California Romance

by Colleen L. Reece

  At last the big day came. Ellie’s knees shook as she left the Stanhope pew and started to the front of Bayview Christian Church. The distance up the richly carpeted aisle loomed longer than the miles that stretched between Madera and the Diamond S. She felt sweat trickle inside her gloved hands and smoothed down her pale yellow sleeves. Would her wobbly knees be able to carry her up the richly carpeted aisle? Would a single note come out of her parched throat? Why had she agreed to make her San Francisco debut in Joshua’s church? Far better to have first sung at a home musicale.

  “Trust Me.”

  The unspoken reminder blunted the edge of Ellie’s fear. Her throat cleared. She walked to her place beside the organ, turned, and faced the congregation.

  “ ‘It Is Well with My Soul’ is my favorite hymn. Before I sing, I want you to know how the song came to be written.” She paused. For a moment the richly colored stained-glass windows changed to clear glass in her mind. Sunlight streamed through them into Christ the Way Church and bathed Joshua Stanhope in its golden rays.

  The image faded, but it had strengthened Ellie. She clasped her hands and said, “Horatio Spafford was a remarkable man. He, his wife, and four young daughters lived in Chicago….” Ellie saw quickening interest replace the expressions of boredom and curiosity on the faces turned toward her. When she finished the story, she nodded to the organist. He struck a single note, and Ellie’s bell-like tones rang throughout the cathedral.

  “When peace, like a river, attendeth my way…” Her voice soared with triumph, just as it had when she sang in Christ the Way. “It is well…with my soul….It is well, it is well with my soul.”

  With my soul echoed back from the vaulted ceiling. Ellie looked at the Stan-hope pew. Mr. Stanhope wore a look of peace that thrilled her heart. If no one else had been touched, he had. Tears coursed down Mrs. Stanhope’s cheeks. Had she also been inspired by the song? Ellie’s gaze turned to Edward. She saw approval in his eyes and a softening in his face. It made Edward look more like his twin than ever.

  The fourth occupant of the pew looked neither exalted nor touched by the story and song. Beryl Westfield, gowned in the latest fashion, raised one haughty eyebrow and pursed her lips when Ellie walked back to the pew. Ellie’s joy at the congregation’s obvious approval dwindled. The enmity in the older woman’s face made her shudder. She hadn’t faced such dislike since the days of being taunted for being Gus’s daughter. She hated the feelings Beryl stirred up. Everyone else she’d met in San Francisco had been kind. Must there always be a serpent to spoil the Garden of Eden?

  Busy trying to overcome her resentment, Ellie barely heard the choir’s final presentation and the benediction. She returned to reality when the Reverend Michael Yates, Josh’s red-haired substitute, reached her. “Smashing, Miss Sterling. Absolutely smashing.” Admiration shone in his hazel eyes. “What a team we make—you with your singing; I with my preaching!”

  Edward made a choking sound. Ellie wanted to poke him. No matter how pompous Michael sounded, as a minister he deserved respect. Not wanting to encourage him, she said, “I’m glad you liked my song.” Michael Yates had made his lofty ambitions clear at their first meeting. He’d also done everything but add how proud he’d be to have the Sierra Songbird help him climb the ladder to success.

  Even if there were no Joshua, I couldn’t care for this man, Ellie thought. He appears far more interested in how rapidly he can rise than in being God’s servant and leading souls to Christ. How different Michael Yates was from Josh, who had walked away from the position Michael obviously coveted.

  Josh crumpled the third version of a letter to Ellie and tossed it toward the big woodstove in the parsonage. He missed his target, just as he missed Ellie. She’d only been gone a few weeks, but it seemed like forever. Josh pulled the single letter she’d written to him from the pocket above his heart, smoothed out the creases, and spread the pages on his table. Worn from many readings, they threatened to fall apart. He read the words he had already memorized:

  Dear Josh,

  I hardly know where to start. San Francisco is beautiful, ugly, inviting, and terrifying. I am in awe of its magnificent structures but appalled at the stories I hear about the yellow slave trade. I sometimes want to flee, but the continuing belief that God has put me here for a reason prevents my turning tail and running.

  Almost everyone has been incredibly kind. Your father is everything I wish mine had been. Your mother treats me like an honored guest and delights in advising me about proper dress. To my surprise, she approves of everything I brought from home. However, she has insisted on having some gowns made for more formal occasions and when I perform.

  Edward is really a dear, not at all what I expected when I first met him. He’s so much like you that when I’m with him, I sometimes forget he isn’t you!

  Josh raised his head and gazed out the window. September had waved farewell and ushered in October. Tree branches swayed in the gentle breeze. Busy squirrels searched for winter store. Peace lay over the smiling land but failed to touch Josh.

  “The last thing I need is for Ellie to start thinking Edward’s just like me,” he muttered, cringing at the thought. “Such an idea could lead to heartbreak. If ever two persons were unequally yoked, they are Ellie and my brother.”

  She could be the making of Edward, a little voice mocked. Beryl Westfield is a self-confessed infidel. Ellie is the finest example of Christian womanhood. Beryl attracts with her sophistication. Ellie appeals because of her lack of sophistication.

  Josh grunted. “Lord, if I gave up Ellie, which I’m not going to do, there’s no guarantee Edward would change permanently, even if he won her.”

  The little voice remained mercifully silent, so Josh returned to the letter:

  I never dreamed how different San Francisco could be from the Diamond S. Edward has taken me to ride the cable cars and to Golden Gate Park, always suitably chaperoned of course. We ride there, but it’s nothing like being on Calico. I long to be on her back and riding with the wind in my face.

  The Pacific Ocean took my breath away. So did walking along the Embarcadero with its salty, fishy smell. Two of my favorite places are the Conservatory in Golden Gate Park and the Palace Hotel. Edward says I may someday be able to sing there, but not until I’m better known. I couldn’t believe it when the carriage we were in drove right into the Grand Court. Forgive me for gushing about things you know so well. They’re all new and strange to me.

  Ellie went on to describe her first solo at Bayview Christian and added:

  When I sang “It Is Well with My Soul,” I didn’t expect the congregation here to react the same as those at Christ the Way. But they did. Your mother and Edward say it must become my signature song. No matter where or what else I sing, I’m to save the story and song for the end of the program. Your father agrees. He says nothing else can reach people like the song. I’m glad. Each time I sing it, I think of you telling the story of it being ripped from the depths of a hurting heart. It makes me homesick, but it also makes me proud to pass the story on. My prayer is that it may touch lives the way it touched mine.

  By the way, Reverend Michael Yates approves of me. He says we make a great team because of my singing and his preaching. The first time he said it, I wanted to laugh. Edward nearly disgraced himself by choking. You should have seen the look Beryl gave him.

  Josh slammed his fist on the table. “This is the last straw. I not only have to worry about Edward, but this Yates clown is obviously on Ellie’s trail, too. So he thinks they make a great team. Not if I have anything to say about it. Yates has another think coming.” Josh returned to the letter once more:

  I miss everyone and long for the time when God leads me back to Madera.

  Ellie

  Josh left the pages on the table and sought the silence of his church. He knelt before the altar and bowed his head. Lord, bring Ellie home to me, his heart cried. I need her so much. Fear of losing her and the weight of recent events fell heavil
y on Josh’s bent shoulders. Slowly but surely, Luther Talbot and his cohorts were making inroads on Josh’s acceptance.

  “Lord, my hopes for happiness here seem short lived,” he prayed. “All I want is to find and serve those who need You. Now I’m facing a mountain of resistance. Luther, the board, and many of the congregation frown on my desire to spend time outside the church walls. They continually remind me I was hired to minister to the flock already securely in the fold, not go chasing after wild sheepherders and cowhands.”

  Josh stopped his prayer long enough to mutter, “I can’t believe Luther’s latest complaint.” He mimicked the board chairman’s accusing voice. “‘You’ve been here since June, Reverend. What good has come of all your gallivanting around? Only one of those lost sheep you’ve been so eager to bring to the Lord has come to the altar.’ ”

  Josh chuckled. “I bit my tongue to keep from telling Luther that one soul saved in the time I’ve been here isn’t so bad. Noah preached for 120 years and only succeeded in saving eight people from the flood, including himself.”

  Laughter gave way to depression and doubt. “Was I wrong in thinking Madera is where You want me to serve? And that Ellie is the woman You’ve chosen to be my wife—even though Edward can make her San Francisco’s Sierra Songbird?”

  Hours later Josh returned to his home with his concerns unresolved. “Well Lord,” he prayed as he lay in bed watching the brilliant stars filling the sky outside his open window, “Your answers are yes, no, and wait. This time it must be wait.”

  An owl hooted from the spreading oak tree. A coyote yapped for its mate in the distance. Its mournful wail sounded as lonely as Josh felt. Yet the crooning of the crisp, early October night wind soothed the troubled young preacher, and at last he slept.

  Chapter 19

  Ellie sat by the window of her bedroom in the Stanhope mansion. If only the sun would break through the heavy gray fog blanket that obscured the usually magnificent view! Thankful that for once she had a few minutes to herself, she breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since she’d arrived in the city, life had galloped at a pace that sometimes left her disoriented. After her first solo at Bayview Christian, she’d been deluged with invitations to sing, thanks to an enterprising reporter who’d been in church that Sunday. He’d helped launch her whirlwind rise to fame with a glowing review of her solo in the San Francisco Chronicle. Then he periodically added tidbits guaranteed to pique the interest of persons looking for something new and worthwhile.

  A demanding knock sounded on Ellie’s door. Before she could respond, it slammed open. Beryl Westfield, face contorted with fury, rushed in. “You innocent-faced minx! Have you seen this?”

  The discordant voice jerked Ellie from her solitude. She peered at Beryl. Impeccably dressed as usual, the hatred in Beryl’s black eyes made Ellie cringe. Beryl flung a copy of the Chronicle at her and demanded, “Read that!”

  Ellie caught the paper before it struck her in the face. She glanced down. Her image stared back at her from beside the bold headline: SIERRA SONG BIRD SOARS.

  “What’s wrong?” Ellie faltered. “It’s just an article.”

  “Just an article?” Beryl raved, hands clenched into fists. She took a menacing step toward Ellie. “Read the whole thing!”

  Ellie blinked. Had Beryl gone crazy, to come tearing in, raging like this?

  “Read it!”

  Ellie shrank from the older woman, who stood watching her like an avenging angel. No, more like someone under Satan’s control. Beryl evidently wouldn’t leave until she got what she’d come for. Ellie read the headline again, then the article:

  SIERRA SONGBIRD SOARS

  San Franciscans are taking note of a newcomer to our fair city. Miss El- lianna Sterling first captivated the congregation (and this reporter) at Bayview Christian Church with her remarkable voice. Miss Sterling is the protégée of Mrs. Charles Stanhope, well-known benefactress and champion of the downtrodden.

  Sought after for soirees and musicales by San Francisco’s finest, the Sierra Songbird, as she is known, is winning both high praise and our hearts. Her modest dress, simple ballads—including some she has written—and her hymns have shaken San Francisco. Sterling’s simplicity and lack of vanity impress even the most jaded music lovers. She prefaces the heartfelt rendition of her signature song, “It Is Well with My Soul,” with the story of how it came to be written. Few of us remain dry-eyed when confronted by the author’s unwavering faith.

  Neither can we resist the expression on the songbird’s face when she sings, “ ‘Even so, it is well with my soul.’ ” It bears mute but compelling testimony: Whatever others choose to believe, it truly is well with Ellianna Sterling’s soul.

  The Sierra Songbird is often accompanied by Edward Stanhope, whose proficiency at the piano has until now been unsuspected. The dark-haired man and the yellow-gowned singer make a striking couple. One cannot help wondering if there would be wedding bells as well as church bells in their future were it not for Edward’s engagement to Miss Beryl Westfield.

  Tickets are now being offered at premium prices for a concert benefiting Mrs. Stanhope’s favorite charity, The Occidental Mission Home for Girls. It is one event this reporter plans to cover, and not just to get a story.

  Ellie let the paper slip through her fingers to the rich Oriental rug. She had run the gamut of emotions while reading it. Joy. Excitement. Gratitude for the reporter’s kind words about her singing. The thrill of knowing God was using her to touch lives. But the comment about a wedding and church bells destroyed Ellie’s pleasure and filled her with disgust. She jumped from her chair and faced Beryl.

  “Why did the reporter have to spoil all the nice things he said by hinting at a romance between Edward and me?” she cried. “It isn’t true, Miss Westfield. Edward is my friend, nothing more.”

  Beryl’s eyes narrowed into cat’s eyes. “If that’s true, then why has he been making me a laughingstock by escorting you all over the city?”

  “We always have a chaperone,” Ellie told her. “Maria or one of the other maids accompanies us.”

  Beryl brushed her comment aside. “Even if I believed you, which I don’t, it doesn’t matter. My friends mock me because Edward is never available when I want him.” She drew herself up to her full height and glowered down at Ellie. “Edward has also begun to hint that perhaps we aren’t suited for one another. I pleased him well enough until you came.” Venom dripped from every word.

  Snippets of a conversation from weeks earlier popped into Ellie’s mind:

  “Sometimes I don’t like her myself.”

  “ You’re going to marry someone you don’t like?”

  “I need a wife.”

  “ You mustn’t marry anyone you don’t love with all your heart.”

  “Comparing a girl like you with Beryl Westfield makes a man wonder.”

  “Well?” Beryl’s harsh voice sent the memory flying, but not before Ellie’s heart leaped. She’d come to like Edward—first because he reminded her of Josh, then for his dedication to helping her succeed. If he was having second thoughts about joining his life with Beryl, it was all to the good.

  Ellie carefully hid her elation at the thought. “I have told you the truth, Miss Westfield. I have nothing more to say. Now will you please leave my room?”

  Beryl’s face went chalk white. She raised one hand as if to strike. Then she said, “Watch your step. To quote that Bible you so piously hide behind while trying to worm your way in where you don’t belong, ‘Pride goeth before a fall.’”

  “It’s actually ‘Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall,’” Ellie told her.

  The unwelcome guest gave Ellie another scorching look and marched out. Shaken, Ellie sank back into her chair. “Lord, what am I doing here?”

  “Trust Me.”

  Ellie buried her face in her hands and cried out, “I do trust You, but it’s hard! I haven’t done anything to deserve such treatment.”

  �
��Neither did My Son.”

  The silent reminder poured healing into Ellie’s hurting heart. She continued to sit by the window and look out into the gray day, taking stock of her present life. At times, her St. Louis childhood seemed distant and unreal. Even her years on the Diamond S were gradually losing their luster when compared with the glory of rising from obscurity to being sought after. Only her love for her family and Joshua remained constant.

  “I’ll enjoy it while it lasts,” she vowed. “Someday Joshua and I will be reunited. In the meantime, I’m saving money in case Tim needs it. Also, when the time comes, I won’t have to go to Joshua like a penniless beggar girl.”

  Joy welled into Ellie’s throat and rippled out. “I’m also helping Josh, even though he doesn’t know it. Lord, thank You for making Mr. Stanhope so understanding. When I told him I wanted to send my tithe to Christ the Way Church anonymously he arranged it. I’m sure he never said a word to Mrs. Stanhope or Edward or they would have asked why I’d do such a thing.”

  The solemn chime of a clock put an end to Ellie’s rejoicing. She’d be late for her music lesson if she didn’t hurry. She washed her hands and face, tidied her shining hair, and ran downstairs, carrying her hooded cloak. To her dismay, Beryl stood with Edward in the great hall. Her rigid stance showed she still burned with anger.

  Edward looked up. “Beryl reminded me of an important engagement this afternoon, Ellie. She’s helping Mother with the arrangements for the benefit concert, and of course they need my expert advice. We’ll drop you off on the way, but I don’t know how long it will take. I’ve told our carriage driver to pick you up after your lesson. Sorry.”

  “There’s no need to be sorry.” Ellie slipped into her cloak and followed them out to the carriage. She climbed in, being careful to leave the place beside Edward for Beryl. When they reached her music teacher’s studio, she stepped down and said, “Be careful. It looks like the fog is getting worse.”