CHAPTER 1
The train rumbled along through the country side past fieldsbare of any growing thing. It was February and still too coldto plant. The train was cold. You could see your breath in theicy dawn. The sun was just showing color to the East.
Lila Jo Brewster lay curled up across the hard bench seat. She wascovered with the old, brown, moth eaten, wool coat that Miss Lettiehad given her just as she almost pushed her out the door.
Jo had lived at the Kavanagh Children's Home in a small placecalled Gransburg, bordering between Wisconsin and Minnesota, sincejust before she turned six years old. Her mother had died giving birthto the child she had wanted so badly. She had named her Lila Joannbefore she was born, knowing in her heart, she was a girl.
Randolph Brewster had tried his best to raise the child that lookedso much like his beloved Jodie. That was the only reason he marriedagain just before Jo turned four. People kept telling him that she neededa mother, that he wasn't capable of raising a daughter. He thought hehad been doing a pretty good job really. He could see that they wereright in some ways; the child needed some one to possibly make her adress or do something with that mass of curly hair that crowned herprecious head. It always seemed to be tangled no matter what he did.
That young woman; what was her name Kate or Kathy Wise?She seemed nice and she had been really great bringing special foodsto the old woman, Jodie's grandmother, to tempt her appetite, andshe had made Jo a couple of pretty dresses. Jo seemed to like her andshe seemed to like Jo, but the poor girl was homely. Jodie had beenextraordinarily beautiful and he had loved her so. He felt sure hewould never love another as he had Jodie but he wasn't looking forlove, just someone to be there and to help raise his child; after all, hehad known real love and knew that he would never know anythingeven close to that again.
Jodie's grandmother had raised her and she and her new husbandhad moved into her home to take care of the elderly lady when theymarried. Randolph and the baby had stayed on and in the beginningthe old lady was able in some way to help take care for the little one,but by the time the child was a year old the old woman's health hadreally begin to fail. Two months after Leila Jo turned two years old theold lady died. She had not been of much help with the child in the lastseveral months, but she had given the child love and he knew this wasas important as all the rest.
John Adams had died in an accident on the railroad, where heworked as a brakeman. One night during a bad ice storm he had madea jump for the train and his foot slipped on the icy step and he fell underthe wheels. They wouldn't let her see him, but one of the other men thathad worked with John had told her that he had not suffered. She hadbeen grateful for that.
He had been a dare devil. That was one of the things she loved mostabout him. Martha had warned him time and again to please be a littlemore careful, but he didn't listen.
She had loved her dare devil and she missed him something awful,but he had not been much of a manager with money. If Martha or oneof the girls said they would like to have something, he went out andbought it for them if at all possible. Just days after they came and toldthem that he was dead, she learned that they had been living, as it wassaid, hand to mouth.
Martha could find no work. There weren't many jobs for women,especially in a small town. She tried taking in washing, but she didn'thave the stamina for that. The railroad gave her his last pay checkand were good enough that they added an extra check. She learnedsometime later that the men that he worked with had chipped in andmade up enough to make a check for her. It was a help but it didn't gofar. With the little money she made doing laundry and the money fromthe railroad she was able to make it almost a year.
One day when it looked as if the world was going to come to an endalong with the last of the money that she had been so careful with, shehad gone crying to her neighbor Molly Doyle.
"Molly what am I going to do? The only thing I see is to go to MissHollie's place and take a job as one of her girls."
The other woman gasp out, "Martha, you can't do that. You aren'tthe type; besides what would John say?"
"John would say nothing! John is dead and if he had been lesscareless he would still be here to support me and our girls." She almostscreamed out, and with this she broke into tears.
"Martha, there is another way."
"What, what way?" The distraught lady ask curtly.
"You could marry again."
"Marry again? And who would I marry? I don't go anywhere tomeet anyone. Every man in this town is married, so just who am Isuppose to marry?"
"No one." Molly came back with.
"Who then? Who in Harrisburg Pennsylvania is not married?"
"Well Randolph Brewster! Jodie has been gone, what? Close to twoyears? He is a nice guy and I am sure he needs help raising that little girlof his. The old woman, ugh, Jodie's grandmother I think she was. Shewas real old and she has been as much help to Randolph as she couldbe but now that she is dying, he is going to need someone to help withhis child as you need someone to help you and your girls."
"I don't know Moll. I have never been with any man but John andI don't know if I could preform the wifely duties he would expect."
"You don't think you can provide wifely duties, but you could godown to Miss Hollie's establishment and provide, ugh, duties?"
"No, No." Martha said horrified. "I could never do that. I was justspouting off! I was miserable and I wanted to shock you. I could never,well, I guess I could to keep my babies from starving and it is about tocome down to that. We have enough food in the house for one moreweek and the rent is due at the end of that same week."
"Well, think about Randolph Brewster, but I wouldn't wait toolong. Kathy Wise has been making eyes at the man in question. Takingfood over to the old lady and making little dresses for the child! Youcan check him out at church Sunday. You do know how to find thechurch, don't you?" Molly said, throwing it at her friend as she hadfor a while been trying to convince the lady that she had needed to getback to church.
Martha had refused to attend church since John was killed. She hadgone to church her entire life and she had prayed for John every day asshe had watched her love leave for work and; then she felt God had lethim die. So she had blamed God and refused to darken His door. Shethought it might be worth it to check out Randolph Brewster, and thisshe did when a few days after the conversation with Molly, the old ladyhad died and she had gone to her funeral and had shook his hand andgiven him her condolences. That had been the only time she had everspoken to him. Of course she had seen him around town; after all, it wasa small place, but he had not been one of her customers. He must havetaken his families clothes to the other lady in town who did laundry.She didn't think he would wash the family's clothes after working allday and then come home to tend the child and cook supper for themand clean up afterward. Molly had been pretty positive he would be atchurch with his little daughter.
Sure enough, they were there. The old lady had not been able toattend church with them in a couple of months. Molly steered Marthaand her two girls into the pew just in front of where she knew Randolphwould sit. After singing a couple of songs the congregation was askedto greet those around them and Martha shook hands with the familyin the pew in front of her and a couple on her right, but she didn't turnaround. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and when she turned itwas to look into the face of Randolph Brewster. He was a nice lookingman, not nearly as handsome as her John had been; but he wasn't badlooking.
She had planned this and as she placed her hand in his, she squeezedgently then she let her hand go limp before pulling it away. She duckedher head, lowering her eyes, and she sat down, pulling her youngestdaughter into her lap.
CHAPTER 2
After the services were over Martha hung around and visitedwith a few people but she kept her eye on Randolph. She cameto the conclusion that she might be able to spend the rest ofher life with this man.
It was just three days later when Molly let her know that the oldwoman had left the house and property to Randolph until the childcame of age; then it would go to her.
"This makes the proposition even sweeter. With what Randolphmade in wages and owning the house, you would be sitting pretty."
"Oh, Moll, you make it sound like I am a gold digger."
"No, you are not a gold digger, but it is a simple fact. You do notneed to marry someone that could not take care of you and the girls.Just knowing these things makes it all right and proper. You will bedoing him a service in keeping his house for him and looking after hisdaughter, and he will be providing you a service. Don't you see, girl, itwill be the best not only for you and Randolph Brewster but the threelittle girls that are involved in all of this."
Martha wrestled with this for a couple of days and when Sundaycame around again she presented herself in church once again and satas she had the Sunday before, in the pew in front of where she knewRandolph Brewster and his child would sit.
This time when the minister asked everyone to stand and greet theirneighbors, she again greeted the people in front of her and the ones tothe right and the left, but then she turned and waited until RandolphBrewster finished greeting someone in the pew behind him.
As soon as he turned she put out her hand and said, "Mr. Brewster,greetings." and again she lowered her eyes before turning and sittingdown with her youngest child in her lap.
After the service was over she left the building as soon as she couldmake her way through the crowded aisle. Descending the steps outfront with her youngest in her left arm and her oldest holding on to hermother's skirt tail, she held the railing on her right. On the second tothe last step from the bottom she stumbled and would have fallen, but astrong arm caught her around the waist from behind. It was RandolphBrewster.
Helping her on to the ground, he stepped around in front of herand asked "Are you all right Mrs. Adams? Did you twist your ankle?"When she answered that she had not twisted her ankle, he continuedwith "Are you sure you are ok? Can I give you a lift in my buggy? Itis right over there and I don't think you need to walk home after theunnerving upset you have just experienced."
"All right. I would appreciate that it is a far piece, especially with thetwo girls," she said as he steered her to his buggy and held her youngestin his empty arm as she climbed onto the buggy. He then handed herthe smallest child. Then taking the hand of her older child, he walkedaround the back of the buggy and stepped up on the wheel, then sat hisdaughter in a seat he had contrived for her. Once she was safely securedin it, he stepped back down and lifted Martha Adam's oldest daughteronto the seat before mounting the buggy himself.
"You live over by the blacksmith shop, don't you?" He asked andshe replied that they did.
"We rent the little house from him, or we did. If I can't come upwith some money to pay him for another week by tomorrow, we willbe living in the street, I guess." And the tears flowed.
They soon reached the little house set back from the street a fewyards beyond the blacksmith shop, and Randolph stopped the buggy.Turning to Martha said, "Is it all that bad Mrs. Adams?"
"Oh, I am sorry! I should not be crying on your shoulder about myproblems. I know you have your own and they are just as bad as mine."
"Well, I do have my problems but no one will be kicking me out onthe street thanks to Jodie's grandmother Aunt Sally. Lila Jo and I have aroof over our heads and I do have a decent job although I will never berich. We will have food on the table and cloths on our backs."
"Mr. Brewster." She asked hesitantly, "Now that Aunt Sally is gone,who is keeping the child for you?"
"Well, I have been having Georgia Lott taking care of her, but I amnot really all that satisfied. Most days when I pick her up she is dirtyand usually really hungry and I can tell she has been crying. Lila Jo isa good baby, she hardly ever cries as long as her diaper is changed andher tummy is full," he said, looking lovingly at his daughter.
"Do you think I could keep her for you? In fact, I could do yourlaundry and keep your house clean for you." She asked with a rush,"If you could just pay me enough to pay the rent on my house I couldcontinue to take in laundry for other people to be able to buy food formyself and the girls."
"Why, yes. I think that would be a good idea. I was wondering whoelse I could get to take care of Leila Jo, and I do need someone to cleanhouse. I am afraid it has gotten beyond me. It is a mess I am afraid. Infact, didn't you say that you would be kicked out of your house if youdidn't pay rent tomorrow?" At her nod he went on, "I can give you anadvance if you will be at my house in the morning at seven-forty-five. Ihave to be at work at eight. You can spend the day cleaning house andthere is a good size pile of laundry and by the time you finish all of thatI will be home. Do you think that will suit? You can pay your land lordbefore you come to the house in the morning. Is that okay?"
"Okay Mr. Brewster, it is wonderful. You are an angel. You havesaved my life. Oh, thank you Mr. Brewster! I could kiss you!. You don'tknow how worried I have been."
"Well I don't think you had better kiss me out here in front of theworld on a Sunday," he said with a chuckle and a red face. Her faceturned as red and she handed her youngest to him so she could stepdown from the buggy. Coming around to his side she took her babyfrom him and then he handed down her oldest.
Saying, "I will see you in the morning," he then asked "How muchis your rent?" And she told him; and before he began to drive off hepulled from his pocket the four dollars she had said the rent would befor another week.
Then driving away he stopped the buggy and called back to her."You do know where we live, don't you?"
"Yes, I know." And waving she, went on into the house.
He had given her the four dollars that the rent was on the little oneroom house.
"House?" She thought it was not much more than a storage shed.There was a well out back and she had to share the out house with herlandlord. It was behind the blacksmith shop. The house was furnishedwith a bed that had a corn shuck mattress, two straight backed, ropebottom chairs and a tiny table. There was a wood cook stove and a coaloil lamp and a coal oil lantern.
The only possessions she had in the world was a rocking chair, hercooking utensils, pots, pans, a dish pan and a setting of four forks,knives and spoons. She had a change of sheets for the bed and twodishcloths, two tea towels and two face cloths and two bath sheets,plus three dresses for herself and three changes of clothes for the girls,which they were rapidly out growing. She knew that she had to marryRandolph Brewster if there was any way. But how was she to get theidea across to him?
She need not have worried about that. Not only had Molly Doylebeen working on Martha, but she had her husband Jeff working onRandolph; and she had been able to sneak in a word or to also.
Randolph would have asked Molly to keep Lila Jo had she not beendue any day with what the doctor thought might be twins. He wouldhave just had to look for someone else as soon as she went into labor,so he hadn't asked her.
The day after they had buried Aunt Sally, Jeff Doyle had came tohim and said,
"Hey, Rand you know I am your friend, and I don't mean to besticking my nose into your business, but what in the world are yougoing to do now? You can't take care of Leila Jo alone. You need to getmarried again. I know, I know." He said when his friend would haveprotested, "You loved Jodie and no one can ever take her place; we allloved Jodie and there will never be another like her, but you have tobe realistic, man. Jodie wouldn't want to see you killing yourself andneglecting Lila Jo to boot."
"Marry who?" Came Randolph Brewster's retort. "Other thanKathy Wise every other woman around here is married or almost asold as Aunt Sally was. Kathy is a sweet woman, but, man, I don't thinkI could be a husband to her even with the lights turned out."
