don’t understand.”
“To make our meeting less difficult for both of us,” Ma said.
Alfrid nodded. “I see.”
“You’re a kind man, Mr. Swenson,” Ma said. “I am grateful to you for your loan to help pay for my train fare to St Joseph. The family that employed me gave me a parting gift of a coat, which had belonged to one of their daughters, my satchel, and some money. I’ll turn the full amount over to you. It is almost enough to pay you back.”
“But I—I do not expect the money to be repaid,” Alfrid stammered.
“Nevertheless, it will be repaid. I greatly appreciate your kindness, but I’m an independent woman, and I’ll not feel right owing you a single cent.” Ma beamed and hugged Peg and Danny to her again. “Now tell me, Mr. Swenson, have these two rapscallions given you a great deal of trouble?”
Alfrid’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, no!” he insisted. “They’ve been very good children.”
Peg giggled, and Alfrid looked confused. “I see. It was another joke.” He turned his attention to the horses. The road curved upward, and the pace of the buggy slowed as the team strained against the slope. Through the trees Danny caught glimpses of the Missouri River, silver in the thin sunlight.
“There’s much we need to learn about each other, Mr. Swenson,” Ma said gently.
“I’ll drive you out to the farm after you’ve met Mrs. Banks,” Alfrid said. “I’ll show you around the property and give you a list of my assets. The farm has provided a steady income, although there is little actual cash because most of the profit has been invested in more cattle, more land, and larger crops.”
Ma reached over and rested her gloved fingertips on his arm. “You are a kind man, and generous to want to share all this with me. But it is
you
I want to learn about,not your property. Do you like to read books? To tell stories? Do you like to dance?”
Alfrid looked at Ma warily, as though suspecting another joke. “There have been dances at the church,” he said seriously, “but I never learned to dance. There was never time.”
“How well I know,” Ma said. “As a girl I loved to dance, but there was always so much work to be done. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had the chance to go to a dance.” She grinned. “At the place where I worked, the houseman played the fiddle. Sometimes, when the master and mistress were away, the rest of us would gather in the kitchen, and he’d play a jig that could set boots to dancing on their own. The cook and I would pick up our skirts and away we’d go through the old steps, with the others laughing and clapping. Oh, it was grand fun!”
Danny laughed as he pictured it. It didn’t hurt so much to imagine that part of Ma’s life, now that she was here in St. Joseph.
Alfrid pulled the horses to a stop in front of a white clapboard house. He jumped down and hitched them to the post at the side of the road, then held up a hand to help Ma from the buggy.
As Ma stepped to the ground, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “The air here is clean, as it was in Ireland. Not quite the same, but close to it, and not a bit like New York.”
She led the way to Katherine’s front door “Katherine said to tell you that your room will be the second bedroom on the right,” Alfrid said.
Ma took the satchel from his hands. “I’ll wash my face and hands,” she said, “and be with you soon.”
“I want to go with you!” Peg said, and ran after her mother.
Danny followed Alfrid back to the buggy and sat beside him on the front seat. Alfrid didn’t speak. Danny couldn’t stand it, and finally he blurted out, “Well? Wasn’t I right about Ma?”
“She’s an exceptionally beautiful woman,” Alfrid said.
Danny shrugged. “I guess,” he said, “but I wasn’t thinking about that. I meant the rest of it.”
Alfrid leaned back and patted Danny’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’s everything you said she was. Even more. Your
“To make our meeting less difficult for both of us,” Ma said.
Alfrid nodded. “I see.”
“You’re a kind man, Mr. Swenson,” Ma said. “I am grateful to you for your loan to help pay for my train fare to St Joseph. The family that employed me gave me a parting gift of a coat, which had belonged to one of their daughters, my satchel, and some money. I’ll turn the full amount over to you. It is almost enough to pay you back.”
“But I—I do not expect the money to be repaid,” Alfrid stammered.
“Nevertheless, it will be repaid. I greatly appreciate your kindness, but I’m an independent woman, and I’ll not feel right owing you a single cent.” Ma beamed and hugged Peg and Danny to her again. “Now tell me, Mr. Swenson, have these two rapscallions given you a great deal of trouble?”
Alfrid’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, no!” he insisted. “They’ve been very good children.”
Peg giggled, and Alfrid looked confused. “I see. It was another joke.” He turned his attention to the horses. The road curved upward, and the pace of the buggy slowed as the team strained against the slope. Through the trees Danny caught glimpses of the Missouri River, silver in the thin sunlight.
“There’s much we need to learn about each other, Mr. Swenson,” Ma said gently.
“I’ll drive you out to the farm after you’ve met Mrs. Banks,” Alfrid said. “I’ll show you around the property and give you a list of my assets. The farm has provided a steady income, although there is little actual cash because most of the profit has been invested in more cattle, more land, and larger crops.”
Ma reached over and rested her gloved fingertips on his arm. “You are a kind man, and generous to want to share all this with me. But it is
you
I want to learn about,not your property. Do you like to read books? To tell stories? Do you like to dance?”
Alfrid looked at Ma warily, as though suspecting another joke. “There have been dances at the church,” he said seriously, “but I never learned to dance. There was never time.”
“How well I know,” Ma said. “As a girl I loved to dance, but there was always so much work to be done. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had the chance to go to a dance.” She grinned. “At the place where I worked, the houseman played the fiddle. Sometimes, when the master and mistress were away, the rest of us would gather in the kitchen, and he’d play a jig that could set boots to dancing on their own. The cook and I would pick up our skirts and away we’d go through the old steps, with the others laughing and clapping. Oh, it was grand fun!”
Danny laughed as he pictured it. It didn’t hurt so much to imagine that part of Ma’s life, now that she was here in St. Joseph.
Alfrid pulled the horses to a stop in front of a white clapboard house. He jumped down and hitched them to the post at the side of the road, then held up a hand to help Ma from the buggy.
As Ma stepped to the ground, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “The air here is clean, as it was in Ireland. Not quite the same, but close to it, and not a bit like New York.”
She led the way to Katherine’s front door “Katherine said to tell you that your room will be the second bedroom on the right,” Alfrid said.
Ma took the satchel from his hands. “I’ll wash my face and hands,” she said, “and be with you soon.”
“I want to go with you!” Peg said, and ran after her mother.
Danny followed Alfrid back to the buggy and sat beside him on the front seat. Alfrid didn’t speak. Danny couldn’t stand it, and finally he blurted out, “Well? Wasn’t I right about Ma?”
“She’s an exceptionally beautiful woman,” Alfrid said.
Danny shrugged. “I guess,” he said, “but I wasn’t thinking about that. I meant the rest of it.”
Alfrid leaned back and patted Danny’s shoulder. “I’m sure she’s everything you said she was. Even more. Your
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