THE BEAUTY COMES IN THE SPRINGTIME
THE BEAUTY COMES IN THE SPRINGTIME
Louise time for dinner!”
“I’ll be there in a minute mom, just finishing brushing Lighting.”
Louise couldn’t be happier. Just a few years ago she thought that her
mother was going to die from influenza and she would be left alone to take care
of her brother and sister. Her mother recovered but is not as healthy as she
use to be. She has trouble breathing sometimes and it sometimes worries Louise.
Louise does most of the work around the house to help her mother out. She cleans,
does the laundry, takes care of Tessa and Jeremiah and cooked most of the meals.
It took her awhile to learn in the beginning she would always burn whatever
she cooked, but with the patience of her mother she has learned to be an excellent
cook. Another good thing that happened is that her father left thinking that
her mother had died. They moved several times to make sure that he could not
find them. Right now they are currently staying in a small apartment above a
dress shop where Louise worked. They rented the place from an elderly lady who
lived there with her husband and children. Her children moved away and her husband
died so she decided to go live closer to her children.
“Louise, mom told me to come and get ya so we can eat before the food gets cold.”
“Alright I’m comin' Maih.” As they were entering the house Louise asked “How’s school comin' along? Do ya need any help with your studies? “
“Yes please! I’m havin' troubles with math again.”
As they entered Louise heard a gun shot. She turned around and saw a man being dragged off to jail buy the marshal. Louise stopped in mid stride. She knew who that man was, it was Peterson her fathers’ right hand man. She wasted no time and dragged Maih up the stairs and told her mother what she saw after the children went to bed.
“Are ya sure it was 'im?”
“Yes!”
“Do you think he saw ya?”
“No he did not see me, but we need to get out of here in a hurry before he sees one of us. Will leave tonight in the cover of darkness just in case any of the other men are with 'im”
“But what about Jeff? He’s been so good to ya and I think he was going to ask ya to marry 'im.”
Louise knew that her mother loved Jeff like a son but she just wasn’t sure about her feelings toward him at this point in time. She’d miss him but she had to do what was good for her family.
“Ma, I’m just not ready to settle down yet. He’s a great fellow but I just don’t feel passionate about 'im. He doesn’t make my knees go weak and I don' feel a spark between us. Ifs I’m gonna marry somebody it’s cuz he makes me feel all those thin's. I’ll not settle for less.”
“I’m afraid ya might have a long wait with that request.”
They were silent for a few moments when Mary asked.“But where will we go?” She asked in a frightened tone. She could never think of what to do in situation like this, she always left it up to Louise.
“I heard of a nice town in the Wyoming territory, it’s called Sweetwater. It’s far enough away to where he’d never look for us.”
“I don’t know, moving from St. Joe, Missouri to Sweetwater, Wyoming will be a long and difficult journey.”
Louise was also worried about the trip. She did not know if her mother could handle such a long and strenuous trip out west. As she thought about it though she knew it was the only way.
They woke the children and packed there small belongings in the buckboard. Louise changed her clothing before they left she put on mens trousers, shirt, vest, coat, glasses and her gun. When she put on her hat she tucked her waist length hair up into the hat. She looked into a mirror and was surprised at the transformation she now looked liked a small boy.
“Hi Lou, how are ya tonight?” Asked a smiling Tessa.
When ever they moved Louise always dressed like a man so they would be left alone for the most part. It also became a game with the kids and her. One day Jeremiah said he couldn’t imagine calling her Louise when she dressed like that, so he dubbed her Lou.
“I’m fine. Now ya lay down and get some sleep.” Lou said deepening her voice so she sounded more like a man.
As Louise mounted Lighting she smiled as she thought of where they were going. She always wanted to go west now was her chance. It was spring time now and she thought about how beautiful it probably was up there now and she couldn’t wait to get there. She would now be freed, to be her own person. She thought about not having to worry about Boggs or his partner Wicks finding them. And then they were off.
