Judith Miller - [Daughters of Amana 01] (30 page)

Larissa nudged my arm. “Look out the window. We’re almost there. You’re going to find Chicago magnificent. We’re going to attend the theatre, go to concerts, visit friends, enjoy parties, and have a gay time. I’ve been planning our entertainment the whole way home. There are always lots of festivities going on, even though many of our friends are starting to leave the city for their summer homes.”

With my nose pressed to the window glass, I was only half listening to her. Soon the prairie faded from sight and the train moved onto a causeway bordering the lake. Further along there were grand houses, followed by tall buildings, and grain elevators loomed larger than anything I could have imagined. The train chugged and jerked as we slowed and rumbled into the huge limestone depot. I continued to stare out the window until we lurched to a complete stop.

“Come along, Johanna.” Wilhelm grinned down at me. “You’ll have a much better view once you get off the train.”

We stepped onto the platform as trains continued to enter the station on myriad tracks. I’d never heard so much noise in my life. The sound of hissing engines mixed with the shouts of conductors as passengers in their fancy dresses and silk hats hurried to board the trains. I wanted to wrap my arms around myself. I’d never witnessed so much turmoil. Larissa tugged on my arm.

“Come along. We’ll go inside the station. Wilhelm will see to our baggage, and then we’ll be on our way.”

I permitted Larissa to pull me along while I cast my gaze toward the ceiling of the cavernous train depot. “I’ve never seen anything so huge.”

She giggled. “This is nothing. Wait until you see the rest of the city.”

Wilhelm took charge of our baggage, and soon we were in a carriage and on our way. The sounds of the city seemed as loud and hectic as the noise in the train station. Everywhere I looked there were drays, carriages, snorting horses, and people—so many people. The smells and sounds assaulted me on every side.

Larissa spoke of the fire that had leveled much of the city six years earlier and how the rebuilding continued. “Soon we’ll be even bigger than New York City.”

Wilhelm grinned. “I think it may be a few more years before that occurs.”

If New York City was larger than the city that loomed around me on all sides, I would be rethinking any plans to visit. How did anyone learn to navigate through all these streets? You could walk all day and never see a familiar face. Chicago was a far cry from the boardwalks, dirt streets, and friendly greetings that abounded in Amana. How had Wilhelm ever become comfortable in this vast city?

I continued to peer out the window, but my thoughts drifted back to Louisa. Would she be pleased to see me? Wilhelm said she would be very pleased. Yet if that were true, why did he feel the need to speak with Louisa privately before we met? I told myself it was only common courtesy. Walking in unannounced would be rude. She might even faint. Over and over I told myself that, but thoughts that she might not want to meet me, that Wilhelm was giving her time to make an escape, or that she’d be aloof and unfriendly all niggled at the fringes of my mind. I thought it would be better to meet her this very day, before my fear and anger continued to build, but I wasn’t in charge, so I would wait and try to remain patient.

When the carriage stopped in front of Wilhelm and Larissa’s house on Calumet Avenue, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked at my brother. “This is where you live?” I’d never before seen a home of such grandeur. The rooms I’d thought so beautiful in the Homestead Hotel must have seemed paltry to them.

Wilhelm dipped his head and gave a slight nod. “It’s far more room than we need, but—”

“But I insisted. I love this house,” Larissa said. “And you’ve grown to love it, too, haven’t you, Wilhelm?”

My brother nodded, but I didn’t miss the embarrassment that flashed in his eyes when he assisted me out of the carriage.

The interior of the house was as grand as the brick and stone exterior. Everyone in our neighborhood would fit inside this house—with room to spare. The sitting room alone was larger than all of the space we occupied in our Amana apartment, and the furnishings were beyond imagination. And when I was introduced to their hired workers, I knew I had entered another world. There was a man who met us at the door to take our wraps, a woman to help us get dressed and undressed as well as clean the upstairs rooms, another woman in charge of preparing the meals and cleaning the downstairs rooms—she had a girl to help—and a gardener to care for their flowers and yard. With all this help, I was curious about what Larissa did to occupy her time.

“Just wait until tomorrow. You’ll see how busy I am,” she said.

The following morning I shooed the maid and told her I wasn’t accustomed to help with my clothing. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but the mere thought of someone assisting me in and out of my simple attire caused discomfort. After donning my dark calico and cap, I hurried down the hallway. It had taken hours for me to finally fall asleep, and even then my sleep had been fraught with unpleasant images of a frightening confrontation with Louisa. I felt as though I’d had no rest at all. Possibly I could convince Wilhelm to change his mind. I would much prefer meeting with Louisa today or tomorrow. But it was Larissa who greeted me when I descended the steps.

“We’ll have our breakfast and then we can plan our morning. I think several stops along State Street, then we’ll have lunch and—”

“Is Wilhelm having breakfast with us?”

Her curls bobbed when she shook her head. “No. He left more than an hour ago. Work, work, work. He’s not happy unless he can be at his desk by eight o’clock.”

“And does he come home for his noonday meal? Maybe I could speak with him then.”

“No, not often. It takes him away from his work for too long— at least that’s what he says. I think it’s because I’m usually busy with my activities or lunching with friends. I work with several charitable groups.” She beamed at me as though I’d understand.

But her routine was foreign to me, and I couldn’t understand why Wilhelm wouldn’t eat his meals with his wife in this luxurious home where they paid someone to prepare their food. Larissa waved me toward the dining room, and I pushed aside any hope of speaking to Wilhelm. It wasn’t until she once again mentioned going to State Street that I had another thought.

“Perhaps we could stop by and say hello to Wilhelm before we go shopping.”

Larissa looked up from her plate of scrambled eggs and buttered bread. “There won’t be time. I’ve planned a busy day. We’re going to have great fun. Would you like to guess what we’ll be doing this afternoon?”

“I can’t even imagine. Tell me,” I said, attempting to hide my disappointment over Wilhelm.

“There is an operetta at McVicker’s Theatre this afternoon. It’s a benefit for the Hahnemann Homeopathic Hospital—a special adaptation of
Little Red Riding Hood
. A perfect afternoon of entertainment and all for a wonderful cause. Isn’t that grand?”

“Yes, it sounds exciting.” I didn’t add that I would have preferred a few minutes with Wilhelm. It was obvious Larissa was doing her best to provide me with an exciting visit, and I didn’t want to appear ungrateful. “Does Louisa attend these events, as well?”

“She’s involved in charity work, but you need not worry. We won’t see her. I made certain Wilhelm knew the events we would attend, and he’s going to advise Louisa of our plans.”

“So he’s already met with her?” My heart skipped a beat, and the smell of the breakfast sausages suddenly made my stomach lurch.

“He was going to stop on his way to work this morning. Louisa and her husband are early risers, and he wanted to give them as much time as possible to prepare for meeting with you.”

Why did he think it was so important to give Louisa time? Hadn’t she had twenty-one years to prepare to see me? If she hadn’t managed to gain the fortitude to meet me before now, would two more days really matter? My anger mounted. Why wasn’t Wilhelm concerned about the effects this waiting was having upon me? The longer I waited, the deeper my anxiety.

Larissa didn’t give me much time to consider Wilhelm’s decision. We were soon off for our morning of shopping at Field and Leiter. I gaped at the gas chandeliers, the frescoed ceilings, and the glass dome that permitted additional light to shine down on the variety of goods. We made an odd pair, she in her beautiful walking dress and me in my dark calico. We received more than a few stares as we wended our way among the counters of perfectly arranged gloves, jewelry, ties, ribbons, undergarments, hose, collars, and fabric of every imaginable color and weave. On one of the upper floors we saw rugs of all shapes and sizes, and there was little doubt this store employed more workers than all the residents of my Amana village. With all these choices, how could anyone ever decide what to purchase? Yet ladies in all their finery seemed to have little difficulty. One after another, they pointed to the items they desired and quickly moved on to the next counter.

“When we finish here, we can go to Stewart’s Emporium. It isn’t as fancy as this, but they have some fine choices, too.”

But Larissa dallied at the counters far too long, and by the time we departed, she declared we’d save the trip to Stewart’s until the next day. The decision pleased me. I didn’t know if my senses could withstand another such emporium in one day.

Once outside the towering store, Larissa signaled for the carriage. “We’ll have a leisurely lunch and then go directly to the theatre.” She clutched my arm. “I’m so pleased you’re here, Johanna. Isn’t this fun?”

I agreed, but I didn’t think it was something I would enjoy every day. Even now I couldn’t fully enjoy myself. Although Wilhelm had notified Louisa of our whereabouts, I found myself looking at each woman we passed in the aisles of the store, wondering if we might see her.

Our lunch in the hotel restaurant was no less magnificent than the store where we’d shopped. But my discomfort increased as soon as we entered the restaurant. I was sorely out of place in my plain clothes and black cap. The man who’d taken Larissa’s name assumed I was her maid and said I could wait in a room off to the side of the dining area. I don’t know who was more embarrassed—the waiter, Larissa, or I.

“Tomorrow we’ll purchase you a new dress,” Larissa said as we departed the restaurant after our meal.

I didn’t reply. There was no need for another dress. Mine was perfectly fine. Larissa gave the carriage driver instructions to deliver us to McVicker’s Theatre on Madison Street. We arrived none too early. The sidewalk was already lined with ladies in their fine attire, small groups visiting as they waited their turn to enter the stone-arched brick building.

I stared at the decorative ironwork that adorned the second-floor windows, and while Larissa waved to several acquaintances, I examined the playbills enclosed in wood and glass cases outside the doors. Once we entered the foyer of the theatre, two of Larissa’s friends approached. I didn’t fail to see their censure as they eyed my clothing. Even after our introduction, these women were cold and aloof toward me. I considered the many visitors who passed through our villages dressed in fine clothing. We treated them with kindness and respect, even though they looked different from us. Society might consider these women well-mannered, but their actions spoke louder than words. I thought them far less gracious than the people in our villages.

When we finally took our seats, I studied the program while Larissa visited with a woman seated behind us. When the hand-painted stage curtains finally opened, I heaved a sigh of relief. Soon the orchestra sounded, and the stage was filled with young children dressed in bright fairy and bird costumes of every variety. They danced in circles, flapping their sparkle-bedecked wings until the queen of the fairies and the queen of the birds arrived on stage. While the queens danced, the smaller fairies and birds looked on in admiration. When the dance ended, the fairies departed the stage while the birds migrated toward the painted woodland scene.

As the orchestra began the next song, Red Riding Hood made her appearance to great applause. She sang several songs before a smaller curtain was pulled back to reveal the wolf in her grandmother’s bed. I laughed at the sight of the wolf wearing the huge sleeping cap. Those around me hissed when the wolf sang a gruff song about eating a good lunch and pointed his furry claw at Red Riding Hood. Some time later the queen of the fairies emerged to save Red Riding Hood, and the audience jumped to their feet, cheering. All thoughts of Louisa escaped my mind as I sat mesmerized. Not in all my life had I seen anything that compared to the show. It wasn’t until the performance ended that my anxiety returned with a vengeance.

Larissa was apologetic when she explained we’d be dining at home two nights in a row. “Wilhelm thought you might not want to overdo your first few days. I told him he was being silly, but I finally agreed. I hope you aren’t disappointed. I do wish I hadn’t planned a dinner party for tomorrow evening, but the invitations went out long before our trip to Amana. Still, Wilhelm will make certain you have sufficient time to visit with Louisa before the other guests arrive.”