THE PATH TO A PROMISE CHAPTERS 8 AND 9

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

Henry drove the buggy toward Lizzie's farm as the storm rumbled behind them. As he guided the horses around a sharp turn, he listened to William, but trying to outrun the storm and keep them all safe was uppermost on his mind.

Lizzie’s voice twittered like a bluebird in spring. She had a sunny disposition and talked with anyone about anything. Her smile was as bright as a summer morning. “Tell us more about Joplin! I’ve never been that far away. Are there electric lights there? Are the streets full of traffic? Where do Mary Jane and your sisters shop?”

William chuckled at her questions. “Joplin is a fine big city with newfangled electric lighting. If you want to have fun, Joplin’s the place for it! We take the streetcar to the Crystal Cave right there in town! People can take a tour or dance on a big dance floor in the third chamber of the Cave. And at the Club Theatre, you can see a Vaudeville show. Have you tasted the new Coca-Cola yet? My, it’ll wet your whistle!”

He looked at Lizzie, his voice soft and charming, and whispered in her ear, “Your eyes are round as the moon on a warm summer night." He quickly continued, "They’re opening the Electric Park soon. That’s the place to have a good time! They plan to offer music in the park, singing shows, a merry-go-round, and a Ferris wheel. People picnic there.” He took a breath, “Mother and the girls shop at Christman’s Dry Goods. Joplin’s even got a fire and a police station!”

“It sounds like fun, fun, fun!” Lizzie squealed. Clara Mae wiggled on her lap but stayed asleep. Lizzie clutched the child as the buggy jolted over the road, splashing mud along the way.

Henry spoke up. “Uncle Zim says it’s a den for trouble with saloons on every corner. That gets Pa and everybody at church worked up, and Preacher Akehurst starts preaching temperance!”

William agreed. “If you want trouble, you can find it in Joplin. But we can find trouble in the hills and hollers! Pine Hills and Rocky Corners are known for all kinds of troubles with drinking and fighting. Joplin’s just a bigger place, that’s all.” He laughed again and looked at Lizzie, who listened to every word he said.

“Trouble. We don’t need any more of it!” Olive cried out. Her face was drawn and pinched as she sat straight on the buggy seat, holding hard to Henry’s arm.

“Watch it, Ellie. You’re about to pull my arm off!” Henry released her grip, as he spurred the horse onward.

“Now, Sister,” Lizzie admonished. “Didn’t you hear what William just said? There’s trouble everywhere you go! And don't we know it since Joe Tanner shot my husband!"

The buggy bounced into a hole in the road and lurched to the right. Olive slammed into Henry and she held tight to his arm.

“Joplin’s not as bad as Baxter Springs, Kansas. That cow town is full of rough and ready fighters, especially on a Saturday night. But Joplin is what you want it to be. If you want fun, you can find it. If you want trouble, you can get it. If you need a job, you can get one. Why don’t you come up to visit, Henry? Have a look around, you might like it. And I can guarantee you’ll get a job in no time. The mines hire every day. ‘Sides, Mother would love for you to stay with us for a while.”

“I might just do that,” Henry answered. Glancing at Olive, he smirked and quickly added. “I’ll have to think about it. I’ve been looking for a good job!”

Olive curled her lip as she thought about the stories of the mines and the dangerous jobs the miners performed. She asked, “Yes, but William, how safe is it? Going down into the ground to work must be dangerous!” She shivered at the thought just as thunder rolled again.

William laughed. “It’s as safe as driving this buggy down a steep hill, Olive.”

Olive drew a sharp breath. “What?”

Henry was quick to explain that William meant anyone could be killed doing anything at any time. When it was a person’s time to go, nothing would stop death. “I don’t plan to go to work in the mines, so stop worrying, Olive.”

A clap of thunder shook the sky. Was it a warning of things to come?

 

***

When they reached Lizzie’s farm, William carried Clara Mae into the house, and Lizzie trailed behind through the pouring rain. Olive sat still on the buggy seat. Her face was sober, and she picked at a string from her wet dress.

“You going in or sitting here in the storm?” Henry asked.

She said nothing, just hunched her shoulders. “I don’t want you to go to Joplin.” She did not look at him. Fear seized her heart, and she wanted to cry but batted the tears away. She worried about things that had not even taken place.

Henry chuckled when he saw her face. She looked like an angel who had fallen and scraped her knee on Heaven’s golden sidewalks. He wanted to gather her in his arms, hold her tight, and wipe away the fear on her face. He made his move. He leaned to her, pulling her close, and held her tight against his chest.

“I won’t go if you don’t want me to," he whispered into her dark hair.

She whispered back, “I don’t want you to.”

“Then I won’t. While we’re sitting here, when do you want to get married? I don’t want to wait much longer.”

The rain continued to fall, but the lightning had stopped. Now and then, a groan of thunder broke the quiet. The tree limbs were heavy and dripping with water.

“We can't get married yet; the cabin's not done." Her words were void of emotion.

He scratched his head, his face wrinkling with thought. “I’m working on it, but it takes time and money! If we have to, we can stay with Mama and Dad until it's finished. " He changed the subject. “What about getting married in the fall? September’s a good month."

She thought about it, her shoulders held at attention, her neck long and thin. Her fourteenth birthday was the month before; her parents would have to give permission for her to marry Henry. Would they? Her mind was whirling with thoughts of a wedding. She remembered Lizzie and Daniel’s wedding was a nice affair at the schoolhouse. After their wedding that night, sometime around midnight, family and friends gathered to give them a chivari. Oh, the noise they made, banging on pots and pans! David Winters’ band played "When the Saints Go Marching In." Everyone had a gay time playing pranks on the newlyweds.

“I think September will do,” she relented.

He nodded. “I’ll get the cabin built by then, I promise."

Olive pulled away, an odd expression marking her face.

“What’s wrong?” he questioned.

“Someone is standing in the way,” she said, “and he stands six feet tall with a long droopy mustache.”

Henry’s shoulders drooped in defeat. “You’re not eighteen; we have to ask your father’s permission.”

***

That night, when the house was quiet, and Henry and William had gone, Olive and Lizzie talked. The storm had left a chill in the house, and Lizzie had a nice fire in the fireplace. The warmth spread throughout the house. Lizzie sat in the wicker rocker, holding Clara Mae. The child was asleep, but Lizzie had not put her to bed yet.

“Henry and I want to get married in September. But…” Olive frowned. “We have to tell Mama and Papa.” Dread filled her belly, and she sighed. It was another hurdle to get over. Why did love have to be so complicated?

Lizzie laughed. “You worry too much, Sister! Remember, Mama had to sign for me to marry Dan.” She wrinkled up her nose. “Course they thought there was a baby on the way.”

“I remember the hushed conversations,” Olive nodded.

“People judge others by such harsh circumstances. When you want to marry a man, many think you are in the family way. Never mind that love may be the real reason!” She rolled her eyes and waved her hands through the air.

“Have you thought of marrying again?”

Lizzie shrugged. “I haven’t entertained the idea until now, I think of Dan a lot.”

“Even when William escorted you home?”

Olive noted the blush on Lizzie’s cheeks. “He is handsome, isn’t he?”

“I think William Madison’s more than handsome; he’s as cute as a bug’s ear!” Olive rolled her eyes and lay back against the padded chair. “We’ve known the family a long time. And Mary Jane’s a wonderful woman. She’d make a good mother-in-law."

“He told me more about the city. That’s where St. John’s Hospital is, and I can get medical care for my back."

Olive’s face changed at the mention of Joplin. The rumors about the big city terrified her, and she wanted no part of it. The hills and hollows of Rocky Corners were home. She had no desire to see the lights of Joplin.

Lizzie continued, happily animated. “If my back continues to give me fits, the hospital is close to their house. Several doctors and nurses practice good medicine, of course.” Her eyes brightened. " William told me there’s so much to do in the city and that it’s nothing like down here in this forlorn place.”

“Lizzie! You love our hills!” Olive admonished her.

“It’s getting tiresome living here on this old farm! William invited me to visit them, and I promised I’d go.” She looked sharply at Olive, waiting for her outburst, which was sure to come.

Olive kept her calm and thought about what she should say. After all, it was her sister's decision, and she didn't walk in Lizzie’s shoes. Her poor sister had lost her husband to murder and was raising a child. Olive didn’t know the first thing about heartache and loss. How could she condemn her sister when she didn’t understand her feelings?

“You should go,” Olive said quietly. She saw the surprise in Lizzie’s eyes, and she smiled. “See Joplin firsthand. Experience big-city life and get the needed treatments for your back.”

Lizzie’s smile faded away. “I was going to wait to tell you… I told William I'd go for a visit as soon as I got the money for a train ticket, but he gave me the money. Mary Jane told me I was welcome, and I'll get to see Lydia!”

Clara Mae whined and fussed against her mother.

“It’s time to put her to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” She struggled to get off the sofa. Grabbing her lower back, she grimaced.

Olive lifted Clara Mae and carried her to the bedroom. “She’s getting heavy,” Lizzie complained, padding to the bed.

Olive did not go to bed right away. Instead, she sat in the chair by the fire, staring into the fireplace at the glow of the wood coals in the firebox. Thoughts of the day’s activities whirled in her mind. She was happy to see the Madison family again. It had been months since they sold their farm in the hills and moved to the city. Mary Jane was as spry and happy as she always was.

Now that she and Herny agreed to get married in September, the next step was to tell her folks. Her chest tightened with dread. Just telling Pa that she wanted Henry Winters to court her raised a ruckus. What would he do when he found out they intended to marry?

 

CHAPTER NINE

At noontime, Nancy and Bud Johnson sat at their long kitchen table laden with brown beans with ham, zucchini squash, and yellow cornbread. When Olive and Henry arrived, they sat beside each other as Bud talked about the morning at the logging camp. “Old Gray is just about to give out. I’ve got to find another mule before he does.” Eyeing Henry, he asked, “Does your Uncle Zimri have any quality mules for sale?”

Henry chewed on a forkful of beans and almost choked when Bud gave him the eye. He coughed and swallowed, taking a drink to help wash it down. “I'll ask Father.”

Bud gave a slight nod. “Good mules sell fast.”

Olive put her fork down and looked at her mother's bird-like face, drawn with the lines deepening with pain. She worked long and hard through the years and now bore the brunt of pain and suffering. Her long black hair, parted in the middle, was coiled into a tight knot at the back of her neck. Although her face portrayed the look of someone angry, her personality was just the opposite. No woman was meeker and milder than Nancy. Even though her bodily features were stark and harsh, her spirit was sweet. “We’ve come to talk to you about something that’s important.”

Her parents stopped eating and looked at her. Olive’s heart thumped so loud that she just knew they all could hear it—and worse, maybe they saw it chugging in her chest. She sat frozen in the chair and couldn’t squeak out a word.

“Well, what is it?” Nancy's head bent slightly, looking at her daughter.

Olive managed to look at Henry, but she immediately knew he would be of no help. He looked like he’d just stepped in front of a bobcat. She was on her own. “Well,” her tongue moistened her lips. “We want to get married in September.” Olive’s body tensed like a fish waiting for a turtle to snap it up. Instead, the silence was intense and disturbing.

Nancy's eyes bore into her husband like a hawk pouncing on a mouse. Her dark eyes looked like the intense Missouri thunderstorms that gathered in the west. Her mouth set in a grim expression. “I knew it was a bad idea for you to allow him to court our daughter.” The words hung in the air like a loaded gun.

Bud shot back. “We talked about this, and you know what we decided. Now you’re turning the tables and blaming me?”

“I am.” Nancy's head bobbed up and down.

“You know what she would have done if we hadn’t allowed them to see each other!” His voice rose.

Olive saw Henry’s face turn red like his mother’s Sunday bonnet as he looked down at the flowered tablecloth. She stood up, hands dropped to her sides. “You’re talking as if we’re not here!”

Nancy raised her right hand to her mouth and shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“When you asked us to let you court Henry," Bud cleared his throat. “We didn’t want you seeing any boy. But we know about the birds and the bees, so we agreed. As we’ve watched you two, we realized it made you happy."

“And we know marriage is coming next,” Nancy intervened. “We went through the same thing with my mama. When I met Bud, we went to mama and asked her blessing on us getting married.”

“Whooee!” Bud thundered, “Did that ever cause a stink!” He laughed and slapped his bony knee. He stood up and left the table to hack and spit.

“Mama called him every name in the book and forbade us to see one another.”

“Do you think that stopped us?” Bud asked, returning to the table. A mischievous grin ran across his face.

“Well, you’re married, so it didn’t,” Olive spoke up. Suddenly, hope bloomed in her heart. A warm feeling spread through her. Her life was changing forever on this day.

“I threatened to run away and never see her again! I was mean and called her names that now I'm ashamed of. When she admitted that she didn't want to be left alone, we compromised. If she'd give consent to the marriage, she could live with us. We got married and it took Mama a while to simmer down. Later she admitted she liked Bud,” Nancy’s voice was soft, and a smile lit her eyes with contentment and gratitude.

Bud nodded. “We became good friends. Your grandma was a forgiving woman."

“That's why Grandma lived with us?” Olive asked, understanding written on her face.

Nancy nodded. “I couldn’t leave her alone. And Bud was kind enough to welcome her into our home. We’re telling you this because we'll consent to you marrying Henry if he’s the man you think you can live with for the rest of your life.”

Olive’s eyes widened as she inhaled a breath. She looked at Henry, saw his expression, and laughed. He looked like he was about to either throw up or faint.

Henry drew a breath. The moment arrived. If they allowed him to marry her, his land was his! Guilt bubbled up next to his elation. Was he going through with this? He had to! No doubt about it! Ignoring the misgivings and holding out his hand to Bud, he replied, “Thank you for your blessing.”

Bud eyed them both, holding up his hands. “Just hold on, we’ve got more to say to you two. This is serious business. Marriage is a sacred vow between two people. Your mother and I don’t take it lightly. Where will you live? How will you feed your family? What if one of you gets sick?”

Henry plunked into his chair, clearing his throat. “Well…Father and Mother gave me ten acres over by the bluff above their place. I’ve started building a house. Father told me that Uncle Cornelius over in Bartlett County has lots of connections for jobs. I’ll go over and talk to Uncle about it. And, well, if we get sick, we’ll take care of one another!” He looked at Olive, questions ripe in his eyes. Had he given the right answers to her father's inquiry? "William Madison told us that the Joplin mines are hiring daily. Joplin has jobs a plenty up there.”

Olive sucked in her breath and glared at him. He couldn’t talk about going to Joplin! Taking a drink, she held her tongue and allowed Henry to finish.

Bud nodded, his mustache bobbing with the motion. “Sounds like you’re making some good, solid plans, Son. Glad to hear it.”

“Have you set a time to get married?” Nancy asked.

“September,” Olive answered.

“Gives you four months to build a house,” Bud said, caution lacing the words.

“By September, we should be ready.” Henry was confident.

Olive finished her meal as her father and Henry talked about the mules. Now that the marriage issue was settled, a heaviness swept through her. Wasn't she supposed to be ecstatic? Thrilled? She didn't feel it. Instead, her heartbeat continued to raise a ruckus. She was marrying the most handsome man in all of Brooming County. She knew the hesitation was due to her wish for a career. To go to school and do something with her life. She pushed the anguish away. She would get married, go to college, and find a job. It would give them a chance to find financial freedom. One thing was sure: her life would forever change.

***

Throughout the summer, Henry worked on the house when he wasn't busy with odd jobs. One day, despite his promise to Olive, he left early in the morning and traveled to Redings Mill, south of Joplin, to visit the Madison family. There he saw mining companies in operation. He stayed a week, and each evening, when he and William came home, their clothing was covered in grime. Mary Jane stopped them at the door, promptly taking a corn broom to their clothing, trying to remove as much dirt and dust as possible.

The grit and grime certainly did not appeal to Henry. He realized that William worked hard as a jig man, operating the jig that pulled the ore from the mine shaft. All day long, William worked the heavy contraption. The horror stories he told of mines collapsing or miners losing a body part due to clumsiness on the job struck fear inside Henry. The mining life was not for him. He returned home, content with what he had always been doing.

When Henry went to Joplin, Olive protested, but he quickly reminded her he needed a job. When Olive talked to Lizzie about it, Lizzie advised her not to quarrel because he wanted to spend time with friends and, more than that, to better himself by looking at job prospects. Olive accepted her advice, even though she did not like it.

While Henry was away, wedding plans were made for Sunday afternoon, September 5. After church services, Reverend Akehurst would marry the couple. Olive asked Lizzie to be her witness, and William Madison would stand beside Henry during the ceremony. Both parties accepted the honor of helping the couple complete their wedding details.

On an August morning, Nancy drove to Lizzie’s farm. Tying the horse to the rail fence, she lifted an old trunk from the wagon bed. Olive helped her mother place the trunk on the living room rug. Olive, Lizzie, and little Clara Mae gathered beside the older woman as she lifted the lid. Musty smells rose from the trunk, but their eyes were on the contents. Nancy brought out a cream wedding dress, unfolding it to its length.

Clara Mae’s eyes grew round as the moon. She clapped her chubby hands and cried, “Dreth.”

Lizzie smiled. “Yes, Aunt Olive’s getting married.” It was the wedding dress Lizzie had worn when she married Daniel Winters.

Olive sucked in a breath as she touched the cream delight. The gown’s bodice was damask with an overlay of lace covering the cotton full skirt. A cream ribbon secured the high neck, and lace sleeves plunged to the wrists of the sleeves. Covered buttons fell in a row down the back of the dress.

Nancy’s eyes misted as she touched the dress and told the story behind it. “It was originally made for my great-grandmother, who sailed from Scotland. It's been in the family all these years. Mama wanted me to wear it when I married your father, but I was too short. That’s why Lizzie wore it; she’s tall like my mother was. Now you will wear it, Olive Francis."

Olive and the dress disappeared into the bedroom. It was like a dream come true to wear a beautiful gown. Lizzie hurried after her and helped her button it. The dress fit just right. Olive walked to the living room to her mother. She turned this way and that, a smile tipping her lips as the softness swished against her bare legs.

Lizzie clapped her hands. “I’ll clean it, Mother, and freshen it up.”

Nancy lifted another piece from the trunk. “Here’s the veil. It's a bit mashed up, you might not want to wear it.” She brushed Olive’s dark hair into a sweeping coif and placed the mesh atop her curls.

Clara Mae laughed at the sight. Clapping her chubby hands, she twirled and mimicked her aunt. She dropped on her bottom and puckered up. When the women laughed, she laughed with them, gathering herself upright to do it again.

“I truly feel beautiful,” Olive said, running her long fingers over the lace.

“You’ll need flowers.”

“Let’s cut flowers from the garden,” Olive announced.

Nancy said. “Okay, I'll fix your bouquet the morning of the wedding, so they’ll be fresh.”

Just then, the front door opened, and Henry strode inside. He had arrived home the night before. Calling out, “Hello, ladies! I got back last night!” he appeared in the living room, a wide grin covering his face.

“Oh my!” Olive tried to move before he saw her in the gown.

“Get out! Go! Shooo!” Lizzie let out a whoop that rattled the rafters.

“Yes, get out, get out!” Nancy moved to help hide Olive and the dress.

Henry stood like a soldier, watching the scene unfold as a white blur left the room. “What’s the shouting about?” he declared, looking at them.

Olive’s wails frightened Clara Mae. The child's face grew red and puckered like a prune, and then the screams started.

Lizzie spun and headed toward Henry, her arms waving frantically and almost knocking him down. “You can’t be here! It’s bad luck, now go!”

Laughing, Henry replied, “I didn’t know my appearance was that scary!” Then he realized what was happening. The white blur was Olive! "I didn't see a thing!" He ducked his head, holding up his hands, he backed out of the room and went out the front door.

Lizzie slammed the door and put a hand to her heaving chest. “He’s out.” She picked up the baby and consoled her.

“But it’s too late! He saw me in the dress,” Olive shrieked from the bedroom. She came out with a frown, sputtering about bad luck and being jinxed.

“There, there, dear,” Nancy consoled Olive. “You know it’s just superstition.”

"Then why were you telling him to get out?" Olive’s tears fell harder than a rainstorm in the middle of a summer day. Nothing would appease her.

Lizzie laughed. “The way we were yelling at the poor man, it’s a wonder he didn’t drop dead with fright!”

“That’s the truth!” Nancy let out a chuckle. “He looked like a bear was attacking him!”

“I’m getting back to the farm.” Nancy folded the dress, placed it in the trunk, and said goodbye.

Olive said nothing more about her fears, but a cold shiver sliced through her. This was a sign.

Henry had jinxed their marriage.