me?”
she asked again.
“Go ahead, open it, Ma.”
She worried over the knots, until Carl stepped forward with his knife and cut the string. Then she wrapped it into a ball over her fingers and tucked it into a pocket of her apron.
“Come on, Ma,” Carl urged.
She spread apart the paper, and the yellow silk burst into the light. Julia caught her breath. “Oh, Carl, it’s lovely!” She laughed and held the shawl to her face, pressing the softness of the fabric against her cheek. “Where’d you get the coin for this, boy?”
“Mr. Hilbrands gave me a little ‘thank you’ present. He was grateful Ida wasn’t harmed.”
“And well she might have been.” Julia sighed. “I don’t know what got into those girls, even to think of going into a strange town without a man to escort them. I’m glad you boys happened along in time.”
Basking in his mother’s grateful reception of his present, Carl went in search of the girls.
“Here you go, Sis,” he said, and gave Marie a twist of paper. “Thank you.” He turned to Ellen and presented her with a similar paper twist. “I reckon thanks goes to you, too. Marie says so.”
Ellen looked at Marie. “What’s this for?”
“Tell her, Carl.”
“Marie says you sent her over to fix up my wounds. I’m obliged.”
Ellen turned to her friend. “Marie!” she protested, fidgeting with the paper in her hands. Then she held the candy out to Carl. “I didn’t do nothing. I can’t take it.”
“Nonsense. It’s for keeping your head, like.”
She looked down. “Thank you.”
“Enjoy your sweets.”
Carl turned away, and Marie whispered to Ellen, “Look there, he’s bringing you presents. And Ida ain’t married him yet. He’s still fair game.”
“Marie, he treats me like he treats you. I’m an extra sister, to his mind.”
Marie took hold of Ellen’s upper arm and gave it a shake. “Don’t give up, Ellen. Sometimes he’s a bother, but my brother Carl’s worth having. You keep in his sight. Don’t let him forget you’re around.” She let go of her friend’s arm. “Mind you, Ida’s fun, and I reckon Carl thinks so, too, but I don’t think she’ll make him a good wife out in the Colorado Territory. She ain’t the pioneering kind.”
Ellen held the twist of candy over her heart. “But there’s James to consider.”
Marie sighed. “There’s nothing wrong with James,” she said. “He’s nice enough: he’s kind, and he’s brave—he’s got a bayonet wound to prove that.”
“I don’t want James,” Ellen said, shaking her head, her face gone somber. “He’s got that grin, and a quick wit, and I feel so ashamed that I can’t find a morsel of affection for him.” She hid her eyes behind her hands for a moment, then added, “I was so glad when Reverend Halsey didn’t come. I know James was, too. But now he comes to our fire and sits with me, and tries to pretend he’s happy a-courtin’ me. He’ll even kiss my hand from time to time before he goes back to your fire, but there’s no…no loss in my bosom when he leaves.”
Marie’s eyes were wet with tears. “Oh, Ellen,” she sniffed. “Why is life so hard?”
~~~
“They will regret they ever came to Ciudad Kansas,” the Mexican swore, breathing with difficulty through his smashed nose. “The young one, he will watch Berto Acosta have his way with the girl.” He drained the beer from the mug he held in his fist, then turned and shouted, “I will follow them, and the muchacha will be mine!”
“You need rest, Berto,” Willy murmured, taking hold of his arm.
“Shore, that nose won’t heal proper if you sit here drinking all night,” Rankin agreed, grabbing the second arm. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll pick up their trail easy in a couple of days. Them tenderfeet are always easy to track.”
Chapter 8
For several days after leaving the city of Kansas, the travelers had the road to themselves. Although stage stops and
she asked again.
“Go ahead, open it, Ma.”
She worried over the knots, until Carl stepped forward with his knife and cut the string. Then she wrapped it into a ball over her fingers and tucked it into a pocket of her apron.
“Come on, Ma,” Carl urged.
She spread apart the paper, and the yellow silk burst into the light. Julia caught her breath. “Oh, Carl, it’s lovely!” She laughed and held the shawl to her face, pressing the softness of the fabric against her cheek. “Where’d you get the coin for this, boy?”
“Mr. Hilbrands gave me a little ‘thank you’ present. He was grateful Ida wasn’t harmed.”
“And well she might have been.” Julia sighed. “I don’t know what got into those girls, even to think of going into a strange town without a man to escort them. I’m glad you boys happened along in time.”
Basking in his mother’s grateful reception of his present, Carl went in search of the girls.
“Here you go, Sis,” he said, and gave Marie a twist of paper. “Thank you.” He turned to Ellen and presented her with a similar paper twist. “I reckon thanks goes to you, too. Marie says so.”
Ellen looked at Marie. “What’s this for?”
“Tell her, Carl.”
“Marie says you sent her over to fix up my wounds. I’m obliged.”
Ellen turned to her friend. “Marie!” she protested, fidgeting with the paper in her hands. Then she held the candy out to Carl. “I didn’t do nothing. I can’t take it.”
“Nonsense. It’s for keeping your head, like.”
She looked down. “Thank you.”
“Enjoy your sweets.”
Carl turned away, and Marie whispered to Ellen, “Look there, he’s bringing you presents. And Ida ain’t married him yet. He’s still fair game.”
“Marie, he treats me like he treats you. I’m an extra sister, to his mind.”
Marie took hold of Ellen’s upper arm and gave it a shake. “Don’t give up, Ellen. Sometimes he’s a bother, but my brother Carl’s worth having. You keep in his sight. Don’t let him forget you’re around.” She let go of her friend’s arm. “Mind you, Ida’s fun, and I reckon Carl thinks so, too, but I don’t think she’ll make him a good wife out in the Colorado Territory. She ain’t the pioneering kind.”
Ellen held the twist of candy over her heart. “But there’s James to consider.”
Marie sighed. “There’s nothing wrong with James,” she said. “He’s nice enough: he’s kind, and he’s brave—he’s got a bayonet wound to prove that.”
“I don’t want James,” Ellen said, shaking her head, her face gone somber. “He’s got that grin, and a quick wit, and I feel so ashamed that I can’t find a morsel of affection for him.” She hid her eyes behind her hands for a moment, then added, “I was so glad when Reverend Halsey didn’t come. I know James was, too. But now he comes to our fire and sits with me, and tries to pretend he’s happy a-courtin’ me. He’ll even kiss my hand from time to time before he goes back to your fire, but there’s no…no loss in my bosom when he leaves.”
Marie’s eyes were wet with tears. “Oh, Ellen,” she sniffed. “Why is life so hard?”
~~~
“They will regret they ever came to Ciudad Kansas,” the Mexican swore, breathing with difficulty through his smashed nose. “The young one, he will watch Berto Acosta have his way with the girl.” He drained the beer from the mug he held in his fist, then turned and shouted, “I will follow them, and the muchacha will be mine!”
“You need rest, Berto,” Willy murmured, taking hold of his arm.
“Shore, that nose won’t heal proper if you sit here drinking all night,” Rankin agreed, grabbing the second arm. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll pick up their trail easy in a couple of days. Them tenderfeet are always easy to track.”
Chapter 8
For several days after leaving the city of Kansas, the travelers had the road to themselves. Although stage stops and
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