“Yes, I did make it to New York. I’ve so much to tell ye. I wound up here and found that I was in need of a bit more money. I was offered a job at the Giddings Ranch just east of town and I took it.”
Abbi stood across the counter from the two men, coffee in hand. “Am I to assume you‘ll be taking your coffee down here now?” The plump little woman laughed out of habit.
“Oh yes, Abbi, this is Mr. Logan, Margaret’s papa.”
She set the coffee on the counter and her eyes got wide. “Well, I’ll be. I’ve heard so much about your family…especially that Margaret of yours. From what I hear, she’s quite the girl.”
Mr. Logan grinned at her. “Thank you, ma’am. We’re real proud of all our children.”
“Well, of course you are. I’m going to let you two get back to talking. Give me a holler if y’all need anything.”
“Thank ye, Abbi,” Thomas said. He turned his attention back to Mr. Logan. “All right, now ye know why I’m here. Tell me what you’re doing here.”
“I’m on my way back home from taking Elizabeth to the state hospital in Austin.” Mr. Logan closed his eyes and when he opened them, tears glistened before he blinked them away.
“Oh no, what happened? Is she going to be all right?”
Mr. Logan rested his elbow on the counter and shook his head. “It’s…it’s a hospital for people that have sickness in their head. We didn’t know what else to do with her.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, sir. Do they think they can help her?”
“I don’t know, son. I talked with the superintendent, and he said there was a good chance they could.” He looked away. “I sure hope so.”
Thomas hurt for him. The man loved his children. He put his hand on Mr. Logan’s shoulder. “I’m sure they will do their best, sir.”
“I pray you’re right, son.” Mr. Logan turned back to his plate and picked up a slice of toast. “So tell me about your trip up north.”
Thomas folded his arms on the counter and then looked at his reflection in the big framed mirror on the back wall. “It was a fine trip. My father is doing well and my youngest brother, Michael, is too. But actually, they’re not even in New York anymore.”
“Oh, really? Why is that?”
“Well, it seems Michael turned out to be quite gifted in the field of medicine and was sent up to Massachusetts General Hospital to train with the experts there.”
“Well, how about that. Good for him. So I guess they’re doing just fine for themselves.”
“I suppose so, but I’m afraid there was some bad news. My other brother, Jonathan, is among the missing.”
“Oh no, Thomas, I’m so sorry to hear that.” Mr. Logan’s face was sorrowful.
“Aye, but for the grace of God and the kindness of the Logan family, I would be dead too.”
The older man patted Thomas on the shoulder. “But God had a bigger plan for your life, son. He sent you all the way to Bolivar, Texas, just so you could marry my daughter Margaret.”
Thomas felt his heart leap at the mention of her name. “Oh, Mr. Logan, please tell me she’s still waiting for me. I never even got the chance to ask for her hand.”
Mr. Logan smiled and took a bite of his toast. “Of course she’s waiting for you, Thomas. And why wouldn’t she be? That girl is in love with you.”
Thomas looked up and released a long huff of air. “Thank Ye, Lord. Ye answered my prayers.”
Mr. Logan chuckled at his reaction. “So tell me, son, I thought you were collecting your Navy wages to get back to the peninsula. Why are you here, working on a ranch?”
Thomas felt the heat rising up his neck. “I did receive my pay, but a good bit of it went toward my fare back here. And I didn’t want to return to Margaret empty-handed.” He rubbed at the war wound on his head. “I’ve still got a good amount of my war wages, but I’ve been working here to pay for the wedding ring I bought her.”
“Well, look at you.” Mr. Logan grinned. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to impress my little girl.”
Thomas returned the smile. “Aye, that I am, sir.”
Mr. Logan put some cash on the counter and stood. “Well, come on, son, I want to see this ring.”
“But it’s not paid for yet. It’s still at the mercantile.”
“How much do you still owe on it?”
“Three payments is all.” A look of satisfaction graced Thomas’s face. “I’ve set aside money to start on a house for the two of us as well.”
“That’s wonderful. Can we go take a look at this ring you’ve purchased?”
“Sure, I’m on my way there now to make a payment.” Thomas picked up his coffee and took a sip…cold. He didn’t need it anyway. The visit with Mr. Logan was more exciting than any cup of coffee.
They said their goodbyes to Abbi and left the diner with the doorbell jingling in their wake. A few blocks down, they entered Feinberg’s Emporium.
“Thomas, I’ve been wondering what happened to you.” Mr. Feinberg pushed his hat back on his head, revealing the small amount of hair he had left.
“Aye, sir, I was on my way over when I ran into Mr. Logan, Margaret’s papa.”
Feinberg’s eyes grew wide. He grabbed Mr. Logan’s hand and gave it a forceful shake. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Logan. Thomas here has told me so much about your daughter.”
“Nice to meet you too, sir.” Mr. Logan looked a bit startled at the reception.
The frail little man brought a file box out from beneath the counter and thumbed through it. “Murphy, Murphy, let’s see. Ah, here it is.” He pulled out an envelope with a receipt pasted to the front and Thomas’s ring inside. “Just three more payments and she’s all yours. Isn’t that exciting?”
Thomas put his hand in his pocket to pull out his money. Before he could count out enough for the payment, Mr. Logan slapped a stack of cash down on top of the receipt.
Thomas looked at him. “Wh-what are you doing, sir?”
“There…paid in full.” Mr. Logan looked at him. “Now there’s nothing keeping you here.”
“I don’t believe it.”
Feinberg threw back his head and laughed. “Believe it, Thomas. You have yourself a very good future father-in-law!” Feinberg took the ring out of the envelope and slipped it on his pinky. He stamped the envelope
paid
in big red letters and then disappeared under the counter. When he stood up, he held a little gold box. He placed the ring inside and handed it to Thomas. “There you go, Thomas. Now go ask Miss Margaret to marry you.”
Thomas was still in shock when they left the mercantile. His mind raced with questions concerning what he should do next. Then he remembered the main reason he was in town. He glanced over toward the feed store.
Mr. Logan interrupted his thoughts. “Well, Thomas, can I talk you into returning to Bolivar with me? Stage leaves at two.”
He didn’t know where to start. “I…yes…but I have to deliver the feed. But we don’t need to take the stage…I have my own horse and wagon now.” Thomas started laughing. It was the first time he’d laughed in a very long time. He handed Margaret’s ring to Mr. Logan. “Thank ye so much for everything, sir.”
Mr. Logan took a long look at the ring. “Mighty fine-looking ring, son.” He returned the box to Thomas. “Well, all right then. Let’s deliver that feed and go tell your boss you’ve got yourself a better offer.” He put his arm around Thomas’s shoulder and they walked together to fetch the wagon.
Thomas’s thoughts fled to a small peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico where the love of his life resided. He longed to look into her violet eyes…to smell her raven hair…to kiss her ruby lips. And now, thanks to her papa, he would have her in his arms sooner than he’d expected. And sooner was a very good thing.
31
Margaret pulled the last little pair of overalls from the washtub and twisted them round and round, allowing the water to flow back into the tub. When the pants stopped dripping, she tossed the twisted ball into the basket on the floor beside her. She looked at her hands, red and aching from the soap, the scrubbing, and the twisting. And worst of all, the clothes weren’t even finished. They still had to be hung on the line to dry.
Mama came in the kitchen and dumped another load of laundry into the washtub. Margaret let her head drop back. “Ugh, Mama, how dare you?” she half-teased and held her hands up for Mama to see. “Look at my hands. They look like little lobster claws.”
“I’m sorry, honey, but until they invent some fancy machine that does the washing for us, I’m afraid this is our lot in life.” Mama stirred the pot of soup cooking on the stove.
“Soup smells good.” Margaret pushed the new pile of clothes down into the water to soak. “You sure made a big pot of it.”
“Thank you. I don’t know how to make this recipe any smaller. Sure wish your papa was here to enjoy it. It’s his favorite.”
Margaret sat down at the kitchen table and wiped her hands on a towel. “Wonder how Papa is faring and if Elizabeth is doing well at the asylum.”
Mama poured a cup of coffee and sat down. “I’ve been wondering that myself. Seems as if they’ve been gone an awful long time, but I don’t know how far it is to Austin…could take a long time, for all I know.”
Mama missed Papa and Elizabeth. Sadness continued to follow her through the days. Not even Jeremiah’s chubby cheeks made her smile.
“I sure hope Papa was right about them being able to help Elizabeth.” Margaret missed her sister too. But her loss was tempered with the fact that Elizabeth had disappeared into herself long before she left for the asylum. “I’ve never seen anyone in such a bad way…well, except for Mr. Langley’s son, that is.” Margaret swirled her finger around on the tablecloth, intentionally not making eye contact with Mama.
“Yes, his passing was so sad, but in some ways it was a blessing. Sometimes when people are so bad off, it seems better if God just goes on and takes them home.” Mama stirred a spoonful of honey into her coffee. “Poor boy, his brain was so far gone he didn’t even know who his papa was anymore.”
Margaret looked at her blotchy red hands and her broken fingernails. “He sure didn’t last long when he took the fever.”
“No, he sure didn’t.” She took a sip of coffee.
“It was good of you and Papa to minister to Mr. Langley after he passed.”
“Well, it was the Christian thing to do. And because we did, we made a new friend.” Mama held the cup of coffee between two hands as she spoke. “Mr. Langley really did care about Elizabeth, you know. He told us that many a time when we took food over to him.”
“I know, Mama. We all care very much about Elizabeth.” Margaret returned to the washtub. “I just pray she gets the help she needs.”
“I do too, honey.”
Margaret plunged back into the washing and dreamed of Thomas. She silently prayed for his safety…wherever he was.
Mama tended to the boiling pot of soup.
“Oh, Mama, wouldn’t it be lovely if I was washing clothes for Thomas and my very own family?”
Mama shook her head. “Margaret, it wouldn’t matter if you were doing the wash for Queen Victoria, believe me, it wouldn’t be lovely.”
Did Mama actually make a joke? Margaret pulled her hands out of the tub and flicked water at her.
Mama’s eyes grew wide.
Margaret started laughing…then Mama laughed too. Margaret went to her mother and put her arms around her. She thanked God for the laughter even though she knew it was only a mask to hide Mama’s sadness.
The front screen door opened and slammed shut.
“Mama, Mama!” June rushed into the kitchen and nearly ran over Margaret and Mama. She looked at the two of them hugging each other. “OK…” She then seemed to remember what she came in for and shouted as loud as she had when she first came in. “Mama?”
Margaret released Mama.
“What is it, June?” Mama asked.
“Mama, Papa’s coming up the road in an honest-to-goodness horse and buggy. And…and he ain’t alone.” June turned around and ran back out of the house.
Mama folded her hands and looked heavenward. “Thank You, Jesus.” As she said the words, tears started to fall.
~*~
Thomas flipped the reins. “Come on, Fargus, get, get.” The closer he came to Margaret, the more he hastened the horse.
Mr. Logan held onto his hat. “Take it easy, son. We want to get there in one piece.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but we’re almost there, and I’m wanting to see yer daughter something awful.”
Mr. Logan laughed at him. “Yep, there’s someone there I’m wanting to see something awful too, son.”
June ran out the front door with Mrs. Logan close behind.
Jeremiah toddled after them, running on sturdy little legs.
A man came from around the house. Must be the Navy man Mr. Logan had told him about. But where was Margaret?
Mr. Logan hopped off the wagon when Thomas eased Fargus to a stop.
“Papa, Papa, you’re home.” June jumped into Papa’s outstretched arms.
Mrs. Logan noticed him and her eyes lit up even more.
Mr. Logan put June on the ground and swung Jeremiah in the air. The baby chortled with glee. Mr. Logan set him back on the ground.
Mr. and Mrs. Logan hugged and kissed.
June ran to Thomas and held her hands up, wanting him to pick her up.
“Where’s Margaret, young’un?”
June giggled, put her hands on his cheeks, and shook his face. “She don’t know you’re here, silly.”
Thomas turned toward the house when the screen door opened.
Margaret stepped onto the porch. She smiled at the sight of her parents’ joyous reunion. And then her gaze met his. Her hand flew to her mouth. She stepped off the porch and ran to him.
He put June on the ground and rushed to meet her halfway. When they reached each other, Margaret fell into his embrace. She didn’t even look at his face. She held him tight, and he had no objection to it. Thomas lifted her chin and kissed her with the passion of having been apart for six long months.
Everything came to a complete stop while they held each other. The rest of the world faded away and it was as if they were the last two people left on earth.
“Ewwww.” June scowled at them and her nose scrunched up.
Margaret looked up at him, her cheeks a bold red. A smile crept onto her face.
Thomas let out a small chuckle, and then they both laughed…loud and long.
Mrs. Logan stepped away from Mr. Logan long enough to give Thomas a big hug. “Well, isn’t this a surprise? How in the world did Jeb find you?”