Gerda's Lawman

by Dooley, Lena Nelson

  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

  Gerda knew she should not feel drawn to that man. For some reason, she was sure he was not a Christian. She knew that when God brought a man into her life for her to marry, he wouldn’t be an unbeliever. She had to fight this strong attraction she felt for the former lawman.

  After sitting there for a few more minutes, Gerda put her Bible on the table beside her rocking chair. She stepped out on the platform at the top of the stairs and turned around to lock her door. As she turned and glanced down the street, she saw the man she had been thinking about come out of the saloon. It must be a sign from God. He must be showing me that the man is not a godly man. With a firm nod of her head, she walked down the stairs to open the shop.

  ❧

  When Frank stepped through the swinging doors of the saloon after he and the sheriff had finished their meals, his gaze was drawn to the staircase that led up the side of the mercantile building. Gerda Nilsson stood on the platform at the top, and she was looking his direction. Why had he agreed to go into the saloon with the sheriff? Instinctively he knew she would not like the fact that he was there. It would probably be a setback that would be hard to overcome in his pursuit of the woman of his dreams.

  “If you were to settle here, what would you do?” The sheriff’s question drew Frank’s attention from his thoughts.

  “I don’t have to go to work immediately. I’ve saved most of the money I’ve made over the years. It will give me time to look around and find just the right business to invest in.” Frank glanced once again toward the mercantile building, but Gerda was nowhere in sight.

  The sheriff walked a few steps without saying anything. “There are a few possibilities. I could introduce you to the owners.”

  Frank nodded. “That would be nice. And I’m going to need a place to live. Although the hotel is nice, it’s not a home.”

  The sheriff seemed to be lost in thought. After a few minutes of the two men walking back through town, he finally made a suggestion. “I’ve run down the list of the houses I know to be empty. If you want a wife and family, your best bet might be Mrs. Nichols’s home.”

  “Why do you say that?” Frank’s interest was piqued.

  “Well, it’s pretty new, and it hasn’t been lived in very long. Would you like to see it?”

  At Frank’s agreement, the sheriff led the way to the lawyer’s office where they obtained a key to the house, then he accompanied Frank across the railroad tracks and into an area that was mostly homes.

  “This area is really pretty.” Frank looked at the trees whose branches stretched across the street, almost meeting. “I like all the shade.”

  Sheriff Bartlett nodded. “That’s why I’ve stayed around here. I think you’ll like this house. Oliver Nichols had been a widower for several years. He didn’t have any children, so he was lonely. Everyone thought he was crazy when he advertised in several newspapers for a bride.”

  “Sometimes that works, but sometimes it doesn’t,” Frank agreed. “Did he get many answers?”

  The lawman turned to his right down another tree-lined street. “I don’t guess anyone knows how many he got. He didn’t share them with anyone. At least we know that a young woman from Ohio answered. They kept up quite a correspondence while Oliver had the house built for her. After it was finished, everyone in town was invited to the large wedding. It was a really happy affair.”

  “So what happened?”

  “They had only lived in the house a few months when Oliver died of a heart attack. His grieving widow soon returned to Ohio to live with her parents.”

  “How long ago was that?” Frank wondered if the house would be in disrepair, since it had sat empty for a long time.

  “It was only a little over a year ago.”

  The neighborhood was dotted with mature trees that were just beginning to bud. When the sheriff stopped in front of a white wooden fence, Frank turned to look the same direction. Situated at the end of that area of town, the house, which was set back quite a ways from the street, was surrounded by a small grove of trees. Through the nearly bare branches, Frank glimpsed the second story and attic complete with gables and lots of gingerbread decorations. It was just the kind of house that needed a family.

  “It doesn’t look as though it is vacant.” Frank turned toward his companion. “It’s been well taken care of.”

  “The lawyer sees that it is. No one wants to buy a derelict home.”

  Frank nodded. “I understand that. But why hasn’t it sold before now?”

  The sheriff led the way up the stepping-stones toward the structure. “It’s more house than most new people in town want right away. And the price is a little too high for most folks. I hope that’s not a problem for you.”

  “If I like it, I’m sure the price wouldn’t be a deterrent.”

  After touring the home, Frank knew he was going to buy it. Whether he made any headway with Gerda Nilsson or not, he wanted to live in this house. Someday he’d fill it with a family. The two men started back down the street toward the business part of town so Frank could talk to the lawyer about the house.

  “You know,” the sheriff said, “maybe the good Lord kept this house available for you. He’s been known to do things like that.”

  Frank didn’t know about the “good Lord” part of the sheriff’s statement, but he was glad the house was still vacant. After conducting his business with the lawyer, Frank went to the bank to make arrangements to have his money transferred to Litchfield. Then he proceeded to the depot to send a telegram to his bank manager, who was a close family friend, back East. He told him to send the contents of his safe-deposit box in a strongbox on the train. If Frank was going to settle in Litchfield, he needed to have all his assets here.

  ❧

  August came into the Dress Emporium just as Gerda finished giving a customer her new clothes. She went to give her brother a hug when the other woman left the shop.

  “I’m glad to see you.” She stood back and looked up into his kind eyes. “Is Anna well?”

  “Yes. She’s fine, just not feeling too good this morning. So she won’t be in today.”

  Gerda moved behind the counter and placed the roll of brown wrapping paper back under it. “You didn’t have to come all the way over here just to tell me that. I don’t expect her until I see her coming.”

  August leaned his crossed arms on the polished wood. She knew he did that so they would be closer to the same height. He must have something important to tell her.

  She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “You can read me like a book, can’t you?” August gave a nervous laugh.

  “So what is it?”

  August stood away from the counter and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers, another sure sign of his nervousness. “You know how you told me that you’re saving your money to buy Mrs. Nichols’s house?”

  Gerda nodded. For some reason, she knew she wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “I almost have enough for a good down payment. Their lawyer said that I could pay part of it off monthly.”

  August shuffled his feet. “You can’t now.”

  “And why not?” Gerda wished he’d get to the point instead of talking around a subject.

  August looked at the brightly colored fabrics that lined the shelves behind Gerda. He couldn’t even look
her in the eyes. She sighed. Now she knew she wouldn’t want to hear whatever he had to say.

  “Frank Daggett bought the house.”

  “Frank Daggett?” Gerda realized that her question was loud and shrill, but she didn’t care. “You mean that cowboy lawman?” Maybe August was wrong. Maybe it wasn’t too late for her to buy it. Gerda crossed her arms to keep them from trembling. “How do you know that?”

  August patted her on the shoulder. “I know it hurts, but it’s true. The sheriff’s horse threw a shoe, so he came into the blacksmith shop. He told me about spending the day with Frank showing him around town the other day. Frank wants to settle here, so he bought the house. All the papers are signed, and the money should be here soon.”

  When August finally left, Gerda wanted to crawl into her bed, pull the quilt up over her head, and cry like a baby. Why did that man have to turn her life upside down again? She had hoped that he would leave town soon, but that wasn’t going to happen. What was she going to do now?

  As if her thoughts had taken on human form, Frank Daggett walked through the front door of the Dress Emporium. Gerda stood behind the counter and glared at him while he moved around the room, fingering various items on display.

  “May I help you, Mr. Daggett?”

  The man looked up with eager anticipation, but his face fell when he saw the expression on hers. Gerda didn’t care if her sour look drove the man out of the store. What was he here for, anyway? The answer to that question was too much to contemplate. He must have a girlfriend. . .or a wife. Why else would he buy the house?

  “Miss Nilsson.” The deep baritone voice was much too smooth. “Please call me Frank. I hope we can be friends?”

  Gerda ignored the question implied by his voice. “I occasionally make clothing for my brother, who’s hard to fit, but you should be able to find things you can wear at the mercantile next door.” After this dismissal, Gerda went through the curtains that divided the store from the workroom. She leaned on the wall beside the doorway and waited until she heard the sound of his footsteps as they led to the outside door. When it closed behind the man, she let out the breath she had been holding. What was she going to do now? She had been saving so long to buy that house. She was tired of living in the apartment above the store. If God didn’t bring her someone to marry, at least she would have had a real home. But that man had interfered in her life again. Why wouldn’t he just go away and leave her alone?

  Seven

  That didn’t go very well. Frank berated himself all the way to the hotel. For several days, the words Gerda had blurted in front of the ice cream parlor had never left his mind. They interfered with much of his thinking. Of course she had gotten angry both then and in the sheriff’s office, but he thought he had given her enough time to get over it. Surely it was all right to follow up on the feelings she inadvertently had claimed. But the encounter in the Dress Emporium had been far from successful.

  Frank knew he didn’t understand women very well, but Gerda Nilsson was a complicated puzzle that had him completely baffled. In his thoughts, she was pliant and loving, but when they were face-to-face, she was feisty and often disagreeable. Why was he so drawn to her? He had seen her smile at other people, and that smile could light up a room. Unfortunately, the smile was usually for someone else, not him. She was a combination of grace and beauty. No wonder he couldn’t get her out of his mind.

  ❧

  The next morning, Frank ate breakfast at a table near the front window of the restaurant. He realized that when he moved into his house, he would have to cook his own meals. Maybe he would still come here to the hotel. He’d had enough of the few things he knew how to prepare to last a lifetime. Perhaps he could hire a housekeeper who could also cook for him.

  When Molly came to pour him more hot coffee, he looked up from the newspaper he was reading. Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a surrey stop in front of the mercantile. Frank was pretty sure the store was closed today. He wondered who it was and why they were there. He guessed he would never lose the habit of watching what was going on, checking for anything out of the ordinary. It was ingrained in him from all the years in law enforcement.

  A man and woman were in the surrey. When the man alighted from the carriage, Frank recognized August Nilsson. He climbed the stairs, leaving the woman in the buggy. In just a moment, August and Gerda came down the stairs. All three were dressed up as if they were going somewhere special.

  “Is something going on in town today?” Frank looked up at Molly when he asked the question.

  The waitress turned and glanced at the trio across the street. “Oh, they’re just going to church.”

  To church? Frank hadn’t thought of that. Since he’d become an adult, Frank hadn’t had the time or the inclination to attend those meetings.

  “Most people in Litchfield go to church on Sundays.” Molly looked back at Frank. “I’ll be on my way as soon as I finish waiting on you. Cook and I get there a little late and sit on a pew at the back. Can I get you anything else?”

  When Frank shook his head, the woman returned to the kitchen, presumably to get ready for church. Frank continued to study the street outside the hotel. There wasn’t much activity. What did church have to offer to cause so many people to attend? If he was ever going to understand Gerda, it might be a good thing for him to find out for himself. He really didn’t want to make a late entrance, so he wouldn’t go today. But next Sunday, he would get up bright and early and see what it was all about.

  ❧

  Gerda could hardly believe her eyes. When she walked into the church, Frank Daggett was already sitting on the pew where her family usually sat. Gerda hoped that August would notice him and choose another place to sit, but he ushered her and Anna into the other end of that pew. Soon Gustaf and Olina and their children joined them. At least they moved into the seat from the other direction. Now they separated her from the man who filled her thoughts so often.

  It had been over a week since she had seen him. She was glad about that. Gradually, she had returned to her old self, often forgetting about him for an hour at a time. But she couldn’t control her dreams. At night, he cavorted through her mind in a myriad of situations, always her hero. In the morning, she would have to pray especially hard to overcome the temptation he was to her. Now, here he was, sitting a few feet away, and she wondered why. He didn’t strike her as a churchgoer. If he were, why hadn’t he been here before? He’d been in town more than one Sunday.

  The pastor’s opening prayer invaded her thoughts. She bowed her head but didn’t close her eyes. She peeked at Frank Daggett to see what he was doing. Didn’t the man know anything? His head was up, and he watched the pastor with a thoughtful expression on his face. Well, whatever the reason he was here, maybe it would be good for him.

  Gerda had a hard time keeping her attention on the service. She was as aware of Frank Daggett as if he were sitting right beside her. When everyone stood, it seemed to take him by surprise, so he was later than anyone else getting to his feet. Although Olina shared a hymnal with the man, he didn’t sing a single word. He probably didn’t know the songs. Olina had to share her Bible with him when the pastor read from the scriptures, because he didn’t have one with him. Gerda was sure the man didn’t own one. She wondered if he had ever seen one before. He kept his eyes trained on the words all through the Bible reading. During the sermon, his attention was on the preacher. For someone who may not have been to church before, he didn’t seem nervous.

  ❧

  Frank had been a little uncomfortable when the family sat between him and Gerda. He recognized them as the loving couple who had eaten dinner at the hotel with Gerda and August his first night in Litchfield. It didn’t take long for the couple to introduce themselves. Gustaf and Olina Nilsson were kin to Gerda and August. They sat with their children between them, and the woman ended up beside him. She was friendly and shared her songbook and Bible with him. Maybe he would need to buy a Bible if he was going
to come to church very often. He couldn’t rely on the good nature of whoever sat beside him. He wondered if Gerda would have shared hers with him if they were side-by-side. He doubted it. That’s why he had stayed out of her way all week. He wanted to know more about this religion thing, since it was so much a part of her life.

  “Mr. Daggett.” After the final prayer, the petite blond turned toward him.

  “Yes, Mrs. Nilsson.”

  “We would like you to join us for lunch, wouldn’t we, Gustaf?” She turned toward her tall husband.

  The man looked Frank straight in the eyes. “Of course.”

  Frank shook his head. “Thank you. I wouldn’t want to be any trouble.”

  “Oh, it’s no trouble. We almost always have people come to the house for Sunday lunch. Most of Gustaf’s family will be there, as will our friends, the Jensons. I believe you’ve met some of them, and I gather your first meeting wasn’t especially pleasant,” she said with a smile. “I want you to have the chance to get to know them better. Besides, I always cook enough for several extra people, just in case.”

  What could Frank do but agree? He wasn’t sure that Gerda would be glad to see him there, but it might be a chance to make progress with her. “Thank you. I’ll follow your carriage.”

  ❧

  Gerda had seen Olina talking to Frank. Of course, that was just like Olina. She tried to make everyone feel welcome. That was all it was. But when the others started toward Gustaf and Olina’s home for Sunday lunch, Gerda was surprised to see Frank Daggett’s horse in the procession of buggies. Surely Olina hadn’t invited him to have lunch with them. Gerda knew her assumption was probably wrong. Olina often asked visitors to the services to share their noon meal. Why did it have to be Frank Daggett? Gerda sent a prayer for help winging heavenward.

  While everyone was exiting their vehicles, Gerda glanced at the house. It no longer looked like the place where Anna and Olina started their dress shop back in 1892. At that time, it had been a small, two-story cottage, but after Olina received an inheritance from her great-aunt Olga, Gustaf had turned the modest house into a large family home, complete with an ample dining room equipped for many guests. All of the existing rooms had been enlarged and other rooms added. Recently, red brick had been applied to the outside walls, and all the windows were framed with white shutters that matched the picket fence surrounding the front yard. Usually, Gerda like to visit her brother and his family. But she dreaded entering the house today.