Ransom of Love (32 page)

“I just wanted to make sure that you will stand by your written guarantee, sir.”

Charles grinned. “I most certainly will. My word is my bond, Benjamin, and I would stand by it even if I hadn’t given it to you in writing. Dorena will become yours the minute you can lay four hundred dollars in my hand.”

“Please do not think I have any distrust by asking, sir. I … I just had to make sure.”

“I understand, son. This is a big undertaking on your part. It never hurts to make sure everything is in place.”

“Thank you, Mr. Charles. My plan is to return in October. I’ll have the four hundred dollars by then.”

“Sounds like a solid deal,” Charles said.

Benjamin rose to his feet. “Thank you for giving me your time, sir. I will be going now.”

“Did you want to see Dorena while you’re here?” Charles asked, standing up.

“I would like that, sir.”

“Well, you wait here, and I’ll find her. You can have a few private moments right here in the library.”

When Charles opened the door, Priscilla and Dorena were standing in the hall.

“I knew Benjamin would want to see her, Papa,” Priscilla said.

Charles let out a chuckle. “You were ahead of me, weren’t you, daughter?” Then to Benjamin and Dorena, “You two take your time.”

When the door was closed, Benjamin folded Dorena’s small frame into his arms and held her tight.

Clinging to him, she said, “The days have passed by so quickly since you told me you will be leaving on Tuesday.”

“Let us hope they will pass by as quickly while we are apart,” he said. “Five months sounds like such a long time.”

“The only thing that will help me to endure it, my love, is that I know at the end of the five months you will come for me and we will be together from then on.”

She laid her head against Benjamin’s chest. Deep inside she had been carrying a profound fear that something would happen and she would never see him again. She turned a luminous face up to him.

“Oh, Benjamin, I love you so much.”

Looking down on her precious, beautiful features, he said, “I love you so much, too, sweet Dorena. Do I see worry in your eyes?”

She forced a smile. “Well … five months is a long time, and—”

“Everything is going to be fine, sweetheart. We will both be very busy and the time will hurry by.”

Thinking on his words, Dorena knew she would be enmeshed in Priscilla’s wedding preparations with hardly any time for herself, for which she was grateful.

“Yes,” she said, “we will both be very busy. October will be here before we know it.”

The couple spent a few more minutes in the library, then Benjamin told her he needed to go. He and the Johnsons would pick her up Tuesday morning at about 7:30.

Dorena closed the door to her room and sat down on the featherbed, pressing her hands to her face. She broke into sobs, giving way to copious tears, all the while trying to convince herself that her fears were unfounded. When her well of tears finally ran dry, she was exhausted but felt a sense of relief from her pent-up anxieties.

Bowing her head and closing her eyes, she said, “Dear Father, please give me grace to endure whatever might lie ahead. I want Your will to be done in Benjamin’s life and in mine. I am trusting You to let our dreams come true.”

On Tuesday morning, the Johnson carriage pulled away from the Moore mansion.

Zack Johnson was at the reins with Catherine beside him. On the seat behind the driver, facing backward, Alexander sat beside Angeline. Benjamin and Dorena sat together facing them. They rode quietly, each lost in their own thoughts.

On one hand, Benjamin was very excited about his journey to Texas and the prospect of a bountiful future. On the other hand, leaving Dorena would be the most difficult thing he had ever done. But knowing he could never have her without earning the ransom money made his departure more palatable.

Dorena reminded herself that she would never be free to marry Benjamin unless he had the money to purchase her from Master Charles. Their being apart until October just had to be.

After telling Benjamin good-bye on the train station platform, Zack, Catherine, Alexander, and Angeline stepped away, allowing the heavy-hearted couple a few private moments.

Benjamin held both of Dorena’s hands as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes and pledged their love and faithfulness, agreeing they would live for that happy day when they would be reunited. Each promised the other they would keep letters going between them.

When the conductor’s voice called for all passengers to board, Benjamin cupped Dorena’s face in his hands and said in a low voice, “Sweetheart, in your darkest hours, always remember that with God, all things are possible.”

Tears brimmed her eyes. “I will not forget, darling. I will keep my heart fixed on the day when I look up the lane in front of the Moore house and see you driving in to pay my ransom and claim me.”

Moments later, the Johnsons stood beside Dorena as she stared
after the diminishing train. She covered her mouth to smother the sobs trying to escape.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 29, Dan Johnson drove the Circle J wagon into the parking lot at the San Antonio depot. He had allowed more than enough time to buy groceries and supplies at the general store and was a bit early.

As he hopped out of the wagon and headed toward the terminal building, the sun peeped under its porch roof and painted the log walls a golden hue.

He stopped at the tracks beside the platform and glanced eastward, focusing on the distant prairie where the tracks seemed to meet. As yet, there was no sign of billowing smoke from the engine’s smokestack.

A few railroad workers were milling about, and he noticed some people coming from the direction of the parking lot.

Dan began to pace slowly up and down the length of the platform, glancing eastward from time to time. When he saw more people coming from the parking lot, he recognized neighboring rancher Jules Crain and his only son, twenty-two-year-old Wyatt. They spotted him and moved his direction.

Dan smiled as they drew near. “Good afternoon, Jules, Wyatt. You fellas here to meet someone?”

“Yep,” Jules said, lifting his hat and setting it on the back of his head. “My nephew, Nat Crain. He lives in Galveston. He and Wyatt are about the same age and have long been close cousins.”

“He’s comin’ to spend a few weeks with us at the ranch,” Wyatt said.

“So, who are you meetin’, Dan?” Jules asked.

“Friend of mine who’s coming from South Carolina to become one of my ranch hands.”

“Hey, that’s good. I’m glad to know the Circle J is doin’ well enough that you need to hire a fifth man.”

They heard the shrill sound of the train’s whistle and turned to see it rolling down the tracks and sending billows of black smoke toward the sky.

Soon the train rolled to a halt in the depot, and passengers began alighting from the coaches. Dan and his neighbors were still standing together, all three watching the coach platforms as passengers descended the steps.

“Hey, Dad!” said Wyatt, pointing at car number one. “There he is!”

Nat Crain saw his uncle and cousin and walked toward them. After both Jules and Wyatt had shaken hands with Nat, Jules introduced him to Dan.

Even as Dan was shaking hands with the young man, he looked up and saw Benjamin coming out of car number three.

“There’s my friend now!” he said. “Excuse me!”

The trio watched as Dan hurried across the platform toward a tall, muscular young Negro.

Jules swore. “Will you look at that! That is his new ranch hand?”

“Must be, Dad,” said Wyatt.

All three looked on, stunned. Their astonishment intensified when they saw the two men hug each other and pound each other on the back.

Jules swore again. “Will you look at that!”

“Uncle Jules,” Nat said, “how far is this guy’s ranch from yours?”

“ ’Bout three miles.”

“Well, you can be glad it ain’t any closer. Not with that black dude livin’ there.”

“Uh-oh,” said Wyatt. “He’s bringin’ him over here.”

“Well, I ain’t shakin’ hands with him,” Jules said.

As Dan and Benjamin drew up, Dan said, “Gentlemen, I’d like for you to meet my best friend, Benjamin.”

Jules’s face twisted into a mask of repugnance. “You just ruined what kind of neighbors we might have been, Johnson,” he said.

Dan’s head bobbed in disbelief.

Open contempt showed in Wyatt’s eyes as he looked at Benjamin and said, “Don’t be comin’ around our place. We shoot blackies.”

“Let’s get outta here, boys,” Jules said and led his son and nephew away.

Dan drew in a long breath. “Benjamin, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t let it bother you, Mr. Dan. I’m used to it.”

Moments later, they reached the Circle J wagon in the parking lot, and Dan said, “Just drop your knapsack in the bed, alongside the groceries and supplies, Benjamin.”

“All right, Mr. Dan.”

When they climbed up in the seat and sat down, Dan said, “That’s twice.”

“Pardon me?”

“I told you when you came here you would no longer call me ‘Mr. Dan.’ From now on, it’s just plain Dan. Okay?”

Benjamin chuckled. “Yes, sir. And I told you it would take me a while to get used to it.”

“Well, you work on it, my friend. The other four ranch hands just call me Dan. Since you’re not only a Circle J cowboy, but my very best friend, you address me without the mister.”

Benjamin laughed. “I’ll sure try!”

When they were out of town and driving through cattle country, Benjamin kept saying how good it was to see herds of beef cattle again.

Soon they turned onto Johnson property and Benjamin got more excited when he saw cattle with the Circle J brand. He marveled at the beauty of the ranch.

As they were approaching the thick stand of cottonwoods, Dan said, “So, is everything still on schedule for Priscilla’s wedding?”

“Sure is. Still August 8. And Dorena’s expecting me to get her shortly thereafter.”

“Good. Guess I might as well show you the surprise I have for you.”

Benjamin chortled. “You didn’t go and get married and not tell me, did you?”

“No!” said Dan, laughing. His mind went to Tracie McCleod, but no one on the ranch knew about her or about the fact that he had placed mail order bride ads in eastern papers.

As the wagon passed through the cottonwoods, Dan’s thoughts stayed on Tracie for a moment. He was eagerly waiting to hear back from her.

As they neared the clearing, he pointed with his chin toward the ranch house, barn, and outbuildings. “Here’s home, Benjamin! What do you think of it?”

Benjamin could not find enough adjectives to express his pleasure. As they came nearer, he glanced past the ranch house and pointed at a long, low-roofed structure with several windows. “Is that the bunkhouse?”

“Sure is.”

“My new home!”

“For a while. You know, we haven’t discussed where you and Dorena are going to live when she gets here.”

“You’re right, Mr.—I mean, Dan. I knew I would be living in the bunkhouse with the other ranch hands, but I hadn’t given any thought to what I would do when I brought my bride here.”

“Well, I did. Remember I said I had a surprise for you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“A simple yes is good enough, Benjamin. None of the cowboys on this ranch call me sir.”

Benjamin chuckled. “Yes, sir!”

As the wagon came near the house, Dan kept the horses at the same pace and drove past the barn, sheds, and bunkhouse. It was then that Benjamin saw four men working on a new structure at the edge of a stand of trees. As they got closer, he could tell that it was a log cabin. The roof was on and the log walls were going up on the framework.

As Dan drew rein in front of the cabin, the four men laid down
their tools and headed toward them.

Dan introduced Benjamin to Jose Martinez, Tim Cook, Chad Underwood, and Floyd Shaffer, who gave him a warm welcome.

“Now, Benjamin,” Dan said, gesturing toward the cabin, “here’s the surprise I had for you. This is the house where you will carry your bride over the threshold when she comes.”

Benjamin’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

“Like it?”

Benjamin finally was able to say, “I love it! Dorena will love it!” With that, he pounded Dan on the back and said, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“These fellas and I have been working on it a little at a time,” Dan said. “We figure to have it done and furnished by late July. In the meantime, you can live in the bunkhouse.”

“Sounds great to me. I will tell Dorena about the cabin in my first letter. It will encourage her to know she will have her own house to live in.”

“You tell her, my friend,” Dan said. “And tell her we’re looking forward to the time when she lives here on the ranch.”

“I will, M—ah … I will, Dan!”

It was on Wednesday, June 3, that Dan received a letter postmarked from Madison, Wisconsin, and with the name Tracie McCleod beautifully written in the upper left-hand corner. Unable to wait till he got home to read the letter, he jumped in the wagon, dropped the other mail on the seat beside him, and ripped open the envelope.

When he unfolded the letter, his eyes fell on a photograph that showed him a beautiful young blond with a sweet smile and very expressive eyes. “Oh, Tracie,” he said, “you are a sight to behold!”

While carefully holding the picture, Dan’s gaze hungrily took in the words of her letter. When he came to the explanation of her great heartache, and he read of Harold Liston’s death, he said aloud, “Bless your heart, Tracie. That had to be rough.”

When Tracie told him how she had gotten peace from the Lord through her pastor and his wife, and they helped her to realize she must not feel guilty for wanting to find the man of God’s choice and marry, he said, “Bless your sweet heart again, little lady.”

When he finished reading the letter, he looked at the picture again, holding it as if it were some great treasure. Waving the letter toward heaven, he said, “Thank You, Lord! Thank You!”

People walking past the wagon stared at him, but he was oblivious as he slipped the letter and photograph back in the envelope, put the horses in motion, and drove down the wide, dusty street. Moments later, he hauled up in front of the town photographer’s studio.