THE JOURNEY HOME
A Novel by K’Anne Meinel
Kindle Edition
Published by:
Shadoe Publishing for
K’Anne Meinel on Kindle
Copyright © K’Anne Meinel December 2013
THE JOURNEY HOME
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She glanced over as the train pulled in never bothering to even check her well trained horses as she unloaded flats of eggs and cartons containing jars of honey from her wagon. She took large loads up the steps of the store across the street from the train platform and deposited them at the end of the counter that Mr. Schmidt had indicated. Mrs. Schmidt smiled delightedly at the richness and purity of the jars of golden honey. She liked it when Cass came to trade in town. It was much more convenient much less closer to her farm to trade in Merrill, but making the longer trip to Wausau she did occasionally and they were always thrilled to trade her cash money or goods for her rich honey and perfect eggs. Her flats contained normal hen eggs but also she had duck eggs and huge goose eggs. Some of their shoppers lucky enough to obtain these would be delighted since they made for a richer and more delicious batter when baking or cooking. The goose eggs alone would be worth their price since one goose egg was the size of two hen eggs. This trip Cass also had pelts from fox, muskrat, mink, deer, and rabbit to trade as well. She left the store considerably richer than she had entered it but also with a bushel bag of flour, one of sugar, and a smaller bag of salt and a few other staples that were cheaper here in the larger town which she packed neatly in her wagon behind the seat. She noticed a woman sitting with two small children who must have gotten off the train and was now trying to keep the toddler and older child entertained on the bench before the depot door obviously waiting for someone.
She got up behind her two horses on the wagon seat and having never set the brake just spoke to them to get them going. Their ears twitched at her voice and their feet started walking as she expertly turned them around in the wide street before the depot. She backed her wagon up to the loading dock and speaking to the horses again she wrapped the lines around the unused brake and hopped down. She saw the woman and her children still waiting for whomever but now the older of the two children was crouching down and peering into the crates stacked neatly on the edge of the platform. She smiled indulgently; she could imagine his fascination at what the crates contained. It was why she was here. She went into the depot office nodding with a smile at the woman who watched her son as he delightedly and gently poked his fingers through the slats of the crates.
“I’m Cass Shiemer, I believe those crates outside are mine?” she greeted the depot clerk, her thumb pointing backwards at the stack outside.
“Yes ma’am I have your paperwork here if you’ll just step up and sign, do you have your letter from the company?”
Cass produced her paperwork showing she was to receive these crates and their business was soon concluded. She signed for her delivery.
“Can I help you load them ma’am?” the clerk asked helpfully.
“I’d appreciate it,” Cass answered knowing that she didn’t need the help but one never knew and refusing it would only create a problem.
As she walked out she was surprised to see one of the railroad men about to kick in the side of one of her crates. The little boy who had been admiring the pups was now cowering against his equally frightened mother on the bench.
“Hold on there, what are you doing?” she asked alarmed seeing him intent on harming the one containing her hard earned pups.
“That little begger in there bit me!” he said angrily, “I’ll teach it some manners,” and he drew his leg back again.
Cass was faster and ran to pull the leg up and the man off balance. He fell heavily with his weight. Everyone heard and felt the crash on the platform at that end. The other crates sent up a squawking and the puppies startled yipes were heard as well.
“What the hell?” the man yelled outraged.
“Those are my animals and you hurt them, I’m going to hurt you,” Cass said angrily.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” he said ominously as he got up off his backside.
Cass didn’t back down as he expected although he towered over her. Instead she took a step closer and got right into his face looking up belligerently and saying, “I’m Cass Scheimer and these are my animals you were intent on damaging, who the heck do you think you are?”
The man raised his hand as though to strike her and she faintly heard the clerk yelling, “Now now, she’s a lady!” He looked down at her dressed in men’s pants and a flannel shirt covered in a man’s dusty coat and matching dilapidated hat. He laughed at the word ‘lady’ and proceeded to raise his hand. It never fell. Quicker than he could blink Cass had a knife pressed to the suit he was wearing as an officer of the train. It looked sharp and as though to make a point she neatly sliced off a button and it bounced and rolled onto the platform for emphasis.
“Touch me and I’ll gut you like a fish,” she said pleasantly never taking her eyes off his as she used her peripheral vision to watch his hands.
Looking deeply into her eyes he tried to intimidate her but knew with a sickening feeling she was deadly serious. Her being a woman wouldn’t mean anything in his favor in this day and age. He would be in the wrong and she acquitted of any wrong doing in defending herself in such a manner. He reluctantly backed down. Letting out a snort of disgust he said, “A lady,” and turned away shaking his head to get back into the baggage car of the train.
Cass watched him until he was inside the car and put her knife back in the sheath along her belt. She could see the woman and children cowering out of the corner of her eye.
“Let me help you with those crates Miss Scheimer?” the clerk began warily.
“Who was that?” she asked him nodding her head towards the empty door of the baggage car as they began carrying crates into the back of her wagon and placing them gently.
“He’s new on this line, I don’t know where he came from but he’s nothing but trouble,” the clerk nearly whispered as they struggled with the awkward crates one by one.
Cass paused after her second load and reached in her pocket for a slip of paper and a pencil. “What’s his name?”
The clerk reluctantly gave it to her and saw as she wrote both his and the offensive man’s name on the paper wondering if he was going to lose his job over this incident. The last crate containing puppies she effortlessly put in the back of the wagon before putting up the tail gate and carefully latching it on both ends. She thanked the clerk for his help and saw the boy watching her again and looking longingly at the crate containing her pups. She grinned knowing how much children loved puppies.
“Cute puppies aren’t they?” she asked him and he nodded hard enough as he took another step towards her wagon to get a better view. His hair had a rooster tail and it waved energetically in his enthusiasm.
“He was
gonna hurt them,” he said sadly glancing fearfully at the doorway of the train car the man had disappeared into.
Cass nodded wondering what the boy was thinking. His mother came to stand behind him and Cass saw that she was obviously pregnant.
“I wish I could have puppies, someday,” he said wistfully and Cass smiled knowing every little boys wish.
“Someday Timmy, someday. Perhaps Mr. Lancaster will let you have one,” the woman said softly.
Cass looked up at the name and asked, “Vince Lancaster?”
The woman nodded and smiled, it changed her whole face and made it nearly beautiful. She was small, blonde, and the pregnancy was making her very round. Cass expertly guessed her to be about in her fifth month. “Do you know Mr. Lancaster?” she asked eagerly.
Cass nodded wondering what in the world this woman wanted with Vince. “Yeah, I know Vince,” but her tone betrayed nothing of how she felt towards the man.
“Have you seen him?” the woman asked tiredly, “He was to meet the train and business must have held him up.”
“Business?” Cass repeated stupidly.
“Yes, he must have been held up. I’m sorry, how rude of me. I’m Stephanie Evans. Mr. Lancaster’s fiancée.” She held out her hand for Cass to shake.
Cass shook it automatically, “You’re engaged to Vince Lancaster?”
The woman’s mouth tightened at the incredulous note in Cass’s voice. “Yes, Mr. Lancaster and I’ve corresponded for quite some time. In fact, he generously sent the tickets for us to come here to live with him. We were to be married today.”
“He know you’re pregnant?” Cass asked bluntly.
The woman flushed. It was a word that polite company did not use. Most people would have said ‘in the family way’ but not this woman who boldly wore men’s clothes and used a knife against a man twice her size. She nodded, “Of course Mr. Lancaster knows I’m with child. I wrote him and told him.”
“He get a sight of you?” Cass asked.
“I sent a picture if that’s what you’re asking.” The smaller woman was getting annoyed at this line of questioning.
“Ma’am I hate to be the one to tell you but I don’t think Vince Lancaster is the marrying kind.”
“Why, what do you mean? His letters were most gentlemanly and gallant. He knew of my situation after my husband’s demise and generously offered his comfort, support, and home to me and my family. I sold my home to come here and be his wife,” she said almost desperately.
Cass’s heart went out to the petite blonde. But she knew of Vince Lancaster even up in Merrill. His reputation was very foul. If he had been writing this woman and she was surprised to hear he could write, it was for no good reason. “You knew Vince before your husband’s death?”
Stephanie shook her head and embarrassment made her cheeks turn an unflattering shade of pink. “I answered an ad that Mr. Lancaster placed in the paper looking for a wife. When he heard of my situation he and I began a correspondence.”
Cass didn’t know what to do. Most likely Vince had gotten someone else to write those letters laughing at the unknowing woman who had answered the ad. How he had come up with the funds to have her travel here she didn’t know. He never had enough money to drink much less extra to send train fare. “Ma’am,” she began and then gulped and began again, “Mrs. Evans, let me take you to where I think Vince might be and you make up your mind then.”
Stephanie considered for a moment. She couldn’t just sit here indefinitely. Timmy was very tired as she and the baby were as well. She had to do something. She didn’t have a lot of money left after everything had been sold and their bills all paid but what she did have was very precious. She had grasped at the idea of becoming another man’s wife even if it meant a stranger. Vince Lancaster’s letters had been a godsend when she found herself pregnant after Howard’s death. A heart attack at 42 was not unheard of but there it was and she was alone with no one to take care of her. The letters had offered her hope and Vince had assured her he would take good care of her and her children in exchange for her taking care of him and his home. She agreed to Cass’s offer if all else it would get her closer to Vince and get the children settled.
Cass effortlessly lifted her trunk into the back of wagon proving that she hadn’t needed the clerks help with the crates after all.
“We going with her Mommy?” Timmy looked up at the blonde woman that was his mother.
She nodded and Cass smiled. “You can sit next to the puppies and keep them quiet,” Cass told him. She saw his face light up at the thought. She settled him in the back by the crate with the two puppies inside. She noted their water dish was empty but that the food dish still held some dried food.
Cass looked at the baby on Stephanie’s hip, expertly held by his mother. “Can he be trusted to ride with his brother?” she asked Stephanie. Stephanie looked at the toddler who gazed intently at the puppies with the same rapt fascination as his brother.
“I think Tommy will be fine with his brother,” she smiled as he nodded insistently understanding fully what they were saying.
Cass swung him to sit next to the other little boy and said, “Now I want you two to pet these puppies and keep them calm. This is their first wagon ride and they are probably a little scared. Think you can do that?” she asked them gently.
Stephanie smiled at how nice Cass was being to her two little boys. They both nodded solemnly. Cass picked up their carryon bags and put them behind the boys for them to lean on. She helped Stephanie up over the wheel and into the front of the wagon where she settled herself on the seat. “Could you hand me that canteen?” Cass asked Stephanie pointing to it under the seat. Stephanie found it awkward with her girth but managed to reach between her legs and under her skirt for the container.
Cass handed Timmy the canteen and said, “Could you make sure each of the bowls has a little water in it, don’t fill it full because the wagon will spill it but each of the crates needs a little?” She smiled as he nearly nodded his head off in his eagerness to help. “If you’re thirsty you and your brother have a little too okay?” she said gently.
Cass climbed up effortlessly onto the wagon seat and said, “Walk Stanley, walk Stella,” and the two horses, their ears twitching and listening to Cass began to walk down the street.
Stephanie watched in fascination. The horses hadn’t needed the lines that Cass now unwound and she hadn’t even set the brake. The horses had immediately begun upon Cass’s command. They drove for several blocks along tree lined streets before Cass spoke again and said, “Left Stanley, left Stella,” and amazingly the horses turned left at the next street. The streets were lined with nice houses and a few businesses on the corners or on alternate streets. They were soon in a part of town not nearly as nice and Cass pulled up in front of a dilapidated tavern before saying, “Whoa,” and the horses stood quietly as she jumped off the seat and went inside, never looking back at Stephanie or saying anything.
Stephanie stared in amazement at the tavern as though unsure of why someone like Cass would go in such a place. She told the boys to stay in the wagon, they never looked up from the puppies they were petting their hands shoved between the slats of the crate, and awkwardly climbed out of the wagon herself and followed Cass. The sight inside wasn’t much better with slovenly men with their shirts open, their sleeves pushed up to their elbows and their arms exposed, sitting around stools and tables. They gawked at her attire, her Sunday best. Her eyes adjusted to the dimness of the room and she saw a long bar along one wall and men standing around slurping beer and other hard liquor. The smell in the place wasn’t much better than its appearance. She set her face as she saw Cass talking earnestly to a tall dark mustached man. He looked like the picture she had of Vince Lancaster. Two other men were listening to Cass unashamedly and the room quieted as Stephanie came further into it. Every eye went from her to the tall handsome man.
“I told you, I ain’t gonna marry her,” he was saying and with the silence
in the room his voice carried.
Cass noted the silence and looked around in time to see the hurt cross Stephanie’s face. The man saw her too at the same moment. His friends smirked and one snickered. Stephanie turned and walked out the door. Cass whirled around and took Vince by the lapels and twisted them in one hand. “You wrote her, you made promises. Why’d you send her the train tickets if you weren’t gonna marry her as you promised?” she hissed angrily. Every ear in the room was listening.
The man tried to get her to release his shirt, it was choking him and he looked alarmed. “You saw her, she’s as big as cow, she didn’t tell me....” he began.
“You’re a liar,” Cass hissed. She pulled out her knife quick as a flash and held it to still his hands from releasing her hold on his shirt. The room was even more silent at that moment. His two friends stopped laughing and looked serious. “You promised to marry her, children and all; you sent her the tickets and made other promises. You’re a liar Vince Lancaster and everyone knows it. You made promises to that woman out there and she traveled here because of them. For what? A bit of a laugh, for fun? That’s fraud. I’m sure the sheriff would like to hear about it.” Then she had a thought. “How much money you got on you Vince?” she asked.
He was startled at the change of conversation. The knife unnerved him and he stammered, “A few dollars,” he began but she gave his shirt a twist. “I have fifty dollars,” he said. His friends sucked in their breath. That was a lot of money. No one had known Vince Lancaster to have that kind of money, ever.
“You’re going to pay the lady for her time and the effort of getting here,” Cass told him.
“I already paid for her ticket,” he began and then mentally cursed himself for giving himself away with that statement.
“And now you’re going to pay for the promises you made her. Pull out your wallet,” she held the knife but not in what could be called a threatening manner but could turn it quick enough if she needed to.
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