Hannah's Handkerchief

by Zina Abbott

  “Ja, Magpie, better chance they don’t tip. Only, be careful when the men reach for them. You know Henry, and maybe some of the soldiers the same.”

  Magpie huffed. “All right. But please don’t call me Magpie in front of everyone. It is such a baby name.”

  Hannah glanced at her mother. Carlotte nodded the unspoken command to honor the wishes of the youngest member of the family. Hannah smiled at her sister. “We won’t, Margarete. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee anything when it comes to our brothers or Papa.”

  With Carlotte leading the way, the trio stepped out the front door. After she handed her sister the plate of biscuits, Hannah rushed inside to pick up the tray of cups. Outside once more, and balancing the tray on one hand, she pulled the door shut behind her.

  As soon as she turned around, she almost collided with Jake. “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t expect you.”

  Jake tugged the gauntleted riding gloves from his hands and tucked the pair into his belt. He held out both bare hands. “Please allow me to help you with that, Miss Atwell. It looks mighty heavy.”

  Hannah studied his eyes and swallowed to suppress the flutter in her heart. She felt sure she saw signs of regard for her more than usual politeness. “Thank you, Lieutenant. At our holiday dinners with extended family, I’m accustomed to carrying heavy trays of food. However, if you would hold it until I’m down the stairs, that would be a help. I’ll be able to take it from there.”

  After they both stood on the ground, Hannah again claimed the tray and began serving coffee, beginning with Capt. Prescott. She next served Jake and her parents. She avoided her father’s sharp, knowing gaze, sure he remembered about Jake Burdock and the kiss that sent her heart soaring that night at the fort. Once only the crock cups remained, she walked over to the two privates and her brothers.

  The tray empty, she returned to her sister’s side just as the child opened her mouth wide to take a bite of biscuit. She leaned over to whisper, hoping none of the others overheard. “Small bites, Magpie…er, Margarete. Make it last. I’ll bring us both a cup of water.”

  When she returned, her mother held the plate containing two remaining pieces of cake. Hannah shook her head. “Thank you, Mama. I’m fine. Please offer it to the others.”

  Still holding his cup, Capt. Prescott slapped his belly with his free hand. “No more for me, thank you.”

  Hannah looked at Jake who offered her a ghost of a smile

  Jake shook his head and motioned toward the two soldiers who hung back from the rest of the group. “Perhaps Privates Mulroney and Brown would care for them.”

  Hannah blinked. Jake was an officer, and as such, he had every right to expect the first and the best. Yet, he thought of his men?

  “I’ll take another piece.”

  Hannah scowled at her thirteen-year-old brother, Henry. He was far from stupid and particularly good working with animals. However, his manners were atrocious. Added to that, he tended to react without giving any thought to a situation.

  Carlotte spoke up before Hannah had a chance to say something. “Nein, Henry, no. The soldiers are guests.”

  While her mother served the two privates, both of which praised her for both the cake and the biscuits with jam, Hannah turned her attention to Jake.

  Jake stepped closer to her. His cup still in one hand, he held out his opposite elbow. “Would you care to walk a short distance with me, Miss Atwell?”

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  Chapter 6

  ~o0o~

  H annah very much wished to walk with Jake—more than a short distance if they could get away with it. Hoping that Capt. Prescott’s presence would deter her father from objecting, she decided against looking to him for permission. So much for Cousin Kizzie’s accusation that I’m the perfect daughter. She tucked her hand in the crook of Jake’s arm and turned him toward the garden. They walked away from the others standing around in the yard.

  “It’s good to see you again, Miss Atwell.”

  Hannah’s heart raced at the intimate way Jake kept his voice low as he spoke. “I’m pleased you haven’t forgotten me.”

  “How could I forget you, Hannah Atwell? Not only were you the most beautiful young woman at the dance, you were a pleasure to converse with.”

  Positive a blush coursed its way from her neck up to her cheeks, in an effort to hide it, Hannah glanced behind them toward the others. Right now, I hate having fair skin. Her gaze captured the puzzled expressions on her brothers’ faces, the knowing grins of the two privates still chewing bites of cake, and Capt. Prescott paying her and Jake no attention at all, so engrossed was he in what he had to say to her father.

  Magpie carried the empty cake plate toward the front door.

  Her mother followed and set the cup tray on the edge of the porch. Carlotte wore a questioning look as her eyes focused on Hannah. However, it was her father’s stony, expressionless face topped by eyes set in a hard, knowing squint glaring at her and Jake that caused her insides to seize.

  Hannah twisted around and faced the garden as she and Jake walked that direction. He remembers Jake was the one kissing me right as he pulled me away from the social. Hannah inhaled, and then she eased her breath out with the hope that he did not sense her unease. Her papa might not say anything about her being with him now, but she was sure to hear about it later. These few minutes alone with Jake Burdock will be worth it.

  Forcing her concerns about a future chastising by her father aside, Hannah turned toward Jake and focused on his eyes. Brown eyes, just a shade darker than Papa’s. “Thank you. I enjoyed my time with you, also. As much fun as it was to dance with so many men, you stood out to me.” Because of the kiss. “That’s why I gave you the handkerchief. I hoped it would help you remember me.”

  Jake threw his head back and softly chuckled. “I didn’t need to be given anything to remember you, but I greatly appreciated your gesture.” He hesitated and then turned to meet her gaze. “I carry your handkerchief with me.”

  Her eyes wide with surprise, Hannah stopped walking and stared. “You do? You brought it with you?”

  “I did.” He lowered his hand holding the china cup and tapped the side of it on his shirt above his belt. “Right there, inside my blouse. I hope you don’t want it back. At least, not today.”

  Embarrassed, Hannah shook her head and looked at the ground in front of her as she began to slowly walk once more. “No. I intended it as a memento of the two of us meeting.” She looked up and met his gaze. “Maybe I’ve read too many tales about knights and the ladies who give them a token.”

  “I place great value on your memento, Hannah. That is why I choose to keep it with me.”

  “Oh. I hope you don’t find yourself fighting a war again. If you are forced into battle, then perhaps it will bring you good fortune.” She looked forward once more. When he didn’t respond, she turned back, puzzled by his silence. “Did I say something wrong? I hope I wasn’t being too forward.”

  Jake shook his head. He briefly pressed the arm on which her hand rested against his body before he relaxed it once more. “You said nothing wrong. It’s just that you may have guessed the truth of the situation closer than you think. We are no longer fighting Southern rebels, but there is an enemy the Army still must face. To protect the Americans moving west to claim the homesteads the law has made available for them, we are now tasked with subduing the hostile native tribes that have yet to enter into treaties and settle on reservations.”

  Her forehead wrinkled, Hannah bit her lip and returned her gaze to his face. “Oh. I understood the Army is doing away with the stockade in town because it’s no longer needed.”

  “Yes, we’re dismantling our role in the Salina Stockade, but it's not because the threat from the hostiles has ended. We are taking the fight closer to them. Fort Ellsworth is only the first fort to the west that is planned. There will be one or two others in Kansas, just on the Smoky Hill Trail alone. Forts Riley
and Ellsworth are both close to the Santa Fe Trail in the eastern part of the state. Troopers can cut south on the smaller trails to meet any native resistance there. Then, on the Santa Fe Trail, there is Fort Zarah at the big bend of the Arkansas River and, farther on, Fort Larned. After that is Bent’s old fort in Colorado Territory.” He paused. “I hope I’m not boring you. If so, I apologize.”

  Hannah shook her head. “No. I know where you’re talking about as far as the rivers and mountains. Except for when we’ve been in the middle of an Indian scare, until this past year, I attended school in Salina, even when Miss Thatcher held classes in a house in town. Mama taught us all reading, writing, and basic ciphering at home, of course, and German, since she came from a German-speaking family. What our teacher did was have me help the younger children in exchange for loaning me books of higher learning on history and geography. Of course, most of it involved European history and the early history of North America. The most recent map of Kansas I studied was from before Kansas became a state when it and part of Colorado Territory were still together. Still, the map showed all the physical features.” Wearing a tentative smile, Hannah looked up and met Jake’s gaze. “Now I’m the one concerned with boring you.”

  Jake shook his head. “Not at all. It’s interesting to know that, out here on the frontier, you have been able to receive quite a good education.”

  Pleased at the compliment, Hannah smiled wide. She sipped her water. “Not everyone my age took advantage of attending school as long as I did—when I could get away to do so, of course. Although Henry usually drove the wagon, after my older brothers were needed to help Papa on the farm, my parents allowed me to go with him and my sister in order to keep an eye on them.” If you knew Henry, you’d understand why they felt I needed to be there. “That’s why Miss Thatcher took extra time with me. I’m sure it was nothing like finishing school such as young ladies from the more well-to-do families back east attend.”

  “I have seen no reason to find fault as far as your finishing goes, Miss Atwell. Your mother must have taught you well.”

  Hannah’s face grew warm, and she feared her face had turned pink. “Thank you, Lieutenant. I’ve tried to learn the social graces so that I can behave properly. I don’t want people to think I’m nothing more than an uneducated farm girl.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being raised on a farm. Farmers are the backbone of this nation. Those of us raised in cities would starve without them.” He jerked his head toward the others in the yard. “Those two privates with the captain and me? They were chosen to accompany us for a reason. They’re farm boys and know what to look for in cattle, both for meat and milk. They saw what I saw, and when we arrive in Salina, I expect to pull them aside to educate me on exactly what I should have been looking for when I inspected your family’s animals, especially the horses. As part of my quartermaster duties, I’m well skilled in ordering, inventory, warehousing, figuring rations, transporting, and distribution. However, when it comes to livestock on the hoof, I barely know the front end from the back.”

  Hannah lifted her hand to stifle a burst of giggles. Even though she did not work directly with the animals on their farm, she certainly knew more than that.

  “Now you’re making fun of me, Miss Hannah.”

  Hannah sobered. “I don’t mean to. It’s just, I’ve been around farming all my life. That’s why I understand the reasons my family chose to move to Kansas. My father and uncle were warned many native tribes did not agree to Americans coming here. Yet, the government opened Kansas Territory to new settlement before we came. I never understood why they would do that if they had not already made sure the land was free of claims by other people.”

  “You just touched on one of the reasons behind so many wars, Miss Atwell—greed, especially a desire to acquire new land. And religion, of course. More wars—a very ungodly activity, in my opinion—have been fought in the name of religion than anything else. The officials in Washington D.C. might have assumed all was settled with the tribes in eastern Kansas. Unfortunately, they did not take into account that not all members or sub-divisions of the tribes agreed. The tribes to the west have definitely not agreed.”

  Watching him, Hannah could not help but think there was another factor he knew about, but chose not to share with her.

  Wearing a warm smile, Jake returned his gaze to capture Hannah’s. “However, just as your Germanic ancestors ran out of land for their citizens, Americans back east, along with all the newer immigrants arriving on our shores, are also land-hungry. Add that to the nation’s Manifest Destiny policy of claiming the entire North American continent from ocean to ocean, the government knows the only way they can hold their claim to the breadth of the continent is to satisfy the demands of our citizens for property. We must obtain it, one way or another, preferably by treaty and purchase. The Army is tasked by our government to make those treaties, even if it means taking most of the land away from the native tribes that inhabited it all since before the first European ever stepped foot on it.”

  Hannah had learned about Manifest Destiny. On the surface, it seemed like a brilliant plan, one to make the United States strong and a nation of which to be proud. It was only as she learned of the effects on the Kaw and other groups of people that she had begun to wonder if it was right.

  The two reached the border of the vegetable garden where Hannah had been working when the visitors arrived. She looked down, as if studying the edge of the berm in front of her. Would he still think well of me if he knew my mixed emotions on this subject?

  “Unfortunately, many of our citizens back east are weary of war. They do not live with the threat of hostile Indian depreciations to either their lands or their persons, so they tend to be more sympathetic to the plight of the natives. The only concern the Army of the West must face is that Congress will decide, now that the War of Rebellion is over, they are justified in cutting the military budget. Yet, they will expect us to continue to protect all Americans who flood to the West, whether said Americans are following the law regarding our treaties with the natives, or not.” Jake looked over to study Hannah’s face, curious to know her feelings on the matter.

  Hannah could not hold back any longer. If Lt. Burdock was going to resent her for her feelings on the topic, it was better to find out now. “Twice a year, the Kaw people travel to the plains to the west.” She pointed across the garden toward the hills beyond the open land past the fields her father and brothers recently plowed. “Their path takes them there, way south of our land. In fact, they traveled through here just a few days ago. They are quite a sight to behold, although I never go where I can see them up close.”

  Hannah turned and watched Jake’s face as he squinted his eyes and studied the land she pointed out.

  “So, that is part of the Kaw Trail?”

  Hannah shrugged. “I believe so. I only know they travel that way coming and going twice a year.” She turned and focused her gaze on her half-planted garden. “One of the men with them, named Charlie Gray Cloud, is half white. When he travels with them, he often breaks away and comes over to speak with Papa. We’re the last farm this side of the Smoky Hill River, because no one has claimed the land south of us since it’s not as good for farming. He’s not always with the tribe in the spring, but he was this year. He usually goes with them in late autumn on the way to their winter hunt.”

  Hannah paused and glanced at Jake to gauge his reaction. She watched his lips shift side to side as if he was biting at the insides while his eyes appeared to be focused on nothing, except perhaps the thoughts in his head.

  “I spoke with a Mr. Jones, one of the freighters we passed on our way here. My captain hoped to talk with his scout, a man Mr. Jones said was traveling with his people along the Kaw Trail, and who would join him later.”

  Hannah inhaled deeply and nodded. “Capt. Prescott probably meant Charlie Gray Cloud. My cousin recently became engaged to Mr. Jones—at the Fort Riley dance we attended, in fact. For ye
ars, Mr. Jones has stopped by my uncle’s house and often Charlie Gray Cloud was with him. I’ve only met Mr. Gray Cloud once, but I’ve heard enough to know his people live on a reservation. Even though they receive an annuity, it’s never the full amount originally agreed on. Their women farm, but many white people have illegally moved onto the Kaw’s reservation land. They let their cattle run loose where the Kaws have planted their crops. So, even though the government tells the Indians they should learn to farm, other Americans steal their land and destroy their crops so they can’t. No one does anything about it, not even the Indian agent. In fact, he’s the one who gave false information to the whites moving there that led them to believe they had a right to settle in Council Grove.”

  Jake shook his head. “I’m part of the quartermaster department and have no responsibility for making and enforcing treaties.”

  Hannah swallowed. It sounded to her like he dodged any responsibility for the problem. “The government is supposed to pay for people to come and teach the Kaw men how to farm, how to do blacksmithing, and things like that, but those people either never show up or, if they do, they don’t stay long. If one of them leaves, they aren’t replaced. Besides, in the Kaw culture, it is the women who farm, not the men. In other words, the only way the Kaw can get enough food to survive is to leave the reservation twice a year and hunt bison.”

  Jake turned his head aside and his words came out as a murmur. “That’s unfortunate.”

  “And yet, the government wants the Army to force other tribes onto reservations under the same conditions. Is that right?” Hannah watched Jake raise his eyebrows as he stared off into the distance.

  He slowly lifted the cup to his lips and drained the last of the coffee before responding to her. “No. I do know it’s not intended to work that way.”

  At least, he offered that one small concession. Hannah felt her stomach tie in knots. She suspected he knew things he chose not to tell her. She guessed he did not want to talk about it any longer.