by Laura Deni
She heard the wagon approach and went out to meet her Pa. With his bad leg, she wouldn’t expect him to get out to help her get in. She was used to jumping into the buckboard. “There sure is a lot to do,” she said not really expecting her Pa to answer.”
“You’re the one to do it. Good that you’re here.”
Bridget was flabbergasted at his comment. As they approached home she inhaled the wonderful savory aromas of her mother’s cooking which seeped through the walls to perfume the outside. “Maybe I should have stayed to help her.”
“She’s fine.” He tied up the horse and the two went inside. As far as Bridget was concerned her parents were acting odd. Her mother was smiling. Her Pa seemed lighthearted. Bridget worried that she was about to ruin whatever was making then happy by telling them that she couldn’t go back.
They noticed that she only picked at her food. “Come, you help me with the dishes,” said Bridget’s Mother. Bridget helped clear the table and got the water heated to wash the dishes. Pa sat down with his pipe and seemed content with his own thoughts. “Do you intend to tell me about the man who makes you cry?”
“It’s not his fault. It’s the other girls in town who want him. And … and …. they all know.”
“Know what?”
“That I came from the Orphan Train.”
“Is that so bad? They all know here.” Noticing her daughter’s hurt expression, she quickly added. “I know, at first it bothered both of us. It hurt me, too. Nobody would let me be your mother. I felt that I was always set apart, too. It wasn’t, ‘Estelle, bring your daughter.’ It was, ‘Estelle, bring your Orphan Train daughter.’ That hurt me, too.”
Bridget knew what her mother said was true. She felt bad that she hadn’t thought enough about how the Orphan Train comments made her mother feel that she wasn’t a real mother. “It just seemed so different in Canyonville. Nobody asked me questions about where I came from or what it was like to be taken in by somebody who didn’t really want me.”
“That’s not quite true.”
“Pa wanted a boy. A boy to help in the fields.”
“Yes, but he agreed to take you. If he hadn’t wanted you, he wouldn’t have agreed. Look now at how everyone loves you. He just doesn’t know how to show you.”
Bridget looked down at the dishes and nodded her head.
“About this man,” persisted Bridget’s Mother.
Bridget softly said his name. “David.”
Bridget’s Mother smiled. “Of course. Remember the apple peel? You’ve found your ‘D’!”
“I remember. Oh, he is so wonderful. Dr. Sullivan. Dr. David Sullivan. He is so kind and thoughtful.” Bridget rubbed the necklace with her soapy fingers. “And smart, really smart.”
“Has he told you that you coming from the Orphan Train makes a difference to him.”
“No, he’s never mentioned it.”
“Then why are you so upset?”
“There are others, fancy girls, who want him. One in particular, Savannah Katherine, said that his family would never approve of me. They’re from Boston. His father is a doctor and his grandfather is a doctor. His sister is getting married to a lawyer. His mother is society. Real high class, fancy people.”
“So this real high class fancy young man gave you a beautiful necklace, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t have to do that.”
“No, but Savannah Katherine said that it was a token gift, and didn’t mean anything.”
“I think you listen too much to this Savannah Katherine. She’s just trying to make you unhappy because this lady, who you think has it all, wants something you have. She wants David. She’s just being mean, trying to drive you away. You’re doing what is best for her, not what is best for you.”
“Now you just straighten up and realize that you’re as good as any of them. Better than them. You are not only a typewriter, you won a scholarship. You have your David who thinks enough of you to give you that necklace. You just stop listening to those girls and start listening to your heart.”
Bridget had been standing there not moving, her hands in the hot water. “Now get to washing those dishes and then get to bed. You have to get Doc’s office fixed up and the week is going to fly by before you know it. On Thursday, you are I are going to be making some pies and biscuits.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The week did fly by. On Thursday they sat and laughed as they peeled apples and made biscuits, the way they did when she was a small child.
Oddly, neither of her parents pressed for any more information about David.
On Friday morning Bridget was startled to see her Pa wearing his good shirt. Without saying where he was going he curtly announced, “I’ll be back shortly.”
That wasn’t at all like him and Bridget wondered what was going on. When her mother came out of the bedroom Bridget’s mouth fell open at the sight of her wearing her good Sunday church dress.
“Is something going on?”
“I don’t know what you mean?”
“You’ve got on your Sunday dress and I just wondered …”
“Oh, this old thing. I just felt like putting it on.” Looking Bridget up and down, she added, “Your hair ribbons would look nice. You go put those on. Yes, those would look becoming.”
Obediently, Bridget went into the bedroom to brush her hair and put in the ribbons. She shook her head in disbelief, thinking that both of her parents were going daft.
She walked back into the living room and screamed. Standing next to her parents was Dr. David Sullivan.
CHAPTER 17
ENGAGED
SHE couldn’t believe her eyes. Dr. Sullivan—David—standing next to her folks, in their living room. She was speechless. “That’s quite a scream,” kidded David. “Now that you’ve awaken any living soul or animal within five miles, you could say ‘hello.’”
“Hello,” automatically came from her mouth. She still couldn’t believe he was actually there, right there, speaking to her. “How did you get here?”
“The train. And, your Pa picked me up.”
“How did he know to do that?”
“I wrote him a letter.”
“What?” The word was filled with both astonishment and curiosity.
“I wrote him a letter. And, if you’re next question is going to be ‘when’, I’ll save you the trouble. Before you left. I gave the letter to Dr. Schmidt who gave it to you in an envelope he put in it, which was addressed to Doc. So, you carried the letter here. Doc gave it to your Pa, so your parents have known I was coming since you arrived.”
Bridge couldn’t believe her ears. All she could do was stare at him.
He held out his hand towards her. “Now, come with me. We have some talking to do and then we’ll come back and I’ll talk to your parents.”
He led her out the door and they walked towards the nearby fruit trees.
“I know Miss Chadwick gets to you. She kind of gets under everybody’s skin. If she tells me her chest hurts then I have to listen to it. That’s what I’m doing, listening to see if there is a problem. That’s all. That’s my job,’ said David as he gently put his arm around Bridget’s waist.
“My sister knows girls like her. They are everywhere. You can’t run away from them. They hurt others, because that is the only way they can feel good about themselves. It’s not right, but that’s the way it is.” Then he tried to change the subject. “You’d like my sister. I hope someday you get to meet her.”
“I do, too.”
“Don’t forget, I arrived in town after you. I’m the guy who pulled Boxer off of you. It’s Boxer that told me.”
“Boxer? When?”
“Yes, Boxer. When I went to the jail to patch him up.”
Bridget looked puzzled.
“It seems I did a bit of damage to his eye. It took two days before they could ship him to Kansas City. His eye was swollen. He was hollerin’ about it and Sheriff Jasper asked if I
’d take a look.”
Bridget’s eyes got wide and she almost started to say something when David continued speaking. “I know what you’re thinking and I thought about that. I didn’t want to fix him, but I became a doctor to help everyone, not just the people I like.” He shrugged. “I went over and looked him over. For a guy with a shut eye, his mouth was open like a bad clam. He wanted me, and anybody else who cared to listen, to know that he had taken care of you. That he saw to it you ate and were warm.”
“He did,” admitted Bridget. “He was the oldest and he took charge of all the rest of us. He was always finding food and wood that we could burn to keep warm.”
“I should have told you, but I didn’t want to upset you. You were already shaky after Boxer attached you. I figured if you wanted to tell me about it, you would.”
“I never expected to see him again. I hadn’t even thought about him in years. And, I never visioned he’d turn out like he did.”
“He may have taken care of the younger street kids, but what he was doing was learning to be a slick thief. He’s a bad guy. He was always on the skids. There are at least five states that would like to lock him up.”
“What did he say?”
“Just stories about living on the streets. Then, you and the younger ones got put on an Orphan Train. I realize now that I should have told you that I went to the jail and what he said. Anything he said just … just didn’t matter.” He paused as if thinking about what he was going to say. “Miss Chadwick came to the jail to visit Boxer.”
“She what!” Bridget was livid.
“She wanted to see what a real criminal looked like. He was the biggest thing locked up at Canyonville in recent memory. That’s where she heard about you living with the street kids and selling rags.” He paused. “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want you to be hurt any more than you have been.”
He pulled her close. “Are you mad at me for not telling you?” His arms were strong and comforting. Bridget closed her eyes and knew that she could never be mad at him—at least not for long.” His lips gently kissed her forehead and then her cheek. When his soft lips touched hers, Bridget knew that there could be no greater feeling than to be held in his arms.
“Right now, we have to get back to your Pa’s place. There’s some things I need to discuss with him. Oh, the Canyonville telegraph doesn’t work. Something happened to the machine. Canyonville hasn’t been able to send or receive for about three days. Guess it’s going to be maybe another week before they get it fixed.” He took her hand and they walked across the field, the warmth of his hand as soothing as the sun streaming down her back.
Bridget’s parents were waiting for them. Each of them sporting a silly grin that she’s never, ever seen on their faces. All of a sudden David seemed nervous. “You know why I’m here. I wrote you. But, I want to do this right. I haven’t asked Bridget, because I first wanted to ask permission of you Mr. Hansen, to marry your daughter.”
Her Pa beamed. “Yes.” That’s all he said and that’s all he had to say. When Bridget heard his words, Bridget felt she was being cradled by pink sunbeams. She had David. Noone could ever again hurt her.
“Now, I just have to worry about Bridget saying, ‘yes’, too.” He grinned at her parents and his eyes had a delightfully devilish look. “Do you suppose she’ll accept my proposal?” David put his arm around her waist. “You’ve already had two last names. How would you like a third one—Mrs. David Sullivan.”
“She says ‘yes’,” chimed in Estelle Hansen. The others laughed. “Tell him, Bridget.”
“Yes!”
“Good, that’s settled. Now you and your mother can plan a wedding. Before they could say a word, he added, “Let me tell you what I’ve been thinking. I have almost a week’s time coming in two months. We could both come back and get married here, so all of the friends you grew up with could attend. Rev. Caldwell could do it. Then we’d go back to Canyonville and have a nice reception there. I know the wives of Dr. Schmidt and Sheriff Jasper will want to have a party.”
“That sounds wonderful,” sighed Bridget.
“I can wear my new bonnet,” exclaimed Bridget’s Mother.
“And, you’re new jewelry.” David Sullivan put his hand in his inside pocket and pulled out the gold locket with the diamond in the middle that he had purchased from Mrs. Dillion’s estate sale. He reached his hand towards Bridget’s Mother. “This is for you. Any women who could raise a daughter as lovely as Bridget deserves to wear diamonds and gold. I bought this for you.”
Bridget’s Mother started to cry and Bridget thought she saw a tear in her Pa’s eye.
“I’m a very lucky man,” said David looking towards Bridget.
“We are all very lucky you found us,” said Pa.
“I’m staying at the hotel tonight and tomorrow Doc is going to loan me one of his buckboards. Then you and I will take the train back home Sunday morning. There’s a lot to do before we come back here to get married. Afterwards, we do have Mrs. Dillion’s house to turn into our home. We’re going to be a little short on furniture for awhile, but we don’t need a lot.”
“As long as you got a good bed,” said Pa.
Estelle Hansen gently poked her husband’s side with her elbow. “William, is that any way to talk?” David laughed and Bridget realized that was the first time she had ever witnessed her parents engage in any type of banter.
“Everybody just stay right here, I’ll be right back.” Pa dragged himself outside and around by the side of the house, leaving the others to wonder in silent curiosity. Soon he returned with a small can. Before he came inside, they saw him brush the dirt off the container. “I’ve had this buried.” He stared at the lid. Bridget couldn’t remember him ever acting so uncomfortable.
“I never wanted a girl,” he stammered. “I know what to do with a boy,” he continued. “You teach them to farm, to know the land. You teach a boy to split wood and hitch a horse to a plow. A girl belongs to the mother. Mothers teach their daughters to cook and clean and to look out after a man.”
Then he looked at Bridget. “I thought you might remember your real father and not think highly of me … my not being schooled and a farmer, a farmer with a bad leg.”
“Oh, no,” Bridget began, but he cut her off.
“I figured there was nothin’ for me in having a girl. The only thing I could ever give to a girl would be her wedding dress.” He opened the can and pulled out some money. “Here,” he said as he thrust the bills towards her. “Twenty-two dollars I managed to save since you came here.”
Bridget, David and Bridget’s Mother were speechless. “Twenty-two dollars,” Bridget whispered almost to herself, overwhelmed with the realization that her Pa had been saving for her wedding dress since that day long ago when they took her in from the Orphan Train.
“It’s so you can buy a store bought wedding dress,” said Pa who looked uncomfortable still holding the empty can.
Estelle Hansen put her arm around her husband and kissed his cheek. David extended his hand. “Thank you, sir.” Pa awkwardly nodded his head and shook David’s hand. Then David looked at his future father-in-law. “Bridget will been happy to accept this money on one condition. No, two conditions.” Both Bridget and her mother looked startled. Then David smiled. “First of all, you have to walk Bridget down the church aisle. Secondly, you have to dance the first dance with her.”
Pa looked down, shook head his and waved his arm signaling he couldn’t do that.
“I’m having none of that,” insisted David. “Now, hear me out. I’ve brought you some liniment, which might make your leg feel better. The liniment is temporary. What really has done you a lot of good, is what you’ve been doing, a lot of walking and pulling things. That helps keep the leg strong. That has kept the blood flowing in that leg. If you had just sat, that leg would have been gone a long time ago. The times when it gets a bit sore, the liniment should bring you some relief.
“You walk al
l the time and there is no reason why you can’t walk your daughter down the aisle and give her to her new husband.”
“Pa, please! I’d love that.” He looked at her and responded with a slight smile.
“As for the first dance. After we get married, everyone will be in the church yard. The men with fiddles can play a nice, slow dance and you will get the first dance with your daughter, my wife.” Then with an impish grim David added, “That’s the only way she gets the store bought wedding gown. If you don’t dance, she wears rags!”
“Please, Pa! It would means so much!”
“You don’t want all that money you saved to go to waste, do you?” challenged David, as he took Bridget’s hand.
Pa nodded. “Okay.”
“Oh, thank you, Pa!” Bridget gave her Pa a big hug and realized that was the first time she had eever hugged him. He looked at her. “You’ll make a beautiful bride.”
CHAPTER 18
A LOVE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN
THE next morning Bridget couldn’t wait to get to Doc Patterson’s place. She knew she was walking, although she couldn’t feel her feet touch the ground. He grinned at her when she came in. “You know, don’t you.”
“Of course I know, Bridget. Hardest secret we’ve ever kept, knowing that Dr. Sullivan was coming to town. I knew he wasn’t coming here to see me! Too bad you just missed him. He’s taken the buckboard out already. Seems one of those Carter kids fell out of a tree and may have injured his shoulder. Two of his older brothers walked down here. Dr. Sullivan was here when they arrived, so he said he’d take the buckboard out there and look the kid over. Their place is only about three miles away. He ought to be back shortly.
“The older boys didn’t want a ride back. They wanted to go get some candy at the General Store and said they’d walk back on their own. Oh, Bridget, have you noticed anything funny around here lately? I didn’t see anybody, but I swear it looked like someone had moved the buckboard a little. It just looked a tad bit off from where I put it yesterday. I noticed that when Dr. Sullivan went to get in it. It just looked different, like it had been moved a little.”
