Edith and the Mysterious Stranger (16 page)

As Edith’s tears trickled down her face, she
hugged Melinda and sighed. “My poor dear.”

Melinda let out a puff of air in
aggravation—aggravation only for herself and no one else. “And you
know what?”

“What?”

“I’m going to try harder to make my husband
happy, rather than wallowing in self-pity.”

Edith laughed as she wiped her tear-stained face
with her white lacy handkerchief and then dabbed Melinda’s cheeks
as well. “I believe this mysterious stranger is helping both of
us.”

Melinda smiled. “I think so.”

Giving a sly grin, Edith said, “Guess what I’ve
done?”

When Melinda heard the excitement in Edith’s
voice, her eyes brightened. “What have you done?”

“I’ve invited my mysterious friend over for
Halloween. That way we could get to know one another. I told him
that we could dress up in costumes.”

“You’re not serious, are you?” Melinda asked
with delight.

“Of course. I think dressing up in costumes is a
wonderful tradition. I love it. Did you know that it originated
from the Irish?”

“No. I didn’t.”

“In Ireland, Irish beggars would go to wealthy
homes on Halloween night and ask for food or money? If they
refused, then evil spirits would destroy their homes.”

Melinda laughed. “I didn’t know that. So what
did you say to your mysterious friend?”

“Oh, yes. Here’s what I wrote.”

Edith pulled a second letter out of her bag and
read:

Dear Friend,

I just love autumn with all the colorful
leaves blanketing the sides of the mountains. Cache Valley and Bear
Lake Valley are so lovely with all the fall leaves turning
brilliant colors. During this harvest time is my favorite holiday:
Halloween.

We get together with friends
and family and
celebrate by having delicious meals. We
even bob for apples. Sometimes we dress up in festive costumes just
for fun. I would like to invite you to my home so we can meet. We
can dress up, of course. This year I’ll be dressed as a Spanish
Señorita. How would you like to come by, dressed incognito, of
course? And I could at least meet you in person.

By the way, thank you for your letter.
Sometimes I get caught up in everyday life. I now realize the
importance of service. If I can only bring a little bit of joy into
the lives of others, then that can be true happiness. Don’t you
think?

Our communication has meant more to me than
you’ll ever know. I find myself getting excited as I wait for each
letter, wondering what you’ll say next.

Sincerely,

Edith

“So what do you think?”

Melinda smiled and put her hand on top of
Edith’s, giving it an affectionate squeeze. “I hope he does come.
By the way, we’re having a little get-together on Halloween night,
from eight to ten. We’ll have chili and cider. You can come anytime
you want. We’ve invited several people to stop by, including Uncle
William, Aunt Martha, Henry and Joseph. Gilbert has invited a few
of his ranch hands, also.”

“I’ll be there after my mysterious friend
leaves. You can count on me.”

As Edith tucked her letter and handkerchief
in her bag, she smiled. “We’re a bunch of sentimental fools, if you
ask me. When we get together, we laugh and cry. And then we cry and
laugh.”

Melinda pulled Edith into her arms and hugged
her tight as she said, “And we love so deeply, don’t we,
Edith?”

Jenny set the table while
Gilbert put the roast beef and baked potatoes onto platters
to be served. The aroma of the succulent beef filled the air. He
knew how to cook the beef just right so it would fall apart with
the jab of a fork. Then he sliced some fresh whole wheat bread into
thick slices, and placed it on the table.

When dinner was ready, Gilbert walked down the
hallway to get Melinda. As he approached the bedroom, he could hear
a soft melody coming from the room. He didn’t want to disturb her,
so he carefully tiptoed toward the door and peeked in. Melinda was
seated in her rocking chair humming and smiling as she rested her
hand on the roundness of her belly.

He could see her face, her eyes, and her
contentment. Gilbert’s heart swelled within him. He had not heard
her sing since she was with child. Melinda used to always hum or
sing around the house while working. But he had not heard a note
for months. Between her morning sickness, the blues, cramps, and
worries about their baby, she had not even felt like singing.

As Gilbert listened, he realized that Melinda
was feeling better. His spirits soared as he watched her rocking
back and forth with a serene look upon her face. How he loved this
woman—his wife and his companion!

As he watched intently, she said to her infant
as she caressed her belly, “I’ve just got to be more patient with
your father, Sweetie. Just because I don’t feel good isn’t a reason
to take it out on the ones I love. Right?” She laughed as she
patted her belly. “Right! I’ve been wallowing in self-pity for too
long and I’m going to stop. I’ve got to think of others from now
on. And not so much about me. That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it,
sweet one? We’ll get through this together, won’t we? We just need
a little faith.” Then she continued humming the same melody.

Gilbert stepped into the room with a smile.
Upon hearing him enter, Melinda was startled and quickly turned
toward the door.

“Gilbert! How long have you been standing
there?”

“Long enough, Melinda. Long enough. It’s so
good to hear you singing again.”

Melinda smiled contentedly.

“I’ve been so worried about you.”

Melinda smiled and then lowered her eyes to
her belly and stroked it tenderly. “I’ve been praying that our baby
will be all right.”

“Me, too.”

“And you know what, Gilbert? I feel it deep
down inside this baby will be healthy and strong. We have nothing
to worry about any longer, as long as I don’t overdo.” She looked
up at Gilbert and smiled. “Have you been thinking of names
lately?”

Gilbert walked to the rocking chair and
knelt down beside her. He took her hand in his and held it
tenderly.

Giving a mischievous grin, he answered,
“Yes, I have. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought lately. What do
you say about Jockwirt?”

“What?” said Melinda with astonishment.

Gilbert suppressed his laughter as he said
slowly, “You pronounce it jock-wirt, I believe.”

“Jockwirt?” Melinda’s nose wrinkled up with
disgust. “What kind of name is that?”

Gilbert chuckled. “All right. I can see you
don’t like it, so I’ll continue thinking about it.”

“Good. I’d really appreciate that.”

He brought the palm of her hand up to his
lips and kissed it tenderly. “Just for you, Melinda, I’ll think of
another name. But I feel bad because I really liked it. It started
to grow on me, the more I thought about it. It has a certain ring
to it. Jockwirt! I like the sound of it. Don’t you?”

Melinda playfully slapped him on the
shoulder. “Sound of it? Maybe monotone.”

“Oh, Melinda. You are so hard to
please.”

Melinda looked down into Gilbert’s dark
brown eyes and could see the humor in them. She smiled and said
softly, “I have faith in you, Gilbert. Just keep thinking about it.
I know you can do it. Remember, you’ve got less than three months
to come up with a decent name.” She paused. “With my approval, of
course.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have it any other
way.”

David had changed since the cattle drive. He had
become a more humble young man and was more willing to take advice
from others. He realized the road he was going down was not
right.

One day, he told Jenny, “After sitting around
and not doing much for the past week, I had a lot of time to think
about my life. I realized how wrong I’ve been, and I have a lot of
growing up to do.”

When Jenny heard the sincerity in his voice, it
touched her deeply. This was exactly what she had been waiting for,
a repentant attitude. As he turned to leave, Jenny quickly put her
hand on his arm. To her astonishment, his eyes had misted over.

“Please sit,” she said. “We need to talk.”

David sat down in front of her and wiped his
eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. He had considered himself tough,
and now he was showing a side of himself that he had hidden for
years, the tender and gentle side. His mother was the only one who
knew this side of him. Now for the first time, he had let someone
else see it. He felt a little embarrassed as he bowed his head so
she would not meet his eyes.

Jenny smiled and said, “Let’s start over.”

David looked confused. “How do I do that?”

She smiled “Like this.”

She gave an exaggerated bow, took his hand in
hers, and gave a solid shake as she said, “I’m glad to meet you.
I’m Jenny.”

David laughed. “Nice to meet you. I’m an old
cowpoke, and I’m headed for Denver soon. How about a picnic this
afternoon?”

Jenny giggled. “I would love to. And when you go
home, I would like you to write and keep in contact.”

“Do you really mean that, Jenny?”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Friends?”

David squeezed her hand and nodded.

For the next three weeks, they cultivated
their friendship. He had never gotten to know Jenny. He was too
busy flirting with her for his own selfish reasons. He had passed
up the importance of friendship because of the excitement of being
an outlaw and trying to charm every woman he met.

Now he had to start all over again and
cultivate the caring and sharing that were the beginnings of
friendship. And to his surprise, he found it rewarding. David and
Jenny took walks along the stream, had picnics, and he helped her
with her chores when needed. Once he even surprised her by brushing
her mare down. Sometimes, when he saw her coming from a distance,
he would hide behind the barn and jump out, frightening the wits
out of her.

Slapping him on the shoulder, she said
sternly, “You do that again, and you’ll be sorry.”

David laughed so hard, that she vowed to get
even. The following day, she was waiting inside the barn with a
bucket of water in hand. When he stepped through the door, Jenny
plastered him good. He gasped as the cold water struck his face and
chest. He was soaked from head to foot. When she saw the startled
look in his eyes, she quickly ran to the back end of the barn,
slipped through the window, and barely got away by the skin of her
teeth.

It was the end of October now
and time for David to leave. When he walked his horse toward the
house, the whole
family was lined up outside to say their
goodbyes. They were standing in a row by age and that made him
chuckle.

Gilbert instantly pulled David into his arms and
hugged him, pounding his back a few times. “David, you came here as
a kid, but you’re leaving as a man.”

David smiled, feeling a little choked up. “Thank
you, sir.”

As he approached Jenny, he felt awkward. He was
not sure how to say goodbye. During the past three weeks, their
friendship had grown into something very special. Now he wanted to
take her in his arms and say goodbye the right way, but he didn’t
want to be too forward with her parents standing there. When he saw
a tear trickle down her cheek, he wiped it with his thumb and
smiled.

Then he wrapped his arms around her and embraced
her tenderly. As he held her, he whispered, “I’ll miss you,
Jenny.”

She leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on
the cheek. To her amazement, he blushed. And that made her
smile.

After saying his good-byes, David climbed upon his
horse and rode down the path. The sun was barely rising over the
Rocky Mountains. The clouds made lacy designs in the sky. It was a
lovely day. David turned in his saddle and took off his hat. He
waved it in the air and hollered a last goodbye.

As he rode away, Jenny realized how much she
would miss him. He had treated her with love and respect. That was
something special that Jenny would always remember.

Edith finished brushing her wavy dark
tresses and allowed them to fall gracefully down to her shoulders
rather than pinning her hair upon her head, as usual. She thought
that a Spanish señorita would have her hair hang free to her
shoulders. She grabbed a red flowered skirt and pulled it on. It
had three gathered tiers, just like the pictures of Mexico. Then
she pulled on a simple white peasant blouse that tied at the neck.
Next she hung a dangling gold earring from each ear and slipped on
her black shoes.

Halloween was one of Edith’s favorite times of
the year because family and neighbors would get together and dress
up in festive costumes, eat foods of the season, and play
games.

Smiling in the mirror, she pinched her
cheeks for color and then carefully placed a red silk flower in her
dark tresses just above her ear for decoration and color. The red
flower and skirt brought out the beauty in her olive complexion.
She truly looked like a lovely Spanish señorita.

Edith felt pleased with her costume. Her
heart beat a little faster this afternoon and her spirits were
high. She was not sure if her mysterious stranger would appear, but
she had high hopes. As she walked into the kitchen, her mother
turned to look at her.

Martha’s eyes widened, and then she smiled.
“Oh my! Edith, you look radiant. I’ve never seen you look more
beautiful.”

“Why, thank you, Mama. I appreciate
that.”

“This young man is going to be knocked out
of his shoes. I know that, for sure. He’d better be holding onto
something when he sees you.”