Authors: Susan Leigh Carlton
Amandas's Mail Order Cowboy: The Story of A Mail Order Bride and Her Mail Order Husband (Mail Order Brides Book 14) (4 page)
chapter Eight
Dear Number 9206, I have just read your ad in The Matrimonial News. I find it most interesting. I am a thirty year old college graduate. I teach in one of my hometown’s elementary schools. I am five feet six inches tall and weigh 128 pounds. I have blonde hair that reaches half way down my back. My eyes are green. Like you, I have never been married. I also teach music from our home. I like children and consider that a key to being a successful teacher. In addition to my children at school, I would like to have a family of my own. I am beginning to doubt that will happen. One of the things that intrigued me about your ad was your being the guardian of a two year old. You have taken on a challenge there and I admire the courage required for this responsibility. I hope you find my letter suitable, as I would like to correspond with you. Sincerely, Number 9508
She mailed the letter on her way to school the next morning.
Wonder how long it takes to get an answer? If I even get an answer.”
That evening…
Amanda looked at the other four ads she had circled. One of them had been placed by a man who identified himself as a fruit grower with two children, thirteen and fourteen years old. He was thirty eight.
He’s too old for me, I think. Why did I circle him? I need to go back and look at these again.
I’m not going to write another until I hear or don’t hear from number 9206.
Nine days later…
The mail was still in the mailbox when she got home.
Good, Mama would get curious if she knew I was getting mail regularly, since I never have before.
The letter was from the newspaper, but it was not from 9206. It contained two responses to her ad.
One of the two said
I am twenty eight years old. I’m a gold miner and have a working claim. It is going to pay off big, if I can get another three month grubstake. Would you be willing to take a chance on getting rich?”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“You don’t think what?” her mother asked.
Amanda hadn’t realized she had spoken aloud. “Oh nothing, Mama. I’m reading these essays and was talking to myself. I think I’ve been at it too long. It’s time to give it a rest.”
“Mama, I need to tell you something that is going to sound strange to you, and will probably upset you. I can’t help it. It is something I have to do.”
“What is? I don’t understand.”
“Mama, I want to get married,” she said.
Well, for goodness sakes, I know that. So you and Randall made up?”
“No, Mama, we didn’t make up and we’re not going to, I want nothing to do with him. He’s a cheat and a philanderer.”
“There’s this newspaper;” she held out the paper to her mother. “Look at it, Mama. After the front page, there is nothing but ads from people looking for husbands and wives.
She pointed, “See the number? That’s how you’re known to anyone reading until you tell the editor to give them your name and address. I’m number 9508, and my ad is on page nine. The answers go to the paper and the editor scans them for anything that might be in violation of their rules, and then he forwards those that are all right. So far, I’ve received four letters.”
“And what is the point to all of this?” her mother asked.
“The point is, if you communicate with someone and think he or she might be someone you would be interested in, you arrange to meet them. The gentleman pays for the lady’s transportation, and if they find themselves compatible, they marry. If they don’t, the lady returns home.”
“And you’re doing this?” her mother asked.
Amanda took a deep breath, let it out and said, “Yes, I’m doing this. I’ve written one letter, but haven’t gotten an answer yet. There is a shortage of men of my age, mostly because of the war. Other parts of the country, there must be a shortage of women. The paper is trying to bring them together,”
“Amanda Taylor, I can’t believe you are taking part in such a harebrained scheme. It would kill your papa if he knew.”
“Mama, it’s easy for you to think the way you do. You have your man, and the security that brings. I don’t. Do you realize you and Papa are the only two people in the world that love me? There should be more to life. There has to be more, and I’m willing to take this chance to find them.”
“You’re a grown woman, and I can’t stop you from ruining your reputation if that’s what you’re set on.”
“How is it going to ruin my reputation? Only you and Papa will know in Elmira, and only an editor in Kansas City knows my name and where I live. Are you going to stand up in church and announce I’m a fallen woman, writing to men all over God’s creation?”
“You know I would never do that,” her mother said. “It’s just that I worry so about this.” Who knows what can happen to you, if you go off into God only knows where to meet some stranger you’ve never laid eyes on.”
“Mama, look at this. They say they’ve had over 2600 marriages through the paper,” Amanda said.
“Even if it’s true, and you don’t know that it is, do you know how many of those 2600 women are dead and buried?” her mother went on.
“Mama, I’m going through with this. If it bothers you so much, I’ll move to Mrs. Gill’s boarding house. Just tell me if that’s what you want.”
Her mother came to her and hugged her. “You’re all we have in this world, Amanda. I don’t know that we could bear it if anything happened to you.
“Don’t worry, Mama, I’m not going to do something totally stupid. I’m not going to write to anyone else until I hear from 9206.
“Is that his number, the one you’re writing to?”
“That’s his number, good old number 9206,
chapter Nine
Rance opened the plain envelope with the Kansas City postmark. He found a letter responding to his ad.
Someone named Number 9508. She’s a school teacher. Blonde hair and green eyes. She sounds like a grown up Abigail. Five feet six inches, and 128 pounds. Says she likes kids, else she couldn’t teach elementary level. That makes sense. Never been married. Sounds good to me. This one I’m going to answer
.
Rance decided to wait before answering the letter, since it would not get mailed until the next time he was in Cheyenne, which would be Sunday. He wanted time to think about the words he wanted to use.
She’s a school teacher. I’ll have to watch my spelling. I wouldn’t want a failing grade on the first letter.
Dear Number 9508. I received your most welcome letter three days ago, but since I am not in a place to mail it until Sunday, I wanted to make sure I got a passing grade on my spelling. I dug out my old Webster’s Dictionary to make sure of it. I hope you realize I’m kidding. You mentioned my being a guardian. Actually, she is not related. Her family owned the adjacent ranch and was attacked by the Sioux. Her mother, father and brother were all killed. My foreman and I saw the smoke from the burning barn, but it was all over by the time we got there. I found her under the bed. It was a couple of days before she said anything. She told me her mother had told her to be quiet and not to talk, so she was being a good little girl and doing as she was told. She’s two, and has blonde hair and blue eyes. She is going to be a heartbreaker. A judge appointed me as her guardian and we put the ranch in trust for her. In the meantime, I am going to need to get help for Consuela, who is our housekeeper, and is now caring for her, even though she denies needing it.
She seemed to be getting better, until the other day, when some Indians came looking for food. She ran screaming from the room and got under her bed. It took me a while to coax her out.
What are your likes? Your dislikes? Personally, I like being outdoors working. The cold weather in the winter reduces the chance for that, and I get restless. I don’t have much patience with someone content to just slide by. I’m not a perfectionist, but I do believe in giving it my best shot. I also don’t like to associate with those who prey on others
As my ad said, I am six feet two inches tall and weigh 180 pounds. My hair is dark and so are my eyes. I attend the local Methodist Church and count the pastor as one of my best friends. My foreman and I have been friends since elementary school. I recently became friends with one of the local ranchers and his wife. They told me about the newspaper. They have a daughter slightly younger than our little girl. They also have a son from the wife’s first marriage.
I look forward to your next letter. I wish it didn’t take so long.
Yours truly, Number 9206.
* * *
Elmira, New York…
“Amanda, you have some mail,” her mother said, when Amanda came in from school. “It appears to be from your newspaper.
“When are you going to tell your father about this thing you’re doing?”
“When I have something to tell him. Right now, the only things I have are some letters that I may or may not answer.
“Mama, you know I love you and Papa, and I respect you, but you need to understand, I am going to do this regardless of whether you approve. If this continues to be a problem for you, then maybe it would be better if I did move to Mrs. Gill’s Boarding House. At least you wouldn’t be confronting it at every turn. I am a grown and mature woman. This is my decision to make and not yours. I’m beginning to regret having said anything to you about it.”
“Mothers worry, Amanda. That’s all I’m doing. I’m concerned for your safety. Whether you’re here or at a boarding house doesn’t change that.”
“You’re right. I concede your point,” Amanda said. “I’m sorry I spoke to you the way I did. I appreciate your concern, and I won’t talk about moving again. I will tell Papa when the time is right. Now, I hope this letter is from number 9206.”
She went to her room, to read the letter in private.
Good! It’s from 9206.
When she read the part about the dictionary, she smiled.
He has a sense of humor. The little girl is not a relative! She’s an orphan. What a horrible thing to happen to a little girl, losing her entire family. He seems to be kind and understanding. He had to coax her from under the bed. He’s apparently honest. He protected her interest and set up a trust for her. He’s looking out for her interests. He goes to church, and seems to have plenty of friends. Maybe it would put Mama’s mind at ease if she read this.
“Mama, I think it might help if you read this. It is from number 9206, as I hoped. He seems to be a kind, sensitive person, and honest as well.”
Her mother took the letter and sat at the kitchen table and read it. Then she read it again. She handed the letter back to Amanda. “Thank you for that, dear. It does help. If what he wrote is true, he does seem to be a kind and generous person.” She hugged her daughter. “I hope this works out for you, I really do. I will still worry about it and about you, but reading it makes me feel better.”
“Thank you, Mama. I’m going to answer it tonight, so I can get it in the mail when I go to school in the morning,” Amanda said.
chapter Ten
Dear Number 9206, What a lovely letter, and what a terrible ordeal for a little girl to go through. She is lucky to have someone so sensitive and generous looking out for her interests. My mother has expressed a lot of concern about the course I’m pursuing here. I understand it comes from her love, so I gave her your letter to read, hoping it would allay some of her fears and it did that. In reading the letter and the problems with the Indians, I assume you are in one of the frontier states, as I know of no other area with hostiles. It sounds rather frightening when you consider what happened to the little girl’s family. Is life on the frontier difficult? I wonder what manner of things you must do without that we take for granted here. I also wonder about the school system; the difficulty in getting the things you need, where we would simply go to the store and buy what we need, your options must be limited. You mentioned friends and going to town to mail your letters. You apparently don’t have home delivery of mail, as we do. How far must you travel in order to get to the stores? I know there is now a transcontinental railroad, how far do you have to travel in order to use the rail service? I have so much curiosity and so many questions. After reading your letter last night, I spent the rest of the evening going over homework papers from my students. I did not grade your letter, however, I will if you like. Until the next time, and please make it soon, I remain,
Sincerely, Number 9508.
With her latest letter mailed and on its way to where ever number 9206 lived, Amanda lay back on the bed and closed her eyes.
I wonder what he looks like.”
As she fell asleep, she began to dream...
Randall dragged her by the hair away from the house. A cowboy appeared, mounted on a white horse.
The big horse reared on its two hind legs, knocking Randall back into the thorny rose bushes. With the hand no longer gripping her hair, Amanda stepped backward. The handsome cowboy leaned over and with one arm, scooped her up and across his saddle. The great white horse reared once again, landed and galloped away, leaving, Randall entangled in the rose bushes.
She woke with a start, and rubbed her eyes.
What a weird dream
. While she slept, it had begun to get dark outside. She went downstairs just as her mother put dinner on the table.
Her father was sitting in his favorite chair in the living room, the aromatic tobacco in his pipe flavoring the air. He was reading the Elmira Gazette.
“Papa, I have something to tell you,” she began.
“Yes,” he said. “What is it?”
“Papa, I have been corresponding with someone, and I hope to marry him.”
“Well good,” he said. “It’s about time.”
“Papa, I’m serious,” she said.
He laid the paper down and gave her his attention. “Tell me about it.”
She began by telling him about the newspaper and her ad, and how she had written to a man from another part of the country. “I received this letter from him, in answer to one I wrote,” she said. “I would like for you to read it.” She handed him the letter.
He read the letter; then he read it again. “You’re serious about this?” he asked.
“Yes, Papa, I’m serious. What do you think?” she asked.
“I would worry about you going off to some place on the other side of the country to meet someone you don’t know. I think I understand your reason. It’s natural to want a family. Frankly, I hated to see you wasting yourself on someone like that Randall. He’s no good, but I didn’t want to interfere. You’re grown and old enough to make your own decisions, right or wrong. I hope this works for you.” He looked at her, and said, “You deserve someone kind and good, and this fellow seems to be that type.”
“Thank you.
“I’ll set the table, Mama,” she said.
“I’m glad you told him,” her mother said.
“I intended to tell him, but I wanted the time to be right, tonight seemed to be the right time,” Amanda said.
* * *
The Lazy K Ranch…
A letter from Number 9508!
I have been waiting for this
.
After reading through the letter two times, he decided to answer it right away.
Dear Number 9508, It was so good to hear back from you. I guess I must have gotten at least a C+ on my letter, huh? I know my penmanship needs to improve, but I do the best I can considering what I have to work with.
I don’t know how much Abby saw that day, no one does, but if she saw half of what I saw, it was far too much for anyone to see. (I might as well use her name, instead of saying the little girl, it makes it easier to talk about her.) Her name is Abigail, but I call her Abby. She is a precious girl, and when she smiles, it brightens the room. Unfortunately, she doesn’t smile very much. She is really bright, too. There is nothing special about my helping her. Out here, we take care of each other. The people here are a different lot. They are the friendliest you will find anywhere. If they have something you need, it’s yours for the asking.
Your mother’s concern for your welfare is understandable. I’ve learned so much more about parental concern since Abby came into my life. I understand some of the things my mama did that I could not understand at the time.
Life is hard on the frontier. There is a certain lawless element, but they are gradually being brought under control. We do have a public school system here now, with separate schools for elementary and high school. I went to a one-room school, where all grades were taught. I had a dedicated teacher, and mama was a stickler on education.
The ranch is about seven miles from town, and I am usually there on Sunday. We have a well-stocked general store. Anything we need and they don’t have can be ordered by telegraph, and will be available in relatively short order. We also have a clothing store, a livery stable and a doctor.
There’s talk of a hospital to be built. I think we have a fairly modern town; after all it is only about ten years old. The railroad has been here for several years. We’re on the Transcontinental Railroad line and are not too far from where the East met the West during the construction.
Oh yes, the other question. We have not progressed to the point where there is home delivery of mail, even in town. Our post office is in a corner of the general store.
I’ve run out of answers for now. I anxiously anticipate your next letter.
Sincerely, Number 9206
.
The letter was mailed Sunday.
