A Simple Change

by Judith Miller

  “That’s true, but I’m willing to make a few sacrifices for the woman I care about.”

  I winced at his reply. If I didn’t turn this conversation to another topic, Nathan would soon have us engaged and walking down the aisle. “I’m eager to hear about the investigation, Father. I hope you haven’t already told Mother all the news.”

  “I’ve explained that there was an explosion, and I didn’t want her to worry while I was gone.” He patted my mother’s hand. “I’ve told her enough to set her mind at ease. We knew you’d want to hear the details.”

  “All of it good, I hope.”

  “Yes. The investigation has been concluded. There were injuries, but the fault didn’t lie with the men working for the construction company. Rather, it was caused by a company that had been hired to blast rock on the north side of the street. One of the men had placed a dynamite cartridge on a steam pipe to dry, and it caused the explosion. Most of the damage occurred at our construction site. The blasting company is responsible; we are not. Thankfully, there weren’t other structures close by, or the disaster would have been much worse.”

  I still didn’t understand why my father’s presence had been required. “But why did they insist upon your return?”

  “The blasting company was trying to shift blame on us and say we’d been using dynamite at our work site. The police wanted to question me about the kind of dynamite our company had used in the past. They believed it was important to ask me their questions in person.” My father exhaled a sigh. “Although it was difficult being away, I’m glad I went. I feel more assured the matter has been put to rest. I also had an opportunity to speak to the prospective buyer of the company while I was there.”

  Nathan’s jaw tightened. “I still think you need to wait until all of the current contracts have been completed before you make any definite agreement with him.”

  My father withdrew his pipe from his pocket. “The agreement isn’t final, but I was concerned he might back out, what with the explosion and police investigation. There were any number of newspaper articles, and I worried he’d believe the publicity would damage the company’s reputation.”

  “All is well that ends well.” In spite of the heat, my mother pulled her shawl tight around her shoulders. “I am very happy you are home with us.”

  “You look tired, Mother. Shall I help you back to your room?”

  “Nein.” She reached for my father’s hand. “Your father will help me. You and Nathan should visit until he must return to the hotel.”

  Nathan promised my mother he would come by to see her tomorrow if he hadn’t already begun work at the mill. Obviously he’d taken none of her advice to heart.

  Once the bedroom door closed, he turned to me. “I have a surprise for you. One that I think will make you very happy.”

  My breath caught in my throat. Even though I’d made it clear I didn’t intend to accept a marriage proposal, I feared he was going to surprise me with a betrothal gift. An undeniable urge to flee the room overcame me as he reached into his pocket. I grasped the edge of the chair.

  But instead of a ring or a gift, he extended a bulging envelope. “Letters from the children at the orphanage. I told them I was coming to see you and asked them to write you a note.”

  I stared in disbelief, then clutched the package to my chest. How thoughtful of Nathan. Did he know I missed the children so much it hurt?

  “Thank you.” I gave him a heartfelt smile and he smiled in return.

  Perhaps I had misjudged him after all.

  Chapter 15

  Until Nathan departed I maintained restraint, but the moment he was out the door, I hurried to my room and tore open the envelope. The children’s notes fluttered atop my bed. Had my mother and father not been in the next room, I would have shouted for joy. Instead, I uttered a prayer and thanked God for this unexpected gift.

  My fingers trembled as I opened the first letter, pleased to see it was from nine-year-old Caroline. She said she missed me, especially since the class no longer had story time, and she hoped I would soon return to teach at the orphanage. The notes from Matthew, Nettie, Charlie, and the other children were incredibly similar—so similar that I wondered if they’d been told what to write. I pictured Nathan standing in front of the class, holding a slate with a printed message for the children to copy. Was this merely a ploy to try to convince me I should return to Kansas City with him?

  Shame pierced me, and I silently chastised myself for the ungrateful thought. I should give Nathan the benefit of the doubt. After all, how many different messages would the children write? They’d all be inclined to say they missed me and wanted me to return—I would have been hurt if they hadn’t. But a part of me had hoped for more. A few personal sentences about themselves or a comment about Mr. Ludwig, even a remark about the weather would have pleased me. And though I’d have been delighted with more, I was thankful for what I’d received.

  I thought there might be a letter from Lilly, as well, and was surprised she hadn’t sent at least a note of some sort. Even if she didn’t have any information about Thomas’s sister, I found it odd that she’d not written at all. If I didn’t hear soon, I’d write to her again. I liked the idea of playing a part in reuniting Thomas with his sister. During my three years at the orphanage, I’d seen how all the children longed for a family, which made Thomas’s situation all the more poignant. He’d worked and saved, never forgetting Kathleen for all these years. Yes, the least I could do was write another letter.

  The following morning, Nathan arrived at our parlor door before the bells rang to announce breakfast. My father invited him into the room and praised him for being so punctual. Although I would have preferred to have Nathan eat breakfast at the hotel, Father had suggested he join the outsiders at our Küche this morning.

  Nathan traced his fingers through his still-damp brown hair. “You said I shouldn’t be late. There are so many bells, who can sleep?”

  My father chuckled. “If you stay, you’ll become accustomed to them. There are bells to announce most everything. It helps keep us on schedule.”

  “I’m surprised there aren’t bells to announce the bells,” Nathan muttered. “Has no one heard of clocks and watches?”

  “Of course.” My father glanced at the grandfather clock sitting on the far side of the parlor. “But if we use the bells, we’re all on the same time. A clock or timepiece can be off by several minutes. If that happened, we could have people straggling into the kitchen houses over a period of ten minutes, others would be late to work, and prayer meetings would be delayed. The bells prevent a multitude of problems.”

  Nathan nodded as he crossed the room and sat down. “I understand.”

  My father smiled at me and gestured toward the bedroom. “I’m going to see to your mother. I trust you will keep Nathan company until time for breakfast.”

  “Of course, Father.” I sat down opposite Nathan and cleared my throat. “I read the notes from the children before going to sleep last night. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Knowing they miss me touched my heart.”

  “Had I been thinking, I would have gone to the school a few days prior to my departure and asked Miss Manchester to have them write the notes. Unfortunately, by the time I conceived the plan, there wasn’t much time and the children had to hurry.” He smiled. “Some of them aren’t very bright, are they?”

  I stiffened at his question. “They’re young, Nathan. You can’t expect little children to dash off a note with the speed of an adult.”

  “No need to take offense. I was merely stating a fact.” He leaned back in the chair. “Miss Manchester told me that the skills of the younger ones have declined since you left. Seems it’s difficult for her to give them enough time since combining the classes and so forth. Both she and Mr. Ludwig are eager for your return.”

  I inhaled a deep breath and decided I wasn’t going to let him bait me into a conversation about my return to Kansas City—espe
cially not so early in the morning. “I was disappointed there wasn’t a letter from Lilly.”

  Nathan’s eyes opened wide, and he slapped his palm against his chest. “I forgot to give you the letter from Miss Manchester. She’d planned to post it the day I went to the school, but I told her I’d be happy to deliver it for her.” He reached inside his jacket and withdrew the envelope. “And then I completely forgot.”

  My heart pounded in my chest. I didn’t want Nathan to know about Thomas—especially if Nathan was going to live in the men’s quarters. He wouldn’t understand my desire to help an itinerant worker. My fingers trembled as I reached forward to accept the letter.

  Deep creases lined his forehead. “Why does a letter from Miss Manchester create so much excitement that your fingers tremble?”

  I willed my hand to stop shaking but met with little success. “I’m eager to hear what she has to say about the children, and I’m interested in her welfare, too. I consider Lilly a friend and we’ve had little communication since I left.”

  He arched his brows. “She said you’d written her not so long ago.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yes, yes, I did. And I’m delighted she has answered.” I patted the envelope, pleased to see it was sealed. “Did Lilly mention anything special about my letter to her?”

  His lips curved in a catlike grin. “No. Is there something she should have told me?”

  I shook my head. “Since she told you I had written, I was merely curious if she’d said anything else.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Are you sure you aren’t keeping secrets?”

  “If I were, I couldn’t tell you because then it would no longer be a secret, would it?” I worried whether my attempt to sound like a coy socialite would work, but I couldn’t think of anything else that would stave off his questions.

  His smile returned and he leaned forward. “Why don’t you open her letter and see what she has to say?”

  The bell tolled and I jumped to my feet. “There isn’t time. That’s the breakfast bell. We don’t want to be late.”

  As my father returned to the parlor, I shoved the letter into my pocket.

  “Your mother wanted to go with us to breakfast this morning, but I convinced her to wait one more day.” He slapped Nathan on the shoulder. “Ready to eat?”

  Ritt, Madelyn, and Brother Werner came downstairs as we stepped into the foyer. Ritt’s focus remained on Nathan while my father made the introductions.

  Brother Werner extended his hand to Nathan. “We are pleased to have you here. I hope you will find the colonies to your liking. For sure you will like the food that is served in our Küche.”

  My father translated Brother Werner’s welcome into English as we departed the house. While we continued toward the kitchen house, he asked about Nathan’s experience working at the mill outside of Kansas City. Nathan appeared pleased by Brother Werner’s attention and didn’t notice when Ritt dropped back to walk beside Madelyn and me.

  “Bretta told us your friend had arrived. How long will he be here?” Ritt kept his voice low.

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t know he was coming until I saw him step off the train.”

  Ritt pressed his lips together in a thin line and stared straight ahead.

  “You act like you don’t believe me, but that’s the truth. You can ask my father.” In my desire to make him believe me, I’d spoken too loud.

  My father glanced over his shoulder. “You and Nathan have much in common, Ritt. You are the same age and you both have experience working in woolen mills. I’m sure you will find much to talk about.”

  Ritt gave me a sideways glance. “Ja, I am sure we will, Brother Rhoder.”

  My father shepherded Nathan to the table where the workers ate their meals before returning to his own table. Throughout breakfast, I was careful to keep my eyes away from the workers’ table. Although I worried Nathan might speak to Thomas and discover I knew him, I dared not turn in that direction. If Ritt looked my way, I didn’t want him to think I was watching Nathan. He’d already drawn the wrong conclusion, and I didn’t want to do anything to fuel that fire.

  My father planned to speak with the elders after the morning meal and then take breakfast to my mother. Unless the elders immediately hired Nathan to work at the mill, which I doubted, he would remain with my father throughout the day.

  Once we had recited the after-meal prayer and filed from the Küche, I strolled toward the path, hoping Ritt would catch up. I didn’t have to wait long before he came alongside me. “Who is this Nathan Woodward? Is he the man you plan to marry?”

  Coming to a halt, I perched my hands on my hips and pinned him with an angry stare. “I don’t have plans to marry anyone, and you should quit acting like I had anything to do with his coming here. For your information, I wrote and told him he shouldn’t come. Not that I expect you to believe me, since you’re acting like a jealous schoolboy.”

  “You can try to act like there is nothing between the two of you, but I can see.” He tapped his index finger alongside his eye. “He considers you more than a friend.”

  I sighed. There wasn’t time to explain in detail, but I didn’t know when we’d have another opportunity to be alone. “It’s true that he has asked me to marry him, but I have refused. When I came here, I told him we needed to be away from each other and see if we truly cared for each other. He was unhappy with my decision, but I knew it was best. In my heart, I’d become more certain Nathan wasn’t the man I should marry. I didn’t write often enough to suit him, and my letters didn’t say what he hoped to hear.”

  He frowned. “So he gave up his job and came here to work in the mill so he can convince you he is the man you should marry. Ja?”

  “I think that’s his intention.” The bell clanged from the tower. “There’s more to tell you, but I don’t know when we’ll be alone again. I need to know you believe me.”

  “I believe you.” He smiled and tugged on my hand. “Come on or we’ll be late to work.”

  Had Ritt accepted my explanation because he feared being late for work or because he’d truly believed me? The question nagged me as I raced into the men’s quarters.

  Sister Margaret turned and sighed as I clattered into the room. “If you did not visit so long after breakfast, you wouldn’t have to run to work. You make yourself tired before you ever begin to scrub and clean.”

  “You’re right.” I waved and continued into the other room without stopping to visit.

  Before anything else, I would read Lilly’s letter. Then I would pen a quick note to Thomas. Even if Lilly’s letter didn’t contain any information about Kathleen Kingman, I didn’t want Nathan to know I’d agreed to help Thomas. He would never approve and would likely tell my father. I sat down on the edge of the bed and massaged my forehead. So far I’d been successful in concealing my involvement with Thomas from Ritt. But now I had Nathan to worry about, as well. Unless Thomas could keep his lips sealed, having Nathan living here could prove to be my undoing.

  Then again, if Lilly’s letter contained Kathleen’s address, Thomas would probably leave within a few days, and that would solve one problem. Bolstered with that hope, I sat on the edge of Thomas’s bed and ran my finger beneath the sealed flap of the envelope. I scanned the letter, searching for any mention of Thomas or Kathleen.

  Near the end there was a paragraph about Kathleen Kingman.

  Kathleen’s file reflects she was adopted by a family in Salina, Kansas, but the rules prohibit me from giving the name of her adoptive parents. There is a notation in the file that Thomas Kingman came here several years ago. He was told he need not worry about Kathleen’s welfare as she’d been adopted by a family of substantial financial means. He was also advised that we couldn’t give him any further information.

  If you wish, I could write to the family and ask if they are willing to release anything more to Thomas. If he is agreeable, you could forward me his address and I will send it to the
m. In the event they wish to contact Mr. Kingman, they could send their letter directly to him. You should caution him that the family may not answer my letter, but it’s the most help I can offer. I’ll await word from you as to whether he wishes to proceed.

  I reread the paragraph. Thomas had told me basically the same thing: that his sister had been adopted, but they wouldn’t give him any additional information.

  Startled when Margaret’s bucket clattered in the other room, I jumped to my feet. “I’ve tipped the bucket of water again,” she called.

  Shoving the letter into my pocket, I peeked around the corner. “Do you need help?” A pool of water was slowly spreading across the floor.

  “Nein. It’s my mess. I’ll clean it. Once I finish, I’ll take the linens out to the washhouse.”

  I didn’t force the issue, for I’d become somewhat accustomed to such events. No matter how hard Margaret tried, she tipped over a bucket of water at least once every ten days. Besides, I hadn’t yet stripped the beds. I yanked sheets from mattresses and muslin cases from pillows at breakneck speed, then tossed them toward the end of the room.

  After gathering the dirty linens from the floor and shoving them into the wicker baskets, I gathered an armful of clean sheets and pillowcases. Margaret entered the room as I returned with the linens.

  Her jaw went slack. “I cannot believe my eyes. You have not yet made the beds. Always you are done with your work before me. You are sick?”

  My head ached, but I couldn’t use that as an excuse. “I’m moving slow today. I have much on my mind.”

  She grinned. “Ja, I heard.”

  “H-heard what?” I dropped the armful of sheets onto a nearby bed.

  “That you have a friend who has come all the way from Kansas City to visit. He came back with your Vater. Ja?”

  I nodded, trying to digest the fact that she already knew about Nathan. Word had spread quickly. I wouldn’t have been surprised about this if Margaret ate in our Küche, for she would have noticed Nathan walk into the kitchen house with my father. But she didn’t. Bretta. She was friends with the family who lived in the same house as Margaret’s family. Pleased to have news she could share, Bretta had likely told her young friend.