Lyn Cote (9 page)

Chapter Nine

E
llen stood by the school door, smiling as she watched the children enjoy their afternoon recess. She swallowed a yawn and leaned against the doorjamb, hoping William would soon sleep the night through. A stiff breeze played with the fringe on her shawl and her bonnet shaded her from the bright sunshine.

The first cool morning had come. A few leaves on the tallest maple trees had suddenly been trimmed in scarlet. The unusually long summer appeared to finally bow its head to autumn. She would have to start knitting warm socks and buntings for William.

“They’re gonna take that baby away from the teacher,” a boy’s voice said.

The words, coming from around the corner of the schoolhouse, startled Ellen from her reverie.

“I don’t know why. What’s wrong with a teacher having a baby?” asked a girl.

“’Cause teachers don’t have babies. Or husbands. Only single ladies—old maids, like Miss Thurston—get to teach school.”

“Oh, what do you know? Miss Thurston’s not an old maid. She’s too pretty—”

Ellen rang the bell, smiling as she shook inside. She understood all too well that children merely mimicked what their parents said at home.

From all over the schoolyard, the children ran to her as usual. She had recognized the voices she’d overheard but tried to forget who they were. Children weren’t responsible for their parents’ prejudice.

One thing was clear: it was time for Ellen to come up with a plan, or else risk losing William.

And that was something she had no intention of doing.

* * *

The school board meeting took place on the third Sunday afternoon of the month as usual. Sitting on the front bench in the schoolroom, Ellen had devised a way to distract everyone from William’s presence in her life by giving them something else to talk about. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only one she had at the moment.

At the front of the schoolroom facing the benches, the three men on the school board—her cousin’s husband, the old preacher’s son Micah and Mr. Ashford—had arranged themselves in a row. A few men and women clustered toward the back of the room to observe, but most people had gone home to enjoy a quiet Sunday.

Mr. Lang had not stayed for the meeting. Ellen found herself wishing that he had. She sat alone on the front bench facing the board, maintaining a calm expression and confident manner. Unfortunately, both were a facade. Her stomach swirled unevenly.

Martin, the board’s secretary, was reading the minutes from the last meeting. “Miss Ellen Thurston asked the board to consider purchasing a wall map for the school. The suggestion was discussed. A motion...”

Listening, or trying to appear as if she were listening, Ellen waited for Mr. Ashford to ask if there was any new business. Then she heard William begin to cry in her quarters. Her jaw tightened. All three men on the board turned toward the door behind them.
Oh, please, not now, William.

She’d hired Amanda to watch him so he wouldn’t disrupt the meeting—she didn’t want to call any attention to William right now. When he stopped crying abruptly, she found herself able to take a deep breath.
Thank you, Amanda.

The board resumed their deliberations with Martin’s notes being accepted unanimously. Next, Micah presented the treasurer’s report. Then Mr. Ashford asked, as if merely a formality, “Is there any new business to discuss?”

Some people began to move, perhaps preparing to leave. In her room, William was fussing and the sound knotted the back of Ellen’s neck. People stopped gathering themselves and looked askance toward the door to her quarters. Mr. Lang in contrast appeared at the door and took his place in the last bench.

His arrival and the negative expressions on the others’ faces pushed her to her feet. “I have some new business to discuss with the board, if I may?”

The board members looked at each other and Mr. Ashford cleared his throat. “Yes, Miss Thurston, what is it?”

“I have come up with an idea I think will encourage our students to excel in their studies.”

Those attendees who’d risen sat down again.

“What is it?” Martin asked.

“I propose our school prepare for and host a regional spelling bee here next April.”

An astounded silence met her proposal. Unfortunately, Amanda’s voice, as she tried to soothe William, filled it.

She pressed on, feigning a lightness far from what she felt. “I know that there are schools in Lake City, Downsville and Bear Lake. All three are within an easy driving distance for a midday gathering here. I would write to the teachers of those schools and invite them to prepare their students for the spelling bee.”

She took a deep breath and prepared to speak louder in order to cover William’s continued whimpering.

“Then in April on the appointed day, the teachers and their students who have excelled in spelling will come here to compete with our best spellers. Also, I think two levels would give students in all the grades a chance to qualify to represent their schools. We could ask for a small donation from each school that participates to defray the cost of plaques for the winners.”

She found herself breathless. Finally, William had quieted.

The board no longer looked surprised that she had spoken in the meeting; they looked pleased. Mr. Ashford glanced at the other board members.

“This sounds very interesting, Miss Thurston,” Micah said.

“I can see that this would prompt all our students to work harder on their spelling lists,” Mr. Ashford agreed.

“I also think it will add some zest to the school year, giving us a goal to work toward,” Ellen replied. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Mr. Lang nodding in approval. That lifted her spirit more than anything else. She tried to temper this but couldn’t.

“Do we need further discussion?” Mr. Ashford asked.

The other board members shook their heads no.

“I make a motion that Miss Thurston contact the schools nearest Pepin and invite them to a regional spelling bee to be held in April, 1871 at Pepin Community School,” Micah proposed.

“I second that,” Martin chimed in.

“All in favor, say aye,” Mr. Ashford said. After hearing the response, he said, “Motion passed unanimously.”

A smattering of applause followed this.

“If that’s all, I will entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting,” Mr. Ashford said, starting to rise.

“Hold up!” A man in the rear stood. “I want to know when the board is going to deal with this baby left at the school.”

Ellen froze where she stood. Her plan to distract everyone from William had just dissolved.

Mr. Ashford looked irritated. “That is not on the agenda for today.”

“Well, the spelling bee wasn’t, either,” the man shot back. “Now, what are people from those other schools going to say when they come here and find that our schoolteacher has a baby? It won’t look right.”

“It’s just not fittin’,” another man agreed. “Schoolteachers are supposed to be single ladies of good reputation.”

Ellen straightened and turned to face her accusers.

Before she could speak, Martin rose. “I hope no one in this town is casting aspersions on my wife’s cousin. Miss Ellen Thurston’s character and reputation are spotless here and in Galena.” Martin’s aggressive tone charged the room with tension. “My cousin has even been received by the Grants in their own home.”

A heavy and tense silence ensued.

“I wasn’t castin’ aspersions,” the second man said in a calmer tone. “Everybody knows Miss Thurston is a fine lady. But it just isn’t done.”

The first man nodded emphatically. “He’s right. Everybody says so and something must be done. We think it’s mighty sweet that the schoolteacher wants to take care of the foundling. But it’s just not fitting.”

“I move that we table this discussion and hold a special school board meeting next Sunday,” Martin said quickly.

“I second,” Micah added.

“Ayes?” Mr. Ashford asked. Both men said aye and the school board meeting ended.

Shaken, Ellen turned and managed to smile at the school board members.

“Miss Thurston, the idea for a spelling bee is excellent,” Micah said. She accepted this with a nod.

Amanda appeared in the doorway with William in her arms. “He wants you, Miss Thurston.”

Ellen hurried forward and accepted the baby. She smiled down at the child who, for the first time, smiled back at her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them away. “Thank you, Amanda.”

But Mr. Lang left without speaking to her and that stung.

Finally, only Martin remained. He followed her into her quarters. “Ellen, we know how much keeping this child means to you. Ophelia and I have talked it over, and we’ll take the baby in. That way you can see him and be in his life.”

Ellen was quite astonished by her cousin’s offer, but Ophelia already had enough to do, caring for her own child. “That’s very kind of you. But I plan to keep William. I don’t think there is any law saying that I can’t.”

“It may not be against the law, Ellen, but you might have to choose between William and your job here. People apparently have very set ideas about single schoolteachers raising orphans.”

Ellen held her tongue. She longed to refute what he said but couldn’t. “I hope it won’t come to that.”

Martin patted her shoulder. “We’ll see you Wednesday for supper, then?”

“Yes, thank you, Martin.” Ellen saw him to her door. When he had gone, she sat in the rocker and gazed at the little child who had been entrusted to her.

She had a small inheritance in a bank in Galena, earning interest for the years far ahead when she retired from teaching. So while she wasn’t penniless, she wasn’t of independent means, either. She must work to provide for herself and William. She might be forced to choose between Pepin and William. She didn’t like to think of moving and trying to come up with another way to make a living.

The thought of leaving tightened into a hard knot of pain. The school children had already become so dear to her, and she truly loved her work. The prejudice against her keeping William angered her, and she felt she might have a tiny glimpse into how Mr. Lang felt on a daily basis. She wondered why he’d come to the meeting and why he’d left without speaking to her. Her brother’s words played in her mind. Was Mr. Lang interested in her? She hoped he wasn’t but a tiny part of her hoped he was. She pushed this puzzle aside.

Why can’t I keep this baby and teach? How can I fight this foolish prejudice against a teacher raising a child alone?

* * *

While Miss Thurston taught Gunther, Kurt sat glumly on the doorstep outside her quarters, thinking about what had happened at the school board meeting. The difference of opinion over the baby between Miss Thurston and the town didn’t appear to be lessening.

He wanted to help her, and he didn’t want to see this fine woman hurt. Perhaps he should be trying to persuade her to give in.

Beside him, the cause of all the commotion, William, lay kicking his feet and cooing in the cradle that Noah Whitmore had made as a gift. In the schoolyard beyond, Johann was swinging on one of two wooden rope swings Kurt had recently hung from trees, one for the girls and one for the boys. As Johann swung, the rope rasped against the tree branch, creaking.

Miss Thurston stepped outside and sat down beside him, a shawl around her. Coolness edged the evening air. He half rose and then sat again. As usual, she was dressed in a very fine manner with lace edging her high collar and cuffs. She looked completely at ease, as if she had no notion of the controversy piling up around her.

“Have you heard about the special school board meeting?” she asked abruptly.

Yes, he had, and hearing about it had made his stomach sick.
“Ja.”

“I hear in your tone that you think they will make me give William up.”

He turned his gaze to her.
“Ja.”

She glanced down for a moment. “I honestly don’t understand why anyone should care if I adopt William. He has not interfered with my school teaching at all.”

“Yes.”

“That’s your third
yes.
You can’t say it again without losing two points,” she teased, suddenly grinning.

Her joke caught him off guard. He chuckled and shook his head. She was an unusual woman. “You make a joke but I do think they will make you give up William.”

“If they make me choose between the school and William, I will choose William. I will leave Pepin.”

“No.” Kurt felt as if the word had been wrenched from deep inside him. “No.”

She smiled with a bittersweet charm. “You’ve switched from
yes
to
no.
”

He ignored her sally. “Where would you go?”

“Sunny Whitmore has told me of an orphanage south of here on the Illinois shore of the Mississippi. I might go there and see if they have need of another matron. It would be a good fit for me and William.”

Kurt felt as if he had been caught between the jaws of some mighty animal and was being crushed. He nearly said no again, but stopped himself. He knew he never could be more than a neighbor to Miss Ellen Thurston, but that was better—much better—than losing her bright presence altogether.

He must try to persuade her. “Miss Thurston, I know better than you how it is to raise children alone. I have been father to Gunther since we lost our mother. I adopted Johann when my sister, Maria, died. Being father and mother to two boys—” He drew in a deep breath. “It is hard.”

“I’m sure it is. But William was left at
my
door. I don’t think it was random. I think someone wanted me to have him, to raise him.”

Kurt watched Johann pumping his legs, swinging higher and higher. He loved the boy and wouldn’t be parted from him. From behind, he heard Gunther softly reading aloud the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. Things had changed for the better between his brother and him, and Miss Thurston had achieved that. He was beholden to her.

Therefore, he must make her see the truth.

“You are a woman alone. A boy needs a father to learn how to be a man.”

“I had hoped you were on my side, Mr. Lang.” When he didn’t answer, she continued, “A boy needs a mother to learn about women.” She lifted her hands palm up. “How many children are raised in perfect homes?”