“Oh, I can’t believe we are finally going to be on our way to Seattle
The other two women agreed as they served their plates from the serving dishes. Mrs. Adams had prepared a large breakfast of pancakes, ham, and eggs.
“We don’t want you girls to be hungry! It will be a good while before you are able to get a home cooked meal!” Mrs. Adams exclaimed, as she bustled around the table, making sure that they had everything they desired. Amanda could tell that Mrs. Adams was sad about the thoughts of Sarah leaving home, but she was trying to keep a happy face and not show her feelings.
Each of the women had dressed simply and comfortably for the journey, wearing blouses and skirts. The trunks and other baggage had been sent to the station the previous afternoon. They each had packed essentials for the trip in satchels, included clothing, books, sewing, and personal items. Sarah would carry her doctor’s bag as well. They would be carrying a basket of food prepared by Mrs. Adams as well.
Dr. Adams and Dan would accompany them to the station while Mrs. Adams remained home to stay with Joe. Beth went upstairs to tell Joe goodbye, and Amanda went outside to help Dr. Adams and Dan.
Sarah and her mother stood facing each other in the kitchen. Mrs. Adams took her daughter’s hands in her own and looked up into her green eyes.
“My dear Sarah, I know that you feel that this is God’s plan for you and that you must be obedient to Him, but it is so hard to let you go. It just seems like yesterday that you returned from Boston
Mrs. Adams wiped her tears with her apron and continued, “We are so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I know that you will be an asset to Seattle
“Mother, I have prayed so much about this and feel this is God’s plan for me, but it is hard for me to leave all of you too. I feel this is a good opportunity for me to use my knowledge to help others and to share the gospel with nonbelievers. As believers, we are all a part of God’s family. Even if miles separate us, nothing can divide the family of God. And maybe, you can come to visit us in Seattle
The two women hugged tightly again and broke apart as Beth entered the room from upstairs. Arms still around each other, the two followed Beth outside to the buggy. Sarah gave her mother one last hug before climbing into the seat beside her father.
“Don’t forget to write!” Mrs. Adams called as she continued to wave until they were out of sight.
The train station was a few blocks from the Adams home so they soon arrived at their destination. Spying Riley’s tall frame, they joined him and the others in the group. Dr. Adams and Dan followed with their luggage. Riley was with four young women and a couple.
Riley introduced the couple first as Robert and Estelle Taylor. “He is the pastor I told you about. He hopes to start a church in our community.”
The three shook hands with both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and shared how they had prayed for a church in their new home. They assured Mr. Taylor that they would be a part of his new congregation. Amanda was drawn to Mrs. Taylor, a pretty blonde who looked to be about thirty years old. While she did not have much to say, her soft southern accent instantly reminded Amanda of her home in Virginia
Riley then introduced the rest of the group. First was Emily Patterson, a statuesque blonde who seemed to have her nose in the air. She fluttered her eyelashes at Riley, but Amanda noticed that he did not seem to pay her any attention. The other three women were rather quiet but seemed friendly enough. There was Rebecca Woods, a rather plain girl with light brown hair, Jane Walker, who had fiery red hair and a wide freckled face, and Hannah Smith, who had a head full of black curls.
The train was already in the station, and the baggage was being loaded. They would need to board soon, so Riley led the way to their car. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor and the other women began climbing aboard the train.
As Sarah hugged her father and Dan, Amanda heard Beth give a small cry of pain. Amanda was stunned to see Mr. Zimmerman dragging Beth away from them. Instantly, Amanda went to the aid of her friend, grabbing Beth’s arm and pulling her away from Mr. Zimmerman.
“What are you doing? Leave her alone!” Amanda cried.
“I’ve come to take her back to Cedar Springs where she belongs. Me and her Pa had a deal!” Mr. Zimmerman muttered, while continuing to pull Beth down the platform.
Amanda was determined that he would not take Beth anywhere and tried to pull Beth’s other arm with all her might.
“Stop! You’re not taking her anywhere!” Amanda shouted.
“What’s going on here?” Amanda was relieved to see Riley.
“It ain’t none of your business, but I am taking my intended back home with me!” Mr. Zimmerman said.
“I don’t see how she can marry you when she is married to me. We were married two days ago.”
Amanda’s mouth dropped open as she stared at Riley, and Beth looked as stunned as she did. Even Mr. Zimmerman seemed taken aback, and he dropped Beth’s arm.
Riley quickly moved in front of Beth and gently urged her toward Amanda. Amanda wrapped her arms around Beth and moved toward the train, away from Mr. Zimmerman.
“But what about the seeds and supplies I gave her Pa for free?” Mr. Zimmerman seemed to whine.
“I guess you had better take that up with him. “ Riley turned his back on the older man and strode toward the train. By this time, Amanda and Beth were on the steps to their car and were soon followed by Sarah and Riley.
The train began to pick up speed as it left the station. Amanda had a window seat, and she craned her neck to see Mr. Zimmerman still standing on the platform looking lost and confused. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned to look for Beth and found her speaking earnestly to Riley. After a few moments, Beth joined Amanda as Riley began stowing the luggage in the overhead compartments.
“Whew! That was close!” Amanda whispered to Beth.
“I know! I can’t believe Riley thought of saying that so quickly. Nothing else would have worked so well. He said that Sarah had spoken with him about my situation and the possibility of something like this happening. I thought for sure that I would have to go with Mr. Zimmerman!” Beth looked at Riley admiringly. “Oh, I am so glad that I came with you instead of trying to run away on my own. If Riley had not been around, I never would have gotten away! And you were so quick to come to my rescue! Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would do without you!” Beth hugged Amanda as the older woman told her how special her friendship was to her as well.
Privately, Amanda thought to herself, “Riley probably thought of the plan so quickly because he hopes that one day it might be true.” She thought that Riley seemed to admire Beth, had maybe even fallen in love with her already. Amanda could understand why anyone would love Beth, but she couldn’t understand why Riley seemed to have something against her. She was conscious of a hurt deep inside, but she told herself that it was just the excitement of Mr. Zimmerman’s attempt to take Beth.
“Mandy?” Beth whispered.
“Yes? What is it?” Amanda murmured sleepily.
“Have you thought how lucky we are that we are making this trip now instead of just a few years ago? The first settlers to the Northwest Territory had to travel by wagon, and it was such a hard and difficult journey. Aren’t we lucky that the transcontinental railway has been completed? We can travel the whole way to San Francisco by train! And these Pullman cars are so much nicer than having to try to rest in our seats! We even have dining cars!”
Amanda agreed that it was a convenient way to travel. The two women were sharing a bed in the Pullman car. Their car was reserved for women only. Sarah and Estelle Taylor were sharing a berth while Rebecca was with Emily and Jane with Hannah. Mr. Taylor and Riley were sharing a berth in the next car that was for the men traveling on the train.
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you what Joe gave me this morning before I left. It is a beautiful Bible, but he wants me to use it, even give it away to someone who doesn’t have one in the hopes that it can be used to help win someone to Christ! He said this was his way of helping us to spread the gospel! Don’t you think that was a wonderful thing for him to do? I told him that he could not have given me a better gift. I do so hope we can be a witness in our new community, don’t you?”
Amanda agreed and, after a shared prayer, the two went to sleep, tired from their long journey and the excitement of the day.
The days went by, and the women managed to keep busy. Beth and Amanda were working on quilt squares, and they filled in spare time working on those. The train stopped in many small towns along the way. There was always something to see as the train was met by the local people, and they watched mail and various packages and baggage being loaded and unloaded. Often the people would board the train, bringing fresh water and food for them to purchase if they wished. They seldom purchased since the cost of the tickets had included their meals in the dining car, but they enjoyed watching and speaking with those who came aboard.
The train had rudimentary facilities for washing and personal needs, and the women were looking forward to arriving in Denver
Mr. Taylor had organized a daily Bible study, and they visited with others in the group, getting to know them better. Emily had remained aloof, only paying attention to Riley who ignored her for the most part and talking to the others only to complain. Amanda wondered how she would be able to put up with the hardships of a new settlement if she was so tired of the few inconveniences of the trip.
Emily and Rebecca had both come from the small town of Brownsville in Kentucky
Amanda was somewhat disappointed that she had not gotten to know Riley better on the trip. Every time she tried to talk with him, he seemed to make an excuse to go somewhere away from her. She had seen him talking with Beth and Sarah several times, and he seemed to be completely at ease with them and others in the party. It was only around Emily and Amanda that he seemed taciturn and reserved. Amanda hoped that he did not think she was like the tall blonde. As far as she was concerned, the only thing they had in common was blonde hair and blue eyes. Amanda had noticed that Riley usually found a reason to leave the car during the time of devotion, and she wondered if Riley were a believer.
As they crossed the wide plains, Amanda looked out over the miles of grass. As the tall grass waved in the wind, it reminded Amanda of the ocean back east; but, as much as she enjoyed the scenery, the weather was hot and dusty. Opening the windows only seemed to choke everyone with dust and smoke from the engine of the train, and leaving them closed made them long for a fresh breeze.
As they neared Denver , the group was awestruck by the sight of the Rocky Mountains . Many of the group had never seen mountains, having lived near the plains; but, even Amanda, who had crossed over the eastern mountains several times, could not believe how high these mountains were. Although it was near the end of May, most of the peaks were still covered with snow, and Amanda and the others were worried that they might not be able to get through the mountains. Riley reassured them, saying that it was very rare for the train to be stopped by snow, even in the winter.
Beth leaned her head against Amanda’s shoulder. “Oh, I will be so glad to get to Denver San Francisco
Amanda assured her friend that she was looking forward to the stops as well, but she could not help but think that she wished Riley had shared some of the news with her. She wondered if Riley was falling for Beth, but Beth seemed to treat Riley like a friend and never mentioned anything about having special feelings for him. Amanda prayed that Beth would meet someone who would love and cherish her the way she deserved. She also prayed that God would show her His plans for her life, whether to serve Him as a teacher or perhaps to marry someone in Seattle
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