Ransom of Love (30 page)

Tightening his arms around her, he said, “The Lord has His mighty hand on us, Dorena. Everything is going to be all right. We have a wonderful future ahead of us on the Circle J ranch. Mr. Dan is such a good friend to both of us.”

She nodded. “And isn’t it wonderful? Now we can actually see our wedding day on the horizon.”

“Oh yes. And this makes me so happy!”

“Me too.”

Benjamin kissed the top of her head. “It is best that I go now. Miss Priscilla will be needing you.”

She smiled up at him. “I will see you when you come back for Miss Angeline this evening.”

With that, Dorena turned and mounted the porch steps. Benjamin watched her as she crossed the porch and stopped at the door. She gave a little wave and moved inside.

Dorena stopped in the vestibule after closing the door behind her and took a deep breath. As long as Benjamin was close by, her fears had subsided, but alone again, new fears plagued her mind. She thought of San Antonio and the new life planned for her there. On the plantations, there were many more black people than white
people. Whatever would it be like in a world where the opposite was the case?

Sighing deeply, Dorena said, “Dear Lord, I ask You to take these fears from me. You will be with us in Texas. It has to be all right.” A deep peace settled over her. She smiled brightly and moved down the hall, humming a nameless tune.

Benjamin was about to climb into the carriage when he saw Lewis Moore come around the corner of the house.

Lewis gave him a malignant stare and said, “I hoped you’d be in Texas by now.”

“Not yet,” was all Benjamin said.

Drawing up to the spot where Benjamin stood, Lewis sneered, “Well, how long?”

“It will be a while yet,” Benjamin said, not willing to give the insolent man any satisfaction.

“Too bad. I was hopin’ I wouldn’t have to look at your face on this property anymore.”

Benjamin felt the muscles in his back stiffen, and his blood seemed to heat up. Without another word, he turned his back on Lewis and climbed onto the carriage seat.

Lewis stared hatefully as Benjamin snapped the reins and put the horse and carriage into motion.

A
S THE WEEKS PASSED
, D
AN
J
OHNSON
was slowly learning cattle ranching from his ranch hands and from Hal Robards, who often came by to help him.

Never far from Dan’s thoughts was his longing to find the right girl and get married. He kept a sharp eye for available young women in the San Antonio church, in spite of what he had been told about the woman shortage in the West. He figured the Lord would work it out, and most likely she would be in the church.

He soon learned that every single young woman he met and liked was engaged to be married or was spoken for. In talking to the single men in the church, he learned they also were discouraged over the ratio of men to women.

One day, while in town, Dan bought a copy of the
San Antonio News
. That evening, as he was reading through the newspaper, he found an article about the great number of mail order brides coming West from the eastern states.

He thought about Bill and Betty Wickburg and what they had told him about meeting through the mail order bride system. “It worked for you, Bill,” he said aloud, “but I wonder how many times the marriages are successful, even for Christians who take all the necessary precautions.”

He pushed the idea out of his mind and read the rest of the paper.

But during the next several days, the idea of advertising for a bride kept driving into his thoughts. Since it seemed he couldn’t shake it, he finally began praying about it, asking the Lord to show
him if in spite of his aversion to the idea, this was what he should do.

The next Sunday morning after the service, Dan was in line to shake hands with Pastor and Mrs. Custer at the door. Just in front of him were Del and Mary Windham, a young couple he was getting to know. He liked both of them very much.

When the Windhams had spoken to pastor and his wife and moved on, Dan took their place and complimented the pastor on his sermon. Then he noticed that the Windhams had stopped a few feet away and were looking at him.

As he moved away from the pastor, Del motioned to him and smiled, saying, “Mary and I would like you to come to our house one evening this week for dinner.”

“Well, as a bachelor whose cooking is not much, I’ll take you up on it. Do you have a particular evening in mind?”

“How about Tuesday at six o’ clock?” Mary said.

“Sure. Tuesday will be fine.”

“Okay,” said Del. “We live at 564 San Pedro Avenue, just a few blocks north of here.”

At the appointed time on Tuesday evening, Dan arrived at the Windham home. They sat down to a beautiful meal.

While they were eating, Del asked about Dan’s background.

After Dan told them about his family and the cotton plantation, Del said, “Mary and I just learned a few days ago that Mary is with child. We’re both so excited.”

“Well, I’m happy for you,” Dan said. “What is it they say … the pitter-patter of little feet make a home complete?”

“I’ve never heard the saying,” Del said, “but it makes sense.”

Dan chuckled. “Well, they don’t really say it. I just made it up.”

The Windhams laughed.

“So did you two meet at the church?”

“No,” Del said. “I came here to work at the San Antonio Bank and Trust two years ago. It seemed that every young lady in the
church who wasn’t married was engaged or spoken for. So …” Del reached across the corner of the table and took hold of Mary’s hand. “I put some ads in eastern newspapers for a mail order bride about fifteen months ago, and look what I got!”

“Well, isn’t that something?” Dan said, then told them about Bill and Betty Wickburg.

“I’m glad to hear of another Christian couple who are together because of the United States mail,” Mary said with a smile.

Dan shook his head. “I have to confess that I’ve had an aversion toward the mail order bride idea ever since I learned about it. It just seemed like a way to open yourself up for heartache. I mean, I figured for a couple to meet by letter and then for her to make the trip and both of them find out they were simply not cut out for each other was a waste of time and emotions. It would be especially foolish for Christians. But when Bill and Betty told me their story, and how Bill advertised that only born-again women need reply, I got a new view of it.”

“Good,” said Del. “Unless by some miracle you should find the right woman right here in the San Antonio area, you’ll probably end up being a bachelor for the rest of your life. The Lord can use the U.S. mail to bring two people together.”

“I can see that now,” said Dan. “I’ll soon be twenty-four years old. I need to find the woman God has for me and move into that phase of my life. I really feel that the Lord wants me to do it now.”

Mary nodded. “That wonderful young woman is out there somewhere, Dan. The quicker you get the ads put in the papers, the sooner she will be in your arms.”

“All right. I’m going to do it. I’ll stipulate that I’m only interested in a born-again young woman who wants a husband of like faith, and who wants to raise their children in a Bible-believing church and in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

“That’s the way to do it,” Del said. “That will narrow down the field, but you sure don’t want someone who would pull against you in your Christian life. I received several letters, and most of them
were ladies whom I felt really knew the Lord. Then I had to pray for the Lord’s leadership, and He put Mary on my heart. She came to San Antonio from a small town in Pennsylvania. After a courtship of three months, we found ourselves deeply in love and we got married.”

“I’m sure glad you invited me for this meal,” Dan said. “Your story has convinced me this is the way the Lord would have me go.”

When he got home that evening, Dan sat down and wrote his newspaper ad. The next day he went to the office of the
San Antonio News
and had them send ads to several major newspapers in the East.

In Madison, Wisconsin, Pastor Glenn Pryor and his wife, Nora, left the parsonage together late one afternoon and walked across the lawn to the church building. They had just entered the pastor’s office when they heard footsteps in the hall, followed by a knock on the door.

“Tracie’s right on time,” said Nora, and opened the door.

She greeted Tracie McLeod and said, “I’m glad you were able to get off work on time.”

Tracie stepped into the room. “Me too. Hello, Pastor.”

“Hello, Tracie. Come on over here and sit down.”

The two women took chairs in front of the desk, and the pastor eased into the chair behind it. “Tracie, you said Sunday that you needed to talk to us about a problem. Tell us about it.”

She brought up the subject of Harold Liston, to whom she had been engaged for almost three months when he was killed in a work accident. This had happened nearly a year ago. Both the pastor and his wife were aware of the situation, for Harold had been a member of the church, and the pastor had conducted the funeral service.

“Pastor, Mrs. Pryor, I have grieved all this time and haven’t even dated another man. I know the Lord took Harold to heaven because He had a good and proper reason, but I’m having such a hard time letting go of him.”

“That isn’t unusual, Tracie,” said the pastor.

“But am I doomed to a lonely life without marriage because I can’t bring myself to let go of Harold? I feel guilty and disloyal to him whenever I’ve considered accepting dates from the young men in the church. I’ve turned them all down.”

Nora took hold of her hand. “Tracie, you mustn’t feel guilty. You are not being disloyal to Harold by letting another man into your life, even though it appeared that the Lord had chosen Harold as your mate for life. It was the Lord who took him. This means that He has someone else for you.”

“I agree,” said the pastor. “I feel sure the Lord will send His chosen young man into your life once you realize you’re not wrong to want to marry. You deserve to have a life of love and happiness.”

Tracie’s eyes filmed with tears. “Thank you, Pastor and Mrs. Pryor. This relieves me greatly. Both of you have been a tremendous help. I kept telling myself I shouldn’t feel guilty to be a wife and mother … but hearing you say it seals it for me.”

The next morning Tracie awakened with a new lease on life, and when she left the boardinghouse where she lived, there was a spring in her step. As she headed downtown to her job, she said, “Thank You, Lord, for using Pastor and Mrs. Pryor to help me. It’s such a relief to have that awful guilt off my heart.”

The walk from the boardinghouse took Tracie past the cemetery where Harold was buried. The sight of the grave had always added to the heaviness of her heart.

On this bright, sunny day, as she came abreast of the cemetery, the euphoria she was feeling seemed suddenly smothered when Harold’s tombstone came into view.

She passed through the iron gates and followed the gravel path to the stone that marked the grave. Unmindful of the dew on the grass, Tracie knelt down and caressed the cold headstone. Tears misted her eyes as once again she thought of the man to whom she had given her
heart, and of all the dreams and plans they had made for their future.

She thought of yesterday’s talk with the Pryors, and the pastor’s words reverberated through her mind. Suddenly there were other words coming into her mind from a voice she would never forget. Harold seemed to be saying that he was releasing her. He was letting her go so she could fulfill God’s purpose for her life.

A fragile peace stole over Tracie’s heart. The months of agony were over. Bowing her head, she thanked the Lord for His matchless grace and tender care, and prayed for guidance.

She leaned close to the headstone and planted a kiss where Harold’s name was engraved, then whispered, “There will always be a special place in my heart for you. Thank you for releasing me so I can go on with whatever God has for me in life.”

She rose to her feet and touched the top curve of the stone. Giving it a light pat, she murmured, “Good-bye, my love.”

Tracie walked the gravel path to the board sidewalk without looking back. By the time she had walked a block, the euphoria had returned. All was well. The Lord was in control of her life and He would direct her path.

As she moved down the street, her eyes took in places that reminded her of sweet times she and Harold had shared together. Maybe she should move elsewhere and start over.

Soon she arrived at the office building where she worked as a secretary. Upon entering the office of the Madison Land Management Company, Tracie took one look at her coworker, Leah Desmond, and saw a turned-down mouth and eyes that revealed agitation.

Tracie’s desk was next to Leah’s, and as she passed between the desks to sit down, she said, “You look very unhappy, dear. What’s wrong?”

Leah shook her head. “I’m sorry, Tracie. I shouldn’t let my troubles get to me like this. Good morning.”

Tracie leaned toward her. “I’m your friend, aren’t I?”

“Yes.”