Across the Border (4 page)

Ethan

The problem of how to mail the letter was solved for him the following day at lunchtime.

“I need some things from town,” his ma said. “We also have to get more medicine from the doctor's office for Luke. I can't take the time to go in and leave Polly with everything to do.”

“I'll go, Mama,” Frances offered. “Alice can keep me company. It won't take long in the new buggy.”

As soon as lunch was over, Ethan followed her to the springhouse. “Frances, will you take my letter to town? I'd like it to get to Bert right away.”

She nodded. “Not a problem.”

The next morning Frances tucked Ethan's letter into her bag, and she and Alice were on the way before the sun had climbed far above the horizon.

She listened to Alice's chatter, but Frances had her mind on other important matters. She hadn't told her mother that she had business of her own in town and had been waiting for an opportunity to go without having to answer questions about her errands. She intended to visit Elaine Flynn, the doctor's wife. Mrs. Flynn had been friendly to her, and Frances felt that she could confide in her.

Leaving Alice to look in the shop windows and play on the town green, Frances promised to return for her within the hour, then turned her steps toward the doctor's home.

“I would like to teach school here in Winner this fall,” Frances said. “Do you think there's a chance that I could get the job?”

“They're talking with several people about taking the teaching position,” Elaine told her. “I suggest that you put your name on the list, and the school board will interview you.” She smiled at Frances and patted her hand. “I'm sure you would make a wonderful teacher. Does your father approve of your applying for the position?”

“I haven't talked with him about it yet,” Frances admitted. “Everyone has been so worried over Luke that there hasn't been time. But if you think there may be a chance, I'll do it right away.”

All the way home Frances rehearsed what she would say to Papa. After all, she was going on eighteen and had proven herself a responsible young lady. Actually, she thought, there might be more trouble persuading Mama that she was ready to leave home. Mama depended upon Frances to help with the younger children. While she didn't object to that responsibility, Frances felt that she was old enough to be out on her own by fall. At least she wanted to try it.

The weeks that Luke had been ill were the hardest for Henry. It wasn't only that he had extra work to do, but he was concerned about his friend. When it seemed there was a possibility that Luke might not survive the terrible fever, Henry prayed daily that the Lord would spare him and turn his life around. Luke was a good man, but he didn't profess faith in Christ, and this was a source of worry for Henry.

When, during the past week, Luke had asked forgiveness and said that he would dedicate the remainder of his life to the Lord, Henry was happy and relieved. He visited with the older man each evening after supper and encouraged him to pray and read the Bible.

One evening Henry went in to talk with Luke while Ethan finished his pie at the kitchen table.

“Where does Henry go every night?” Ethan asked Polly.

“He's right there in the parlor with Luke,” Polly replied. “I wouldn't call that goin' anywhere.”

“He doesn't stay in there till midnight.”

Polly eyed the boy sharply. “Henry don't go no place else till midnight, except to bed.”

Ethan shook his head. “He hasn't been coming to bed early. I've seen him take Winnie and ride out toward town.”

“You mean he goes someplace on the horse in the evenings?”

“Yep.”

“And he never says where he's been?”

“Nope.”

“Well, what do you know! Henry ain't never been underhanded, so he ain't sneakin' away. With so much extra activity at the house with Luke ill, I guess I been too busy to notice what's goin' on. I reckon Henry's got himself a girl somewhere 'tween here and town.”

“A girl? You mean like Amelia over at the Porters'?”

Polly slapped her hand down on the table. “That's the one! Now that you mention it, I seen him castin' looks toward her at church. Did he sit with her at the last picnic?”

“Yep, he did. There were other folks around, but they ate together.”

“This is the first time I ever been the last to know when somethin' like this was goin' on,” Polly mourned. “‘Specially with Henry. Lookin' after Luke has kept me too close to the house. What do you know 'bout that!”

Polly lost no time approaching Henry on the subject.

Yes, he admitted, he'd been seeing Amelia for some time. She was a right nice young lady, and he was planning to ask her to marry him.

“I'm thinkin' of arranging with Chad to build a little cabin on my section of land,” Henry told her. “I don't want to go off and leave him. He's been good to let Luke and me each get our own land and graze our own stock with his when we're ready. Seems like a good time for me to do that.”

In the middle of August, Mr. Rush made another announcement.

The family would move again to stake a claim for more land. This time the homestead was in Mexico.

The evening sounds of the prairie whirled around the stunned group gathered on the porch of the big house. Luke had been brought out to enjoy the slightly cooler air in the early twilight. The others were gathered around, grateful for the approach of night after an oppressive day of heat in the field and the house.

Now everyone stared at Mr. Rush in disbelief. He didn't look at any of them but continued to study the piece of wood he was whittling.

Finally Will broke the silence. “Where's
Mexico
?”

“Not in this world,” Polly declared. “If you got to take on more land, Chad, why couldn't it be somewheres nearby, like Minnesota or North Dakota, or even Wyoming, where George is goin'?”

“Papa! Why
now
?”
Frances wailed.

“How long have you been thinking on this?” Mrs. Rush's voice sounded resigned. “Seems to me we've been picked up and moved enough for this lifetime.”

“This may be our biggest chance for this lifetime,” Mr. Rush answered. “I've been hearing of it for some months, and the trip to Willow Creek settled my mind. Just wait until I tell you all about it before you start moaning.”

“Are we all going, Papa?” Simon sounded anxious.

Ethan understood how he felt. He recalled the day back in Willow Creek when Pa had announced that he was filing a claim in South Dakota. Ethan hadn't known whether all the Coopers would be included. Were he and his sister and brothers really a part of the family? It had taken a long time to be absolutely sure that they were accepted after being hustled around from one place to another so many times.

“Yes,” Mr. Rush answered. “Everyone but Henry.”

Mrs. Rush gasped. “Not Henry? Why ever not?”

“I'll let him tell you about that.”

Henry grinned and blushed. “Well, it seems the Lord might've worked things out just right. I want to get married as soon as I can, and when I asked Chad about puttin' up a cabin or stayin' in the soddy till I could build us a place on my section, he offered to let us stay in the house till you come back.”

“You can't run this place by yourself,” Polly said. “I know them range animals don't take daily care, but the barn stock is more than you can handle alone. Not to mention my garden and the wheat and corn.”

“Won't do it by myself,” Henry replied. “Amelia's brothers will come to hold the bunkhouse down. We can hire day help when we need it. Amelia's a good cook, too. 'Course not as good as you, Polly,” he hastened to add, “but we won't starve.”

Polly settled back in her chair and glanced at Luke. “What are you grinnin' about, Luke Hawley? I guess this suits you just fine, don't it? You've had an itchy foot ever since you scared your ma to death walkin' into town when you was only three years old.”

“Yep, I'm real pleased. I've always wanted to see a foreign land.”

Will had been listening to all the conversation, but now it seemed he came to the end of his patience. “Well, where
is
Mexico?”

“It's four states directly south of us,” Frances told him. “Farther than you've ever been before. When are we going, Papa?”

“Soon as the wheat and hay are in. Several families from Willow Creek are making up a caravan to go together. They'll be glad to have a teacher for their children, I've no doubt.”

“I hope they're prepared to pay me,” Frances added. “I could possibly have a school in Winner if I were going to be here.”

Mr. Rush looked at her as if surprised. “I guess you're right. They should pay a little for regular lessons. We'll talk it over.”

Ethan had said nothing. He sat on the steps and stared off across the prairie. Why should his plans for school be abandoned? He would be fourteen years old in November, and he did as much work as any man on the place. Pa had said he could make his own decision. When it was time to leave, he would simply tell the family that
he
was going to Kansas.

Somehow the thought didn't make him as happy as it should have. Somewhere in his mind, he could hear Ma saying, “Take care of the little ones, Ethan. I'm trusting you to be responsible.” And another voice, that of Matron Daly at Briarlane, also echoed. “The Lord will lead you where you should go if you trust Him.”

Ethan looked at Alice and Will and Simon. What dangers might they meet in a strange place and not have him to turn to? Would a year of school be worth it if anything happened to one of them, and he wasn't there?

With a sigh, Ethan decided that it would not. If they were going to be here, in a familiar place, he might not worry. But in another country? Ethan wouldn't even be able to picture where they were. He didn't know anything about Mexico. He turned his attention to what his father was saying.

“Mexico has a new president, and the United States is putting a lot of money into the country. Some big oil companies are going down there, and work will be plentiful. I figure that if I get some land now when things are beginning to prosper, I'll be able to sell it later at a profit. Mexico has a system of land laws that allows United States citizens to do that. In fact, they're encouraging it.”

“Chad ain't never needed no encouragement to get him more land,” Polly grumbled as she took a cold drink to Luke at bedtime. “He didn't say a thing about what we'll live in when we get there.”

“Probably a 'dobe house,” Luke said.

“What in the world is that?”

“Mud.” Luke grinned at Polly's shocked expression. “You can be glad it's on top of the ground. It won't be a soddy.”

“My, my.” She clucked her tongue. “Ain't we fortunate? I was just gettin' used to having a hardwood floor to scrub again. Now I can go back to one that won't show the dirt. I s'pose everyone will be in the same room, too. We don't know a soul who's ever seen that country. How do we know what we'll find there?”

“I can think of a few things,” Luke told her. “It's like a desert, so there'll be cactus and rocks and plenty of heat. We'll also hear another language.”

Polly slumped into the nearest chair and stared at Luke. “Another language? You mean them folks don't speak no English?”

“Nope.”

“What, then?”

“Spanish. I met some cowboys once who could say a few words. They said you learn to talk to folks when you been there awhile.”

Polly shook her head. “I'm feelin' better all the time. If it wasn't for helpin' Manda with them young 'uns, I'd stay right here.”

“You wouldn't want to miss all the excitement.” Luke smirked at her. “How many ladies your age get to leave the United States? Chad says we'll live in a town and not way out in the country. You can visit with the neighbors.”

Polly glared at him. “Sure I can. We can talk about two different things at the same time and never know the difference. I'm goin' to bed. Chances are I won't sleep a wink for countin' my blessings.”