Westward Hearts (10 page)

“Certainly, I heard that…but still, you being a widow woman with two youngins…well, if you ask me…” He shook his head. “Just don’t seem right.”

She pointed to a bolt of blue gingham now. “I think I’d like ten yards of that one too, please.”

“That’s a lot of cloth,” he said as he reached for the indigo blue. “Looks like you’re going to be mighty busy.”

“As you can imagine, we’re trying to stock our wagons with useful items—things that won’t be easily procured once we set out on our journey. As a result, I expect you’ll be seeing a fair amount of my mother and me in your store for the next few weeks. We have quite a list of goods to purchase.”

His eyes lit up as if he was counting his profits now. “Well, I reckon it’s a challenge to fully outfit a wagon.”

“It certainly is.” She examined one of the large storage tins, testing the lid to see that it fit snugly and thinking it would be practical for staples. “Fortunately, we’ll be taking three wagons. That allows us to take more. But we’re planning carefully, making the best use of the space and weight.”

“Does that mean you’re driving your own wagon?” He folded the gingham into a neat bundle.

“I am.”

He looked skeptical. “I’ve heard an oxen team can prove a challenge, even for a strong, experienced man. How do you expect you’ll manage that by yourself?”

“Matthew and my father will drive the heavy wagons, and they’ll be pulled by oxen teams. I’ll drive a lighter wagon with a horse team. We’ve chosen our most dependable plow horses to do the job. I don’t see that it will be much of a problem. In fact, I think Jamie might even be able to handle driving some.” She made a confident nod. “We reckon it’ll be handy to have horses once we get to the Oregon Territory.”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

“You know, Mr. Thorne, the Oregon Territory will be a wonderful opportunity for smart businessmen like yourself someday.” She paused from picking out buttons to look him in the eyes. “For anyone with a spirit for adventure, it could be quite a profitable move.”

He made a nervous laugh. “Don’t you go trying to lure me out on some harebrained quest, Mrs. Martin. My wife would sooner have me tarred and feathered than to entertain such a notion.”

Fortunately, more customers had come into the mercantile, and Elizabeth was allowed to browse and shop in peace for a few minutes.

“Elizabeth Martin!” exclaimed a female voice. “I thought that was you.”

Elizabeth turned to see Mary Franklin approaching. The two had gone to school together as children but had never been close friends. Truth be told, Elizabeth had never cared for Mary and partly for good reason. However, she was determined to take the high road with Mary now. “Good morning,” she said cheerily. “It’s been a long time.”

“Indeed, it has.” Mary peered curiously at Elizabeth. “Is it true what I’ve been hearing lately?”

Elizabeth braced herself. “I suppose that would depend on what you’ve heard.”

“Did Violet Lamott jilt your younger brother?”

Elizabeth made a stiff smile. “The engagement is off.”

“And is that why you and your entire family are fleeing to the West?” Mary’s eyes were still as piercing blue as Elizabeth remembered, but her previously auburn hair was now the color of a faded board, and she had gained a considerable amount of weight.

“It’s true my family and I are venturing to Oregon,” Elizabeth said lightly. “Perhaps you remember my late husband’s younger brother, John Martin?” Elizabeth not only knew that Mary would remember John but also thought she might still regret that John had not proposed marriage to her. Mary had been smitten by John as a youth. “John and Malinda and their five children as well as the elder Martins have all settled quite happily in the Oregon Territory,” she continued. “They homestead in a lovely green valley just a day’s travel from the Pacific Ocean.” Elizabeth put several spools of thread into her shopping basket. “Malinda writes me that the climate is so mild, their livestock graze year-round.”

“So it is true. You are leaving.”

Elizabeth nodded as she browsed through the sewing notions. “We plan to depart Selma in just a few weeks.”

“This is so sudden!”

“If James had lived, we surely would have been in Oregon by now.” Elizabeth looked evenly at Mary. “So truly, it is not so sudden.”

“But to pick up and leave like this?” Mary frowned. “I can only imagine how distressing this must be for you, Elizabeth. Such a demanding journey…for a woman your age…it’s inconceivable.”

“Nonsense.” Elizabeth dropped a spool of white cord into her basket. “I’m looking forward to this trip as a great adventure. So is the rest of my family.” She glanced around to see that other shoppers were listening in. “And if you’ll excuse me, there is much to be done. But if I don’t see you again before we leave, I wish you well, Mary.” She made a genuine smile now. She did wish Mary well, especially since she had heard that Mary’s marriage to an older wealthy man was not a very happy one. Elizabeth reached out to squeeze Mary’s gloved hand. “And if you are truly worried for the welfare of my family and me, I invite you to keep us in your prayers in the upcoming months.”

“Well, yes, of course.” Mary nodded quickly.

Elizabeth made a few more selections, fended a few more neighborly inquiries, and finally decided to take her mother’s advice and defer the bulk of her shopping for Paducah and Kansas City. Merchandise was cheaper in Paducah because it was located on the Ohio River. It would also save time because no one would know her there. However, once in Kansas City, prices would probably jump much higher. And who could predict whether they would have all that was needed to complete a successful overland journey?

This very subject had spawned a lively debate among their family the previous week. Without consulting Elizabeth or her mother, the men had decided that they should do all their purchasing in Kansas City, including wagons and livestock and all their supplies. “That way we can travel up river unencumbered. We won’t be carrying all our worldly goods with us,” Asa had explained.

“We’ll just jump off the riverboat in Kansas City and get whatever we need there,” Matthew added. “And off we go.”

“What if they don’t have everything we need?” Elizabeth queried.

“Oh, sure they will,” Asa told her.

“But what about our own things?” Clara protested. “I’ve already begun to box up what I wish to take with us to Oregon. Are you saying I must leave it behind?”

Asa frowned. “Well, I suppose we could take some freight with us on the river.”

“Wouldn’t that mean we’d need to take a wagon from home?” Elizabeth questioned.

“I suppose…” Asa scratched his chin.

“And how would we dispose of the wagon before getting on the boat?” Clara frowned.

“We could sell it.”

“So we would sell our perfectly good wagon, probably at a loss, and then turn around and buy new ones, perhaps not as well built as the wagons we left behind but most likely at a premium price?”

Asa and Matthew exchanged uncertain looks.

“And what about the wagon you were working on?” Elizabeth challenged her brother. “It sounded like it was coming along nicely. Mother said you got it rigged up to hold a sleeping hammock beneath it and a number of other improvements. You probably won’t find a wagon outfitted like that in Kansas City.”

“Yes…but it’s smaller than the usual prairie schooner. I decided I want a bigger one.”

“But it would be easier to drive a smaller one,” she said.

Asa pointed at her. “Probably just the right size for you to drive, Lizzie. That wagon would be relatively easy to handle with a dependable team of horses.”

“What about getting our wagons in Kansas City?” Matthew insisted.

“Think about it,” Elizabeth told him. “Wouldn’t it be much simpler and cheaper to utilize our own sturdy wagons right from our own farms? And to outfit them here with our own tools and supplies, items we’ve trusted and used for years?”

Asa nodded. “That does make sense. I don’t like the idea of getting out on the trail with shoddy tools and equipment.”

“I’ve read time and again that careful preparation is the key to success on the Oregon Trail,” Clara told them. “I say we take our own wagons and livestock.”

“And that gives us more time to plan carefully and to load them properly,” Elizabeth persisted. “And that way we will know exactly what we have before we get to Kansas City. We won’t be scrambling to find everything we need or settling for low quality. Think about it, Father. How would you like to be out on the trail and have a poorly made wagon breaking down on you?”

“You make a good point,” Asa agreed. “But it will cost more to transport them on the riverboats. And I’m not sure about transporting livestock.”

“Maybe we could get some of our livestock in Kansas City,” Matthew suggested.

“But would it be dependable livestock?” Clara challenged.

“Do you want to be out on the trail with an unruly team of oxen?” Elizabeth asked. “Or an animal that’s in poor health? We know our livestock.”

“That’s a valid point too,” Asa concurred.

So it was decided they would use some of their own livestock, including their most dependable horse team, to get their fully outfitted prairie schooners up to Paducah and loaded onto the riverboat. If needed, they would purchase additional oxen and horses in Kansas City. In the meantime, there was much to be done and only a few weeks left to do it.

As Elizabeth drove the carriage home from town, she wondered what she would miss most about Selma. It was unrealistic to think she would miss nothing. But at the moment, with dreams of a great adventure to occupy her thoughts, it was hard to think of much else. Certainly, she would miss their church…and the children’s school. And, she realized as she pulled in front of the house, she would miss Brady too.

“Hello, Missus Martin,” he called out as he came to help with the horses.

“Hello, Brady.” She smiled as she reached for her shopping basket. “There are some parcels in back, if you wouldn’t mind bringing them into the house for me.”

“Yes, Missus.”

Elizabeth knew that Brady had been sad to hear her news. However, he had not been terribly surprised. James had told Brady years ago, back when he’d given him his freedom papers, about their plans to go west. Even then, Brady had claimed he was too old to make that journey. That was why James had promised Brady that when the farm was sold, he would make a written provision for Brady to remain as a farmhand for the rest of his days. Fortunately, this was one of the details that Thomas Barron had agreed to. The particulars that were still in discussion had more to do with furnishings and farm implements. Thomas Barron seemed to feel that since Elizabeth could not take everything with her, she should include them with the price of the house and farm.

“Thomas Barron is a shrewd businessman,” her father had told her a few days ago. “How about letting me handle this negotiation for you?”

Elizabeth had been relieved to pass this on to him. There was enough to occupy her without dealing with Thomas Barron as well. However, Thomas Barron’s greediness had motivated her to do something she hadn’t considered before. And it was why the front parlor was now piled high with boxes. As Elizabeth began going through her household goods, she realized that many of these items, things she had accrued from James’ grandparents and the original property owners, might be useful to others, so she had offered the surplus to her church. Pastor Kincaid had kindly accepted her donation and already had a group of eager church women who promised to put her donations to good use for missionaries both in America and abroad.

Going through James’ things wasn’t easy, but the task was long overdue. However, as she went through his clothing, she felt relieved that she had not gotten rid of anything. At the rate Jamie was growing, it wouldn’t be long until he would be big enough to wear some of these things. So she packed away the items that seemed most suited for Oregon. And when she found James’ gold pocket watch, she decided to put it on a chain to wear around her neck. Not that it would be so important to know the time out on the trail, but it would be a comfort all the same.

Then, as she sorted through the attic, she realized that some old pieces, like James’ grandmother’s spinning wheel, might prove valuable in the Oregon Territory as well. Hence, she was acquiring an interesting accumulation of items. She would invite her mother to peruse it with her. Together they would decide what should stay and what should go. All in all, despite the extra work, Elizabeth was enjoying this process.

As were the children. Every day, when they got home from school, after their chores and supper were finished, they read together through geography books as well as first-person accounts of traveling overland to the West. They studied maps and the calendar to make timelines, and Jamie did the arithmetic to determine how many days each stage of the journey would take. It was educational and interesting and exciting.

“We’re going to be on a riverboat for fifteen days?” Ruth asked with wonder.

“Perhaps longer,” Elizabeth explained. “It depends on the current of the river.”

“And we’ll be on three different rivers,” Jamie told Ruth as he traced his finger up the map. “First the Ohio River, then the mighty Mississippi, and finally, for the longest river trip, the Missouri—all the way to Kansas City.”