A Million Tears (49 page)

‘Dad, it’s like I told you. He’s a better cook than Mrs Reisenbach and you know what her food is like.’

‘I hope you’re right. Anyway, let’s order dinner. I’ve often thought about branching out but I never expected it would be into the restaurant business. Mind you, since I supply stores to most of the hotels and restaurants in town I guess it makes sense.’

A week later they were in town when they saw Joseph again. The three of them awkwardly faced each other, clearing their throats and shuffling their feet. Then Sion and Joseph spoke together.

‘I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it. It was just that I was going through a real bad time. I guess I just blamed you for all our troubles because . . . because it was easier that way. Please forgive me.’

‘Honestly, Joseph there’s nothing to forgive. It was our fault for starting it all in the first place. We should have minded our own business. At least, I should have. And then I dragged Bill into it.’

Bill shook his head and signalled.

‘Bill says he was dragged in only because he wanted to be. He said . . . At least if he just said what I think he said about me, he’s a cheeky blighter.’

‘Thank you for what you got your father to do. I must admit that I was angry when I first spoke to him. Shall we go in here for coffee?’ He nodded at the doorway of the hotel they were standing next to.

Over coffee Joseph said, ‘When I was talking to your father and Sonny I told them it was a typical rich man’s trick to get his son out of trouble. How could I trust them? Oh, and a whole lot more besides. Your father took me by surprise when he agreed. He said that was only true as far as it went. He told me that if he didn’t think it was a sound business venture then he wouldn’t do it to get any son out of anything. He has a way of talking and looking at you that leaves you with the distinct impression that he means what he says.’

‘That’s my old man.’

‘Your father did say he had been thinking about starting some other business in St Louis for some time and this was an opportunity to do himself and me a bit of good.’ With a shake of his head he continued, ‘You know, he managed to convince me that I was doing him as big a favour as he was doing me.’

They finished their coffee in silence and, almost reluctantly, shook hands and said goodbye.

The remainder of the year passed quickly. Sion worked hard, engrossed in his studies. For their summer vacation they went to St Louis where Evan gave them a job in the warehouse, though not quite in the capacity Sion had in mind.

‘Damn it, Bill,’ Sion said on their first day, ‘I hadn’t expected to be shifting cases of goods from the store rooms to the sales area, nor,’ he kicked the offending article, ‘sides of beef. I wanted something better than this.’

The owner. You don’t know enough to do anything except shift goods. Neither do I. I’m not complaining. I’m earning some money which I need and I’m also learning about business.

Bill took out his note pad and pencil. Wasted manpower. There’s a store room here where all the food is put. There’s enough room over there to build another store room so when we unloaded the train we could sort out the merchandise and store it where it should be. That way we wouldn’t have to waste effort carrying the stuff all the way to the shelves from here. See?

‘Not a bad idea I suppose. If nobody else has suggested it you may have made ten bucks.’

Bill looked puzzled.

‘Didn’t you know that Dad gives ten bucks to anybody who comes up with a labour-saving or money-saving idea? I know Sonny has won it a few times. Ah, I shouldn’t say won. Dad says it’s earned, not won and I guess he’s right. I tell you what, how about us going and talking to him now?’

‘I don’t give a damn. Your father told me to treat you guys like any other members of the staff. If you want to see him you go through me first. Okay?’

‘But that’s ridiculous. He is my father, after all.’

‘I don’t give a double damn who he is or who you are. You’ll do as you’re told while you’re here, just like your brother had to. Now get those boxes over to the other side and be quick about it. They should have been there half an hour ago.’

Sion was about to protest but Bill dug him in the ribs and bent to pick up one of the boxes. Seething with anger Sion gave him a hand, wisely not saying anything. As they trundled away the storeman’s face split into a wide, toothless grin. That’ll teach him, he thought. A good kid but with a lot to learn, he chuckled to himself.

It was not until Sion and Bill arrived home that they could speak to Evan and tell him about Bill’s idea. By that time Sion had calmed down and wisely decided not to say anything about his run in with the storeman.

After Sion explained Bill’s idea Evan said, ‘It could work. I’ll go over it with Sonny in the morning and see what he says. If he agrees, well, we’ll see.’

‘Dad,’ said Sion, ‘when are you going to stand for Congress?’

‘I’m not sure yet. There’s a lot of talk and things keep being changed. Old Riley says he definitely isn’t going to stand again and wants to nominate me. The election is due in December so we’ll see.’

‘Surely, if the election is due so soon then it ought to have been decided by now and you should be campaigning,’ said Sion.

‘It’s not as simple as that,’ Meg joined the conversation. ‘There’s a lot of internal bickering going on at the moment and they can’t decide between your father and Francis Hick. Charles DeFort is on our side and so is Wesley Riley. But Hick has plenty of support too. Your father refuses to make an issue of it and has asked the party to decide once and for all what they want to do. He’s also told them that if Hick is nominated he’ll give his support.’

‘Well, I hope you get it, Dad. I reckon you’ll do a great job,’ said Sion loyally. ‘Fancy a father who’s a Democratic Congressman? How about that, Dave?’

‘We’re going to New York in November,’ said Meg, ‘to see John Buchanan. We had a letter from him the other day, and he says he’s finally given up the fight and getting married, though he doesn’t say who the girl is. He’s also suggested, David, that you meet us there for the weekend.’

‘Sounds great. Can I let you know nearer the time because I don’t know what my program is going to be until the semester starts. I wonder if Gunhild can come too?’

‘I don’t see why not,’ said Evan. ‘Ask her, and if she wants me to, I’ll have a word with Hans. She can come with us.’

‘I got a letter, too,’ said Sion. ‘From Uncle William. I meant to show you earlier. It’s all about unions and things. I wrote to him before last Christmas and since then we’ve sort of kept up a regular . . . sort of exchange of views. It’s really interesting what’s happening over there. The unions are much more advanced there than they are here. A lot of his problems are similar to the ones here, though. At least the government there seems to be on the people’s side.’

‘That’s not true, Sion,’ said Evan. ‘The government pretends to be on their side because it can see the way things are going. The concessions that are made are only the merest start, and are designed to keep the union leaders happy. Until the workers get a government that really looks after their interests nothing really significant will change. Mark my words, there’s going to be a lot of strife and hardship before the working man gets what’s rightfully his.’

35

During the next two years Sion and Bill spent their holidays in St Louis working for Evan. Meg was beginning to adjust to Evan’s frequent absences after his election to Congress. Sonny more or less ran the business on his own and was doing a good job. To Sion’s excitement and Meg’s disappointment Sion proved to be both a mathematician and something of a scientist. Not only did he excel at the pure sciences of physics, chemistry and mathematics but was proving to be very adept at the new science of aero-dynamics. Flying was a craze that had swept France and was already enthusiastically embraced by some Americans. To date flying had been mainly confined to lighter than air craft but a great deal of work was now going into flying machines which did not rely on any form of gas to lift them.

Sion avidly read the works of James Means whose three volumes titled Aeronautical Annual became of great importance in making known the work of past and present pioneers especially that of Lilienthal. Sion joined the Boston Aeronautical Society. This was the first of its kind and he submitted a number of papers to them on his ideas about flight. Sion’s mania for kite flying was paying off in undreamed of dividends. Meg, however, had always harboured the hope that Sion, like David, would enter into one of the professions. Wilbur and Orville Wright had already flown their warping kite, the first aircraft to have helical twisting of the wings for control in a roll which they had invented. During 1901 the first petrol driven aeroplane flew and the Aero Club of Great Britain was founded. All of it fired Sion’s imagination and enthusiasm and he spent much of his spare time working on aerodynamic designs which, on the whole, failed to fly.

Joseph’s restaurant was doing very well and was proving to be one of the most popular places in the city. It was patronised by businessmen, farmers and ranchers. Counting the head waiter, the waiters, barmen, cooks and dish washers there were thirty-two people working for Joseph and Evan by 1902.

David had finished his law degree at Harvard and was working for a small firm of lawyers in St Louis. He had been hired primarily in the expectation that Evan would transfer his business to them from John Driscole but Evan had no intention of doing so. David accepted this although his new bosses were not happy. As a consequence, coupled with the fact that he was bored with his job, after less than a year David began to look for something else to do.

After their graduation Sion and Bill worked for five weeks at the warehouse and then decided to take a holiday. After a lot of argument where to go the decision was made for them when two friends from the university arrived. Paddy McCormick and Stephen Anderson had been class mates with Sion and Bill and were on their way up the Missouri to Sioux City, a small frontier town. From there they were taking horses into South Dakota and heading for the mountains. They hoped to do some hunting, a bit of fishing, perhaps some trapping. Paddy McCormick, a tall, wide shouldered youth, was the expert on the outback, having been brought up on a large ranch in Texas.

Stephen Anderson in contrast to Paddy was neat and small. His slow speech hid a sharp brain, a testimony to which was the fact he had graduated top of their year. He was going to Harvard with Sion and Bill whilst Paddy was returning to Texas, maintaining that he’d had enough learning for one lifetime.

‘Why don’t you two come with us?’ Paddy asked, as they stood on the porch of the Griffiths’ house.

So it was settled. They spent a few days getting their gear together and left by boat for Sioux City. It was an uneventful eight day journey but finally they arrived. It was not much of a place: a single main street on either side of which were houses, a few stores, a hotel and a couple of saloons. Nearest the wharf was the livery stable with a large sign offering horses and buckboards for hire.

‘Two horse,’ and Paddy whooped with laughter. ‘Come on, let’s go and find us four horses.’ He led the way towards the livery. ‘If that’s possible in this town.’

The old man played with the wad of tobacco for a few seconds, shifting it from one side of his mouth to the other. ‘Don’t rush me young fellow and I’ll tell you.’ A few more seconds of chewing then: ‘I kin get em by tomorrer. Not before.’