Charlotte's Mail Order Husband (New Montana Brides series) (3 page)

chapter Six

A Letter
From Zebulon

Dear Miss Jenkins,

May I call you Charlotte or Lottie? I received your most welcome letter. It pleases me that my offer is acceptable to you.

It sounds as if my sister may have gilded the lily a bit in her descriptions. In our childhood days, she did not hold me in such high regard. I assure you
though, I have not exaggerated in my descriptions of Montana.

You asked qu
estions about the arrangements. I will utilize the services of Western Union to communicate with you as a matter of expediency. My bank here in Helena is a correspondent with the First National Bank of Baltimore, where I maintain an account jointly with my sister. I will wire authorization to the bank to provide you with funds for the purchase of your transportation. I assure you it will be an amount more than adequate to cover any enroute expenses you might incur.

My only directions to you are to ensure you purchase the most comfortable accommodations offered. I have inquired
about the nature of this, and have determined the train accommodations that would be best are a compartment or drawing room. For the much longer portion of your journey on the steamboat, I will telegraph the steamboat company and arrange the passage. I will only need the date of your arrival in Saint Louis. I want you to have a stateroom. Funds will also be made available to cover meals and any other incidentals. By separate letter, I have asked Mary to help make sure you have this. The arduous trek you are undertaking will be difficult, and your comfort is of the utmost importance to me.

I am afraid there is no such thing as comfortable acco
mmodations on a stage coach. Having traveled within Montana on the Overland Stage, I can attest to that. You should be aware passengers are allowed only twenty-five pounds of baggage on the stage. Not much for one who is traveling cross country.

If you have any questions Mary cannot answer, then tel
egraph me by Western Union collect telegram. I will receive any message you send the next day, so it is timely. When you have an approximate arrival date, please telegraph me.

I look forward to your arrival with great anticipation.

Sincerely, Zebulon Parsons

After reading the letter, Lottie decided to talk to Mary Tarleton. “Mary
, I have another letter from Zebulon. I would like for you to read it, since part of it concerns you, and I would like to have your help.”

Mary took the letter, read through it quickly, and said, “I have one with the same information. Do you have doubts, or questions?”

“I’ve not done any traveling, and I am reluctant to spend someone else’s money, particularly in the amount involved here. Working in the bank, I’ve handled money, but the most expensive thing I have ever purchased was a ready-made dress, and I was afraid to wear it for fear of ruining it. I’m afraid if I did it on my own; I could be taken advantage of in my ignorance. Could you help me?”

Mary laughed. “Lottie, I haven’t traveled either, and I have never purchased anything of significant expense. I would be glad to go along with you, but I don’t know that I would be much help either.
Zebulon has apparently looked into this, since he spelled out the type of accommodations you should have.”

The next day, Mary and Lottie went to The First National Bank and withdrew the sizable amount of funds her brother specified. She went with Lottie to the train station, where they selected a date of departure,
purchased a ticket, and obtained the Saint Louis arrival time. “I will telegraph the arrival date to Zebulon, so he can make the steamboat arrangements. I imagine he will telegraph any further information about that end of the trip.

“Lottie, this is a delicate subject and I don’t want to o
ffend you or embarrass you. My brother is concerned you might not have sufficient clothing to make the trip, and has asked me to help you with it. If you are willing, and I strongly suggest you take advantage of this, I will take you shopping.”

Lottie’s eyes filled with moisture. “That is the most thoughtful thing I could have imagined. I do have some nice dresses that I wear when working, and to church. I have no idea what would be needed.”

“Another question. What about your delicate underthings?”

Lottie’s face colored. “I don’t know what to say.”

“We are going to Hutzler’s, and put ourselves at their mercy,” Mary said.

Hutzler’s took pride in being a destination store. Mary and Lottie spent three hours in the store. Lottie was appalled at the amount spent. “Mary, this is not right. I’m not co
mfortable doing this/”

“I’m sorry you feel that way. It’s what
Zeb wanted. He’s asking you to uproot yourself from family and home; move to the unknown, and he sees this as a practical thing to do. I understand there is a general store in Helena, but things have to be ordered, and shipped in the Wells Fargo wagon. If you feel really strongly about it, you can put them back, but I don’t recommend it. You will need to keep the small trunk and the carpet bag.”

Mary had the clerk weigh the purchases to make sure they fell within the twenty five pound limit. In the end, Lo
ttie had the store clerk put back about half of what had been selected. Mary just shook her head in wonderment. Before they parted, she gave Lottie a small handbag. “This will provide for your meals and other expenses. You are not to skimp. I know you will try, but do not do it. I will be at the train station to see you off in the morning.”

Lottie just nodded.
This woman would be a wonderful friend,
she thought.

At home that evening…

Dear Zebulon,

After we purchased the train ticket, you sister took me shopping, and I fear we over-indulged. I am flabbergasted at your extravagance toward someone you have never met.

By the time you receive this letter, I shall probably be on the steamboat from Saint Louis. What an adventure I have in store for me! I await the date with anxiety, and doubt. I have resolved in my mind it is something I must do, nevertheless, the uncertainty of acceptance troubles me.

I do look forward to our meeting, and I assure you if this doesn’t work, it will not be for my lack of trying.

Until I step from the stagecoach in Helena, I won’t believe all that is happening.

Sincerely,

Lottie Jenkins

Lottie folded the letter, put it into the envelope and sealed it. She would mail it on the way to the bank the next day.

“Mama, Papa, it is all arranged. I will leave by train for Saint Louis on Wednesday morning. I will travel by steamboat from Saint Louis to Fort Benton, Montana, and then by stagecoach to Helena. Altogether, it is going to take about three weeks.”

“And how are you paying for all of this?” her mother asked.

“Zebulon has a bank account in the First National Bank. His sister withdrew the money for the ticket and all of the anticipated expenses. At his suggestion, Mary took me to Hutzler’s to purchase additional clothing. She said there is only a general store in Helena, and will have a limited selection.

“Missy, I don’t like the sound of this at all. Why
, the whole thing makes you appear to be a trollop bought and paid for.”

With tears in her eyes, Lottie said, “Mother, I’m sorry for the way you feel. I am sorry I ha
ve to resort to this in order to get married. I apologize for being a disappointment to you,. but I hope someday you understand.” She spun on her heels and left the room. Her mother did not speak to her again until the day she left.

There was a knock on the door to the bedroom. She opened it to find her father standing there.
“Lottie, your mother didn’t mean what she said. She’s just worried about you.”

“P
apa, if she didn’t mean it, why isn’t she here? I love both of you very much, and I just want you to wish me well. I pray everything will be all right. If it isn’t, then I’ll just have to make do with what life brings. Will you come to the train station with me, Papa? It would mean a lot.”

“I’ll be there, Lottie. Now you get some rest,
you have a long day tomorrow.

She dropped the letter off at the post office and went to the bank and withdrew her meager savings, and closed the account
. She then told the bank president, she was leaving. After that, she went to Mary’s, to see if there had been any last minute communications. There had not

Dinner was a somber occasion
. Her sisters were all present, the first time in some weeks they had all been together. Her mother was quiet, as was her father. Both were thinking this would be the last time they would see her.

Martha, her husband, and their two children tried to ligh
ten the mood but it didn’t help. Lottie asked Martha for a private minute before they left. “Marty, thank you for standing by me in this. Mama is really upset, and Papa is sad about it, but at least he understands. I hope this isn’t the last time we see each other, but if it is, I will think of you every day. You were my rock in all of this, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love you.”

“I love you
too, Sis, and you will be in my prayers every night. Promise me you will write?”

“I promise.” She held her sister in a tight embrace for a few moments. They broke the embrace and she kissed Ma
rtha on the cheek. “Goodbye, Marty.”

The next morning, she told her younger sisters goodbye, and went to her mother’s bedroom. “Goodbye Mama. Please don’t think I’m a bad person. I have to do this.”

Her mother stood, and embraced her. “I don’t understand any of it, but you are my daughter and I love you. Goodbye precious.”

“Goodbye Mama. I love you too.”

She picked up her things, met her father at the door, and together they walked toward the train station, As they walked, she heard a voice behind her say, “Wait, I’m coming too.” It was her mother, walking fast to catch up to them.

chapter Seven

The Journey Begins

At the station,
Mary Tarleton joined the Jenkins family. “Mama, Papa, this is Mary Tarleton, the sister of Zebulon. Mary, this is my mother, Virginia, and my father, Robert.”

“
Mrs. Tarleton. Lottie has told us about your role in this dangerous plan of hers,” Virginia Jenkins said.

“Mama, that is uncalled for. She had no part in my dec
ision. She is helping me do something I want to do.”

Lottie’s father said, “It is my pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Tarleton. Lottie has said kind things about you. My wife is upset, because she is afraid of what might happen to our daughter. I am concerned also, but this is something Lottie has decided she must do, and in that light, she has my bles
sing.”

Mary said, “I can understand
your doubts and fears. I think I would feel the same if my daughter was old enough to undertake a venture such as this. My brother is a kind and thoughtful man. He will treat your daughter with respect. He left Baltimore at a young age to follow his dream, and he found it. Now he wants to share it with a wife. I hope you understand that.”

“Lottie, I have something for you. Please don’t open it until you’re on your way.” She handed Lottie a small pac
kage, which Lottie slipped into her small carpet bag. “Please write and let me know how you’re getting along. I think you will be good for Zebulon.” She hugged Lottie, and patted her on the shoulder. “Goodbye and Godspeed.

“
Mrs. Jenkins, Mr. Jenkins, I am pleased to have met you. You have a wonderful daughter. I’m sure she will be happy, else I could have played no role in this.” She turned and left the trio on the platform.

Lottie’s mother watched Mary walk away. She
said, “Mary seems like a nice, honest lady. She certainly loves her brother.”

“She is a nice lady. I had them put half the things we picked out at Hutzler’s, back on the shelf. She wanted to make sure I had enough
clothes to last the trip.”

“I liked her too,” her father said.

Just then, the conductor called for all passengers to get aboard. She hurriedly hugged and kissed her parents one last time, and picked up her bag and ran to her car.

Amid a hiss of steam and a cloud of sooty smoke, the train began moving. Lottie looked out of the window as the streets of Baltimore passed.
I wonder if I’ll ever see this again,
she thought.

Meanwhile, in
Helena…

Zebulon
was pushing the carpenters to complete his house before the arrival of the person he hoped would be his wife. The remaining work involved the installation of the kitchen water pump, and the imported bathtub and other fixtures.

A gate
, using stone pillars and a hewn log, was erected across the entrance to the ranch, topped by the ranch name.

At the same time…

Lottie arrived in Saint Louis, and found her
upriver steamboat,
The Far West
would not depart until the following morning. She telegraphed this information to Zebulon. She told him the duration of the trip would be eighteen days. Barring bad weather.

After an overnight stay in a hotel recommended by
The Coulson Packet Line
office, she made her way to the dock, where she caught her first glimpse of her home for the next eighteen days. It was a sleek sternwheeler, nearly two hundred feet long. She could see the decks beneath the two giant smoke stacks.

She was taken by a steward to a long covered hallway, from which the cabin doors opened. The steward pointed out
the cabin with a long table where cabin passengers would be served their meals along with the ship’s officers. It also was outfitted as a place for the cabin passengers to spend their leisure time. The cabins were small, and not long on creature comforts. Their best feature was the privacy they afforded the thirty passengers.

A shrill whistle pierced the air. Passengers lined the rail as the sleek ship shuddered
, and began to creep away from its berth. It angled away from the dock and toward the main channel of the great River.

Lottie stood by the rail, a place she would frequent while aboard, and watched the scenery as the long boat began the journey upriver, plumes of smoke trailing from the twin smokestack
, and steam from the three steam engines, was vented to the rear. Only once did she venture into the paddle wheel area. She found it to be too noisy for her liking.

Lottie was the lone female on the boat, a fact that made her uneasy
, especially after a pounding on her cabin door by a drunken passenger awakened her. A ship’s officer investigated the noise, and brought the man before the captain, where he was told he would be put ashore at one of the stops the boat made to take on wood, if it happened again. The officer told Lottie of the action and assured her it would not happen again. The rest of the trip was uneventful, and on the eighteenth day, the boat docked at Fort Benton, Montana.

Fort Benton was a busy river port town since it was the only gateway for freight from the east. As with the riverboat, Lottie had to wait until the next day for an Overland Stage.

It was the first stagecoach Lottie had ever seen. It resembled a huge upside down butter dish, mounted on springs and four wheels. The six horses that pulled it were snorting and tossing their heads, as if anxious to get underway. In the cool pre-dawn air, the vapor from their noses hung in the air. The driver took her bags and threw them into the boot at the rear of the coach.

Lottie found she was one of five passengers and the only female in the coach. It was a tight fit, with her knees nearly touching the passenger sitting opposite her. The driver sat on top of the coach, with a brake handle to his left
, and the reins held in both hands. A tough looking man wearing a leather vest over his shirt, and a Navy Colt revolver in a holster strapped around the waist of his denim pants, climbed onto the box. He pulled a Henry repeating rifle from the scabbard holster and cradled it across his lap

The driver spat a stream of brown tobacco juice onto the dirt road, and yelled, “
HiiiiYaa. He cracked his rawhide whip above the heads of the horses. They leaped forward, as the coach rocked from side-to-side and they were off in a cloud of dust, headed north for Helena.

The driver pushed the horses hard,
his whip singing through the air, snapping above the horses' heads. After fifteen or twenty miles he pulled into a way-station where the horses were exchanged for fresh ones. At each stop, the passengers would take advantage of the respite to get out and stretch their legs.

Late evening, the coach pulled into a station. The driver clambered down, and said, “Folks, we overnight here. You will need to pay the
Henshaw’s for your meal and lodging. We leave at dawn. If you’re five minutes late, you’ll see the back end of the stage and you will have to wait for the next one. I got a schedule to keep, and I mean to keep it.

Inside, Lottie
noticed the floor of the station was dirt. A tired looking woman was stirring something in a big pot hanging from an iron rod in the fireplace. Lottie paid the station keeper a dollar for each meal, and a dollar for the small cot, strung with rope for a mattress. The blanket was so filthy she couldn’t bring herself to touch it.

Sleep did not come, and when she heard the cook moving about, she got up and asked for coffee. She was handed a plate with leftover beans from the previous night. She deci
ded, instead, to eat the biscuits she had gotten before leaving the riverboat.