that any way for a guest to behave?” Addie asked. “I am greatly insulted.”
Welcome turned to leave but stopped when Addie said, “What’s your hurry? I guess I know how to pick a lock or two.” Addie extracted a hairpin from the row, leaving a little gap between the soldiers, and held it up. Then she knelt down beside the trunk and carefully inserted the hairpin into the lock, wiggling it around. In a few seconds, there was a click, and Addie sent Welcome a look of triumph. She lifted the lid.
Welcome nudged Addie aside so that she could look in first.
Addie struggled to keep her balance as she wondered why Welcome was in such a hurry.
“This ain’t right,” Welcome said.
“Oh, la!” Addie began removing the items in the trunk—dresses, petticoats, drawers, a corset. There were scraps of material for quilts and a supply of bonnet strings and soft fabrics for hats, some silk rosettes. It looked as if Emma planned to set up a millinery all along, Addie observed.
“Or make a whole supply of hats for herself. Maybe she’ll make me a hat.” Welcome grinned, and Addie crunched up a piece of green taffeta and held it over Welcome’s head. “This looks better than that old rag you’ve got on. Your hair’s got red in it. Take it if you want. She won’t miss it.”
“No, ma’am. The devil will not have my soul for a piece of green silk.”
“Suit yourself.” Addie rummaged around inside the trunk, tossing out shoes and stockings and an 1879 bound volume of Peterson’s Magazine . She flipped through it and stopped to study a woman wearing a Saratoga dress and bonnet. “Maybe that’s where she gets the ideas for those hats. Why, this one’s been out-of-date for years.” Having gone to Kansas City every year, Addie considered herself an expert on fashions. She looked into the trunk again. “That’s odd. You’d think she’d have a Bible and one of those cooking books.”
“She already knows how to cook. And maybe they had but one Bible, and her brother kept it. Besides, she’s no cheer-backer.”
“No what?”
“Preacher. I never heard her say one word about the Lord, yet. Or you neither.”
Addie snorted and got on her knees to peer into the bottom of the trunk where something was wrapped in a piece of silk. She lifted it out, removed the material, and found herself staring at the likeness of the man who had gotten on the train with Emma. “This is her brother,” Addie said, handing the picture to Welcome.
“He’s a fine-looking man,” Welcome observed.
“Oh, I don’t know. You wouldn’t say that if you saw him. He’s too mean.”
“So she say.” Welcome held the picture closer to study it, then handed it back.
Addie wondered why Emma had brought along a picture of her brother, when she hated him so. Maybe she’d wanted the frame for her husband’s picture, and now that there wasn’t any husband, there was no reason to remove John Roby’s likeness.
Addie put the picture back into the trunk and began to pile Emma’s things on top of it.
Welcome chuckled. “You think she won’t know you snooped when she opens this trunk and finds it as messy as an owl’s nest?”
Addie threw up her hands. “You straighten it, then.” She went into the kitchen and sliced herself another piece of bread and ate it plain. Then she stood in the doorway watching Welcome as she carefully folded each garment and returned it to the trunk. When she was finished, Welcome closed the lid and extracted the hairpin, straightening it and returning it to its place on the bureau. “You’re a regular lady’s maid,” Addie observed.
“You want some breakfast now?” Welcome asked.
“Naw, I want a glass of whiskey.” Addie started for the parlor, then turned and cocked her head at Welcome. “You coming, or is that against your religion, too?”
“The Lord comes down on drunkness,” Welcome said, then smiled. “But I suppose He don’t mind a little nip to help the hurting in my
Welcome turned to leave but stopped when Addie said, “What’s your hurry? I guess I know how to pick a lock or two.” Addie extracted a hairpin from the row, leaving a little gap between the soldiers, and held it up. Then she knelt down beside the trunk and carefully inserted the hairpin into the lock, wiggling it around. In a few seconds, there was a click, and Addie sent Welcome a look of triumph. She lifted the lid.
Welcome nudged Addie aside so that she could look in first.
Addie struggled to keep her balance as she wondered why Welcome was in such a hurry.
“This ain’t right,” Welcome said.
“Oh, la!” Addie began removing the items in the trunk—dresses, petticoats, drawers, a corset. There were scraps of material for quilts and a supply of bonnet strings and soft fabrics for hats, some silk rosettes. It looked as if Emma planned to set up a millinery all along, Addie observed.
“Or make a whole supply of hats for herself. Maybe she’ll make me a hat.” Welcome grinned, and Addie crunched up a piece of green taffeta and held it over Welcome’s head. “This looks better than that old rag you’ve got on. Your hair’s got red in it. Take it if you want. She won’t miss it.”
“No, ma’am. The devil will not have my soul for a piece of green silk.”
“Suit yourself.” Addie rummaged around inside the trunk, tossing out shoes and stockings and an 1879 bound volume of Peterson’s Magazine . She flipped through it and stopped to study a woman wearing a Saratoga dress and bonnet. “Maybe that’s where she gets the ideas for those hats. Why, this one’s been out-of-date for years.” Having gone to Kansas City every year, Addie considered herself an expert on fashions. She looked into the trunk again. “That’s odd. You’d think she’d have a Bible and one of those cooking books.”
“She already knows how to cook. And maybe they had but one Bible, and her brother kept it. Besides, she’s no cheer-backer.”
“No what?”
“Preacher. I never heard her say one word about the Lord, yet. Or you neither.”
Addie snorted and got on her knees to peer into the bottom of the trunk where something was wrapped in a piece of silk. She lifted it out, removed the material, and found herself staring at the likeness of the man who had gotten on the train with Emma. “This is her brother,” Addie said, handing the picture to Welcome.
“He’s a fine-looking man,” Welcome observed.
“Oh, I don’t know. You wouldn’t say that if you saw him. He’s too mean.”
“So she say.” Welcome held the picture closer to study it, then handed it back.
Addie wondered why Emma had brought along a picture of her brother, when she hated him so. Maybe she’d wanted the frame for her husband’s picture, and now that there wasn’t any husband, there was no reason to remove John Roby’s likeness.
Addie put the picture back into the trunk and began to pile Emma’s things on top of it.
Welcome chuckled. “You think she won’t know you snooped when she opens this trunk and finds it as messy as an owl’s nest?”
Addie threw up her hands. “You straighten it, then.” She went into the kitchen and sliced herself another piece of bread and ate it plain. Then she stood in the doorway watching Welcome as she carefully folded each garment and returned it to the trunk. When she was finished, Welcome closed the lid and extracted the hairpin, straightening it and returning it to its place on the bureau. “You’re a regular lady’s maid,” Addie observed.
“You want some breakfast now?” Welcome asked.
“Naw, I want a glass of whiskey.” Addie started for the parlor, then turned and cocked her head at Welcome. “You coming, or is that against your religion, too?”
“The Lord comes down on drunkness,” Welcome said, then smiled. “But I suppose He don’t mind a little nip to help the hurting in my
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