Out of Innocence

by Adelaide McLeod

  The sun had disappeared over the mountain before Harold O’Donnell, Colleen’s husband, rode up behind her in a hack.

  Belle waved at him. “Am I glad to see you, Harold! I was getting worried.”

  “Howdy, Belle. Looks like you got a problem here.” Harold sat in the driver’s seat and looked over the dash board. He got out and walked around the Model T, folded up the hood and looked at the engine. “I’ve got to admit, Belle, I don’t know much about these contraptions. I could go borrow Dougal’s team and pull you. I don’t think Colleen’s little mare can handle the weight,” he said slapping Sunshine on the flank.

  “I heard the men talking about how these engines have more power in reverse. Do you want to try backing up the hill if we can get her started?”

  Belle was desperate; she’d try anything. Harold cranked for all he was worth and the engine finally hummed. Harold was in front of her, walking backwards up the mountainous road, giving broad directions with his arms, gnashing his teeth when she turned too far, apprehension mixed with amusement dancing in his eyes. Belle, who had never driven the hill forward, found herself backing up, twisting to see behind her. It was like trying to pat her head and rub her stomach at the same time. The more she tried to stay on the road, the more she found herself driving into the bank, then almost over the steep edge. Belle considered getting into Sunshine’s hack and abandoning this aggravating contraption right on the spot.

  Finally, they made it to the summit and turned the automobile around and Harold hopped in. He’d never had a ride in a Model T before. This was his chance.

  “You all set, Harold?”

  “Fire away, Belle.”

  As they started down from the summit on the steep incline, the auto gained momentum and Belle was doing nothing to slow it down. Her eyes grew wild with excitement: she loved speed, exhilarating, reckless, challenging speed. They tore down the hill, jumping ruts, tipping, veering, lickety split, never braking. Harold held on for dear life, trying to look like the fearless cowboy his reputation depended on. Belle squealed with delight. Even Sunshine got into the spirit of things and with her unattended reins, she raced the Model T down the hill, and though it was rolling doggone fast, Sunshine won. Her hack was not so fortunate. Pieces of it were strewn along the way, a wheel here, the torn canopy there.

  “That dadgum Sunshine. Who would have thought, she’d try to race?” Harold said as Belle helped him gather the pieces. “How will I ever explain this to Colleen? It’s her hack. I can hear her now,” Harold moaned, “when I go home dragging this trash she’ll say, ‘If there’s a prize for stupidity, Harold, you’ll win it, hands down.’”

  “Colleen’s taking care of my kids so I’ll drive you home. I’ll talk to her and take the blame. After all, this wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t stopped to help me. Thank the good Lord, it’s the hack that bit the dust and not Sunshine.” Belle could tell by the look on Harold’s face that he didn’t want to go home, with or without Belle.

  “I could tell her the hack broke loose and went off the road. There’s some truth in that. I could tell her something spooked Sunshine and she ran away with the hack. That’s not entirely a lie. I could tell her Sunshine got frightened by a wild stallion.”

  Belle was deep in thought. As they drove through Horseshoe Bend, she turned off the road into Shelley’s Livery Stable and stopped.

  “Face it, Harold. You’ll end up buying Colleen a new hack, won’t you? Isn’t this the best time to do it? It could be a little nicer than the one she had.”

  “Then I wouldn't have to explain,” Harold said.

  “I know Colleen. She won’t give a fig for your excuses.”

  “You’re right,” Harold agreed. “I can’t take this garbage home; she’d throw me out. Her birthday’s coming up. I could tell her this is an early present.”

  There were three hacks displayed at Shelley’s. Harold looked at the price tags and shook his head.

  “Look at this, Harold. It even has a vase for a bouquet of flowers, and fringe on the canopy. That’s pretty fancy.”

  “You and I both know it has to be better than the one she had,” Harold said. “The crops have been good this year. I made a little money on my goats. What the hell, I’ll take it.”

  Belle handed Harold a bill. “Here’s a little contribution. This was my fault, you know.”

  “I can’t take a lady’s money, Belle.”

  “If you can’t, then Lyle Shelley can. I’d rather just give it to you. I insist. It would make me feel a whole lot better.”

  Harold nodded, took Belle’s money, paid Shelley and had Sunshine harnessed to the new hack in nothing flat. Belle led the way: a precaution to make sure Sunshine didn't spook from the sound of the Tin Lizzy’s engine. It wasn’t long before they pulled up into O’Donnell’s barnyard.

  “Imagine you two arriving at the same time,” Colleen said as she came out to greet them. "Belle, you got your automobile and what’s this, Sunshine? You’ve got a beautiful new hack.” Her flock of children along with T.J. and Hannah came like bees to a beehive, hovering around it, climbing on the carriage, sitting in it, running their hands over the glossy paint before they even noticed the shiny Model T Ford.

  “I love it, Harold. It’s the prettiest hack I’ve ever seen. Is it my birthday present?” She stood back admiring it as the children turned their attention to the Tin Lizzy.

  All of Harold’s little white lies evaporated as he blurted out the crazy tale of the race down Harris Creek Road relaying every gory detail. It was too good not to tell.

  “

  Harold,” Colleen said, “where were you when they handed out the brains, behind the door?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  The sun was just coming up, yet T.J., Hannah and Belle had been in the garden long enough to plant the pole beans, lettuce and carrots.

  “The pumpkin seeds are in an envelope in the kitchen drawer, T.J. Fetch them. You and Hannah can plant them,” Belle said.

  This was the first year T.J. was interested in the garden and Belle was making the most of it. Not only was he big enough to help but she wanted him to share her love of the earth and there was no better way to do that than planting seeds and watching them grow.

  “I don’t remember saving so many seeds,” she told him when he reappeared at her elbow with a big bag of pumpkin seeds. “Count out thirty and then divide them into piles of five. How many piles will you have?”

  “Six.”

  “That’s right and then you can throw the rest away. We’ll have fresh pumpkin seeds when these grow.” Using the trowel and hoe, Belle showed T.J. how to make a pumpkin hill and put a dip in the center so the plants as they grew would get lots of water. She showed him only once and he did the rest by himself. Before long T.J.’s hands would be strong enough to milk the cow and that would really help. There was so much to do. The garden, the fruit trees, the chickens and the milk cows had been barely manageable but the cattle took so much time. Things were getting out of control. Belle realized she needed help.

  Colleen had given her a whole big box of plants, including a yellow rose that Colleen had grown from a slip under a fruit jar. Colleen had brought the mother plant with her when they came to the canyon ten years ago. “The wonderful thing about flowers, Hannah,” Belle said, “is that they multiply and you have something to share. Getting these plants into the ground properly is no small job.”

  “I can help you, Ma,” Hannah said.

  “Sure ye can, Pet. I’ll get T.J. to loosen the ground with the shovel and then we’ll plant them. There’s pansies, phlox, sweet William and coreopsis. Flowers are almost as important to good living as food, Hannah. They feed our souls.” Hannah nodded, rolling her eyes. Belle was glad that the planting was finished as the day grew warmer. She thrived in the coolness of the morning but wilted like a parched flower in the heat of the day. Belle and Tommy squatted in the shade by the creek as she showed him how to make little boats out of pieces of bark.

/>   “Ma, tell me about Pa again.” His dark eyes were serious.

  “Your father was a brave man; he fought in the war to protect us and make our country safe. Ye can be proud. With hard work and his own two hands, he created Rainbow Ranch. He had a dream, Tommy. Everyone should have a dream. Otherwise, we’d have no direction.” Tommy, satisfied, turned his attention to his fleet of boats that were sailing out to sea.

  A rumbling of a motor made Belle look in the direction of the barnyard. There was Nathan’s Overland, and there was Nathan climbing over the big gate.

  “Hello, up there,” he shouted.

  “Nathan! Hello!” Belle straightened her skirt, and ran her fingers through her hair, as she hurried to meet him.

  “I was hoping I’d find you at home,” he said.

  “That’s a safe bet most of the time. How are you?”

  “Fine. You’re looking especially lovely. How’s the Model T working out?"

  “I love it, Nathan. Well, most of the time. Although, I confess, I haven’t put much mileage on it yet.” She went on to relate the saga of trying to come over the summit and finally driving up backwards.

  “That was a hot day; it probably won’t happen again. I hope that won’t keep you from coming to Boise,” Nathan said. “Can we talk, Belle?”

  “Of course. Let’s go in the kitchen.” Belle dished up a piece of apple pie and poured a cup of coffee for Nathan. She wiped her hands on her apron as she sat with a cup across from him.

  “I’m tormented, Belle. There is so much tradition in my family that sometimes I feel like I’m living my ancestors’ lives and not my own. Neither of my parents is willing to consider any changes. I keep telling them that things are different nowadays. This is a new country with new ideas, but they won’t listen. They want me to go to New York to meet the daughter of a friend of theirs. They want me to marry her. I hate the whole idea. I should have the right to find a wife for myself. I feel as if it would be like making a business deal. And what about love? I don’t know, Belle. I don’t like defying my parents but it doesn’t seem right to me.”

  “Maybe it will be better than ye think.”

  “Or worse. Belle, if you’ll just say the word, I’ll refuse to go. Is there a future for you and me?”

  “How can I answer you? It seems to me you’ve got things all confused. Is this about your rebellion against tradition, rebellion against your parents’ wishes or is it about you and me? Don’t ye think it would be better to deal with one issue at a time?”

  “I can’t. It’s all interlaced.”

  “I wouldn’t like to be the reason you defy your parents. I think you need to get things in perspective. We scarcely know each other. Ye need to know, I’m not thinking of marrying again.”

  “Don’t tell me you don’t like me? I can read it in your eyes.”

  “Yes, Nathan, I like you. I like you a lot. But there’s a big step between what we feel right now and the idea of spending the rest of our lives together.” His warm dark eyes . . . she could lose herself in them.

  “Marry me? Say you’ll marry me, Belle.” Nathan was on his feet and pulling Belle close. His eyes, his lips rendered her helpless as he kissed her.

  “Oh, Nathan,” she sighed.

  “I’ll take you away from all of this. It’s not a life for a woman like you."

  Belle was taken aback by his words. She cleared her throat, amazed at the emotion lodged there. “You don’t understand, Nathan. I love it here.”

  “Are you telling me that you’d turn down the life that I can offer you, for this?” His hand swept about the kitchen. “As an attorney’s wife, there’ll be social advantages, rubbing elbows with the right people, parties, balls, beautiful gowns, travel, cultural opportunities. We could have a beautiful home, maybe on Warm Springs Avenue.”

  Belle glanced about her kitchen. She began to see it through Nathan’s eyes. Faded curtains hung limply on a string, fastened at the side with tacks. The flower pattern on the linoleum floor was almost scrubbed away. The old Majestic range and the Hoosier cupboard had both seen better days. The well pump sank into the worn-out wooden counter top. The ceiling and walls that had been scrubbed so many times, the color of the paint was a mystery. Maybe this place was lacking in Nathan’s eyes but it was her palace.

  “A life with ye does sound grand, Nathan. But you’re not hearing me. It’s more than just liking it here. This land is part of me; I belong here. This is my home. I cannot leave, Nathan.” Belle surprised herself with what she was saying. But it was true, all true. She’d just never said it out loud before.

  “If you really loved me, you’d want to be wherever I am,” he persisted.

  “You’re right! If ye really loved me, ye wouldn’t be asking me to go,” she said.

  “A woman should be willing to go wherever a man’s work calls him.”

  “Ye know, Nathan. Maybe you’re pushing this too hard. Had ye thought of giving things a little time? There’s no one saying that ye’ll die if ye don’t get married tomorrow.”

  “Are you turning me down? Is that your decision, Belle?”

  “Well, yes, I guess so. There’s more than religion that would get in our way. “

  “What, for instance?"

  “Like . . . you need a society lady who enjoys giving parties and thinks the way you do, or maybe doesn’t think too much.”

  “Now, wait a minute.”

  “It’s true. You need someone who will do your bidding and live in your shadow. That’s not me.”

  “You’re making me sound like a monster.”

  “Oh, no. It’s just that I would never fit into your life. I’m a country girl. I’m too independent. How wonderful it would be if ye found a girl who wanted to live in the city, a person of your faith, someone who would fit into your family.”

  “Only if I loved her.” Nathan looked at Belle so intently, she had to look away. “It’s not likely, Belle. I’m in love with you, I always will be.”

  Belle shook her head and lowered her eyes to the floor. Nathan’s arrogance seemed to leave him. Belle sensed that he hadn’t expected to be turned down. She walked Nathan to his Overland and watched until it disappeared over the rise.

  It was just an infatuation, nothing more. He didn’t have the slightest idea what was important to her and worse yet, he didn’t seem to care. Nathan had made her forget, for a brief moment, what had happened to the men in her life. It was a moot point now. A mystical magnet held her to Rainbow Ranch as tight as glue.

  She’d had a fanciful dream that Prince Charming would ride into her life and bring meaning to it. It made no sense, especially when she thought about how she was hexed. Briefly, she had thought Nathan was her prince, but that was not the case.

  Gracie was on the telephone. “There’s going to be a big shebang up at the Bunch Resort on Saturday, want to go? There’ll be a whole gang of us going.”

  “I don’t know,” Belle answered.

  “Come on. Your kids will love it. There’s a natural hot water plunge and there’ll be fiddlers and dancing on the beautiful hardwood floor. It will be a real dress-up affair.”

  Belle thought of her new gown. “I’ve never been up to Garden Valley. It would be fun but it’s hard to leave the ranch. I’ll see if I can get Beufer to take care of the livestock."

  “Maybe we can ride up there together, like a caravan. Tag along with us.”

  On Saturday, Belle drove her Lizzy, overflowing with children, her own and some of Gracie and Colleen’s. She followed the carriages and hacks as they wound their way up the narrow road along the Payette.

  “This is like a glen in Scotland. Maybe even prettier,” she told the children. “It’s a magical day.” She stopped to point out things she didn’t want them to miss. The sun skipped off the river catching the white water and turning it jeweled turquoise. Strange chartreuse moss hung from the pine branches. In a thicket, a deer with her fawn watched the children then darted away. Ospreys swooped down to the river to fish
. The mountainside was covered with evergreens close as toothpicks. Best of all, were majestic ponderosa pines that stood so tall they almost touched heaven.

  They passed the place where Harlow had taken her fishing. Her eyes grew misty for a moment. She pulled Hannah close and kissed her little hand. She stopped the auto again. “Now close your eyes and take a deep breath. Isn’t this wonderful? Breathe in that velvety pine-scented air,” she directed her carload.