How Trust Will Come
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It had taken three days, but on the fourth day, it happened. A telegram came for Edna, and she went to the front desk in time for a noon train. Her heart beat like thunder as she took the message from the clerk with trembling fingers.
The message was from Mr. Cope at the schoolhouse saying that Mrs. Purdy was ill and asking her to come immediately if possible. Edna hurried out of the station, jumped into a street car, and sped back home as fast as possible, not even glancing at other passengers or the scenery along the way.
She reached the house only moments before Mrs. Purdy’s maid did. As Edna rushed through the door with her hat pulled down over her eyes to hide her expression, the maid looked up, smiled, and said, “The doctor will be here shortly.”
“He’ll have to wait,” Edna cried in a shaky voice. “I’m going now.” The maid nodded and closed the door behind her.
Edna ran upstairs and quickly changed clothes so that she could look as un-frightened as possible. Once outside the house, Edna walked slowly across the porch while trying to gather her thoughts. There were things she had to remember, and yet there were things she didn’t want to think about at all.
First of all, how would she get away without being noticed? That was easy enough since she’d left everything behind except her hat. But what if someone else was there already—maybe even an employee of Mrs. Purdy who might recognize her from the photograph?
She had no doubt that if she stayed much longer, some of them would begin to wonder why they hadn’t seen her before this. And then, how should she get back into the house when she finally got inside? If one of Mrs. Purdy’s servants saw her, he’d surely tell the others, and she couldn’t risk having them know anything unusual about their employer.
As she stepped onto the front walk to enter the house, Edna felt a little less tense; at least she wouldn’t have to try to sneak around. She just needed to go straight ahead and hope for the best. As long as Mrs. Purdy didn’t seem too surprised by her sudden arrival, and nothing strange happened, Edna would probably never have to worry again.
The first thing Edna saw upon entering was the portrait of herself standing on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. It was the picture she had taken with Frank during her interview. Now there was a smile of satisfaction on Mrs. Purdy’s face.
The old lady turned as Edna entered and smiled as well. “Come in, Miss Purdy,” she called from the parlor where she sat reading on the sofa. “I was just about to make you some tea.” Edna went into the room and set her hat on a chair.
“You’re looking very pretty today,” Mrs. Purdy said as she handed her a cup of tea. “That new dress suits you wonderfully. I’ve been meaning to ask you where we might find more like it.”
“Mrs. Biddings made it for me,” Edna replied.
“Well, I must say I’m pleased to hear she’s doing business again. We don’t see nearly enough women’s clothing stores in town anymore. Where can we buy these fine dresses?”
“There’s one right next door to the hotel,” Edna offered. “She’s a good friend of mine.”
“Do you know her personally?”
“Yes. I met her when she worked for my father,” Edna explained as she took another sip of her tea.
“Ah yes, your family has quite the influence in San Antonio.”
“Not really. Just myself. My brother is in Kansas City, and my sister is in Denver.” Edna tried not to let her discomfort show, but the subject seemed to annoy her mother. “I haven’t seen either of them in years.”
“I thought perhaps your brother was living here.”
“No, he wasn’t. He left San Antonio after our father died to take care of our mother.”
“Did he leave his wife and daughter behind as well?”
“My sister is married to a widower.”
“But why did your brother have to stay in Kansas City? What could possibly keep him from coming home?”
It was a question Edna found difficult to answer. The truth would be embarrassing. “I guess he’s busy there with his newspaper work,” she finally said. “I’ve always told him he could do better than that, but he’s so proud and thinks he should help support our mother instead of working for someone else.”
“And now that he’s done with the job, where does he plan to live?”
“In Colorado, of course.”
“Colorado! That certainly seems far removed from San Antonio.”
“So it does.”
They continued talking through the afternoon, but it soon became apparent that there was something about the conversation that bothered Mrs. Purdy. At last, she put down her book and asked, “Miss Purdy, are you happy here?”
Edna knew exactly what Mrs. Purdy meant. Did she enjoy living with her mother? She wanted to laugh because she was so used to answering questions like this, but now it seemed inappropriate. “Why do you ask such a thing?” she replied.
“Your expression tells me you’re unhappy.”
“Oh, it doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I love staying here with her, and I’ll miss it terribly once I move to Denver.”
Mrs. Purdy sighed heavily. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to your father’s ranch?”
Edna was caught off guard by the sudden change in subject. Her father had been a rancher until her mother left him to go west. “He sold the place to his son, Jim, when he got sick,” Edna said.
“And that’s the end of your father’s line?”
“Yes, but he still lives in Colorado.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. It must have hurt him to lose his only child. And your mother leaving her husband and daughter for a life out west. It was very selfish of her.”
“Don’t judge us too harshly. Your sister married a widower, and you married a widower,” Edna reminded her.
Mrs. Purdy waved aside the statement with a flick of her wrist. “What matters most is how you handle things after tragedy strikes. Your mother never learned how to cope with adversity. I’m surprised she ever managed to raise two children of her own. I know what kind of woman your sister is—very ambitious and headstrong, as is your daughter.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“It was fortunate for both you and Frank that you were able to marry each other,” Mrs. Purdy added as she picked up her book and resumed reading. “You can’t imagine the number of men who would’ve loved to wed you, Miss Purdy. Not one but two widowers.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, why don’t we talk about something pleasant?” Mrs. Purdy suggested as she opened her book again. “How did your daughter manage to become a private detective in such an untamed frontier?”
“The truth is that we had no choice but to come to San Antonio if she wanted to pursue her dream. We needed money to start over in another state. Fortunately, she met Jack and fell in love with him, which gave us the means to build a new life for ourselves in Texas.”
“That sounds like a very good man.”
“He is.”
“Well, I wish him many more years with you,” Mrs. Purdy said, then looked up and smiled. “It was nice speaking with you this afternoon, Miss Purdy. Now that you’re in San Antonio, perhaps I can introduce you to a few of the ladies and maybe even some eligible men.”
***
As Edna stepped through the front door, she was greeted by her mother’s shrill voice. “Miss Purdy! Come quick! There’s a terrible fire in town!”
“We need water!” shouted a man. “Where’s the nearest creek? Is it close?”
When Edna entered the house, she saw her mother on the porch pointing to a group of men gathered around the corner. A plume of black smoke rose from a warehouse near the main road. Fire trucks were parked across the street. Several buildings burned, including one that housed several saloons and gambling halls. Smoke rolled over the rooftops like gray waves of death.
“My goodness, what a dreadful scene,” Mrs. Purdy gasped. “I’m certain this is just another example of what happens when morality fails.”
“Why don’t we go down there and lend a hand? Maybe if everyone worked together they’d get it under control before anyone gets hurt,” Edna offered.
“No. I want you to stay right here,” Mrs. Purdy said firmly. “I don’t want you getting mixed up with these wild west types. Don’t you see, they have their own ideas about what women should be doing?”
She turned and walked away from the burning buildings and people running around in panic. They stood in silence for several moments while the smoke thickened above them.
“Do you think there could be any survivors inside?” Edna finally asked.
Her mother shook her head slowly as she watched the blaze spread to a nearby building. “I suspect not,” she replied after a brief pause.
The flames roared higher and hotter with each passing minute until the building collapsed into the street with a loud boom. The crowd broke away from the smoldering wreckage and hurried away, coughing and gagging. One unlucky gambler fell to the ground and writhed helplessly in agony, trying to pull free of the fire that clung to his body.
Mrs. Purdy shivered as she watched men and horses flee from the inferno. She reached out and took her daughter’s arm as she turned toward home. “Don’t worry, dear. You’ll learn how to protect yourself. Now hurry and pack.”
“Pack?” Edna repeated. “For where?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Miss Purdy. You know perfectly well.”
Edna felt her heart sink to her stomach. “No. It couldn’t be.”
Mrs. Purdy stopped in her tracks. “Are you telling me that your new husband is actually a criminal?”
“What else would you call a man who kills people for fun?”
Mrs. Purdy sighed heavily as she continued to walk down the sidewalk. “It’s not that uncommon a profession to take up, unfortunately. What makes this case worse is that Jack killed an innocent man—a man who had nothing to do with stealing cattle. That’s why he needs to be punished because justice must be served.”
“And how exactly are we going to accomplish that? How do we punish someone who has committed murder?” Edna tried to reason with her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother, but you can’t expect me to join in with this sort of madness.”
“You’ve always been too softhearted, Miss Purdy. You need to toughen up.”
“If you say so.”
After several minutes of walking in silence, Edna asked, “Mother, aren’t you worried about Jack being captured by the police?”
“Oh, I don’t think the law will catch him. He’s a smart man and he knows San Antonio quite well now. And since he doesn’t plan to leave here without finding your father, I doubt anyone could stop him.”
“But won’t they try?”
“Of course, they’ll try, but they can’t catch him if they don’t know where he is. So it’s important that Jack stays ahead of the posse, or he might end up getting shot and killed by someone like Deputy Sheriff Sam Morgan.”
“What kind of name is ‘Sam’?”
“Morgan is a fine family name. Why don’t you ask your fiancé where he got such a strange-sounding surname? Perhaps he’s related to Sam Morgan.”
“I thought you didn’t approve of him?”
“I never approved of anyone who would dare to harm one of my children.”
“He only tried to protect me,” Edna said quietly.
Mrs. Purdy turned and looked at her daughter for several seconds before asking, “How did you know that Sam was trying to shoot me?”
“I saw his gun in his hand and knew he meant to kill us both.”
“Well, it seems I owe him some gratitude.”
They walked in silence for several more minutes while Edna tried to process everything her mother had told her. Finally, she turned to her mother and said, “So, what am I supposed to do while we’re gone? Can you hire someone else to work in the boarding house while we’re gone? I’ve done all sorts of jobs over the years, so I’m sure there’s something I can do until Jack arrives.”
“That’s why I hired you instead of hiring someone else. But just think about it first before you make a decision. I wouldn’t want you to regret not coming along.”
Edna hesitated. “I guess there’s nothing stopping me from going back home now. I’ll go get your saddlebags.”
With that, Edna started off down the street once again, leaving her mother standing alone with her hands clasped behind her back. The sun beat down upon Edna’s head as she walked home through the heat and humidity of midday.
Her hair stuck to her face as she walked past the saloons and brothels. She glanced inside some of them and saw women laughing and giggling together as they played cards or listened to their partners tell jokes. She heard the sounds of laughter and pleasure as two women lay in bed with each other, kissing, licking, groping, sucking, thrusting…
She wanted to turn around and run as fast as possible, but she forced herself to continue walking straight down the street toward her own boarding house.
***
The front door opened and closed, and Edna stepped into the dimly lit foyer. “Hello, Mrs. Fletcher.”
Mabel Fletcher looked up from behind the counter where she had been counting money and smiled warmly at her daughter. “Well, if it isn’t my favorite border. What brings you here today?”
“Just came to check on things for me, ma’am. Seems as though my mother wants me to take over the job while she’s gone. I don’t mind doing it—it’s not like I have anything better to do anyway. But I’d hate to disappoint my mother by showing up late when she’s expecting me.”
“Your mother has never been late in all the years I’ve known her. She’s reliable that way.”
“Well, that’s good to know.”
As Edna reached the door leading down to the basement rooms where her mother kept the supplies for the boarding house, Mabel added, “She’s very dependable.”
“Thanks, Ma’am. We appreciate it. My mother says she trusts you completely.”
“It’s our pleasure to help out.”
Edna went downstairs and found her mother in the kitchen washing dishes and talking to Mrs. Fletcher, who was wearing an apron, helping to dry the breakfast dishes. Both of them worked quickly and efficiently without saying much.
Edna watched for a few seconds before turning back to the task she had come here for. After drying the last plate and putting it away with the others, she returned to her mother and said, “We should be ready to leave in another hour or so.”
“Good. We still need to pack the wagon before we go.”
“Do you need any help?”
“No, but I could use some assistance unpacking some of the goods in the basement. It’ll save us time later on if we unpack as soon as we arrive instead of having to go hunting for whatever we need.”
“Sounds good to me. Just point me to what you want to be packed up and I’ll start.”
“Thank you, dear.” Mrs. Fletcher turned around and walked back out into the foyer. Edna followed her mother outside to the back porch of the building. With the doors open, they stepped out onto the small deck that looked down over a grassy yard surrounded by rows of corn stalks.
The wind blew through the tall stalks as it ruffled the edges of their heads. Edna glanced back toward the house and noticed several chickens wandering around in the backyard. “Did we get new chickens since last year?”
“Yes, we did. They’re part of our business. We buy the eggs from farmers who raise them in cages and sell us the chickens.”
“That must be a lot of work,” Edna said with a nod.
“You have no idea how hard it is to find farmers who will agree to such conditions.”
“Why are they willing to raise chickens in cages and then give the egg buyers live birds?”
Mrs. Fletcher stopped walking for a moment and stared at Edna as she walked beside her. “Because those chicken sellers know that they can get more money selling a live bird than a dead one. If they raised chickens naturally and killed them themselves, they would lose money.”
“Oh.” Edna didn’t really understand what her mother meant by that, but she thought it might have something to do with the fact that people in this town were always trying to cheat and take advantage of each other.
Her mother continued, “But don’t worry about it too much because you won’t see many farms in our area that raise livestock anymore—just poultry and dairy cows. Most people in town eat meat that comes from Chicago now that there’s a slaughterhouse right in town. And I hear that beef prices are going down even further thanks to all the cattle that have died off since last year’s drought.”
“What about horses? Do we still have a ranch that raises them around here?”
“Yes, but most of the men around here are only interested in riding horses, so it’s not worth our while to buy them. Horses cost too much to feed.”
They reached the wagon sitting in front of the barn just inside the fence. As she got closer, Edna noticed some of the items piled high in the back seat already: flour, sugar, canned goods, butter, salt pork, coffee, tea, soap, candles, blankets, towels, sheets, and even clothing. A couple of wooden crates filled with tools and spare parts sat in the driver’s seat where her brother had left them.
Edna picked up a few of the bags and began to walk around to the rear door that led into the interior of the wagon, where her mother had already begun to remove a couple of sacks of flour. When she turned to put the sack of flour in place, she saw her mother staring at her. “Ma’am?”
“Are you going to wear that dress when we arrive in town?”
“Of course I am. You don’t think I would go to such a big social event dressed like I normally do, do you?”
“I certainly wouldn’t.”
“Then why are you asking me about my dress?”
Mrs. Fletcher looked down at her clothes and then back up at Edna again. She sighed heavily before answering. “Your father doesn’t approve of what you’re wearing now and he wants me to make sure you change into something more suitable.”
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. Did I say something wrong?”
“Not at all, dear. That’s not what I—”
“Just tell me what happened between Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher.”
Her mother looked confused for a second before shaking her head and saying, “The very idea! Your father and I never discussed that subject after your birth. No, nothing happened between him and his wife.”
“How long ago was it?”
“Twenty-two years. Why?”
“Well, you told me that they got a divorce two months ago, which means that it happened twenty-three years ago. But if they divorced, then they probably weren’t married for long before they started to fight and get a divorce.”
“We didn’t marry until I turned thirty-five, but your father wasn’t exactly a stable man.” Her mother paused for a moment as she took another step away from Edna. “There was no point in discussing that with you. It has absolutely nothing to do with you.”
She hurried around to the front side of the wagon and jumped inside before Edna could reply. “Good morning, Miss Fletcher.”
Edna climbed in quickly to avoid being locked out in the rain. “Good morning, Mrs. Walker.” Then she added quietly, “Thank you.”
***
After loading a box of supplies that had arrived on the train in Denver, they drove out into the prairie and headed toward their destination. The road stretched ahead of them through a field of golden grass. The sky above looked like a vast ocean dotted with small white ships.
When they passed another farmer and his family heading in the opposite direction, Edna saw that they were dressed like the rest of the residents of this part of Nebraska. They wore jeans over sturdy boots; leather belts with holsters; and hats with wide brims.
“I wonder what’s going to happen if we meet someone else coming the other way,” Edna muttered as she watched the farmer’s young son ride alongside a wagon pulled by a pair of black horses. His sister rode beside him on horseback as well, but her saddle wasn’t tied down.
“Probably nothing,” Mrs. Fletcher said with a laugh. “You can see how the women around her dress. They don’t give a damn who sees what or who knows about it.”
As they drove farther west, they passed more and more farms and ranches scattered throughout the open land. Some were large estates with fences made of logs and barbed wire. Others seemed almost deserted, leaving the fields free of any signs of life.
Occasionally, they’d pass a cluster of buildings that resembled a community center surrounded by a corral full of horses and cattle. One place that stood out to Edna was a small house standing on top of a hill. The home was painted yellow and had a single white chimney sticking up from its roof.
“Where does all of this land belong?” Edna asked as she stared at the houses perched atop the hills. “Do they own it? How many acres are there?”
“Each person owns one hundred acres, including the house, barns, and corrals,” Mrs. Walker said as she pointed at the yellow building. “That’s the schoolhouse where you’ll be learning how to read and write. The nearest doctor is in Fort Laramie. We should stop there once we reach our destination and pick up your supplies.”
“Supplies?”
“Yes. For the house.”
“House?”
“We’re living in one of these homes now—or will be soon enough. Don’t worry about it. Now, let’s drive faster.”
It only took forty minutes before they reached Fort Kearney, the largest town located along the Oregon Trail. The fort was built three years ago by the Union Pacific railroad company to protect the settlers heading west. It had grown considerably since then and was now filled with hundreds of buildings, including several churches, shops, and a hospital.
They parked the wagon in a lot near the train station. As Mrs. Fletcher got out and went inside to make arrangements to have their supplies delivered, Edna sat on an empty crate and watched the people milling around the town.
Most wore shirtsleeves, some even wore dresses, and others appeared to be working-class men who worked in the nearby shops. She caught sight of one young woman dressed in the same kind of dress that Edna wore, and Edna realized that she must look like a poor orphan to these people. At least they were better dressed than she was.
She glanced around and suddenly found herself staring at a young man holding the hand of a little girl. The boy was looking down as he walked, which kept him from seeing what was in front of him.
The girl was trying to tell him to stop walking so quickly but couldn’t quite reach his shoulder with her chubby fingers. The young couple walked past her as Edna turned to stare after them. When they passed the young man, Edna saw that they were both blond-haired and blue-eyed.
heir eyes looked sad as they stared down at the small child. What did such a pretty couple do when they weren’t traveling across the country with their daughter? Did they ever go anywhere without her? Was she a special gift? Had they been married for a long time?
A few blocks away, Edna spotted two soldiers walking in the opposite direction, one of them wearing a brown uniform and the other a gray one. Both of them had long black hair pulled back with a string that matched their trousers.
They carried rifles slung across their backs, and their faces looked determined, as though they were headed into battle. The soldiers passed within feet of Edna, but they didn’t turn their heads to look at her or even notice her.
It was probably just as well that they didn’t, Edna thought since she would have felt obligated to say something. Instead, they marched down the street like a pair of ghosts, passing by people without so much as exchanging words.
“Here, let me help you with those.”
Edna jumped when a voice spoke behind her and turned to see a tall woman bending over to grab some bags that had rolled underneath the wagon. She was short but had a muscular build. The woman straightened, her dark eyes fixed on Edna. Her face was round with high cheekbones, and she had thick eyebrows and a generous mouth.
“Thank you,” Edna said as she tried to get up, but the woman grabbed her hands and pulled her off of the crate before letting go. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” the woman said in a low voice. “Now, come on and get your things out of there.”
“How do I thank you?”
“Just be my guest, dearie.”
Mrs. Fletcher came out from inside the station with their wagon hitched to the horse.
“Everything’s here, Mrs. Walker,” she said as she handed the bag to the older woman. “Your husband will be happy to see how you’ve put his new clothes to good use.”
Mrs. Walker smiled broadly at Edna. “And so will I. Let’s take the wagon around the corner where there are plenty of horses for us to choose from. Your trunk and other belongings will go inside the station.”
“But—”
“It won’t take any longer. Come on now.”
As Mrs. Fletcher led Edna by the hand toward a stable, Mrs. Walker stood watching them disappear around a bend. She then turned and faced Edna.
“You don’t seem to be very happy to see me,” she said with a grin.
Edna shook her head and looked around as she walked beside the older woman. There was nothing to be happy about. “That was rude of me to say,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure out some way to pay you back for what your brother has done. He should have thought of all this himself.”
“No, no,” Edna replied in an apologetic tone. “I’m not complaining. It was nice of him to do this for us. But it wasn’t very thoughtful of him to ask me to pretend to be his wife while he’s gone.”
“Well, that’s just between us,” Mrs. Walker said with a chuckle. “We’ll have lots of time to discuss that later. For now, we’d best hurry. My husband doesn’t want to miss his train.”
By the end of the day, Edna was exhausted and ready for bed. The only thing that had given her a moment of satisfaction was seeing how proud Mrs. Walker had been of Edna’s work. The housework she’d done hadn’t made much difference because the room had become so dirty and cluttered before she got there, but there had been some progress and a promise of improvement in the future.
When the hired men returned and brought their horses to the station yard, Edna went to check on their progress. As she watched the men unload her brother’s belongings from the wagon, Edna was surprised to find herself smiling at their jokes and laughter as they worked together.
A group of young boys watched their every move, laughing and calling out greetings when they caught sight of her. Edna waved at them, pleased that they knew her by name.
After everyone had left, Edna took the wagon to the stable and drove it through a small alley to where they kept their horses. The stable owner greeted them as Edna tied the wagon to a post near the door.
“Did you have any trouble?” the man asked. “With your brother, I mean.”
“No, we didn’t,” Edna answered in a firm voice. “He seemed more concerned with making sure his things were properly cared for than with us getting lost.”
The man gave her a knowing look as if he already knew the reason for their visit.
“So you’re married?” he asked after Edna handed him the reins to her horse.
Edna nodded. “And I have three children.”
The man whistled. “You really can keep up with your brother, can’t you? Well, you might have gotten lucky today, but you’re going to feel like a slave driver soon enough.”
“What do you mean?” Edna asked, trying to hide the hurt feelings she felt.
“You know how long it takes for those hired men to get used to working here in town? They’ll start complaining about everything before too long. And when that happens, you’ll be wishing your brother was gone.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Edna said. She untied her horse from the stall and started away from the stable.
As she reached the end of the alley and started down the main street, a familiar black buggy pulled into the road and came slowly past the station house. She waved at her brother who sat in the back seat with his friend riding shotgun. They waved back at her and laughed loudly as the buggy passed her and headed toward the edge of the city.
The End