Yankee Mail Order Bride (4 page)

The rider tied his horse to the hitching post and went to the front door. He rapped sharply on the door and heard the sound of footsteps. The door was opened by a large black woman, wearing a blue dress and a white apron dotted with traces of flour. She had a red scarf on her head, with the knot on top.

“Yes sir,” she said when she opened the door.

The man said, “I have a telegram for Josiah Moore.”

Never having heard of a telegram Beulah had no clue just what it was. If it was for Mr Josiah, it must be important. “Mr Josiah is down to the corral. Just go on down there,” she said.

Leading his horse, he walked to the corral where he found several cowboys sitting on a fence watching the cowboy astride a bucking horse in the corral. He stood watching the action in the arena. And thought,  “Who ever that was, he sits a good saddle.
” He called out, “Josiah Moore”?

A couple of the onlookers nodded and pointed to the man riding the bucking horse. He would have to wait until the ride was finished. When the horse stopped bucking and stood in the middle of the corral, the rider nudged the flank with his boot heel and the horse began walking around the arena.

One of the fence sitters said, “Josiah, this man is here to see you.”

Josiah held up one finger to indicate he’d be there in a minute. He took the bit from the mouth of the horse he had just ridden and removed the halter. He walked over to the rider, extended his hand and said, “Josiah Moore.”

The rider shook the hand and gave his name. He reached inside his shirt and pulled out an envelope. “The Western Union manager sent me out here with this,” and handed Josiah a telegram. He stood there a minute, and then said, “Mr Moore, are you hiring? I could sure use a job.”

“Can you ride?” asked Josiah.

“I can ride horses like the one you just broke,” the cowboy said.

Josiah pointed to a group of men. “Talk to the man over there with the gray hair. Name’s Jud Pierce. He’s the foreman and does all of my hiring.”

With that, he looked at the envelope in his hand and walked toward the house. Inside, he opened the envelope. It began, “Dear Sir, I am in receipt of your telegram and have made travel arrangements. Arriving Cheyenne, UP, Friday, June 4th. (Signed) Anna Taylor.”

“Beulah, I have some news for you. You told me I needed a wife so I put an ad in the newspaper and I have an answer. I have a letter from a young woman in Massachusetts and she is going to come to Cheyenne to be my wife.”

“Land sakes, Mr Josiah, just like that you can order a wife? Things is sure changing ain’t they. What’s going to be next? Whooeee. I sure hope she’s the right one.”

Beulah could not read, so he read the letter to her. “What do you think?” he asked.

“I think you gone have your hands full. You ain’t going to boss her around the way you do me,” she said.

He laughed. “Nobody’s bossed you around. Not since I’ve been alive, anyway.”

“Sometimes, you just downright smart, Mr. Josiah. You gone tell Rebecca now?”

“Yes I am. And before you say it, I’m going to be careful. This place is going to be over run with women,” he said and went looking for his daughter.

He found her playing with Susie. “Come give your Papa a big hug, you pretty little thing,” he said.

She walked over, climbed into his lap and put her small arms around his neck and squeezed. “Uuhhhhh,” she said. “Now, hug Susie.”

He did so. “I have something to tell you,” he said and sat in the rocking chair with her on his lap. “I’ve been lonely since your Mama went to heaven, I’ve asked a lady to come live with us and be my wife. She’ll be your mother too. I don’t want you to think she’s going to replace Mama, no one can do that. I want you to to go with me when she comes to Cheyenne. She lives far away and will be coming on the train.”

Such is the simplicity of a child’s mind, Rebecca simply said, “All right, Papa, can Susie come too?”

“Yes, I was going to ask her next,” he said.

“She’ll like that,” Rebecca said.

It was that easy. Josiah was pleased with the way things had gone. He went back to talk more with Beulah.

“Beulah, it’s important to me, you’re important to me, but having a stranger come into our home is going to be different. I just want you to know, you always have a place. You are a part of our family. Anna, that’s her name by the way, said in her letter, she doesn’t know how to cook, and there’s probably other things she doesn’t know either, so I’m asking for your patience. It has to be hard for a young woman to leave her only home, and travel across most of the country and live with strangers. She’s going to need you,” he finished.

Beulah said, “Mr Josiah, you don’t have to worry. I remember when you brought Miss Caroline home. We got along jus’ fine and Miss Anna and me will get along jus’ fine too. You needs somebody. Miss Rebecca needs somebody too. I surely do hope she’s the one.”

“Thank you Beulah. I knew I could count on you. I will get a telegram in a couple of days telling me when she will be here. Rebecca will go with me to meet her. She’ll be coming in on the train on Friday.”

A corral at the Diablo Ranch
…

“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” the rider said to Josiah. He walked over and spoke to Jud.

Josiah could see him nodding, then Jud pointed to one of the horses in the next pen. “Put a saddle on that pinto and lets see what you can do,” Jud said.

The young rider picked up a saddle and headed to the other pen. He put the saddle on a fence rail, and took the bridle with him into the pen. He walked up to the pinto, and stood there talking to the horse. With a smooth motion, he had the bit in the horse's mouth. He led the horse around the ring a few times and then over to where he had put the saddle. With very little wasted motion, he had the saddle on the horse’s back and cinched up. He again led the horse on a few circuits of the corral. Then, still talking to the horse, he swung easily into the saddle. The horse shied, but the cowboy had him under control. He walked a bit and then called to one of the onlookers. “Open the gate, please.” Someone obliged him. He spurred the horse. It jumped forward and took out across the pasture at a gallop.

The onlookers could see him leaning forward on the racing horse. He circled around and came back, the horse walking docilely into the corral. Jude walked up to him, and said, “Son, if I hadn’t seen that with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. Where did you learn something like that?”

“My Pa had a small spread until we lost it. It’s called horse whispering. Some people can do it. Most can’t,” the cowboy said.

“Well, whatever you call it, you’ve got a job,” Jud said. “Get your things and you can move into the bunkhouse.”

The young cowboy pumped Jud’s hand. “Yes sir, Mr Jud, thank you. I really needed this.”

Jud walked over to Josiah and said, “Did you see that, Boss? I just hired him. Beats all I’ve ever seen.” Nodding his head at the telegram Josiah was holding. “Bad news?” he asked.

Josiah smiled and said, “No, actually it is very good news. My fiance will be coming in on the train Friday.” He turned and headed to the house, leaving a puzzled foreman scratching his gray hair.

Friday, June 4th

Josiah was dressed in his Sunday best, his hair was combed, and covered by a good Stetson hat. He was wearing his best boots. Beulah had given Rebecca a bath, brushed her hair until it shone, and dressed her in a long pink dress to match the pink ribbon in her hair. “Princess, you are the most beautiful girl in all of Wyoming,” Josiah said to his daughter.

“Now you be careful and don’t get dirt on your dress, Miss Rebecca. You don’t want to be all dirty when you meet your new mother,” Beulah said.

“I won’t, Auntie Beulah,” she said.

“Ready to go, Princess?” Josiah said.

“Yes Papa.”

He picked her up and carried to the carriage, all cleaned up and waiting by the wrap around porch in front of the main house. “Beulah, I am so nervous, I’m shaking,” he said.

“You ain’t got no reason to be nervous, Mr Josiah. Big, handsome man like you? Pshaw, the lady will swoon when she sees you,” Beulah said.

“Caroline was the only girl I ever had and I knew her since we were Rebecca’s age. I won’t know how to act around a strange woman,” he said.

“Jus’ be yourself and you’ll be fine,” she said. “Now git, and bring her on home.”

With Rebecca beside him, he drove into Cheyenne and parked in front of the depot, putting a feed bag on each of the horses, after watering them. They sat in the carriage until the train was in sight, then Josiah got out, and hand in hand, he and Rebecca walked to the platform. The train came into the station, the engineer applied the brakes. Showers of sparks shot out from behind the eight big driving wheels. Black smoke poured from the stack atop the engine, which let out a cloud of steam as it sighed, as if tired from its journey through the mountains.

A conductor stepped from each car and placed a wooden step beneath the metal steps extending from the platform at the end of each car. Passengers began leaving, with drummers and their big product bags the first off. They hurried off toward the saloon. A young lady stepped down from the train, with an assist from the conductor. She looked around, nervously, as if she was expecting someone, but unsure what they looked like.

“That must be Anna,” Josiah said to Rebecca. He made his way to her.

“Excuse me. Are you Anna Taylor?” he asked, feeling as nervous as she looked.

She smiled, revealing white, even teeth. The smile lit her face framed by long blond hair, curled on the ends. “I’m Anna. Are you Josiah?”

“Yes, I am. Anna, may I introduce you to my daughter, Rebecca. Rebecca, this is Anna.”

Anna stooped to eye level with Rebecca. “Do you like dolls, Rebecca?”

Rebecca nodded. “I have a doll.”

“You do?  What’s her name?” Anna asked.

“Her name is Susie,” Rebecca replied.

Anna reached into her bag and pulled out a doll, obviously not new, but well taken care of. “Well, I brought you a doll I’ve had since I was your age. Her name is Mary. She can be Susie’s friend.” She handed the doll to Rebecca, who clutched it to her chest along with Susie.

She stood and looked at Josiah. “That was very thoughtful of you,” he said. “If you point your luggage out, I will load it in the carriage.” They walked to the baggage car where the trunks and other items were being unloaded. She pointed to an expensive looking trunk. Mrs Barnhurst helped me get it out of the house while my father was at work. I couldn’t tell my mother what I was doing because she couldn’t have kept it from my father. I have to write her a letter and let her know where I am and that I’m all right.

“Anna, I thought it might make things a bit less awkward if we talked before we head to the ranch. If you don’t object, we could go to the cafe,” he said.

“It really isn’t necessary, but that will be all right if you would be more comfortable,” she said as she smiled.

“Let’s do that,” he said.

In the cafe, he found a corner table, offering a modicum of privacy. “Have you had lunch?” he asked.

“They didn’t serve lunch on the train yet,” she said.

“Their food here is as good as any in Cheyenne,” he said.

“I’m really not very hungry. I would like a glass of tea,” she said.

“It sounds good to me. What would you like, Princess? Soda water, milk, or lemonade?”

“Milk,” she said. “Susie and Mary want milk too.”

“Can you share yours with them?” Josiah asked.

“Yes, Papa,” she answered.

“Anna, I’m sure you feel some concern about this. I know I do. I want you to know, I won’t push you into anything. I want you to be positive about what you are doing. I want our marriage to be what you want also. If it turns out you’re not comfortable for any reason, I will provide you transportation back to your home.

“Josiah, I have nothing in Plymouth to which I would like to return. I love my mother dearly, but she was going along with my father’s plans. I am here, and here I will be if it is suitable to you.”

“Thank you for that. I needed to hear it. Would you like to wait and be married in church? We have an Episcopal church, or would you prefer a simple ceremony?” he asked. “Either way would be fine with me.”

“A simple ceremony would be perfectly suitable. I don’t see the need in having to drive back to town when we can take care of it now.” She blushed at the thought of talking so openly about the various paths to marriage. It was a new subject for her.

“If you’re positive, we can walk to the justice of the peace from here.” They walked down the street, with Josiah carrying Rebecca and Anna beside him to the JP’s office. They obtained a license and in a simple civil ceremony were joined in marriage.

After the ceremony, they walked back to the carriage. “It is about an hour’s ride to the Diablo, but the road is good, so you should be comfortable.”

“Don’t worry, Josiah, I’m not fragile. I won’t break. Now, tell me, what is Diablo.”

“Diablo is the name of our ranch. It is Spanish for “devil”. I don’t think Pa ever told me why Grandpa picked that name. It is a difficult brand to copy, so that may be a reason. It’s been in the family for three generations.”

“What’s the weather like here?” she asked.

“Summer’s are nice. It can get pretty cold in the winter, but I doubt it’s any worse than your weather was,” he answered.

About forty five minutes into the ride, he said, “We’re on our land now. Both sides of the road belong to Diablo.” He leaned across her to point, and brushed against her. “Pardon me,” he said. “I was just going to point out, off in that direction, you can see one of our herds.”

“Josiah, you’re my husband. You don’t need to apologize for touching me,” she said. She gave him one of her blinding smiles.

“As soon as we top this hill, you’ll be able to see the main house,” he told her.

“There, Anna, that’s your new home,” he said and pointed to a large white house, on a hill to the right. “Our home, I should say.”

“It certainly is large. I’ll have to work hard to keep it clean,” she said; “but I don’t mind hard work.”

Josiah laughed. “You will have plenty of help. We have Beulah, who does the cooking and we have a housekeeper. Beulah will help with Rebecca too. She’s been with the family since I was a baby.”

He pulled up next to the barn and one of the ranch hands came up and said. “I’ll take care of the carriage, boss. Anything else?”

“Yes, Clay, if you will, help me with the trunk,” Josiah replied.

Josiah took Anna’s hand and assisted her from the carriage. “”Here, Princess, I’ll carry you and Susie and Mary.” He picked her and her entourage up and they went into their house together.