by Al Lacy
Several days later, Dorena’s return letter came to Benjamin, and with it was a note for Tracie. The note was so sweet it brought tears to Tracie’s eyes when she read it.
On the following day, a letter came from Dan’s family. They were rejoicing over God’s leadership in his life. Also in the envelope were four letters to Tracie, one from each member of the Johnson family.
Tracie immediately wrote letters to Dan’s parents, as well as one to Angeline and one to Alexander. In each letter she told them she loved them and looked forward to the day she could meet them.
The next few evenings, as Dan and Tracie spent time alone in the ranch house, they told each other details about their lives. Dan found out that Tracie’s parents had died when she was in her teens, and she had supported herself from that time on. She expressed her desire to meet Dan’s family as soon as possible.
Tracie loved the church. The people were kind and loving to her, and the Custers were especially warm. Tracie and Grace Custer struck up a quick friendship.
Evening after evening, Dan and Tracie found that they had much in common as to their likes and dislikes. Each time they were together, they prayed together and asked the Lord to guide them concerning the wedding and their future.
One night, they were talking about their past lives when Tracie alluded to Harold Liston. She put her hand to her mouth and said, “I’m sorry, Dan.”
He smiled and took her hand. “You don’t have to be sorry, Tracie. I know Harold was once a vital part of your life. I understand. Please don’t be afraid to mention him.”
Tears filmed her eyes as she reached up and touched his face. “Dan,” she said softly, “you are so tender and understanding toward me. I love you. I love you with all of my heart.”
Dan folded her in his arms. “I love you with all of my heart, too.” He kissed her sweetly and tenderly, then looked into her eyes and said, “You are the most wonderful woman in all the world. I am so grateful to the Lord for picking you out just for me.”
A thrill passed through Tracie’s heart. She laid her head on his chest and held him tight.
One day, when Dan and Tracie were alone in the ranch house, he said, “Sweetheart, I’m concerned about Benjamin. He is so lonely for Dorena.”
“Yes, that’s quite evident. I’ll be glad when October comes and he can go get her.”
“I’m thinking that since next Saturday is August 8, and Priscilla’s wedding will take place, maybe I should go ahead and give Benjamin the hundred dollars he’s lacking so he can go on to South Carolina and bring her back here.”
Tracie thought a moment. “Darling, may I give you my opinion about that?”
“Of course.”
“Please remember that he used to be a slave. Then he became a servant. Now he is a hired hand on this ranch.”
“Yes?”
“I’m afraid that if you give him the hundred dollars, you could damage his self-assurance. He needs to know he has earned the money so when he uses it to pay for Dorena, he will have paid the ransom money himself.”
Dan was silent for a moment, then nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it in that light. I’ll loan him the money and let him pay me back later.”
Tracie said, “But that might very well hurt Benjamin’s pride. It will mean more to him if he has actually earned the money, then takes it and makes his purchase. This will make it fully a ransom of love.”
Dan pondered her words, then folded her in his arms and said, “No wonder the Lord made women. We men would be lost without you. You’re right, sweetheart. That never crossed my mind. I wouldn’t want to hurt his pride. And what’s more, I must allow it to be absolutely a ransom of love. I guess I’ll just have to stand back and let this happen between Benjamin and Dorena in God’s own time.”
Tracie kissed his cheek. “Honey, you’re the smartest man in the world.”
“I am?”
“Why, yes. You’re going to marry me, aren’t you?”
“I sure am.”
“Then that proves you’re smart!”
They had a good laugh together and shared a sweet kiss.
Benjamin and Dorena continued to write to each other every week.
During this time, Jules and Wyatt Crain showed their resentment toward Dan Johnson on every occasion afforded them. They resented having a black man employed at his ranch.
The Crains had affected some of the other ranchers in the area, too, causing them to show both Dan and Benjamin their indignation. Even Tracie was treated rudely by Mrs. Crain and other ranch women when shopping in town with Ethel Robards.
When Benjamin was in town from time to time and Wyatt Crain saw him, he went out of his way to come face-to-face with Benjamin so he could be rude to him.
This treatment hurt Benjamin, but not once did he retaliate by word or deed.
BY THE TIME AUGUST ARRIVED, Dan and Tracie had fallen deeply in love.
One night, during the third week of August, they took a moonlight walk along the creek that rambled across Circle J land. They were in a wooded area when they stopped and sat down on an old fallen tree.
The forest of cedar and cottonwood around them was a haze of shadows and half-images where the moon shone its thin beams of silver through the dense trees. The dappled moonlight danced on rippling water.
“Honey, I think it’s time to set the wedding date,” Dan said.
“Me too.”
“I have a date in mind, Tracie …”
“Mm-hmm?”
“How about Saturday evening, September 19? That will make it almost two months since you came here. Even though we’ve known we’re made for each other ever since the first day we met, we can show ourselves and everybody else that we didn’t rush into the marriage.”
“Sounds perfect to me,” Tracie said, the moonlight reflecting from her eyes.
“Good. Then let’s seal it the proper way.”
Dan kissed her soundly, then held her close and said, “We’ll go into town and talk to Pastor Custer tomorrow.”
“Oh, darling,” Tracie said on a sigh. “I’m so happy. The Lord is so good!”
Dawn came to the Texas prairie with a clear sky on Saturday, September 19, 1857, promising a beautiful fall day.
Tracie awakened moments after gray light touched her window. Although the days were still quite warm, the nights had a decided chill to them. She had left her window open several inches and the cool air invaded her room.
Turning on her back, she pulled the covers up to her chin. Her first thought was that this was her long-awaited wedding day. She lay in bed, daydreaming about her future.
Soon the sky took on a pink color and began to brighten. Tracie closed her eyes and spent a few minutes talking to the Lord, praising Him for His blessings in her life, then she went back to daydreaming about her future as Mrs. Daniel Johnson.
She sat up with a start when she suddenly realized how much work there was to do this day. She bounced out of the bed, ready to face the most exciting day of her life.
Early in the afternoon, Tracie went out into the fields on the Robards’s ranch and picked a myriad of wildflowers of every hue and color imaginable. She and Ethel filled every vase and container they could find and placed them in the wagon for the drive to town.
At the church, they adorned the altar with the gorgeous flowers. The wedding would be a simple one, and the wildflower arrangements made it perfect.
That evening, the church auditorium was filled with well-wishers who watched the groom, his best man, and the pastor come from a side room as the pump organ played the beginnings of “The Wedding March.”
Dan smiled nervously at Benjamin, who stood next to him as best man.
The church was aglow with lantern and candlelight. Finally, the organ signaled that the bride was coming, and everyone rose to their feet. Dan’s heart swelled with joy and love when he saw Tracie coming down the aisle on the arm of Hal Robards. Ethel Robards, Tracie’s matron of honor, walked in front of them.
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As Tracie moved sedately down the aisle, Dan had never seen such a beautiful bride in all his life. Her dress was a deep lavender cotton broadcloth, and with the light from lanterns and candles shining on it, it resembled shimmering silk. Wildflowers were tucked in her hair, and she carried a small bouquet in trembling hands.
Moments later, the happy couple stood before Pastor Mike Custer and never took their bright eyes from each other’s faces as they took their vows, hiding them deep in their hearts to always be remembered.
Life on the Circle J ranch was a happy one for the newlyweds. Tracie and Dan were both busy from morning till night on weekdays, seeing each other only at meal times.
Tracie was enthralled with a house of her very own to tend and to make comfortable for her husband. She spent hours in the kitchen. Since she had never had much cooking experience, her new role as a cook was a challenge. She loved Dan even more because he was always willing to try whatever she prepared, and each time, he praised her for the good meal.
Mutt had taken a liking to Tracie and came around quite often. When she was cooking, she always shared some with him. More and more, Mutt was seen laying near the back door of the house. Tim Cook knew why and didn’t interfere.
Dan and Tracie’s quiet evenings were spent reading or just basking in each other’s company. Sometimes there was a third party on the floor nearby, panting and wagging his tail.
On Wednesday, September 23, Dan Johnson and Floyd Shaffer were on a hay wagon in front of the barn, loading the hayloft. Dan saw one of the Circle J wagons emerge from the cottonwood forest and head for the house. It was Benjamin and Jose Martinez, whom Dan had sent into town to purchase some supplies and pick up the mail from the post office.
He watched the wagon pull up beside the house and saw Benjamin hurry to the back door and hand Tracie the mail, then he and Jose unloaded the supplies at one of the sheds. When they were finished, Jose took the wagon to the corral to unhitch the team and Benjamin headed toward the hay wagon.
Dan pitched the last forkful of hay up to Floyd in the loft, then smiled down at Benjamin. “Anything come from my family?”
“Sure did,” said Benjamin. “There was a letter for you and Miss Tracie from your mother.”
“Good.”
“What do you want me to do next, Dan?” Benjamin asked.
Something in Benjamin’s tone made Dan look at him closely, and when he looked into Benjamin’s eyes, he saw a hint of worry. “Something’s wrong, Benjamin,” he said. “What is it?”
“It’s Dorena.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I didn’t say anything to you last week when there was no letter from her. But there was no letter in today’s mail, either. This makes two weeks in a row.”
“That’s odd,” Dan said. “She’s never gone this long before, I know.”
“I’m concerned,” Benjamin said. “I think something is wrong. She has now left two of my letters unanswered.”
“Sometimes the mail does get delayed. You’ll probably get both letters at the same time tomorrow.”
Benjamin managed a weak smile. “Yes, you’re probably right.”
“It’s just a week from tomorrow that you leave for South Carolina. There are a couple of things I need to talk to you about before you go, and the sooner the better.”
“Certainly,” said Benjamin. “We could talk now.…”
Dan nodded and told Floyd to put the hay wagon away when he was done in the loft. Then he and Benjamin went to where the windmill and stock tank stood behind the split-rail fence in the corral.
As they leaned against the fence, Dan said, “First thing I want to talk to you about is this: Since we’re out of the South and you are no longer a slave, or even a servant, you need a last name. All of Dorena’s letters have had to be addressed to you in care of Dan Johnson. People in Texas and the West need a last name.”
Benjamin grinned. “I see your point, Dan. Can this be any name I want?”
“Of course.”
“All right, I will think about it and let you know when I come up with the name I want.”
A sly grin bent Dan’s lips upward at the corners. “I have a suggestion.”
“Oh? And what name would that be?”
“How about Johnson?”
Benjamin’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really? You want me to have the same last name as you?”
“Sure.”
“Dan … I would be very proud to carry your name.”
“Good. We’ll go into town tomorrow and talk to Judge Carstairs and make it legal.”
“Wow! Wait till I tell Dorena about this!”
Dan grinned. “Now that we’ve settled that, there’s something else I need to discuss with you.”
“Yes?”
“Since the ranch has done so well, and we’re adding to our herd because of the demand for beef … I want to make you my partner.”
Benjamin’s mouth fell open. “Your partner! Dan, I don’t know what to say!”
“Well, just say yes. As my partner, you will reap the financial benefits. Your cabin is all finished and ready for you and Dorena to move in. You will receive a fair percentage of the ranch’s profits and will make a good living far beyond what you have been earning on a cowhand’s salary. How about it?”
Tears spilled down the black man’s cheeks. He shook his head in amazement and said, “Truly, the Lord has blessed me, Dan. Beyond my wildest dreams. Of course I will accept your offer.”
“Okay, partner!”
“I’m going to write a letter to Dorena and tell her about all this. If I mail it in town tomorrow, it should reach her a day or two before I get there. And you know what?”
“What?”
“I’m going to tell her that since we’ve been corresponding by mail ever since I came here, she will be my mail order bride, just like Miss Tracie is yours!”
When Benjamin Johnson boarded the train in San Antonio on Thursday, October 1, he was deeply concerned about Dorena. No letter had come in answer to his latest one. It was now more than three weeks since he had received her last letter. As the train rushed down the tracks toward Houston, he prayed fervently, just as he had repeatedly for the past week, asking the Lord to keep His hand on Dorena and to correct whatever problem she was facing.
When Benjamin arrived in Charleston, be rented a horse and buggy with the spare money he had saved up in addition to the 400 dollars ransom money.
When he drove onto the Moore plantation, his heart quickened. There was no one in sight at the front of the mansion, so he drove around back and parked at the porch. He saw a few slaves who waved at him then quickly moved away.
He mounted the steps and crossed the porch to knock on the back door. His knock was answered almost immediately by Lewis Moore, who snarled the words, “What do you want?”
“I want to see Master Charles,” Benjamin said, knowing full well that Lewis knew why he was there.
Lewis came out the back door, causing Benjamin to step back. He walked past Benjamin, and went down the steps to stand by the buggy. Benjamin followed him.
“And what did you want to see my father about?” Lewis said, fixing the black man with eyes of malice.
“You know what I want to see him about. You were there when Master Charles gave me the written guarantee that I could ransom Dorena for 400 dollars whenever I could pay it.”
“Well, that guarantee doesn’t count anymore.”
Benjamin stiffened. “What are you talking about? I have it right here in my shirt pocket.” As he spoke, he drew the folded paper out and put it in front of Lewis’s eyes.
Lewis laughed. “Like I said, it doesn’t count anymore.”
“Why? Your father is a man of his word.”
“My father was a man of his word. He’s dead.”
Benjamin’s chest tightened. “Dead?”
“Yes. He died a month ago. Upon his death, I became master of the plantation. The day after Pa’s funeral,
I sold Dorena.”
Panic beat through Benjamin like the frantic wings of a frightened bird. “Sold her! To whom?”
“A slave trader named Jock Webster in Charleston. I saw Webster that next week, and he told me he had sold her to some plantation owner in the western part of the state.”
Benjamin blinked angrily. “Why did you sell her? You had no right to do that!”
An expression of amusement tilted the corners of Lewis’s mouth. “Sure I did. Like I told you, I’m master here now.”
“I want to talk to Miss Evelyn.”
Lewis eyed him with hostility. “Wouldn’t do you any good. She has no say about what goes on with the slaves. Besides, there’s nothin’ to talk about. Dorena’s gone. She belongs to someone else now.”
“What about her family?”
“They’re still here, but you can’t see them. Get in that buggy and go. I want you off this property right now.”
Benjamin squared his shoulders, anger alive in his eyes.
“If you don’t go immediately,” Lewis said, “I’ll call for the overseers. They’ll escort you off. But they might break a few bones before you reach the road.”
“What plantation owner has her?”
Lewis broke into an evil laugh. “I have no idea. You’ll have to find her yourself. And I hope you don’t.”
With lightning speed, a rock-hard fist lashed out and slammed Lewis’s jaw. He hit the ground six feet away and lay flat on his back, unconscious, while Benjamin climbed in the rented buggy and drove away.
At the kitchen window, Evelyn Moore—who had seen and heard it all—looked at her son lying in the dirt and said, “Good for you, Benjamin!”
Two hours later, Benjamin drove westward out of Charleston. He had learned from Jock Webster that the plantation owner who bought Dorena was Russell Cobb. His plantation was near the Georgia–South Carolina line. Benjamin had gone to the man who rented him the buggy, asking for permission to drive it to Barton. The man refused, saying that he would sell him the horse and buggy. Benjamin had no choice but to buy them, which cost him 150 dollars of his ransom money. Praying for help from the Lord, he headed for Barton.
