“Well, then, Emma, what can I help you with?” Mae moved behind the counter and smiled brightly. Again, before Emma got a chance to speak, she added, “And I see you’re expecting a little one? Oh, how wonderful. Is this your first? I guess you’ll be needing things for the baby soon also. Unless you’ve been preparing for the little one
along the way, although that doesn’t seem likely. I know so many of the people who came across on the wagon trains. Such a hard time they had. Very difficult, especially for the poor women.”
Emma wondered if Mrs. Berger would faint from lack of air just as the woman’s tirade came to an abrupt stop and she looked expectantly at her.
“Ah, no.” Startled by the sudden silence, Emma added, “I haven’t done anything for the baby yet. It was hard work and wearying traveling all that distance, but I have a few months yet. Right now I need to get some supplies for my husband and myself.”
“Yes, yes, of course, and we’ll fix you right up. And when the time comes, I have some lovely flannel that will make wonderful diapers and sleeping sacks for your baby.” She reached out a pudgy hand and patted Emma’s arm.
Emma produced the list of things she’d composed on the rickety desk in the hotel room. Entertained with cheerful chatter from Mrs. Berger, or Mae as she wanted to be called, Emma wandered around the store, choosing items. Within a short time, the counter was loaded with her selections.
While Mae tallied up the total, she continued her monologue, telling stories and relating bits of gossip about people Emma didn’t know. She merely nodded and smiled in her direction.
“Dear, I’ll have Mr. Berger load these things into your wagon when you’re ready.” She grunted as she lifted a heavy bag of flour onto the counter.
“That will be fine, Mrs. Berger, ah, Mae. My husband took the wagon to replace one of the wheels.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Davis stopped the wagon in front of the blacksmith shop. He hopped down and entered the dark, hot structure. A man the size of a grizzly, with long hair, a bushy mustache and a patch over one eye looked up, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a massive arm. In the other hand he held a glowing piece of metal.
“Howdy. I’ll be right with you.” He continued to work with the piece of metal until he was satisfied, and then wiping his hands on his long leather apron, ambled toward Davis and stuck out a huge hand.
“I’m Seth Campbell. How can I help ya?” He continued to swipe his forehead.
“Hi, the name’s Davis Cooper. My wife and I just arrived on the wagon train. I have a wheel here that’s ready to fall apart. Can you help me with that?” Davis hoisted the ragged wheel onto the counter that separated customers from the hot, dirty work of smithing. “If an iron band around it would keep it together, that would be good, but if not, maybe you can direct me to where I can get another one.”
“That’s a sad looking piece, all right.” Seth examined the wheel, turning it one way and then another. “Are ya planning on keeping the wagon, then? Some of the emigrants sell theirs when they get here.”
“No, we’ll need it to live in until I can get a cabin raised. Then I plan to take the canvas off, and use it to haul hay and supplies.” Davis used his bandana to mop his forehead of sweat coming from the heat blazing behind Seth.
“Well, I can fix it for ya. Just leave it, and I can get it done in a couple a hours.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.” Davis turned to leave, then snapped his fingers. “I also need to hire a couple of hands to help get my cabin built. My wife is expecting, and I prefer to have her inside as quickly as possible with the winter coming on. Where’s the best place to pick up a couple of men?”
“You’ll be sure to find plenty of no accounts hanging around.” He let loose with a hearty laugh. “But if you want a couple of honest, hard-working men, I can recommend my two brothers, Caleb and Joshua. They both just came home from the army, and when my ma gets done spoilin’ them, they’ll need to earn a living.” He smiled at this last, which led Davis to believe not just his ma was happy to see them home in one piece.
“That would be great. My wife’s over at the mercantile right now loadin’ up on supplies. Then we’re headed to the hotel where we have a room. Can you have your brothers meet me there when the wheel is finished? I want to get started as soon as possible.”
“I’ll have them put the wheel on your wagon and meet you and your wife at the hotel in a couple of hours. Say, three o’clock?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll see them over there. And thanks. Oh, and what do I owe you for the wheel?” He reached in his pocket and withdrew a wad a folded bills.
“Tell you what, since you’re giving my brothers work, the wheel fixing’s on me.”
Pleased with the way his morning went, Davis left the sweltering shop for the cool afternoon air and headed to the mercantile. Emma was just finishing up her business with a jovial looking woman behind the counter. He strolled up behind his wife and touched her arm.
Emma glanced over her shoulder and nodded in the direction of the older woman. “This is Mrs. Berger, who wants to be called Mae.” Emma’s eyes glowed with humor. “She and her husband own the mercantile. Mae, this is my husband, Davis.”
Davis nodded in the direction of the woman. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Berger.”
“You must also call me Mae.” She looked up from the bill she was totaling and wagged her finger. “Your lovely wife tells me you’re settling in Willamette Valley? Such a wonderful place to raise a family, which I see you and your wife have already started on.” She spoke bluntly on a subject most women danced around. “Mr. Berger and I have four sons, all grown now and moved away. We keep hoping one of them will come back to help in the store, but they like the idea of wandering around, which drives Mr. Berger crazy.
“You and your charming wife must come for dinner sometime soon. We would love to introduce you to our city, and help you settle in. How would Sunday be? And do you go to church? We belong to a lovely church, and would be happy to have you join us.” He flinched when he realized she had stopped talking and was waving the totaled invoice at him.
Reaching in his pocket, he withdrew some bills. Amidst stories of other townsfolk, and tales of the escapades of her sons, Mrs. Berger assured them she would hold all their purchases right there on the counter until they returned later in the afternoon with their wagon to pick them up. At that time, she hoped they could set a day for them to join her and Mr. Berger for dinner.
Holding back a grin and tugging on his hat, Davis guided Emma out the door into the bright sunshine. They had only gone a few steps when they both burst out laughing.