Over the next few days, Cora kept pretty much to herself, and her mother noticed the bags under her eyes, and also the fact that she was losing weight. She would work without complaining and when Mr. Fergus, her father and brothers laid the foundation for their new house, she worked tirelessly to provide meals and drinks for the men. Some men from the church also joined in the endeavor and Cora had her hands full catering to them.
But every second afternoon she would leave home and go into town to deliver butter or eggs to the general store, and also took a detour to the post office where she always found a letter from Louis waiting. She would hide it under her clothes and once she read it she would reply and post it the next time she went into town.
It was during such one trip to town that she saw a familiar face at the post office. Her family had been in Last Chance for about three weeks and it was a hot Wednesday and she longed for Rachel Summers’ cool lemonade. Before had come West, Rachel had finally told her the secret of keeping the drinks very cool.
“It is Mable who taught me,” Rachel had confessed. “She says the knowledge was passed down from her ancestors who originally came from Africa. They would make large clay pots in which they stored water and this kept the water very cool. Mable got us a pot and that is why our drinks are always chilled.”
She hurried to the post office, intending to spend minimal time there but as she was leaving she saw a lady who was about her own age and who attended Last Chance Baptist Church.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted her politely. “Do you remember me?”
“Of course I do, the question is, do you remember me?”
“I know we were introduced but I am sorry, I did not quite catch your name.”
“I am Ada, Ada Adams.”
“I am Cora Richards,” the two girls shook hands, smiling at each other.
“That I know. I am good with names so I remembered yours.” Ada looked around her. “I came in to post some letters to my family back in West Virginia. Are you almost done?’
“Yes, I was just on my way out when I saw you.”
Ada was frowning and looking over Cora’s shoulder. “Isn’t that your brother?”
Cora turned around and spotted Henry who was trying to hide behind their wagon and she knew he had followed her. “Honestly my brothers are quite trying Ada,” she sighed. “Do you have any brothers?”
“Two of them but they are a lot younger than me. I am the oldest child.”
“You are really lucky that both of your brothers are a lot younger than you. Henry is a year younger than me, but he takes his lead from my older brother Michael. If you had brothers near your age, they’d be monitoring your every move.”
“Why do they do that?”
“Because they do not think that any man is a good suitor for me,” Cora shook her head sadly. “Back home in Akron, they put the fear of God in every young man for miles around such that no man would even dare raise a hand in greeting for fear of being reprimanded. And now they have begun their madness once again.”
Cora led the way out of the post office, glad that she was with Ada because if her brother asked her what she was doing she would tell them she was meeting with her friend at the post office.
“Are you going straight home, Cora?” Henry emerged from behind the wagon.
“What is it to you if I am?”
“I had hoped to catch a ride with you.”
“Sorry, as you see I have other things to do. And you are the rudest man that I have ever seen, Henry, do you not notice my friend standing beside me?”
Henry sheepishly held out his hand to Ada who stretched hers out shyly. “Forgive my manners, Miss,” he tipped his hat at her. “My name is Henry Richards, brother to Cora.”
“My name is Ada Adams and we go to the same church.”
“It is a pleasure to meet one of Cora’s friends,” Henry turned to look at someone who was passing.
“Just admit that you are following me to find out what I was up to,” Cora said quietly. “And frankly speaking I am getting very tired of all of you, Henry. If you will not leave me be I will be forced to do something that you will all be sorry for. Just leave me alone,” she turned to Ada angrily. “Do you need me to give you a ride anywhere, Ada?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. My mother sent me to get her some things from the general store and I was headed that way from the post office.”
Cora ignored Henry’s hand which he had stretched out to help her mount the wagon. She tagged on the reins and her horse moved forward.
“Why were you so rude to your brother just now, Cora?”
“Because I am very angry at my family,” she shook her head. “They humiliated someone who is so dear to my heart and I am still hurt about it.”
“Where? Back in Akron?”
“No, Ada,” Cora sighed. “I may as well tell you. You know Louis Albert?”
“Of course I do. He is one of the most polite and humble men I have ever met. Why do you ask?”
“Because a year ago, Louis and I began corresponding when I answered his advert for a mail-order bride. We declared our love for each other, and I managed to convince my family to move West—“
“You what?”
“It was something they were thinking of doing anyhow. They were talking of going to Oregon, but I talked them into coming to Last Chance because I knew Louis was here.”
“Oh, that is so romantic, Cora,” Ada smiled and then her smile faded when she saw the look on Cora’s face. “By that face, I take it things did not go well.”
“My family humiliated Louis because he is poor and just came short of throwing him out of our house when he came calling on my parents to ask for my hand in marriage.”
“I am so sorry to hear that. I hope you have not given up on your love for Louis.”
“No chance of that happening. I love Louis, and I know that he is the only man that I will ever marry, that is why I was at the post office. We cannot meet because he has to mine, and I have to work on the farm, so we have begun writing to each other. Now my brothers have started following me that means they will soon find out what I am doing and I would not put it past them to go and threaten Louis.”
“They do not have to find out where you are going, especially if you have any letters for Louis,” Ada smiled at her new friend. “We are here now, let me get what I need and then we can continue our talk as we head home, I hope you do not mind that I have presumed that you will give me a ride home.”
“It is no bother and I am grateful for your company. You seem to be a good listener, Ada.”
“In my profession I have to be,” she admitted with a laugh. “I am a school teacher.”
“That is wonderful! Let us get our supplies and head home.”
When they were done they once again jumped onto the wagon, storing their goods at the back of the wagon.
“I am so glad that you are a teacher, Ada, maybe I can come by and show you some work that I am doing for children.”
“Really? What work is that?”
“It has been my desire to be a children’s author and I have been writing books and illustrating my stories. Perhaps you would care to look at them and advise me on how to improve my work.”
“With a lot of pleasure,” the two girls beamed at each other, their friendship sealed. “You will also meet Elizabeth Thomas who helps me from time to time with the children.”
“I look forward to that,” Cora was happy to have met Ada.
“Cora?”
“Yes, Ada?”
“Do not give up on your love for Louis. And do not show your family a bad attitude because of how they treated Louis. Parents always think they are doing what is best for their children and so be patient with them. However, do not allow them to change your mind about Louis because I know that is what parents can do.”
“As far as my mind goes, my heart belongs to Louis and Louis alone. Nothing will shake me from that. While we were corresponding, I got the feeling that Louis is a very intelligent and kind man, and when I saw him for the first time it was as though time stopped for me, and I could see that he felt the same way too. I felt as though our hearts knitted and became one.”
“That is a very strong kind of love, Cora, hold onto it. I have known Louis for about three years that is from the time he arrived in Last Chance. My family came here a year earlier than him. He is a very noble man, and in all that time I never saw him leading any other woman on. He kept to himself most of the time and I know for a fact that a number of girls in church wished he would approach them, but he did nothing of the sort. I think he is the kind of man who loves only one woman in his lifetime, and that you are the recipient of that love makes you one of the most blessed woman on this earth. When the time is right and you and Louis are together you will realize that he will treasure and cherish you. Louis is the kind of man to walk on hot coals for the woman he loves. Do not give up on your love, Cora, I will be praying for you and Louis and I know God will make things right for both of you.”
“Thank you so much, my heart is really comforted. May I call on you at the school from time to time?”
“Yes, and I also wanted to suggest that you use my postal box to receive your mail from Louis so that I will always get it for you, and when you need to post a letter to him you can just bring it to school and I will post it for you. In that way no one will be suspicious about what you are doing.”
“How will I ever thank you, Ada? You are a good person and I am glad to have met you today and hope that we can become firm friends.”
“You can count on me, Cora.”