Edith and the Mysterious Stranger (9 page)

Sincerely,

Your Friend

Melinda looked at Edith in amazement. “Oh, my.
He’s romantic, isn’t he?”

Edith’s eyes were soft as she nodded. “So, what
are you going to do, then?”

“Well, I started to worry. What if I fall in
love for this man and he doesn’t fall for me? I believe I should
show my real self, right up front. And then if he isn’t afraid of
me, then he’ll continue writing. I’m not going to hide my true
feelings.” She shook her head adamantly. “No, I want him to know
how strong I feel about some things.”

“Have you written back, yet?” asked Melinda
curiously.

Edith nodded. “I wanted you to read my response.
It’s quite a strong reply, so don’t get shocked by it, but at the
same time I feel good about it.”

Edith took the second letter and handed it to
Melinda. She unfolded it and began reading.

Dear Friend,

I understand what you mean and I agree. I
won’t ask you about your personal life. But I will ask you of your
beliefs and dreams. This idea of sharing our thoughts enchants me
and pleases me.

First, I would like to share just a few of
my feelings with you. I want you to know that I am a person with
very strong opinions, and I’m not easily swayed unless I realize
I’m wrong. I like people who are honest with me. I am a
peace-loving person, but I don’t like being dominated or
intimidated by others. I tend to judge others at first glance. I
know it’s wrong, but I still do. I am stubborn by nature and
outspoken, which frustrates my mother to no end. I have a strong
belief in God, and that is very important to me. I enjoy sharing my
inner most thoughts with those who I’m close to.

Now for the unimportant or minor things: I
enjoy walking in warm rain, reading, picnics in the woods, and
taking nature walks. I feel that I’m a romantic person by nature.
If at any time you feel inclined to stop writing, I won’t be
offended.

Sincerely,

Edith, the Strong Minded

After reading the letter, Melinda was
speechless. She looked up at Edith with an open mouth and wide
eyes.

“What?” asked Edith naïvely. “Why are you
looking at me that way?”

“Edith, do you realize how strong your letter
sounds? It sounds as if you want to end this relationship even
before it begins.” She sighed. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to get hurt. That’s
why. If he knows what kind of person I am up front and continues
writing to me, then I’ll be pleased.”

Edith looked out the window for a moment and
then continued in a softer tone. “Let me put it this way, what if
he finds out what I’m really like after many months of writing, and
then he stops writing to me all together. Understand?”

“Yes, I do. I see your reasoning. It’s best
to be honest up front before it’s too late. But, if a man truly
falls in love with a woman, wouldn’t he accept her strong feelings
just because of his love for her?”

Edith hesitated before answering. “I don’t
really know. I just don’t want to take a chance of being hurt.
That’s all. Now, all I have to do is wait and see what his response
is.” She paused and then looked down at her fidgety hands. “I’m not
going to hold my breath, if you’re wondering.”

Melinda took Edith’s hand in hers, caressed
it tenderly and smiled. She agreed, but in another way, she was
worried that Edith’s letter was too strong.

During courtship, a person doesn’t usually come
right out and tell someone his or her strongest feelings. At first,
anyway. Usually it’s a gradual process, but then writing letters
wasn’t the usual courtship process, either.

As Edith headed down the road in her buggy,
she noticed Joseph standing next to some pastureland mending a
fence. She reined in the horse and came to a stop. As she watched
Joseph work, she noticed how tall he was. He wasn’t as muscular as
Gilbert and had narrow hips with rugged features. There was
something about this man that intrigued her. Perhaps it was the way
he caressed the strings of his guitar and filled the air with
pleasant sultry music. She believed that music could bring joy to
the soul. That was why she loved singing.

When she remembered Joseph’s words, her brows
furrowed. He had simply told her that she sang “nice.” His comment
came matter-of-factly as if he were uninterested. She might as well
have sung to the cattle in the field. They would have at least
appreciated it more than he did. And another thing, it infuriated
her the way he was looking her up and down, appraising her value
like a head of cattle being taken to market. Why was she even
sitting here watching him in the first place? The thought of the
other evening aggravated her to no end.

Just as she took the reins firmly in her hands,
Joseph turned around and noticed her. A broad pleasant smile came
to his face, and he waved to her in a friendly manner. His smile
was charming and her irritation subsided. She waved back out of
politeness and smiled.

Joseph motioned for her to come toward him. She
looked at the tall field grass and then down at her dress and
shoes. She didn’t see any dirt or mud where he was working, so
perhaps she would see what he wanted. She lifted her skirts and
carefully stepped down from the buggy.

As Joseph watched her, he noticed how graceful she
was. She had such poise and elegance, not to mention beauty. Her
song the other night was breathtakingly beautiful, as he
remembered. The feeling she had put into each note had touched him
greatly.

As she approached him, Joseph found he could not
take his eyes off her. Not only because of her loveliness, but she
had touched his heart the other night. He didn’t know her, but
there was something about her that captivated him. Was it the way
she had sung so sweetly, caressing each note with emotion and
tenderness? Whatever it was, he was willing to get to know her…if
she gave him a chance, that is.

Joseph smiled as she approached. “It’s nice to see
you again.”

“Thank you, Joseph. What are you doing?”

Edith knew very well what he was doing. He was
fixing the fence, but her mind was blank and that was all that came
to her mind.

“I’m making sure the cattle won’t escape. I
wanted to show you something.”

“Oh?”

“Do you know much about herbs?”

Edith smiled. His questions were so amusing,
just like the other night. Did she know much about music? Could she
sing?

With a twinkle in her eyes, she answered, “A
little.”

“Hmmm. Do you have a tough time relaxing in the
evenings?”

“Sometimes. Why?”

Joseph knelt down and picked a few weeds with
tiny yellow and white blossoms and then handed them to her. “This
is chamomile. Steep the leaves and blossoms for ten minutes. It’ll
help you relax in the evenings and sleep better. Some people have
an allergic reaction to it, though.”

Edith raised her eyebrows as she looked at the
handful of herbs in her hand. So many times she had passed a field
with these herbs growing to the side of a fence, but she had not
stopped to pick herself some. She knew all about chamomile, but
this rugged farmer was sweet enough to give her a bunch and educate
her on its effect. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been so hard on
him.

Edith’s beautiful chocolate brown eyes lit up as
she smiled. “Why, thank you, Joseph.”

His eyes held hers for a moment, transfixed by
her sincerity, and then he took a deep breath and let it out
slowly.

He instantly became businesslike and turned back
to his work, and said soberly, “Well, I’ve got to finish this job.
Gilbert needs help milking this afternoon.”

His sudden change of mood was so perplexing to
Edith as she stood watching him. He grabbed a wire and wrapped it
securely around a post and connected it to the loose fence.

As he twisted the wire
firmly with his gloved hand, he asked, “Do you
like
city life better…or the
country?”

She thought for a moment and answered, “They
both have advantages.”

“Oh? Like what?”

“In the city I don’t have to travel ten
miles just to get groceries or a yard of cloth.”

“True.”

“But here, I can sit beside a brook and
listen to nature and completely relax. To listen to the soft
bubbling water and a song of a bird is so pleasant. I can quietly
read, ponder a while, or even sing, with no interruptions.”

Joseph turned from his work and looked into
her eyes, wondering what kind of person she was. He could see
softness and goodness in them, someone who loved nature and cared
for people. It was as if he could see into her soul just for an
instant… and then it left. Joseph smiled at what he saw.

Then he turned back to his work and asked
matter-of-factly, “Have you ever been to Paris Springs?”

Just as Edith saw a hint of tenderness in
his face, it quickly left and soberness took over once again. He
was the most perplexing man she had ever met. “What did you
say?”

“Have you been to Paris Springs where the
water pours out of the mountain?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Now that’s not such a relaxing sound, nothing quiet
about it. It’s not one of those soft bubbling brooks you were
talking about. The water gushes out of the mountain so rapidly and
with such force that it would drown out any quiet thoughts a person
might have. In fact, it would easily drown out the singing of a
prima donna.”

Edith was startled. “A prima donna?”

A prima donna, she knew, was a high-strung, vain,
demanding, and temperamental person. She had been unfairly accused
of being a prima donna once and she had been greatly offended. She
hoped he was not referring to her, but nonetheless, for some reason
she felt offended by his example as if he were hinting that she
was.

“A prima donna?” she repeated with an edge in her
voice, not even hiding the irritation she felt.

“Yup. It’s pretty loud when it pours out of the
mountain like that. It bubbles over the rocks and creates quite a
noise.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m a prima donna?”

“What?” Joseph said with confusion.

Edith knew she was being overly sensitive, but she
could not help it. She was fed up with his sudden mood changes and
off-hand comments, so she immediately turned around and stomped
away.

Her frustration had made her forget the small stream
of water between the road and the pasture. When she stepped on the
edge of the ditch with her heel, she lost her balance and slid down
into the water with a splash, bottom end first.

She gasped as the cold water splashed in her face.
As she sat sprawled out in the ditch, soaking wet, water dripping
from her face, she heard chuckling. When she turned toward Joseph,
he was standing by the fence, smiling.

When Joseph saw her stomp
away, he knew she was not happy with his comment about the prima
donna. He had not meant to insinuate that she was. He had to
suppress a chuckle when he saw her frown and stomp away. But when
he saw her land right smack dab in the middle of the ditch, he let
it
out. He could not hold it in any longer. The sight of her
in the ditch was humorous, and he could not help but laugh. Now she
was looking up at him with frustration and helplessness in her
eyes. All of her spunk had left.

Joseph pulled off his gloves, stuffed them in
his pocket, and then strode quickly toward her. He stooped down,
offered his hand to her, and pulled her to her feet. She stood in
the ditch, looking down at her sopping wet dress.

As Joseph gazed upon her, he noticed how lovely
she was, even soaking wet. He smiled when he saw the mud on her
cheek. When she looked up at Joseph, she wiped the water from her
face, smearing the mud across her chin. Noticing what a mess she
had made of herself, he took a handkerchief from his back pocket
and wiped the mud from her face with short gentle strokes.

As Edith looked into his eyes, all frustration
began to fade. She saw a gentle side to Joseph. The corners of his
mouth turned up, and he smiled as he gently wiped away the mud.
This man puzzled her greatly. One moment he was laughing at her
situation, and in the next he was gently wiping the mud from her
face with true tenderness.

When he was finished, his eyes held hers for a
few seconds, and then his hand gently touched her cheek as he wiped
a loose curl from her face. She noticed the tenderness in his touch
and in his eyes, and she did not even notice she was still standing
ankle deep in the ditch.

When Joseph realized what he was doing, he
quickly stuffed the handkerchief in his back pocket and cleared his
throat.

Looking at her dilemma, he chuckled once again.
“That was quite a fall you had.”

When Edith saw the tenderness instantly
leave and change to humor, she wondered what he was afraid of. It
was as if he were trying to hide his feelings, his gentle ways.

“You know, Miss Edith, if you wouldn’t have
stomped away like you did, you would have noticed the ditch.”

“I didn’t stomp,” she said with a tinge of
irritation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh?”

When she saw the humor in his face, she
defended herself once again. “I didn’t stomp. I was walking
quickly.”

“Is that what they call it in the city?”

He was so infuriating. Edith frowned. “I
don’t like your attitude. You frustrate me, and I don’t know
why.”

“Perhaps it’s because I don’t dish out
lavish compliments like you’re used to. Perhaps you’re a little
spoiled.”

Edith was taken aback by his frankness and
was upset at his insinuation. “I admit I may be a little spoiled.
But I’m not a prima donna. I’m not vain and temperamental. I’m not
demanding.”