Edith and the Mysterious Stranger (3 page)

As his eyes swept over her, he realized, in all of
his eighteen years, he had never seen a young woman this lovely. As
he watched her intently, she happened to turn in his direction and
their eyes met. He smiled at her and gave a nod. She smiled back
and quickly looked down at the ground, fiddling with her skirt. She
acted quite shy, which he had not seen in a female for a long time.
And that intrigued him all the more.

Gunplay nudged him playfully and said, “She’s a shy
one. Don’t know if she’ll give ya the time of day, but no harm in
tryin’. Maybe after the interview, ya’ll can meander over and
introduce yourself. It doesn’t hurt to get to know the boss’s
daughter.”

“The boss’s daughter?”

“Yup. I overheard the other hands talkin’ about her.
They said the boss has one daughter and one son. I just figured she
was the one.”

David nodded as he watched her from a distance. He
was not really interested in helping with the cattle drive. He and
Gunplay were here as part of a scheme, as part of a plan that had
been set up. He was new to this cattle-rustling business, but he
was not new to cattle ranches.

David was a tall muscular young man. He had blond
hair that touched the top of his shirt and light blue eyes with a
distinct dimple in his chin, which made him attractive to most
young women. And he knew it, too. His shoulders were broad, his
arms were tan, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.

Why he chose this destination, he was not sure. He
knew he wanted excitement in his life, and maybe this was the
answer. He was a handsome young man with a touch of rebellion. Why
he chose to be contrary, he was not sure, either. His father had
been hard on him and pushed too much. Perhaps that was the reason.
He knew of his father’s love, but David felt rebellious. His mother
was a soft-spoken woman and tried to help alleviate the tension
that sprang up between David and his father. For some reason, they
clashed. Now, here he was learning to be a cattle rustler. He knew
his father would not approve, but this was his life and this was
how he chose to live it.

Yes, this was going to be exciting. The adrenaline
rushed through his veins as he thought about it. This was the life
he had chosen, and he did not regret it one bit.

Gunplay nudged him. “It’s your turn.”

David turned and nervously walked inside the
bunkhouse for his interview, hoping all would go well and that he
would be hired.

Jenny was standing on the porch when the door of the
house slammed shut. She turned around and saw her little
six-year-old brother John walk outside. She gave him a wink as John
looked up at his big sister.

“Jenny, where’s Pa?”

“He’s still interviewing men for the cattle
drive.”

“Oh. How come?”

“We don’t have enough men to make the drive. We have
twenty–five hundred head to take and we don’t have enough,
yet.”

“Oh. When will he be done? I need to talk to
him.”

“Pretty soon. He’s interviewing the last man
now.”

“Oh. I just have a question to ask him.”

John’s tone was low and soft with a touch of hope,
and Jenny noticed it right away.

“What do you have on your mind, John?”

“I was just thinkin’ about asking him…” He
hesitated. “Well, if I could go along this year. I’m older now and
bigger. And I’ve been working hard helping Pa. I’ve got a muscle,
too. Wanna see?”

Jenny tried to suppress a
giggle, knelt down beside her brother, and wrapped her arm around
him.
“‘Fraid you can’t go this year,
buddy. He doesn’t take greenhorns on a cattle drive.”

John looked
puzzled.
“I don’t have no green horns,
Jenny.”

She laughed softly.
“No, you’re the greenhorn. That means you don’t
have any experience.”

“Oh.”

John’s voice was a little saddened as he
looked down at the ground. Jenny took his face in her hands and
turned it towards her. Then she looked into his beautiful dark
brown eyes and pushed a few strands of brown hair out of his face.
He was the spitting image of his father.

“John. It’s not bad to be a greenhorn. But
in a few years you’ll get experience and then you can go with Pa.
I’ve gone with him every year now since I was eight and that’s
because I know what to do. I’m going this year, too.”

“Is it fun?”

Jenny’s eyes brightened at the memory of it.
Her father had taken her at such a young age because she had coaxed
him every day until the day of the cattle drive. Not only that,
Melinda encouraged it, not only to strengthen their relationship,
but also to give her confidence in herself.

She was about to answer John’s question when
she saw an image move out of the corner of her eyes. She turned and
saw the same young man walk out of the bunkhouse with a smile on
his face. He looked too happy to have been turned down. She wished
she knew what had happened. The young man was having an earnest
conversation with the fellow beside him. Then the man pounded the
younger one’s back and laughed out loud. The older one climbed upon
his horse and then waved to the younger one and rode off. Then the
man with the adorable dimple turned and began walking toward her,
smiling.

“Oh, my!”

“What, Jenny?”

She sucked in her breath,
and her eyes widened.
“Oh, my!”

“What?”

“He’s coming this way.”

John acted completely confused with his
sister’s actions.

Jenny had just turned sixteen and young men
were beginning to notice her. This was new to her, and she was not
sure how to handle it. She had been such a tomboy for so long that
her parents finally insisted on her acting like a young lady. She
was supposed to wear dresses more often instead of men’s pants, and
help around the house instead of doing the chores outside. Life was
becoming quite interesting now that she was considered a young
woman.

Jenny sensed that she had life in the palm
of her hands, but at times she was not sure if she was ready for
it. Her parents treated her like an adult, and she even took care
of John when her stepmother wasn’t feeling well. In fact, she never
thought of her stepmother in any other way but her very own
mother.

Melinda had treated her with unconditional
love since the day she became her new teacher eight years ago. It
was then that Melinda helped her in a most difficult time of her
life, when her peers were rude and said unkind things, shunning her
because she was different. When her father proposed to Melinda,
Jenny was ecstatic with joy. At the age of eight, she would have a
mother of her own choice.

David had a broad grin on his face as he walked
up to Jenny and stood before her. He took off his hat and held it
in his hands, twisting it as he looked into her eyes. The dimple in
his chin deepened as he grinned, making him even more charming.

“I’m David Walker. I was just hired by your
pa. He told me to take a note to you.”

Jenny could not take her eyes off him and
could not find any words to say. She noticed that he had a pleasant
sounding voice and he was so good looking that she wondered if she
should pinch herself to see if she was still awake.

David stuffed his hand in his pocket, pulled
out a piece of paper, and then stretched forth his hand to give her
the note, smiling the whole time. Jenny reached for it, and when
his hand brushed against hers, she blushed. Why was this young
man’s smile having an effect on her? For all she knew, he could not
be trusted. He could be a vagrant or something.

When she didn’t say a word, David wondered
what was wrong. He had never met anyone so shy before, or so
lovely. No, shy was not the correct word. She wasn’t necessarily
shy, but was more reserved, aloof perhaps.

David grinned.
“Cat got your tongue?”

She shook her head.

David cleared his throat
and said,
“The man that interviewed me is
your pa, isn’t he?”

Jenny nodded.

Then David pointed to the
note in her hand and said,
“I think your
pa wants you to read that, if I’m not mistaken.”

He waited for her to open
the note and when she read it, her eyes widened. She looked up at
David and asked,
“What did you say to
him?”

“What do you mean?”

“Pa usually doesn’t do this.”

Her voice was firm with a touch of
bewilderment.

“Do what?”

“Well, he said you’ll be staying with us until the
roundup. He usually has the men come back in September, just the
day before. But for some reason, he’s hired you on the spot and he
says that you’ll stay on until the roundup is over.”

“That’s right.”

“I’m confused.”

“Well, I’ve had a bunch of experience on other
ranches, so maybe that was it. He’s really nice. We talked for a
long time.”

“I noticed. He’s usually done in half the time he
spent with you.”

She was baffled by this new information. Her father
was never this trusting with someone he didn’t know.

“So, what else did the note say?”

“That you’ll be having supper with us and to set an
extra plate.”

David smiled. “Is that all right with you? You seem
a little put out by all this.”

Jenny shook her head vigorously. “No, just confused.
That’s all.”

Gilbert called out to David, interrupting their
conversation, and said he would show him his sleeping quarters in
the bunkhouse. After telling him what time he was expected for
supper, Gilbert headed back to the house.

As he dished up the baked potatoes, Jenny was
spreading a tablecloth out on the table. “Pa? Why did you hire a
total stranger for the next couple months? I haven’t seen you do
that before.”

“Don’t know, Jen. He’s had lots of experience even
though he’s only eighteen. I sort of felt sorry for him. Besides
that, I just felt good about this young man, so I went with my gut
feeling and asked him to stay.”

“Oh.” Jenny went to the cupboard, pulled out some
plates, and then looked over her shoulder at her father. “I’m
looking forward to this roundup, you know. I like being out in the
open stars and hearing the cattle lowing in the background. It’s my
favorite time of year.”

Gilbert turned toward his daughter with a sober look
and said, “Uhm…Jen?”

“Yes, Pa?”

“I’ve been talking with your mother and we both feel
that since you just turned sixteen you shouldn’t go out on roundups
any longer.”

Jenny’s face fell and her eyes widened. “What?”

“Well, you’re now a young lady and it’s about time
that you…” Gilbert hesitated. “Well, acted like one. Young ladies
don’t go on roundups and trail drives.”

Jenny became defensive and her voice was firm. “Pa,
I’ve done this every year since I was eight. You have taken me on
every roundup. This just isn’t fair.”

“Fair or not, you’re now sixteen.”

“Pa, listen to me.
Just let me
go this last time for old time’s sake and then I’ll be a lady.
Please?
You can’t do this to me. I’ve been looking forward
to it all year. If this is what being a woman is all about, then I
don’t like it one bit. Do women have to fight for everything we
get?”

Melinda walked in at that moment, and with a
touch of tenderness said, “Jenny, we just want the best for you.
You shouldn’t be in that sort of atmosphere any longer. These are
rough and rugged men, and it’s not what your father and I want for
you. When you were younger, you needed your father desperately, and
we both thought it was best. But now we want you to act like a
young lady. That’s why we chose this decision together.”

Jenny walked up to her mother with begging
eyes and said, “Please, Mama? Just one last time? Let’s
compromise.”

Melinda smiled.
“What do you think about a compromise,
Gilbert?”

He had a look of concern
as he said,
“I want her to be a lady,
Melinda.”

Jenny jumped in
quickly.
“Pa, I promise I won’t beg to go
after this year. Let this be my last time. Mama’s been teaching me
a lot about being a lady and I don’t think there’s going to be a
problem.”

Jenny and her father were always able to
talk things through. He tried to listen and understand her point of
view many times, but for some reason he was being a little more
stubborn than usual. Was acting like a lady that important to
him?

Just then David knocked on the screen door,
interrupting their discussion.

Gilbert called out, “Come in, David.”

When he opened the door and poked his head in,
Gilbert gestured to the sofa. “Come in and sit down. We’re just
having a family discussion. Maybe we can get your opinion on the
subject.”

“I’d be glad to.”

David closed the door behind him. Then he meandered
over to the sofa, sat down, and watched the family.

“Melinda, this is my new helper, David. He’ll be
staying on until September.”

Melinda nodded. “Glad to meet you, David.”

He smiled and then turned to Gilbert. “So, what’s
up?”

“Is it all right if I ask his opinion, Jen?”

“Sure, Pa.”

“All right. David, what’s your opinion about a woman
going on a cattle drive?”

David was amused by the subject and chuckled. “Well,
I haven’t heard of it before. But it’s not very ladylike if you ask
me. It’s ridiculous.”

Jenny glared at David, giving him a look that could
kill. Gilbert chuckled. Melinda did not say a word. And David was
quite uncomfortable by the look Jenny was giving him. Feeling
uneasy, he adjusted himself on the sofa and listened.

Gilbert gloated. “You see, Jen?”

Noticing that Jenny was feeling defeated, Melinda
instantly came to her rescue. “Being outnumbered isn’t very fun, is
it, Jen?” She turned toward Gilbert and said, “Personally, I’ve
noticed that Jenny has been quite the lady recently. She’s been so
helpful, even more patient to her brother. I think that if Jenny
promises to continue such behavior, then going on a cattle drive
doesn’t hurt one bit. She’s done it for years. Perhaps this can be
her last one and we can celebrate it by giving her the best
experience on this drive, one that she’ll never forget. What do you
say?”