Ransom of Love (28 page)

When Benjamin had brought her up to the moment, Dorena sat with her head bowed.

Myriad thoughts raced through Benjamin’s mind while he studied her, waiting for her reaction. Little did he know that Dorena was taking time to thank the Lord that truly “with God, all things are possible.” Then he saw tears trickling down her cheeks. They dripped off her chin and splattered on their clasped hands.

Finally, Dorena raised her shining eyes. “Nothing in this world would make me any happier than to spend my life with you, wherever it may take us,” she whispered in answer to the question burning in his brown eyes.

Benjamin wrapped his powerful arms around her delicate form and they held on to each other for a long moment.

Then Dorena drew back and looked into his eyes. “I will do everything possible to be the best cowboy’s wife there ever was,” she said.

Benjamin kissed the tip of her nose. “I have no doubt about that, sweetheart. And you will be the very best because you are the very best, and the most wonderful lady in all the world.”

When Benjamin and Dorena walked into the library, the Moores, minus Lewis, stood to their feet.

Priscilla dashed toward Dorena and took her in her arms. “Oh, I’m so happy for you! Of course, when the time comes for us to part, I will miss you something awful!”

Dorena hugged her tight. “And I will miss you in the same way.”

She set her teary gaze on the head of the Moore family. “Mr. Charles, how can I ever thank you for being willing to let Benjamin ransom me?”

“You don’t have to, dear. Just seeing you with so much joy on your face is thanks enough.”

Evelyn went to Dorena and kissed her cheek, saying, “I’m glad we get to keep you a little longer. I’m going to miss you real big myself!”

“I will miss you, too, Miss Evelyn. You and Mr. Charles both. You have been so good to me.”

Charles smiled. “Well, I guess we all should get back to what we were doing. I just wanted us to rejoice a little together once Dorena knew the situation.”

Priscilla embraced Dorena again. “I know you and Benjamin will
have a wonderful life together in Texas.” She kept her arm around Dorena’s waist as she turned to look at her father. “Papa, you’re the best papa on the face of God’s green earth.”

Charles grinned. “I hope I can always make you believe that, sweet daughter.”

The Moores left the library in order to give Benjamin and Dorena a few more minutes together.

When the door closed, Benjamin took her in his arms once more and said, “Truly, the Lord has blessed us, sweetheart.”

“Oh yes. Isn’t it wonderful when we see His hand working in our lives?”

“It sure is.”

“I am so thrilled we can now become husband and wife. Though I will miss my family, I want to live on that ranch in Texas because that’s where you will be, my darling.”

A
LARGE CROWD WAS MILLING ABOUT
Charleston’s railroad terminal as Dan Johnson and his family stood beside the Atlanta bound train. He embraced each member of his family while Benjamin remained a couple of steps away.

When Dan released Alexander from his embrace he turned to Benjamin and said, “As soon as I can see my way clear to meet the salary I have promised you, I’ll let you know.”

Benjamin nodded, fighting the hot tears. “That will be fine, Mr. Dan.”

“In the meantime, you enjoy your times with Dorena.”

“I will, sir. She’s looking forward to becoming a Texan herself.”

“Good.” Dan’s eyes met Benjamin’s misty gaze, then he opened his arms and embraced him.

“Keep me up to date on things, won’t you, Benjamin?”

“I will, Mr. Dan. I can hardly wait to be riding the range on the ranch for my best friend.”

The conductor was calling for all passengers to board.

“Something else, Benjamin. When you go to work for me on the ranch, you will no longer call me ‘Mr. Dan.’ It will be just plain Dan.”

“That will take some time getting used to, but I like it.”

Dan picked up his overnight bag, told his family good-bye, and hurried toward the train.

Dan Johnson’s trip had him traveling across South Carolina into Georgia, where he changed trains in Atlanta. From there he traveled
to Mobile where he got on a train that would stop in New Orleans, then go on to Houston.

When he boarded the train at Mobile, he had gotten acquainted with Roger and Frances Galloway, who were in their midfifties. Roger was owner of a meat packing plant in Houston, and between Mobile and New Orleans, he showed great interest in Dan’s new venture into the cattle business and asked him to contact him once he was marketing his cattle.

No one had been sitting beside Dan on the run between Mobile and New Orleans, but when the train took on passengers, he looked up to see a lovely young woman about his age pause and look down at him. She had a small overnight bag in one hand.

“Pardon me, sir. Is this seat taken?”

Dan was instantly on his feet. “No, ma’am. You are welcome to sit here. I’ve been riding by the window. Would you like that seat?”

“It really doesn’t make any difference.”

“Well, you sit there. I’m sure you will enjoy it.”

“All right. Thank you, sir.”

“May I place your bag in the overhead rack for you?”

“Why, yes. You are very kind.”

While Dan was putting the bag overhead, the young woman smiled at the Galloways and sat down facing them.

When Dan was seated beside her, he said, “I’m Dan Johnson, Miss—”

“Stephanie Lanford, Mr. Johnson.”

Dan gestured toward the couple across from them. “Miss Stephanie Lanford, meet Roger and Frances Galloway. They’re returning home to Houston from Mobile.”

Stephanie and the Galloways greeted each other, then she turned to Dan. “Where are you from and where are going, Mr. Johnson?”

While Dan was explaining his background and his new venture into the cattle business, the train lurched and began to roll out of the station.

Soon they were out of New Orleans, rushing past swampland,
misty bayous lined with moss-draped cypress trees, and large patches of magenta flowers.

Frances set kind eyes on Stephanie. “We haven’t heard about you, dear. Where are you from, and where are you going?”

“Well, Mrs. Galloway, I am from a little town a few miles north of Mobile called Creola. And I am on my way to Galveston to get married.”

“Galveston,” Roger said. “Your young man lives there, I presume?”

“Yes, sir. He and his father are in the boat sales and repair business.”

“Well, Galveston is a good place to be in that business.”

“They are doing well at it, sir.”

“How soon are you getting married, ma’am?” Dan asked, thinking of his own intention of finding the right woman and making her his wife.

“Next Saturday afternoon.” Excitement showed in her eyes.

“How long have you known the young man, dear?” Frances asked.

Stephanie’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Well, ah … not very long, actually. We … ah … have corresponded by mail a lot.”

Frances’s brows pinched together. “You’re not one of those mail order brides, are you?”

“Oh, no! I wouldn’t marry a man I had never met. Lloyd and I met several months ago at a social function in Mobile. It’s just that … well, we were only together a matter of a few hours. But somehow we just knew we were meant for each other. So when Lloyd got home to Galveston, he wrote to me saying that I had captured his heart. He asked if I would write him back and tell him if I felt any special attraction to him. It went from there to a marriage proposal by letter, and so here goes Stephanie to marry Lloyd and live happily ever after.”

“I’m sure you will, dear,” said Frances. “I’m glad you met Lloyd in person, though. I saw two of these mail order bride situations
right in our neighborhood, and neither one worked out.”

“Well, now, Fannie,” said Roger, “we’ve seen some others that did work out.”

“Well, yes. But I don’t know how any of them ever work. Just think of it! Marrying somebody you’ve only met through the mail.”

“I sure wouldn’t want to try it,” Stephanie said. “Would you, Mr. Johnson?”

“Oh, ah … no.”

“Are you married?” she asked.

“No, ma’am. But when I do marry, it’ll be a young lady I have gotten to know well, I guarantee you. No mail order bride for me.”

The conversation went from the subject of Stephanie’s wedding to the strain developing in the country between the Southern slave owners and the politicians in the northern states who were trying to pass laws against slavery. Dan and Roger discussed it at length.

At Houston, Dan told the Galloways good-bye and had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie’s fiancé before hurrying to another track to catch his train for San Antonio.

As the train moved westward across rolling wooded hills and green fields, Dan saw cattle grazing on the ranches. His heart pounded with excitement at the knowledge of his big dream being realized. He thanked the Lord for the way He had led in his life.

It was almost noon as the train neared San Antonio. Dan ran his eyes over the sun-kissed prairie and thought again of how the town made its indelible mark in America’s history. Twenty-one years ago, a small band of men—including Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, and Colonel William Travis—fought and died at the Alamo in the Texas revolution against Mexico. Such courage had never failed to stir Dan whenever he read about the fierce battle at the Alamo.

Soon the big engine chugged into the depot at San Antonio. Dan leaned close to the window and studied the crowd on the platform.

When he stepped off the train, he waited to be approached. He had given his description by mail to Hal Robards.

Presently, a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a woman in a bright-colored sunbonnet detached themselves from the crowd and headed straight for him. “Dan Johnson?” the man asked, smiling.

“Yes, sir.”

He grabbed Dan’s hand. “Hal Robards, and this is my wife, Ethel.”

After greeting Hal’s wife, Dan said, “I’ll get my trunk from the baggage coach, then I’ll buy you folks lunch. After that, you can take me to the hotel.”

“I know I told you in the last letter that I’d set you up in one of the hotels,” Hal said, “but Ethel and I decided to keep you at the ranch with us until you can settle your purchase of the Circle J and move there.”

“Our ranch house has two spare bedrooms, Dan,” said Ethel, “so there’s room for you. Is that all right?”

“Well, of course! I’m sure the cooking will be much better there than at any café in town.”

“I guarantee it!” Hal said.

While they were eating lunch at one of San Antonio’s finer cafés, Hal said, “Whenever you want to go, I’ll take you to the Wickburg ranch near Austin so you can see your old friends.”

“That would be great,” Dan said. “As you know, I’m to close on the Circle J tomorrow morning.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I’m not sure just how long Mr. Jourdan will need in order to get his belongings out of the house, but I’m sure that until that time I’ll need to be at the ranch most of the time every day, learning the ropes. So once I’m all settled in, I’ll let you take me to see Bill and his folks.”

“You just let me know when you’re ready. I’m sure the Wickburgs want to see you as soon as possible.”

“And I them. Bill and I are very close friends, and his family has always treated me wonderfully.”

The next morning, Hal Robards and Dan Johnson left the Rocking R ranch and headed through cattle country toward the Circle J. As the wagon bumped and rattled along the dusty road, they passed a ranch where Dan’s attention was drawn to a patch of black dots near the road.

“Those cattle up there?” he asked.

“Yep. Looks like they’re roundin’ up a bunch so they can single out the calves born in November and December and brand ’em.”

“I see. This is all new to me, as you know.”

Hal chuckled. “You’ll catch on.”

Gradually the black dots assumed the shape of cattle, and cowboys on horses moving in a wide circle around a dusty patch where several small fires sent tendrils of smoke skyward.

Moments later the two men were on the outskirts of the scene of action. There was noise, dust, and ceaseless motion as the cowboys singled out the calves, roped them, and slid from their saddles to wrestle them to the ground. Other cowboys moved among them with smoking branding irons, ready to burn the brand into the calves’ hides.

Dan was mesmerized by the bawling and bellowing of the herd, the crackling of horns, and the pounding of hooves. The great mass of cattle seemed to be eddying like a whirlpool amid the shouting cowboys and the shrill whistling sounds they made as they rode about on their horses.

He watched with interest as the cowboys with the branding irons pressed red-hot metal to cowhide. Smoke rose from the touch of the iron, and the calves bawled lustily at the burning sensation on their flanks. The rank odor of burned hide and hair rode the morning breeze.

“I can see I’ve got a lot to learn, Hal,” Dan said.

“Well, I have to say, my friend, if I went to South Carolina to take over a cotton plantation, I’d have a lot to learn too.”

Dan kept his eyes on the branding work as the wagon carried him past the scene.