Threads of Love (23 page)

“You can be assured that I will make myself available to you whenever and wherever you request,” he answered, his gray eyes twinkling.

She wasn’t sure if he was making fun of her but decided it wasn’t important enough to bother with. “If the interview is over, Mr. Banion,” she began, rising from the chair.

“Charlie. Remember you said you’d call me Charlie,” he reminded, coming around the side of the desk. “As far as I’m concerned, the interview is over, but you need not rush to buy a ticket. Your travel on the railroad is free. Another benefit of the job,” he said, escorting her to the door.

“May I at least buy you a cup of coffee after you’ve sent your message home?” he invited as they walked through the outer office.

“I suppose that would be acceptable,” she replied, though her voice lacked much enthusiasm at the prospect.

“I’ll meet you next door at the Harvey House when you’ve finished,” he responded.

Had he not been looking at her back and observed the slight nod of her head, he wouldn’t have known she even heard him speak. Staring after her as she walked across the room, he was unable to remember when he had been quite so impressed with a young woman.

“Did you have any letters you needed me to take care of?” Mary asked, attempting to regain Charlie’s attention.

“What? Oh yes, I need to get a letter written to Mr. Vance advising him of the new employees I’ve hired,” he responded.

When he had finished dictating the letter, Mary’s worst fears were confirmed. He had hired the stunning redhead, and the possibility of snagging a marriage proposal out of Charlie Banion was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated.

“I’d like that letter ready for my signature before the train leaves. I’m going to the restaurant, but I’ll return to sign it shortly,” he instructed Mary and hurried toward the lunch counter, anxious to once again be in the company of the newest employee of the Santa Fe Railroad.

T
essie had just finished a cup of tea when Charlie arrived in the restaurant and seated himself opposite her. “Sorry to have taken so long. I had to get a letter dictated to Mr. Vance,” he explained, feeling like a schoolboy on a first date.

“No need to apologize. I’m quite used to taking care of myself,” she told him as the waitress brought Charlie a cup of coffee. “Living alone while in college and medical school has tended to make me quite independent. I’ve learned to use my time alone quite constructively.”

Before Charlie could decide if she had dubbed him a welcome intrusion or a pesky annoyance, the conductor’s shout rang out, “All aboard!”

“I’ve got to go back to the office for a few minutes. I’ll see you on board,” he said, getting up from his seat.

“Fine,” Tessie answered nonchalantly, more interested in the group of chattering young women anxiously waiting on the platform. She wondered who they were and why they were all boarding a train to some tiny town seventy-five miles to the southwest. Picking up her black medical bag, she mentally gave thanks that Uncle Jon had insisted she carry it. “Never know when you might happen upon an emergency. If you’re a doctor, you ought to be prepared. Preachers carry a Bible, and doctors ought to carry the tools of their trade, too,” he had counseled.

He and Aunt Phiney had given her sound advice thus far. They had warned that she should pack a few personal belongings in case the train was delayed or the interview postponed, requiring her to be away more than one day. Because of their foresight, she would at least have a few clothes until her trunks arrived.

The young women were already seated on the train by the time Tessie boarded. Picking her way down the aisle, she found an empty seat, settled herself, and placed her bag on the floor. Just as the train began its lumbering exit from the station, Charlie bounded down the aisle and slid onto the seat across the aisle from her.

“Were you worried I wouldn’t make it?” he inquired, a smile spread across his face.

“To be honest, my thoughts were occupied with all these young women, wondering where they come from and why they left their homes,” she responded, not realizing that such a remark was a rarity to a man of Charlie Banion’s looks and position.

“You sure know how to keep a man from feeling sure of himself, don’t you?” he asked jokingly.

“What? Oh, I’m sorry. What were you saying? Isn’t she a beautiful child?” Tessie inquired, nodding toward the little girl sitting on the seat in front of her.

Charlie broke forth in a laugh, aware that he would not engage this lovely woman in any meaningful conversation until she had surveyed all the passengers. “She
is
a pretty child,” he answered, looking at the youngster and smiling into the small dark brown eyes that were staring back at him. The child’s eyes quickly darted back toward Tessie.

“Hello. My name is Tessie,” she said to the young girl. “What’s your name?”

The child smiled and turned around facing them. She perched on her knees while resting her arms across the back of the seat. “Hi, I’m Addie Baker. That’s my sister, Lydia,” she answered, pointing across the aisle toward the front of the train, her words slightly garbled. The gesture caught her sister’s eye.

“Addie, turn around and mind your business,” Lydia reprimanded the youngster, her lips mouthing the words in exaggerated fashion, although her voice was but a whisper. The child nodded, immediately turned, and stared out the window, only to be met by her own forlorn reflection in the glass.

Tessie leaned forward and whispered, “I’m pleased to meet you, Addie,” but the child gave no response, and Tessie received a sharp look from the older sister.

Charlie turned his legs toward the aisle and leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs. “I’d be happy to visit with you.”

Tessie was tempted to ignore his forward behavior but allowed her interest in the young women to take precedence over Charlie’s obvious lack of manners.

“Tell me about these young women. I believe you called them Harvey Girls,” she requested, pulling off her gloves and reaching to remove a pearl hat pin from the navy blue adornment perched on her head.

He didn’t answer for a moment but watched her movements, totally entranced by the feminine display. When she finally looked at him to see if he had heard the question, he smiled. “I’d rather talk about you, but if that’s not your choice of subject, I’ll tell you a little about the Harvey Girls.”

He remained seated with his legs in the aisle, which allowed him closer proximity to her. “These women have just completed their training as Harvey Girls and are going to work at the Harvey House in Florence. It’s a hotel and restaurant, close to the train station. Fred Harvey has a contract with the Santa Fe Railroad to place restaurants near some of the train stations. The one in Topeka is merely a restaurant—a very good one I might add—but Fred decided that a hotel and restaurant would be even better at some of the stations.”

“Are these women hired as maids for the hotel?” she interrupted, her interest piqued.

“Some of them may end up doing that part of the time,” he responded, “but primarily they are hired and trained to work as waitresses in the restaurants. Fred has extremely high standards, and the women must live in the establishment. Even in Topeka, those who work for him must reside in the accommodations he provides.”

“Even if their parents live in the same town?” she asked, entranced with the idea.

“Yes, even then. It’s one of the hard-and-fast rules of the Harvey Houses, just like our hard-and-fast rule that you begin work immediately,” he replied, hoping she would indicate her forgiveness.

“From the size of the group, it looks as if there are plenty of women interested in the jobs,” she observed, once again scrutinizing the young women clustered at the front of the coach and ignoring his remark about the rules.

“Fred pays a decent wage, and for many of these women, it’s the only opportunity they’ll have to see a bit of the country. It’s exciting for many of them, and they’re hoping for a better life than they’ve come from. That would be my guess,” he stated, staring at her long, graceful fingers.

“What’s the conductor doing up there?” Tessie asked, watching the man move from passenger to passenger while taking down information.

“Dinner orders,” Charlie replied. Tessie’s eyebrows furrowed together at his answer as if he might be joking.

“Really?” she questioned.

“Yes, really. The conductor takes down orders, and then they’re sent ahead to the Harvey House. That way the chef knows in advance how many meals to prepare, and the staff can be ready to serve the passengers immediately upon their arrival.”

“Mr. Banion, good to see you. Will you be dining at the Harvey House this evening?” the conductor inquired, his friendliness making it obvious that he and Charlie had known each other for some period of time.

“I certainly will, and Dr. Wilshire will be joining me,” he answered, indicating his traveling companion across the aisle.

“Doctor, huh? Well, good to have you aboard, Dr. Wilshire,” he said with a nod and looked back toward Charlie.

“You folks going to be eating in the dining room or the lunchroom?”

“The dining room,” Charlie answered for both of them.

“In that case, I need to know if you’d prefer the baked veal pie, pork with applesauce, or the roast sirloin of beef au jus,” he inquired, his pencil poised to take their order.

“Tessie? What sounds good to you?” Charlie inquired.

“I believe I’ll have the baked veal pie,” she responded.

“Make mine the same,” Charlie told the conductor.

“That’s two baked veal pies,” the conductor repeated. “That comes with asparagus in cream sauce, lobster salad, and your choice of dessert,” he proudly announced. “Coffee, tea, or milk?”

Charlie looked over toward Tessie, who replied that she would like tea. Charlie requested coffee. Having completed their order, the conductor continued down the aisle.

“Look, Addie, see the deer and her baby,” Tessie said, pointing out the window toward the graceful animals. When no response came from the child, she reached over the seat and touched Addie’s shoulder to gain the child’s attention. Once again she pointed toward the deer and watched Addie smile in delight when she sighted them.

“Pretty, aren’t they?” Tessie asked the child.

Addie’s face was still pressed against the train window when Lydia came down the aisle and plopped in the seat beside her little sister.

“She won’t answer you. She doesn’t know you’re talking to her—she’s deaf,” Lydia remarked to Tessie, her voice void of emotion.

“She talked to me earlier,” Tessie replied, sure the statement was untrue.

“Probably read your lips. She wouldn’t hear a gunshot if it went off right next to her,” Lydia stated coldly.

“I didn’t realize. I’m very sorry,” Tessie said, saddened by the revelation.

“She gets by all right most of the time. I’m the one who gets stuck with all the worries, and she gets all the sympathy,” the young woman replied, her resentment toward the child evident. “It’s a real pain having to look after her all the time. I’m just hoping I get to keep my job once they find out I brought the brat along. Be just my luck to get fired after doing so well in my training, but maybe they’ll have some kind of work for her,” she told the captive audience seated behind her.

“I don’t know if Fred has anyone that young working for him,” Charlie stated, eyeing the girl with a look she interpreted as disapproval.

“Oh no! Don’t tell me you work for Mr. Harvey,” Lydia wailed. “I have the worst luck in the world. Who else but me would sit down and pour out her heart to the one person who could ruin everything.”

“I don’t work for Mr. Harvey,” Charlie interrupted. “I work for the Santa Fe Railroad, but I do know Fred. He’s a good man, but I don’t believe he would want a child of Addie’s age employed in one of his establishments.”

“Whew, that was a close call!” Lydia exclaimed. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am. You won’t tell Mr. Harvey about Addie, will you?”

Charlie met her eyes. “I don’t want to see you and your little sister in dire circumstances, but I’ll not lie for you either,” he answered.

Lydia glowered at him and began to rise from the seat.

“Why don’t you sit back down and tell us why you brought Addie with you? It might make it easier for us to help you,” Tessie cajoled, hoping to placate the older girl.

Quickly realizing that it would be more advantageous to have these folks as friends, Lydia reclaimed her seat and, gazing at some unknown object just behind Tessie’s shoulder, launched into her account.

“My parents got divorced about three years ago,” she began. “Ma got word about a year later that Pa had died. Not that it mattered too much. He never sent any money to help out when he was alive. Ma went to work as a housekeeper and cook for some rich folks in town. They didn’t want us living in their fancy house, so Ma rented a small place outside of town. She had to walk over three miles every morning and evening, no matter what the weather was like. Not once did they so much as offer to give her a ride in their buggy, even when it was pouring rain or the snow was a foot deep. Ma never did complain, though,” she continued, shaking her head in dismay.

“I know that must have been difficult for all three of you,” Tessie responded, her heart going out to the two young women.

Lydia didn’t respond but continued in a hollow voice. “About a year ago Ma got sick with influenza. We couldn’t afford a doctor, so she just kept getting worse until finally she died.”

“Sounds like your mother tried real hard to take care of things on her own,” Charlie commented.

“She did, but she needed help, and there was never anyone around to give her a hand. It was all she could do to make enough money to pay the rent and buy food. Even when she was hot with fever, she would drag herself out of bed and go to work,” Lydia stated. “After she died, I knew I had to find some way to take care of myself. I had just finished high school, and Ma was so proud. She always wanted me to have a better life, but I was left trying to find a place to live and a job that would pay decent wages. A friend told me about an advertisement she had seen for the Harvey Houses. She said it paid good money, and you got a place to live. It didn’t take me long to make my decision. ‘Course Addie has been my biggest problem as usual,” she said, giving the child a look of disdain.