Measure of Grace (36 page)

William worked up a smile. “Thanks, Knight. You’re a true friend.”

Smiling back, Knight said, “That’s the only kind to be.” He also gave Sylvia a smile then returned to his horse and rode away.

Early on Saturday morning, Diana Morrow hired a buggy at the railroad depot in Ketcham to take her to the Wells Fargo station. Upon leaving the train, she had inquired at the railroad ticket office when the next Wells Fargo stage would be going to Elkton. She learned that there were three stagecoaches a week from Ketcham to Elkton, and that Saturday’s stage arrived in Elkton at 9:30
A.M
.

As the buggy moved down Ketcham’s main thoroughfare toward the Fargo office, she asked the driver to wait while she checked to see if she could get a seat on the Elkton stage, saying if not, she would need him to take her to Ketcham’s hotel where she would wait until she could get a seat on the first available stage.

As they drew up to the Fargo office, a stagecoach was parked in front, and two men were hooking a harnessed team to it. The buggy driver told her it was the stage that would be going to Elkton. He helped Diana from the buggy, and as she hurried toward the door, she saw the conductor from the Boise train coming out. Recognizing her, he spoke politely, held the door open for her, then hurried back toward the depot.

Inside, Diana found two men at the counter, whom she had seen on both the Kansas City and Boise trains. The Fargo agent was at the desk behind the counter, tapping out a coded message on the telegraph key.

Recognizing Diana, the two men both smiled at her. One of them said, “Miss, are you here to take the Elkton stage, too?”

“Yes,” she said, returning the smile.

The men looked at each other questioningly as the Fargo agent finished his telegraph message and returned to the counter. Noticing the lady, the agent said, “Were you on the Kansas City train, too, ma’am?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you were wanting to get to Elkton?”

“Yes. I was scheduled on the stage that went Thursday afternoon, but the train was delayed by an avalanche in the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming.”

“So I just learned from the conductor, and from these two gentlemen,” said the agent. “You must be Miss Diana Morrow.”

“Yes, sir.”

The agent scratched his head. “Well, Miss Morrow, we have a problem. I already have four passengers from right here in Ketcham who are scheduled on this morning’s stage. Mr. Williams and Mr. Baxter here were also supposed to have been on Thursday’s stage and are needing to get to Elkton this morning. That makes seven, and we can only seat six in the coach.”

Diana’s face went pale. “Oh.”

“Miss Morrow, I could put you on Tuesday’s stage,” said the agent. “That’s the next one to Elkton.”

“I have a problem, sir. There is a young man who was expecting me on Thursday. And … and now, if I’m not on this stage—”

“I just wired the Fargo agent in Elkton to advise him about the train’s delay in Wyoming, so he could tell the people who were to meet Mr. Williams and Mr. Baxter on Thursday that they will be on today’s stage. There’s nothing I can do now but schedule you for Tuesday.”

Noting the look of deep disappointment on Diana’s face, Victor Williams said, “Miss Morrow, I assume you are not from Elkton. Returning home, I mean.”

“No, sir. I’m from Virginia. I’m coming to … well, I—”

“I think it must be very important, miss,” said Williams.

Diana cleared her throat nervously. “I … ah … well, sir, I am on my way to Elkton to become a … a mail order bride.”

Williams and Baxter looked at each other. “I can wait till Tuesday, Mr. Baxter,” said Williams. Then to the agent he said, “Put Miss Morrow on today’s stage in my place. I’ll stay at the hotel till then.”

Diana said, “Oh, sir, I can’t let you do that. I—”

“It’s settled, dear,” said Williams. “I’m from Cheyenne City. My youngest son just married himself a mail order bride less than a month ago. I know the kind of excitement he had when he went to the depot to meet his prospective bride. I’m sure your young man has been on pins and needles since Thursday, when you weren’t on the stage, and at that point, nobody there knew about the train being detained by the avalanche. You go to your young man. I insist.”

Tears welled up in Diana’s eyes. “Oh, Mr. Williams, I don’t know how to thank you. This means more than I could ever put into words.”

Williams spread a smile from ear to ear. “Words in this case are not important, little lady. You can thank me by marrying that young man and having a very happy life.”

“Yes, sir. That’s what I plan to do.”

The Fargo agent, touched by the scene, said, “Tell you what, Mr. Williams. How about if I let you ride up in the box between the driver and the shotgunner? It’s against company policy, but in this situation, I can make an exception.”

Williams smiled again. “That’s fine with me.”

“All right,” said the agent, “that’s the way it will be. And, Miss
Morrow, I’ll wire the agent in Elkton again and tell him you are on this stage. That way your future groom will know you’re coming. Before you arrive in Elkton, he will be told why you weren’t on the Thursday stage.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Diana. “I’ve got to go out and tell the driver of the buggy I hired that I will be going on this morning’s stage. I have a small trunk and a suitcase in the buggy. Shall I tell the driver so he can put it on the stage?”

“I’ll put them on the stage for you, miss,” said Albert Baxter.

“And I’ll help him,” said Williams.

“Fine,” said the agent. “I’ll go send that wire right now.”

At 9:15 that morning, the stage driver called down from the box to the passengers inside: “Elkton, fifteen minutes, folks. Fifteen minutes till we arrive in Elkton!”

The butterflies in Diana’s stomach came alive. Feeling rather disheveled from the lengthy time on the train and the swaying stagecoach, she removed her gloves, reached up, took hold of the hatpin that held her hat in place, removed it, and lay the hat and pin in her lap.

The other passengers looked on as she tried to smooth her hair into place. When she was satisfied she had done the best with it that she could, she placed the hat back on her head and firmly secured it once again with the hatpin.

She tried in vain to brush the deep wrinkles from her dark wool coat and pulled her scarf up close around her throat. Her hands were trembling as she worked her gloves back on.

I hope Jordan keeps in mind how long I’ve been on this trip and doesn’t expect too much on first sight
, she thought, as the butterflies seemed to multiply. She clasped her shaking hands together and laid them in her lap.

Diana had enjoyed the ride and told herself she would love living in this rugged country with its mountains, hills, and wide-open spaces.

When the town came into view, she had to silently tell her pounding heart to settle down. She took comfort, knowing that
the Ketcham agent had wired the Fargo agent in Elkton that she would be on the nine-thirty stage. She told herself that since she hadn’t been on the stage as scheduled on Thursday, certainly Jordan had kept in touch with the Fargo agent in Elkton so he would know that she was on this stage.

“Lord,” she whispered, barely moving her lips, “help me. I have a real task ahead. Please guide me and give me wisdom as I talk to Jordan about being saved. And give me a preacher who will help me.”

The stage rolled into Elkton on schedule, and Diana was busy looking the town over as much as possible from her window. Her heart was thudding in her chest as the stage stopped in front of the Wells Fargo station.

There was a scrambling up in the box as driver, shotgunner, and Victor Williams climbed down. One of the male passengers hopped out of the coach, offered Diana his hand, and helped her down. She stepped aside to allow the other passengers to get off, and looked at a small group of people who were standing about.

There was no young man Jordan’s age in the group.

The group apparently was waiting for two of the other passengers, for they rushed to them, embracing them.

Victor Williams joined Albert Baxter, each carrying his overnight bag. As they were about to head down the street for the Elkton Hotel, Williams stepped up to Diana. “Good-bye, Miss Morrow. I wish you the very best in this new chapter of your life.”

“Thank you, sir,” she said. “And thank you for what you did for me.”

The two men walked away briskly.

The air was cold, and a chilly breeze was whipping through the town.

Pulling her scarf up tighter against her throat, Diana looked around for Jordan, but the area had cleared. The driver and shotgunner were unloading her small trunk and suitcase.

Stepping up to them, she said, “Could I prevail on you gentlemen to carry those into the office for me, please? The person who is to meet me isn’t here yet.”

“Be glad to, ma’am,” said the driver.

Carrying the luggage, they followed Diana into the office. The
elderly agent stood behind the counter and greeted the stage crew warmly as they sat the luggage down near the door.

“The person who is to meet the lady hasn’t shown up yet, Clarence,” said the driver. “She asked us to bring them in here for her.”

“Fine,” said Clarence Hubbard, who was bald, except for a white fringe over his ears. “You’ve got four passengers for Ketcham. They should be showing up soon.”

“We’ll go ahead and feed the horses,” said the shotgunner.

Diana thanked them as they headed out the door.

“You must be Miss Diana Morrow,” said Clarence. “The Ketcham agent wired to tell me about the avalanche, and that you’d be on this stage. Who’s coming to pick you up?”

“His name is Jordan Shaw, sir,” said Diana, moving closer to the counter.

“Oh, sure. Of the Bar-S Ranch.”

“That’s right. As you know from the wire, I was to have been here on Thursday. I assume Jordan was here to pick me up.”

Clarence shrugged. “I don’t know, ma’am. I wasn’t here on Thursday. I’m not the regular agent. Used to be, but I retired two years ago. Fella named Vern Morton is the agent now, but he’s gone to Boise for a few days, so I’m filling in.”

“I see. Well, I’m sure Jordan was here to pick me up on Thursday. So you’ve had no contact with him about this morning’s wire, then.”

“No, ma’am. I haven’t seen him. I was here all day yesterday, too. Didn’t see him then, either.”

“Hmm. Is there a buggy I could hire to take me to the ranch?”

“Oh, sure. But we just got a new eight-inch blanket of snow last night, so it’ll probably be a sleigh. I’ll send the shotgunner down the street to fetch Willie Akins. Willie’ll take you out there.”

Fifteen minutes later Diana sat beside middle-aged Willie Akins as the sleigh glided over the snow, heading out of town. Soon they were in the country, and Diana drank in the beauty of the snow-covered scenery around her. She kept looking northward, taking in the majesty of the Sawtooth Mountains with their white peaks reaching for the sky.

Perplexed as to why Jordan had not stayed in contact with the
Fargo agent concerning her delayed arrival, she told herself it was probably because for some reason he had not received her letter, and had no idea if or when she would arrive.

Oh, dear!
she thought.
Maybe Jordan did get the letter, but he thinks because I wasn’t on the stage Thursday that I had changed my mind and wouldn’t be coming. Well, if that’s the case, I can soon straighten that out!

The cold air put a rosy glow on her cheeks, and the anticipation of soon meeting the man she had come to marry put a lively sparkle in her eyes.

It was almost ten o’clock when Knight Colburn was drawing near the Bar-S Ranch and heard a shout behind him.

Turning around in the saddle, he saw William Shaw trotting his horse through the snow, waving at him. Pulling rein, Knight halted his horse and waited for William to catch up.

As William drew up, Knight said, “I assume Jordan didn’t come in sometime last night.”

“He didn’t,” said William.

When the two men entered the ranch house together, they found Mark and Lorene in the kitchen, having coffee with Sylvia.

All three greeted Knight, then Mark said, “I’m sure glad you’re coming along with Dad and me.”

“I couldn’t do anything else,” said Knight. “I have to be with you so we can find him together.”

Sylvia poured coffee for Knight and her husband, saying it would warm them up for the cold ride.

Some twenty minutes later, the coffee cups were just about empty, and the three men were eager to get in the saddle and head into the mountains.

Suddenly there was a knock at the front door.

“You boys finish your coffee,” said William. “I’ll see who it is.”

When William opened the door, he found a lovely young brunette on the porch and the sleigh near the house with luggage on the backseat. He waved to the driver. “Hello, Willie!” He met the young lady’s probing gaze.

“You are Mr. William Shaw, I presume,” said Diana, with a warm smile.

“I am.”

“I’m Diana Morrow,” she said, thinking her name would bring on a welcoming smile.

Puzzlement showed on William’s face. Squinting, he said, “I’m sorry, Miss—I assume it’s ‘Miss’ Morrow. Am I supposed to know you?”

It was Diana’s turn to show puzzlement. “Yes. Miss Diana Morrow from Richmond, Virginia.”

Still, William looked confused.

“You are Jordan Shaw’s father?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“You must know that I’m here to be Jordan’s mail order bride.”

William was shocked into silence as he stared at the pretty young woman with the hint of a soft Southern drawl in her speech. Suddenly aware that she was still standing out in the cold air, he stepped back and motioned for her to come his way, trying to find his voice.

When she was in, and he pushed the door shut while still staring at her, eyes wide, Diana noted the perplexed expression on his face. “Have I come at an inconvenient time, Mr. Shaw?”

William’s mouth quivered as he found his voice. “Ah … ah … no. No. I’m just stunned, is all. Please forgive my bad manners.”

“Is Jordan here?”