Why Is My Girlfriend Always Tired?
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The next morning, Stephanie was awakened by the sound of a horse whinnying. It wasn’t her own mare that she had brought from Kentucky but one that had been borrowed to get them through town. The other horses were in an enclosure at the back of the house.
She lay there for a while listening until she heard another horse. Then she knew it wasn’t just any animal. They were riding on all fours and couldn’t be mistaken. Someone was coming.
She sat up in bed and listened again as she dressed quickly. When she reached the porch, she saw that it was still dark outside but could see people moving around. She watched with interest as they loaded their belongings onto two wagons. One of the men led a small white pony away from its pen and into the woods behind the house.
“What’s going on?” Stephanie asked as she walked down the steps. “Are you leaving today?”
“We’re headed for Fort Worth,” replied one of the men. He glanced toward his companions before saying, “I’m sorry we can only give you a few hour’s notices.”
Stephanie shook her head. “It’s no problem.” She turned to go inside when he said, “Miss Stephanie, I hope you don’t mind us taking your mare.”
He motioned toward the door leading to the barn where she kept the horses. Stephanie stepped aside so the man could pass. As soon as she entered the dimly lit barn, she spotted her mare. Its black coat glistened under the moonlight.
The man must have saddled her after she fell asleep. That was thoughtful of him. But now what would happen to my poor old mare? She had become accustomed to having someone ride her every day. Now, what am I going to do about this? What will I tell Lulu?
She looked around for some way to communicate with Lulu. There were several empty stalls near the far corner. Her mare hadn’t been ridden since she arrived last night. A sudden thought struck Stephanie.
Why not take my mare out to the pasture and let her graze awhile? If Lulu is curious enough to follow me, then maybe she’ll know something about my mare being stolen. And if she does, then maybe she won’t blame me too much.
Stephanie took off her shoes, pulled off her dress, and put on her jeans, blouse, and jacket. Then she tied a kerchief over her hair and slipped on her boots. While she did this, the man who had given her the warning earlier returned carrying a saddle blanket and bridle. “Here are the things I told you about yesterday,” he explained.
As Stephanie handed him the reins, he added, “If you need anything else, please ask.” He pointed to a wagon parked close to the front porch. “You can leave those things right there.”
“Thanks,” she answered. “And thanks for saving me last night. You were very brave.”
When he left, Stephanie went outside. She wanted to say goodbye to Lulu but didn’t want to risk the man seeing her talking to her mare. Instead, she untied the rope halter and threw it over the fence. With the help of her mare, Stephanie pushed the gate open and closed it again once she was safely past. She waved goodbye to her friend before walking toward the back of the yard.
Once she was beyond sight, she ran to the barn and picked up the bridle. It was heavy, which meant it had been used often. This time, however, she made sure she hung on to it tightly. I may never find another bridle like this.
Then she grabbed the saddle blanket. Next, she searched for the lead rope and found it hanging from the tack room door. Just as she was tying it to her belt, she heard the sound of approaching hoofbeats.
“Lulu!” she yelled excitedly.
Her mare came trotting out of the woods. She was followed by a second horse.
“Whoa, girl!” Stephanie urged. “This isn’t the way home. Where did you come from?”
But Lulu wouldn’t slow down. Stephanie tried pulling on the rope but nothing seemed to work. Finally, she stopped trying and watched with amusement as the horse sped ahead. She had always known Lulu liked to run but she hadn’t expected to see her doing it without anyone riding her. Maybe it was because of how well-behaved she usually was.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, “Stop, Lulu! Stop or I’ll shoot!”
A gun fired. It sounded louder than normal, probably due to the distance between them. Lulu jumped forward. Before Stephanie could reach for her, she crashed into a tree trunk. Stephanie gasped at the pain shooting through her arm as she held tight to the rope. She felt a sharp sting in her leg just below the knee.
The bullet had grazed her calf and hit Lulu square in the shoulder. The mare whinnied loudly as she stumbled backward.
Stephanie screamed as loud as she could as she raced across the yard toward Lulu. She reached her first. “Oh, Lulu! Are you all right?”
The mare stood still while Stephanie stroked her neck and spoke soothingly.
“I’m sorry, Lulu. Please forgive me.”
At that moment, the man who’d shot Lulu appeared in the doorway. His face twisted into an angry grimace. “Don’t you ever call my mare names!”
His words caught Stephanie off guard. “Why would I call your horse names?”
He glanced briefly at his pistol, then lowered his hand. “That’s what I asked myself when I saw you standing here talking to her.” He stepped closer to Lulu. “Didn’t I tell you not to touch my horse?”
“Yes, sir, but…”
“Well, don’t do it again.” The man turned away and walked toward the house. “Now get inside,” he ordered. “It looks like rain.”
Stephanie waited until the man disappeared behind the house before going back to Lulu. As she approached, she noticed blood dripping down the mare’s shoulder. The wound wasn’t serious but it would have to be cleaned.
Fortunately, she knew where to find everything needed for such a job. She spent the next hour cleaning the wound, wrapping it, and applying antiseptic ointment. When she finished, she couldn’t believe how much better Lulu looked.
Her coat was shiny; she had regained most of her weight. In fact, she almost looked as if she belonged to a ranch instead of being tied up in some stranger’s pasture.
She untied Lulu from the post and led her to the front of the house. There she unhooked the rope and gave it to the stable boy. Then she took the mare’s halter and put it around her neck. She leaned against Lulu and whispered, “We’re both safe now. No more men will hurt us.”
***
While Stephanie tended to Lulu, Mrs. Browning arrived home from town. “Good morning, Miss Stephanie,” she greeted. “How are you today?”
“Fine, ma’am.”
Mrs. Browning smiled. “You look pleased. What happened?”
“Nothing, really. We got a new horse. That’s all.”
“Where is the other one? Did something happen to her?”
“No, she’s fine too. I rode her out there.”
“Out there? You mean over to Mr. Ellington’s place?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And you didn’t go alone? Why didn’t you ask someone to accompany you?”
“Because no one wanted to ride along.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, we weren’t sure which direction to take since there were so many trees in our way.”
“So you went anyway?”
“Yeah. But I guess we shouldn’t have gone that far.”
“Not without asking me first.”
“Ma’am, I already told you. Nobody wanted to go.”
“They must think very little of you,” Mrs. Browning said coldly. “If they didn’t want to go, why did you insist upon going yourself?”
“It was important to me that I find Lulu. And besides, I knew exactly where to look.”
“Are you certain?” Mrs. Browning asked sarcastically. “There might have been another way. For example, maybe you could have used a map to find out how to get to the ranch.”
“But we didn’t know how to read maps. All I had to guide me was a memory. It worked pretty well, though, considering we ended up finding Lulu.”
“Memory?”
“Um… well…”
“Never mind.”
As Mrs. Browning walked away, Stephanie heard her muttering under her breath about Stephanie’s foolishness.
When Mrs. Browning left, Stephanie returned to the kitchen to make coffee. While doing so, she thought about what the woman had said. Was she implying that because Stephanie hadn’t known how to use a map, she should never venture outside on her own?
She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. On impulse, she picked up a pen and began to write a letter. “Dear Aunt Lydia, I hope this finds you well. I’m writing to apologize for the trouble I’ve caused.” At that point, she stopped and set the pen down.
Maybe it wouldn’t help, but she felt compelled to try.
***
The next day, Stephanie accompanied Mrs. Browning to the bank. They made their usual deposits, withdrew money for household expenses, and withdrew a substantial amount of cash.
“I need to buy a few things while I’m in town,” Mrs. Browning explained. “I’ll stop by your office after lunch and leave the money with you. Do you need any money?”
“Actually, yes. Would you mind giving me five hundred dollars?”
“Why do you need so much?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“Very well. Have fun shopping.”
After leaving the bank, the two women headed downtown. After stopping at an outfitters shop, Mrs. Browning purchased a large trunk and a hat box. Then they stopped by the tailor shop to pick out a new suit for Stephanie. Finally, they visited a jeweler’s store to purchase matching earrings and a bracelet.
On their way back to the ranch, Stephanie couldn’t believe how much money she had spent. Five hundred dollars would last her almost three weeks. But then again, she needed clothes if she was ever to work as a lady’s maid. And the jewelry was a nice touch. A man would be impressed.
At the ranch, Stephanie handed Mrs. Browning a key and unlocked the front door. “Here’s the key to my office,” she said. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll meet you inside.”
“That’s kind of you to give me a tour of your business before I leave,” Mrs. Browning replied.
Stephanie followed her into the office and closed the door behind her. The room contained shelves containing books and ledgers, a desk with drawers, and a chair. In the corner stood a tall bookcase holding some old leather-bound volumes.
She looked around carefully, hoping she hadn’t forgotten anything. As soon as she was satisfied everything was in order, she hurried to the door and locked it.
“Is there anywhere else I can see?” Mrs. Browning asked.
“Yes, actually. Let me show you downstairs.”
With that, Stephanie walked across the room and opened the door to the basement stairs. Mrs. Browning stepped in and glanced around the dimly lit stairwell. “Nice work, Stephanie,” she remarked. “You’re obviously quite proficient at handling people. That’s probably one reason your father hired you.”
“Thank you. Did you enjoy the tour?”
Mrs. Browning shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“Would you like to come upstairs now?”
“No, thank you.”
Stepping aside, Stephanie let the older woman pass.
Back at the main level, Stephanie put the key in the lock, turned it, and opened the door. “Let’s go home.”
“Oh, no. Not until you tell me why you need all that money.”
“For starters, we’ll need more than just a little bit of money when we travel to San Francisco.”
“San Francisco?”
“We’re going to California.”
“California! Why?”
“Because I want to become a lady’s maid.”
“A lady’s maid!” Mrs. Browning exclaimed. “How did you come up with such a wild idea?”
“My life is boring. There’s nothing exciting or challenging about it anymore. So far, I’ve done only the bare minimum expected of a housekeeper. It’s time for something different.”
“But don’t you have friends here? Don’t you know anyone who could recommend someone?”
“Of course. You mean, you haven’t already told everyone that I quit?”
“Well…”
“If you think I’m wrong, then prove me wrong. Tell them that I’m not capable of working alone. That I can barely manage household duties. If you really think that, then make sure everyone knows it.”
“All right, but you should reconsider your decision.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t you feel safe living on the frontier? I mean, aren’t you worried about bandits or Indians attacking the ranch?”
“There are no bandits or Indians,” Stephanie said flatly. “It’s perfectly safe where I live.”
“And what about thieves?”
“None. We’ve never had a theft problem.”
“So what will you do in San Francisco? Will you sleep in a boardinghouse?”
“Probably.”
“In a place full of strangers?”
“Not exactly. I’m meeting with Mr. Binghamton this evening.”
“The banker from New York City?”
“Exactly.”
“Didn’t you hear? He moved his family down to San Diego. They own several businesses and banks along the coast.”
“Then why am I meeting him?”
“He owns an establishment called The Golden Gate Inn. He wants to hire a lady’s maid.”
“Does he plan to employ a married woman?”
“I suppose so.”
“Do you intend to marry him?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
“Just because I won’t doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate good looks and fine manners.”
“Good taste is admirable,” Mrs. Browning agreed. “But marriage isn’t the answer to every question.”
“Mr. Binghamton has a lot of money,” Stephanie said. “And if he’s willing to pay me enough, I might be able to afford to open my own business someday.”
“An inn!” Mrs. Browning laughed. “I wish I knew how many years ago you started planning this trip.”
“Come on, Mother. I’ve known about it for months.”
She followed her mother back outside to the street. “Where will you stay tonight?” she asked.
“At the hotel. But first, I want to see the bank. How much cash do we have left?”
Stephanie unlocked the front door to the hotel, opened it, and waited while Mrs. Browning passed through into the lobby. “Two thousand dollars,” she reported as she came out.
“That’s more than we thought,” Stephanie noted. “Maybe we can take another trip to Denver after all. What did you think of the bank?”
“It was very impressive. And the manager was charming. His wife gave me two letters. One was addressed to you, and the other went straight to my husband.”
“Your husband?” Stephanie repeated. “You mean, David? Who else would give you mail?”
Mrs. Browning handed over the envelopes. “David sent me one too. In fact, both were mailed by the same person.”
Opening the envelope, Stephanie read: “Dear Miss Baker, I hope everything goes well. Sincerely, Mrs. J.J. Wilson.” She looked up at her mother. “Is there any way you can guess who the letter writer is?”
“No,” Mrs. Browning answered.
“Neither can I.”
The End