Journey With the Comet

by Dana Wayne Haley

  —1—

  Once inside, the newly made friends ordered coffee and a bite to eat, and then walked to an empty table near the windows overlooking State Street. Murdock politely pulled a chair out for Margaret, making sure she had the best view outside, as any gentleman would do.

  “Would you like to sit here?” he asked.

  “Why, thank you, Mr. Haley.”

  Margaret sat down and Murdock took the seat across from her. While sitting there making idle conversation, they saw horse-drawn wagons, carriages, buggies, and an occasional stagecoach pass by, each carrying people of all types and of all walks of life.

  “I guess it won’t be too long before the stagecoaches are totally replaced by electric trolleys,” Margaret said, as the 5:30 coach from Old Town came into view.

  “You’re probably right,” Murdock replied. “And I’m not sure whether that’s gonna be a good thing or a bad thing. I suspect that it will be a little of both.”

  “Yes, but I guess you can’t stop progress,” Margaret said. “I know one thing though: the heated trolley cars are sure nice in the winter. Even so, horses are sure a lot more reliable than those darn trolleys. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to wait on a broken-down trolley while another one came to the rescue. More times than I’d like to remember, I suspect. Although I love living with my mother in Glenburn, I sometimes wish I had a place here in Bangor, just so I wouldn’t have to waste so much time on the trolley.”

  “Tell me about your mom,” Murdock said to Margaret after she mentioned her mother.

  “She’s real nice. I live with her on Ohio Street, about 6 miles from downtown Bangor.”

  “How is it, living at home?”

  “It’s wonderful. I love living in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. And my mother and I get along so well. She likes to gossip and tell stories; and so, may I add, do I. I just love listening to her stories, especially humorous ones. I try to come up with some of my own, every now and again, because I like to make her laugh. But I hav’ta admit, it’s hard to match her humor. Of course, after meeting you, I’ll for sure have a humorous story to tell her tonight.”

  “And what might that be, if you don’t mind my asking?” Murdock responded quizzically.

  “Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” Margaret laughed.

  “Here’s your order, miss,” the waitress interrupted. “And here’s yours, Murdy.”

  “Thanks, Sarah,” he replied.

  “What’s the matter, Sarah? Don’t you like me anymore?” Margaret asked.

  The middle-aged waitress looked puzzled, and then her face lit up.

  “Maggie! Well, I’ll be! It’s been a while. You look so different: so beautiful and ladylike now.”

  “Well, thank you. Yes, it has been a while. I’m not that young schoolgirl you once knew.”

  “I’ll say. You sure have blossomed,” she said. “What you been up to, Maggie?”

  “I’ve been mostly stuck in Glenburn since I graduated from Bangor High: working for Old Man Smith. Until today, that is. I just started work here in the city: as a secretary at the Bangor Freight Station. It’s a real good job.”

  “That’s wonderful. How long have you two known each other?” the waitress inquired.

  “We just met. You know anything about this gent, Sarah?”

  “You kidding? Every woman in Bangor knows about Murdy.”

  “Is that right?” Margaret said with a curious look on her face.

  “Wait a minute, I don’t think you should say any more, Sarah,” the blushing Canadian quickly interjected.

  “No, I think she needs to say a whole lot more, Mr. Haley. Come on, Sarah, let’s hear it.”

  “Well, Murdy here has been breaking hearts for years.”

  “You don’t say!”

  “Oh yes. Every decent woman in Bangor, and some not so decent, has been trying to get their hooks into him since he first moved here. I hope you have better luck, Maggie.”

  Both Margaret and Murdock were now visibly blushing.

  “Well, I’ve gotta get back to work now, before my boss throws a conniption fit. Good luck to the both of you. You make a real nice couple. I hope things work out.”

  The waitress walked away grinning, and after a short pause Murdock was the first to speak.

  “Now, what were we talking about? Oh yes, living with your mother. What’s your mother’s name, Maggie?”

  “Eunice.”

  “And, your father’s?”

  “Edward. Edward Carver. But my father died in ’99; when I was 20.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Maggie. How did he die?”

  “He died very sudden and unexpected like, but he always complained of stomach problems. We never knew exactly for sure what it was.”

  “You say you were 20. Your father must’ah been a young man when he died.”

  “Yeah, he was only 56.”

  “How about your mother? She in good health?”

  “Oh yes. Better than most; being 57 and all.”

  “Do you have any sisters or brothers?”

  “Yup, two sisters and a brother. My brother Bill, who was born in ’71, is the oldest; he’s 32. I lay right smack in the middle of my sister Mae, who was born in ’74, and Maude, who was born in ‘84. My mother tells everyone that Maude is 18, goin’ on 13.”

  Murdock laughed and asked: “They married?”

  “Mae is. She has two little ones—a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, both girls—and another on the way. Bill’s still a bachelor. Tell me about your family, Murdy.”

  “Here,” he said while reaching for his wallet, “I have a family photo I can show you. It was taken in the fall of ’90. That’s our home in the background. These are my parents: James and Elizabeth. This is Alice; that’s Jessie; that’s Edie; and that’s Georgianna. They’re the oldest. Harry here is older than me; and Arthur, next to him, is the youngest. I’m the good looking one standing next to my mother.” he joked. “I was born in ‘80, so I’m not quite as ancient as you, Maggie.”

  “What do you mean?” she acted perturbed.

  “From what you’ve been saying, I figure you were born in ‘79. Am I right?”

  “You hit the nail right on the head, Mr. Haley. You must be a mathematical genius,” she joked.

  “Close enough to one,” he joked back. “Anyway, the way I figure it, that makes me a year younger than you.”

  “Maybe; maybe not? When’s your birthday?”

  “May 28th,” Murdock answered.

  “Hmmm. Let’s see, I was born January 26th, 1879; and you were born May 28th, 1880. Darn! Well, I guess this ancient girl is actually a little more than a year older than you. But from the way you act, a whole lot more than a year wiser.”

  “Can’t argue with that logic,” Murdock laughed.

  “Are your parents still in Canada, Murdy?”

  “My father is, but my mother died in ‘92, when I was 12. And two of my sisters died then too: Jessie and Georgie. They all came down with cholera, during the epidemic.”

  “Oh, that must’ah been very hard on you.”

  “Yes it was. But I got through it.”

  —2—

  The young couple talked for another ten minutes about their families, and, after an hour or so of congenial conversation, Murdock was reaching for a clean napkin when he noticed his watch.

  “My God! It’s almost seven! Idiot me, I’ve made you miss the trolley again,” he apologized.

  “Oh, don’t go fretting yourself about that,” Margaret said. “I told my mother not to wait up because I wasn’t sure how long I’d be in Bangor today. Actually, in a way, it’s been my lucky day: I found a decent enough job, and, in turn, met a reasonably nice man.”

  “I appreciate your saying that, Miss Carver, but if you a
sk me, I’m the lucky one. Most women wouldn’t have given me the time of day, let alone joined me for a cup of coffee.”

  “Well, I probably wouldn’t have either, but you were not that much of a stranger to me. I couldn’t help but notice you stalking me in the station.”

  “Yes, I guess I wasn’t being too subtle, was I? But that’s just me. If I see something I like, I go after it. Life’s too short not to, and I sure as heck wouldn’t want to miss out on a chance to meet a pretty thing like you.”

  Margaret laughed and then hesitated before confessing: “Well, truth be known, I was happy that you showed interest in me. You’re not that bad on the eyes, and, besides, I could tell that you were a decent man.”

  “You could, could you? How could you tell that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know; your body language maybe? A woman has her ways I guess. Some call it women’s intuition.”

  After being so engrossed in conversation and talking to well past 8pm, it was obvious to both that they were not only very compatible, but that they were uncommonly at ease with each other. And it was also clear that they enjoyed each other’s company immensely; so much so that after sharing a laugh with Margaret, Murdock reached across the table and gently touched her tiny hand without giving his actions a second thought. Normally she would have pulled her hand politely away from a recently met stranger, and she would have this time if it had been anyone else who was attempting to make intimate contact.

  But this time something was different. This time she did not feel threatened. Instead, it felt right to her; so right that she also didn’t give his actions a second thought, other than a subconscious thought that what he had done was okay, indeed, even pleasurable. And that simple gesture by Murdock, followed by a tender parting kiss, and Margaret’s warm reaction to both, was to be the start of a whirlwind romance that would last nearly six months.

  Chapter 8

  A New Family

  It was in early August of 1903, after numerous dates with Margaret, that the Canadian finally garnered enough courage to ask the beautiful girl from Glenburn to be his wife. She accepted his proposal and they planned to marry in June of the following year. But as so often happens, fate stepped in and forced the young couple to move up the wedding date; and instead of a traditional June wedding, they were married on January 21st, 1904, five months after he proposed.

  “Actually, I’m glad it worked out this way,” he told Margaret after learning that she was with child. “I’m so sick of living in that boarding house; I was starting to climb the walls.”

  And it was no wonder; despite the breathtaking river view he had, almost five years of living in his cramped little room was more than most men would be willing to put up with.

  “If not for my determination to save money,” Murdock stated,” I’da moved out of that tiny hellhole long ago.”

  With Margaret pregnant and no longer able to work, the frugal young couple decided to rent an inexpensive place in Bangor. They tried to find a home on the east side, close to Murdock’s work, but there were no suitable places available. So, after looking at a few homes, they decided to rent a small house on Hammond Street, on the west side of the Kenduskeag Stream, about a mile-and-a-half from the Bangor Freight Station. It was there, on February 27th, 1904, that they had their first child: Lillian Edith Haley.

  The newlyweds worked hard and continued to live frugally, saving money until they could afford to buy their own home in the country. And that meant they had to limit their entertainment to things that would not be a severe drain on their pocketbook. Usually that entailed walking hand-in-hand along Hammond Street seeking that entertainment, to what most referred to as ‘downtown Bangor’. The center of the downtown area was marked by its busy four-way intersection of Main, Central, Hammond, and State Streets: more commonly known as West Market Square. Once downtown, the Haleys would usually go window shopping along Main, and then take Water Street to Broad and Front Streets for a stroll along the quarter-mile waterfront. The latter was easily their favorite thing to do because they could leisurely sit and watch a variety of unique sailing boats, steamboats and barges, all carefully navigating the busy Penobscot.

  The Haleys particularly enjoyed seeing off the large passenger ships of the prosperous Eastern Steamship fleet—commonly called the Boston Boats and logically named the City of Bangor, the City of Belfast, and the City of Rockland—all heading to important coastal towns like Bar Harbor, Eastport, Belfast, Searsport, Camden, Rockland, Portland, and, of course, Boston. Indeed, at times those ships even ventured as far south as New York City and Philadelphia.

  “Someday, when we can afford it, I want to visit Philadelphia to see Constitution Hall and the Liberty Bell,” Murdock told his new wife. “Or maybe to Washington DC to see the White House. I’d give my eyetooth to meet Teddy Roosevelt in person. He’s one President I really admire. From what I’ve heard he’s a man’s man.”

  Until that time came, the young couple took great pleasure in watching those magnificent wayfaring vessels leaving port with mostly well-off and typically eccentric people who, unlike the Haleys, could easily afford to pay the lofty $3.50 fare for a luxurious 16-hour trip to Boston. Even if they were not acquainted with anyone making those trips—and usually they were not—just seeing the motley group gave them plenty to talk and joke about.

  Though the Haleys couldn’t afford the luxury of a long cruise, they could do what to them was the next best thing. Every now and then they would hop on the Bon Ton ferry in Bangor to visit neighboring Brewer, because on occasion even they were able to afford the one-penny-per-person fare to ride the miniature passenger boats that were said to be the smallest steamships in the world. And when they could afford it, the two would take in a show at the Bangor Opera House on Main Street, or maybe even splurge once a month and have dinner in one of the many fine restaurants there. As you can surmise, and as its name clearly implies, Main Street was the main street in Bangor, at least for entertainment and shopping purposes. As such, the Haleys could be seen walking on that street almost every day without fail. All in all the young couple enjoyed the time they spent together blissfully strolling along Main Street, and through other parts of the downtown area, before making their way to the scenic waterfront.

  —1—

  In early March of 1904 Murdock received good news from home.

  “I got a letter from my brother today, Maggie.”

  “Which one?” she asked.

  “Harry.”

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense; what did he have to say?”

  “He’s coming to Bangor.”

  “He is? That’s great news, Murdy. He’s your favorite brother, isn’t he?”

  “Yup.”

  “How long is he gonna stay?”

  “It’s hard to say with Harry; he’s the restless type, not one to stay in a place for too long. I hope he can stay with us for a while this time though.”

  “Well, I’ll do my best to make him at home, and maybe he’ll want to stick around for a while.”

  “Maybe. We’ll see. Regardless, it’ll be good to see him, even if just for a short time.”

  When the end of March came, so did Harry. Murdock and his brother spent as much time as they could together getting caught up on each other’s lives. And when Murdock was working, Margaret kept Harry entertained with her stories of Maine, and Harry kept Margaret laughing with his stories of Canada. As a result, the two became great friends. As much as she enjoyed listening to Harry’s stories, she enjoyed his interaction with Murdy even more, especially when they played Cribbage. The first night they played a game was the most amusing. She sat in her rocking chair holding Lillian and watched with interest as they began their first game.

  “Did I tell you that Harry taught me how to play Cribbage, Maggie?” Murdock asked, as he shuffled the deck and began to deal.

  “Is that right? Well, you did a re
al good job, Harry. I can’t for the life of me seem to beat Murdy at Cribbage,” Margaret responded.

  “Thanks for the compliment, Maggie, but my teaching ability has nothing to do with that,” he said while turning away from Murdock to wink and smile at Margaret. “Murdy’s been cheating at Cribbage all his life. Either that, or he’s the luckiest so-and-so I’ve ever seen.”

  “Don’t you believe a word he says, Maggie,” Murdock said. “Some people have a talent for Cribbage, and I just happen to be one of them.”

  “Is that so, little brother?” Harry responded. “Maggie, I think it’s time to pull out the high boots. It’s getting a little deep in here now, don’t you think?”

  Margaret burst out laughing, saying: “It always gets a lot deep in here when Murdy plays Cribbage. But I suspect you know that already.”

  “Oh yeah,” he agreed. “That’s for darn sure.”

  Then the three of them broke into laughter, with Margaret laughing hardest of all.

  Harry stayed with his brother for almost two weeks and then left for home. Before he did, he said his good-byes to the Haleys.

  “I’m gonna miss you, Maggie. And little Lillian too.”

  “And, I’ll miss you, Harry. Take care. And don’t forget: You’re welcome back, anytime.”

  “That’s right, big brother,” Murdock said. “Anytime.”