He wouldn’t like it, but she was discovering she could be mulish when an idea was stuck in her head.
“And how are we supposed to force their hands?” Gert challenged. “I can’t get my man to wipe his feet before he comes through the front door!”
“I know. I put up with a hundred and twenty-five men just like him.” The bunkhouse front entrance looked more like a muddy swamp than a porch. But Tess was determined not to give up. On Sundays enough men turned out to have a decent-sized church service in the schoolhouse. There was no question the room was simply too small to accommodate the camp’s needs—either as a school or church. Jake wasn’t concerned about the matter. The only thing on his mind was getting her out of camp.
Various murmurs of agreement sounded and Tess tried to restore order. What she was going to propose was unorthodox, but she knew the women in camp were more than capable of carrying it through.
“Ladies, please, there are numerous ways of persuading your men to see our viewpoint without bruising their egos.”
“But the Good Book says wives are to be submissive to their husbands,” someone pointed out.
“I am not asking anyone to disobey her spouse,” she clarified. “The Good Book is the final word, but that doesn’t mean we can’t slightly alter the degree of our submissiveness, does it?”
“I think it does,” the same woman said.
“Why should we take your word on the matter, Miss Yardley?” Bernice blustered. “How would you know about submission? You’re not even married!”
Laughter broke out, and Tess smiled. “Which makes me all the more dangerous, Bernice. Now, shall we get down to business?”
“What do you suggest we do?” Selma Miller appeared more than ready to get on with it.
“Well, for starters we’ll need a good, strong name for our society,” Tess proposed.
The women exchanged puzzled looks. She was certain half had never heard of a “society.”
“What’s a ‘society’?” Gert asked.
“I guess you could say it’s a group of interested citizens working together for a common goal,” she explained, noting that the women stared vacantly back at her. “In our case it means the women of Wakefield Timber are about to take it upon themselves to get that new schoolhouse!” Gert’s flabbergasted expression brought another round of laughter, and Tess almost smiled herself, but she wanted these women to take her seriously.
“I’ve never heard the likes of a female doing such a thing.”
“Because you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean that we can’t explore the issue. I know we, as women, simply accept man’s authority over the weaker sex, but I say it’s time we formed a union and demand a voice in these matters!”
Beulah Morrison sprang from her seat. “I second that!”
“Sit down and close your lip, Beulah!” Bernice exclaimed, seizing the floor. “Being a teacher myself, I understand what you’re saying, Miss Yardley. However, I don’t know what we’re going to do about all these Philadelphia, high-falutin’ ideas you’ve been comin’ up with. You know good and well the man is the head of the household.”
“Of course he is, but does that mean a woman has no value to her husband beyond having his babies, cleaning his house, cooking his meals—”
“Chopping his wood, mending his socks, emptying his spittoons,” Selma chimed in.
The women were clearly warming to the idea of having a say in things. She had them thinking now. “All we’re asking is that your—no, their children—have a decent place to learn. I promise you, ladies, if we stick together in this matter we’ll accomplish our goal. And I also promise that each of you will earn your husband’s grudging respect in the process.”
The women murmured with one another, and Tess realized the idea still sounded risky to them.
“But why us? There are only sixteen married women in camp. Sixteen women can’t fight all those men!”
“I’ve already considered that. Obviously you will have the most power over your husbands, but in turn that will spread through camp to the other men.” She started to pace in front of her desk. “Work your man. Maybe a nice, tasty apple pie will appear on the dinner table unexpectedly, an extra brush of your hand on his now and then, maybe a smile when he’s least expecting it, possibly an extra love pat before he drops off to sleep. Of course, we’ll try to settle this with as much decorum as possible.”
“What’s that?”
“Decorum? It means with as much grace and dignity as we can.” She frowned. How did she know the meaning of “decorum”? It wasn’t a word often used, at least not here. She shrugged. “Remember, ladies, that subtlety is the name of the game.”
“And what will you be doing while we’re baking all these apple pies, Miss Yardley?” Beulah inquired.
“I can assure you that I will be doing my share. And, if subtlety doesn’t work, we’ll use other means.”
“Well, I guess it don’t matter none. I don’t have the foggiest idea what ‘subtlety’ means anyway,” Beulah conceded.
Tess wasn’t sure how she knew all these fine words, but they seemed to just pop out. “To be subtle means to be delicate, elusive, you know. You have to learn to work your man while still obeying him. In the meantime, I will be conducting a campaign of my own with the single jacks in the bunkhouse. I won’t have the obvious advantages you will have, but I should be able to drop a few hints here and there, and hopefully I will win over Shot Harrison and Herb Jenson. Once I have those ringleaders on my side, the others won’t be far behind.”
“What about Big Say?” Bernice eyed her knowingly. “He’s gonna have a conniption fit when it dawns on him what you’re up to.”
“You leave Jake to me.” Please, she silently added. He was her man, but she wasn’t sure she could get him to recognize it. “Now, then,” she said, strolling down the row of desks thoughtfully. “We will need a name for our society. It needs to be strong, purposeful, and credible enough to make the men take us seriously.” Silence fell over the room as the women racked their brains.
“How about Women Hoping for a New Schoolhouse?” Beulah suggested.
“Sherman would laugh me out of the house,” Selma declared.
“How about The Women’s Society for Forming Future Citizens of Wakefield Timber?”
Expressions puckered and heads started to shake before Gert could finish. She shrugged. “Sorry. I ain’t ever belonged to one of those women’s ‘societies’ before.”
“What about Builders of Our Children’s Future?” someone suggested.
The women glanced at one another and nodded, indicating that the name didn’t sound bad. Tess sighed. It was strong and purposeful, and the men would surely have to take a name like Builders of Our Children’s Future seriously.
From the back of the room a voice said softly, “Ladies, why beat around the bush? Why don’t we call it what it really is? Women Against Senseless, Pigheaded Shanty Boys.”
Laughter broke out, and Tess turned to see who would have the nerve to call the organization what it really was. Her amusement faded when she saw Echo standing in the doorway. She had been hoping her friend would come today, yet she wondered how Waite would react to Echo taking part in such open rebellion. Yet she could hardly hurt her friend’s feelings in front of the other women by turning her away.
“That won’t work,” Tess mused. “It’s catchy, but too long.”
“Then shorten it. We’ll be the WASPS.”
Tess tested the name on her tongue. “WASPS?” She grinned. “Appropriate. How about it, ladies?”
The women applauded their enthusiastic, unanimous approval as she walked to the back of the room to take Echo’s hand and squeeze it encouragingly. “It’s perfect, Echo.”
The young woman didn’t crack a smile. “Thank you, ma’am. I’m right proud of myself.”
Letting go of Echo’s hand, Tess turned back to face the women. “It’s even better that we use WASPS. The men will go nuts trying to figur
e out the meaning, especially if we drop the B.” She winked mischievously and then smiled when hoots and cheers followed.
The meeting broke up, and after most of the ladies departed, she filled the lamp, made the pencil stubs for the following day, and then banked the stove. Echo stood in the back of the room, waiting.
The angry fingers of a cold north wind snatched at their coats as they stepped outside. The blustery day promised blizzard conditions by dark.
“What do you suppose Big Say will do once he finds you have all the womenfolk stirred up like a hornet’s nest?” Echo asked.
Tess groaned and paused to pull her wool scarf closer to her neck. “I don’t know. I’d be happy if he’d say anything to me.” More than a week had passed since they had gone skating, and Jake had steered clear of her since, sending André to remind her that as soon as the weather broke, she could leave. That struck her as cold and impersonal. She’d stopped going by his office in the afternoons because he was never there anymore. She was starting to feel that he would never warm to her.
“I think you’re sweet on him,” Echo noted.
Tess’s mouth curved in a self-conscious smile. “Maybe.”
“I think he’s sweet on you too.”
She sighed. “I’m afraid he’s not.”
“Yes, he is. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“Name one time.”
“In Menson’s store last week.”
“He wasn’t even aware that I was there.”
“Yes, ma’am, he was. He stood in the corner and pretended he was talking to one of the jacks, but his eyes never left you once.”
Tess grinned. “He did not.”
Echo smiled back. “He did so.”
They turned and headed for the nearest tote road. Tess decided it was a good time to broach the subject of Waite. “Echo, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
“It’s rather…personal. I hope you won’t think I’m being forward.”
“I won’t think that.”
“I know I have no right—”
“Please.” Echo paused and turned to face her. “Say what you need to say. You won’t be buttin’ in where you’re not wanted, and if you do, I’ll tell you so.”
This was not going to be easy, but Tess felt compelled to carry on. “Thank you.” They resumed their walk. “I’m concerned about your taking part in our efforts to nudge the men to build a new schoolhouse.”
Echo’s face clouded. “You don’t want me to be in your soo-ciety?”
“I want you to be in it, but I’m concerned, that’s all.”
Echo breathed a relieved sigh. “No need to be.”
For a brief moment Tess toyed with the idea of coming right out and confronting Echo about her husband’s drinking. She knew the other women were in no danger of causing any serious family friction as a result of their harmless crusade for a new school, but she was worried that if Echo’s taking a stand in the dispute upset her husband, it might trigger another one of his drinking sprees.
“I wouldn’t want your participation in our society to cause you difficulties at home.” She paused, looking straight into Echo’s eyes.
Her young friend directly met her gaze “You don’t think the other women are going to have ‘difficulties at home’ from their participation?”
“I’m sure they will,” she hedged, “but—”
Echo turned and began walking again, apparently dismissing the implication in Tess’s tone. “I’m beholden to you for letting me be in your soo-ciety, ma’am. I ain’t ever been in one of those. Never thought I’d have the chance.”
“Don’t change the subject.” Tess was overstepping her bounds, but she couldn’t ignore a potential problem, not where her friend was concerned. Even though Echo had avoided the subject of her husband’s problem and had never asked for help of any kind, she couldn’t in good conscience overlook the woman’s situation.
“Echo, I think we’re both avoiding the issue. You know I care about you. I don’t want to cause trouble between you and Waite, that’s all. The other women know this is all in good fun, and if it should get out of hand we’ll stop immediately.”
“You don’t understand, Fedelia.”
“No, I don’t. Help me understand.”
“Waite is my husband till death do us part,” Echo said simply.
“I’m aware of your loyalty to him, and I applaud it, but should he ever mistreat you, you must come to me. My room is tiny, but we’ll make do.”
“No, ma’am. I can’t do that.” Echo stopped her.
“Why not?”
“Because I belong with my husband and I don’t want to leave him.” Echo paused and turned to look at her. “Don’t be worryin’ about me, really.”
“He doesn’t hurt you, does he? I mean when he’s drinking…” She couldn’t bear the thought of someone harming this lovely creature. “If he ever does, you must let me help you. You’re not alone. I will help you. Jake will help you—”
“He has never hurt me.”
Color crept up the young woman’s neck, and she seemed to struggle to find the right words. She only hoped Echo was telling her the truth.
“Waite’s a good man. He drinks too much sometimes, but he’s not mean to me or anything like that. He…he likes to relax with his friends and have fun once in a while.” Her eyes met Tess’s before darting away. “You’ll see. I’ll be just fine. Please let me be in your soo-ciety.”
Tess sighed, wrapping her arm protectively around Echo’s shoulder. How could she help someone who insisted she didn’t want to be helped? “All right. You can be in our society, but you must promise to let me know if Waite gives you any trouble over this.”
Echo’s face broke out in a happy smile. “Oh, thank you, ma’am! Thank you muchly!”
Tess wasn’t convinced she’d done the right thing, but the smile on her friend’s face was worth the risk.
19
Looks to me like you’re progressing very well, Miss Yardley.” Doc Medifer laid his stethoscope aside and smiled at her. “Any twinges of memory coming back?”
She shook her head. “None.” Another week had passed without the slightest sign of her memory returning.
“Well, there’s nothing to be worried about. I’m sure it will one of these days when you least expect it.”
“Has there ever been a case where it didn’t return?”
“Yes, many such cases. And it’s a possibility you might want to consider, but it’s far too soon to tell yet.”
She rose and put on her hat. “I’m not worried, Doctor.”
“You seem to be adjusting to camp life well.” He flashed a grin. “I’ve heard you have the women all fired up to build a new schoolhouse.”
Tess fished inside her purse for a coin to pay her bill. “I certainly have. The one we have is totally inadequate.”
Doc chuckled as he waved her coin aside. “Put that in your coffer, young lady, and stay on those men. I hear the women are close to bringing those jacks to their knees.”
She grinned. “We’re trying our best, but how do you know we’re succeeding?”
“Folks talk a lot when they’re feeling poorly.” He returned her grin. “Keep it up. It wouldn’t hurt anything to bring some of these knuckledusters down a notch or two.”
Or three, she lamented silently when she caught sight of Jake striding past the window.
“We’re close, ladies, very close, but we’re not home yet. Next, we move toward more devious measures. Downright shameful.”
Several pairs of eyes rolled with disbelief as the schoolteacher faced her fellow WASPS the following week. By now the women knew the meaning of the word “devious,” but some openly voiced that they weren’t sure this was going to work.
A frail-looking woman rose in the back of the room. Her hands were red and work worn, her dress shabby, and her hair a mess, but she had an honest face. “Miss Yardley, let’s talk sensible. I’m
all for trying to get my man to help build a new schoolhouse, but we all know this ain’t gonna work. Women don’t have any say in such matters. Why, last night my husband said for me to shut my piehole because we got a good schoolroom, good enough for anybody. And that was after he had polished off three slices of blueberry pie!”
“That’s man talk, and we know it,” Tess argued. “If we want our children to learn and become bright, productive citizens, it’s up to the community to provide the proper educational facilities. It isn’t as if we’re asking for the impossible! A large basic room with a few nice-sized windows is not an unreasonable demand, and on Sunday mornings there would be more room for church attendance.”
She saw several heads in the crowd nodding in agreement. She knew the ladies’ home lives were not completely ideal of late, but they would be proud of their accomplishment once the goal of a new schoolhouse was realized. And she had to hurry to get it finished. If the snow ever let up, Jake was going to ship her out of camp like the logs he sent down the flumes.
“Tell us what’s next,” Freda Davis suggested. “We’ve come this far. We can’t back down now.”
“No, we can’t,” Tess agreed. “We’re going to have to tighten the screws. For starters, you will begin a work slowdown.” An audible gasp filled the room. “Do you know what that means, ladies?”
They shook their heads.
“You mention that you’re feeling poorly and you can’t cook. And if you’re forced to cook, be sure the meal isn’t edible. You don’t do the wash as often. You don’t make the bed or sweep the floor every day. You sit in a chair, stare off into space, sigh, and cry a lot.” Her eyes narrowed. “This is serious business, fellow WASPS. Face it. The only way we’re going to win is to outsmart the enemy!”
Bernice shook her head. “Lannigan’s going to string you up by your heels.”
“I’ll take care of Big Say. Now, at first your men will bluster and blow, but once they get sick of their own cooking and grow weary of having to pick up after themselves, they’ll come around to our way of thinking.”
When Love Comes My Way Page 15
