate so much food, we fell asleep,” Tom admitted.
“Tip and Tyler ate what Barney couldn’t, so they fell asleep too. But when Bonnie fired the gun, they took off after the thieves with a vengeance. Tip came back with cloth from one of their jackets or pants,” Jim said.
Mother Wimberley stood at the rear of her wagon, shaking out the clean clothes she had picked for each to change into. “Bonnie, Claire, it’s your idea. I’ve convinced Father to make the time, but you have to hurry to change if we’re going to make an early mass.”
“We’ll keep an eye on everything,” Henry said to Father. He had taken the shotgun from the front box of his wagon and stood defiantly ready. Claire thought he looked remarkably sweet holding the noisy gun she knew he hated.
Claire came down from the wagon, her spring bonnet in place, her favorite green dress shaken out for another wearing. “It will probably be our last chance to attend church until we reach Utah.”
Bella looked up from where she was feeding Barney one of the warm biscuits. “We’re Jewish, darling. You remember that, don’t you?”
Claire blushed, even without Bella saying them, she heard the words, ‘silly goose.’
What was wrong with her? Even if he wasn’t married, he was Jewish. She and her parents were good Catholics and so were all her friends. She looked away from him and hurried to hook her arm with Bonnie. All the way to the church, Bonnie continued to talk about the thieves. It was hard for Claire to get a word in about the grand hotel, the food, music, and dancing, but she tried.
<><><>
Inside the church, with its high arched ceiling and tall stained glass windows, she felt suddenly humbled. Kneeling and
Bonnie shook her head. “We can’t stay, the police stopped by last night and told us we are camped illegally in a public park. They said if we moved on out this morning, they wouldn’t write a complaint and make us pay any fine.” She passed around the last biscuits, telling the boys to just be patient. “I promised we’d be gone.”
“You should have been here,” Tom said.
“A whole crowd of people stood around watching us get in trouble,” Jim said.
“Bonnie made us sing, but the officer let us stay when he learned we were Irish. They were Irish too,” Tom added.
“See,” Father said.
Claire didn’t want to give up. “ A ren’t you tired to the bone of all this. We must have walked a thousand miles already, but Father says we’re only now getting started. Isn’t it horrible?”
Claire watched her friend pour the batter into a long pan to shove into the campsite stove. The metal box was another clever invention Father had made.
Bonnie straightened, “It’s not been all that bad. When I get tired, I just climb up on one of the oxen and ride a few miles, just like the boys.”
Bella and Henry picked their way carefully down the path. Then suddenly Bella brushed past Claire and raced to the wagons, calling her son’s name as she ran. Barney sat beside the campfire, happily wedged between the twins on the oilcloth, with the dogs stretched out beside them.
“Hi, Momma,” he called and Bella’s face changed as she turned and smiled. She said good morning to her beloved child with a noisy kiss. The boys sprang up, to give her room, excited to talk about the cattle rustlers who had visited in the night. While they jumped around and talked, Father and Henry asked dozens of questions.
Bonnie was just finishing explaining how she’d heard the oxen’s bells and fired the shotgun. “I think they were going to steal whatever they could find in the wagons,” Bonnie said.
“I thought the dogs would be some protection, give a warning. Didn’t any of you stay awake to guard?” Father asked.
The boys were interrupting again, defending their beloved animals. “We were on watch, but we ate so much food, we fell asleep,” Tom admitted.
“Tip and Tyler ate what Barney couldn’t, so they fell asleep too. But when Bonnie fired the gun, they took off after the thieves with a vengeance. Tip came back with cloth from one of their jackets or pants,” Jim said.
Mother Wimberley stood at the rear of her wagon, shaking out the clean clothes she had picked for each to change into. “Bonnie, Claire, it’s your idea. I’ve convinced Father to make the time, but you have to hurry to change if we’re going to make an early mass.”
“We’ll keep an eye on everything,” Henry said to Father. He had taken the shotgun from the front box of his wagon and stood defiantly ready. Claire thought he looked remarkably sweet holding the noisy gun she knew he hated.
Claire came down from the wagon, her spring bonnet in place, her favorite green dress shaken out for another wearing. “It will probably be our last chance to attend church until we reach Utah.”
Bella looked up from where she was feeding Barney one of the warm biscuits. “We’re Jewish, darling. You remember that, don’t you?”
Claire blushed, even without Bella saying them, she heard the words, ‘silly goose.’
What was wrong with her? Even if he wasn’t married, he was Jewish. She and her parents were good Catholics and so were all her friends. She looked away from him and hurried to hook her arm with Bonnie. All the way to the church, Bonnie continued to talk about the thieves. It was hard for Claire to get a word in about the grand hotel, the food, music, and dancing, but she tried.
<><><>
Inside the church, with its high arched ceiling and tall stained glass windows, she felt suddenly humbled. Kneeling and
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