Chapter 40
Preparations

The next day was Sunday.

Little Wolf felt much better and went home. I figured we’d all stay home, but Pa insisted on going to church. His leg was still swollen, and there wasn’t any way he was going to do much walking, crutch or no crutch. Four of us together carried him to the wagon, where he lay down in the back on some blankets. Uncle Nick drove the wagon, and the rest of us gathered in back around Pa. Even Katie went with us, sitting up front beside Uncle Nick.

It was a fun ride to town, although Pa didn’t say much. Buck Krebbs was still on his mind, I could tell. Maybe he felt he needed to make peace with God and himself over the killing, and he figured church was the best place to do it.

But the service hardly fit Pa’s mood. Everybody cheered when they saw us pulling into the meadow in our wagon, and they all ran toward us, hugging and shaking hands and showing their happiness that everybody was safe. During the service Rev. Rutledge thanked the Lord for his protecting hand over Becky and Zack and Pa and everyone else that had been involved.

When church was over, after the last song and prayer, Rev. Rutledge stood up in front and said, “I have one final announcement. I realize it is probably unnecessary, but in case there are any persons present who do not already know—next Sunday, one week from today, after the morning service, at one o’clock in the afternoon, you are all invited to attend the wedding of our own Drummond Hollister to Miss Kathryn Morgan, newly arrived from Virginia.”

Several of the men whooped and turned around to give Pa a wink or a few words. Katie smiled pleasantly at the women who glanced at her. But if anything, the minister’s announcement seemed to dampen Pa’s mood all the more.

Pa stayed in bed the rest of Sunday and all the next day. Doc came out again on Tuesday and pronounced the swelling reduced.

Pa hobbled around a little Tuesday afternoon, then went back to bed. His spirits were depressed, I could tell—probably from not being able to get up and be about and working. He never was one for sitting still doing nothing.

On Wednesday Mrs. Parrish rode out in her buggy to fetch Katie and me. From the very first word of the wedding several weeks ago, Mrs. Parrish had taken it upon herself to see that Katie had a new wedding dress for the occasion. Now it was time for the final fitting and last minute alterations, and she asked me to come along to Mrs. Gianini’s. “Women get together, and men get together,” she told me, “before weddings. And this is our chance!”

Mrs. Gianini was all business, fussing with pins and her tape, and muttering this and that about the hem and sleeves and lace and veil and ribbon. The dress was of light blue, with a high neck, and wide, loose shoulders and upper arms. The bodice was close-fitting, and below the waist the dress filled out with several petticoats underneath. The buttons and lace were of pale yellow, as was the cummerbund around the waist and the bow tied in back.

“It’s beautiful, Mrs. Gianini,” said Katie after she had put on the dress for the final time and stood in front of the mirror. “So beautiful! I never expected anything like this out here. I don’t know how you did it, but this style you and Almeda chose doesn’t make me look so round.”

“We wouldn’t have our Drummond Hollister’s bride with anything less,” said Mrs. Parrish, smiling at Katie, a smile that seemed to have a hint of sadness in it, though her voice never betrayed it. “He’s a ‘leading citizen,’ remember.”

As she gazed over the bride-to-be, the look on Mrs. Parrish’s face reminded me of how she looked at me sometimes. Her eyes were so full of love, almost motherly, but not without that look of pain that I never quite understood either. She had done so much for me—and for Pa. And now she was having this dress made, probably at her own expense, for Pa’s new wife whom she barely knew. I couldn’t help thinking what a selfless woman she was.

“You look lovely, my dear,” Mrs. Parrish added, standing back and regarding Katie as Mrs. Gianini took in a last tuck about the waist, then pinned it in place. “I know Corrie’s father will be proud when he sees you coming down the aisle on Sunday.”

“Won’t he already have seen her in the dress after we get ready and drive in?” I asked innocently.

All three of the women laughed together.

“Oh no, Corrie!” said Mrs. Parrish. “Don’t you know, a bride and groom must never see one another on their wedding day until the moment when she starts down the aisle.” They laughed again.

“My ma always told me I wasn’t the marrying kind,” I said. “I reckon she was right. But how will Katie and Pa not see each other?”

“Oh, Katie will spend Saturday night with me, of course,” replied Mrs. Parrish. “We’ll get her all ready right here. You and Becky and Emily shall help me! And we’ll have to get you three all dressed up too. Your pa will be so proud to see all his women looking so beautiful!”

As always, Mrs. Parrish’s enthusiasm was catching. Pretty soon all four of us were laughing like little girls. I was so happy that Katie and Mrs. Parrish looked like they were going to be friends! I couldn’t have stood it if Mrs. Parrish couldn’t be at least a little bit like part of our family!

When Mrs. Parrish and I happened to be alone in another room for a few minutes, I asked her about the papers and Mr. Royce and the money. She opened her mouth as if she was about to reply, then thought better of it and stopped herself. A strange look came into her eye.

Then she said, “Corrie, what happened with the money is between your father and me. I know you and I haven’t kept secrets from one another. But this time I’m going to have to do just that. It is not that I don’t want you to know. But if the story’s to be told, I want your father to be the one to tell you. You see, it’s his secret now, not mine. So that means it’s his to share or his to hold on to, as he sees fit.”

By Thursday Pa was a lot better, although he was still acting quiet. His leg still hurt a lot, but he was able to hobble around pretty well.

Friday morning came, and Uncle Nick didn’t show up for breakfast.

“Zack, run up to the mine and fetch him, will you?” said Pa.

But Zack came back alone a couple of minutes later. “He ain’t up there, Pa.”

“Anybody seen Nick today?” Pa asked the rest of us.

No one had.

Still nobody had seen him by the time afternoon came. By evening Pa was getting fidgety, and starting to mutter. Uncle Nick didn’t come home that night.

Saturday Pa was furious.

Here it was the day before the wedding, and Katie and I had lots of things to do. Mrs. Parrish was out twice to our place, and Katie and I went into town with her for an hour in the afternoon. Through it all Pa was ranting about Uncle Nick’s disappearance.

“The hare-brained idiot’s gone off again!” he kept saying. “Probably drunk someplace, losin’ away every dime he’s got to some gambling shyster!”

Saturday night came. Still no sign of Uncle Nick.

“That numskull!” Pa said over and over. “His sense o’ timing’s about as lame as his smarts with cards!”

“What are we gonna do, Pa?” I asked.

“What do you mean what are we gonna do? There ain’t nothin’ we can do! We don’t know where he is. The loco fool is gonna miss the wedding!”

Mrs. Parrish rode out one last time, this time to get Katie and take her to town for the night.

“You all sleep well tonight!” Mrs. Parrish said as they got ready to leave. “Tomorrow’s going to be an exciting day!”

Then she turned to Pa and said in a more serious tone. “Mr. Hollister, do you need anything? Any help with, you know, with your brother-in-law—”

“I appreciate your thoughtfulness, ma’am,” Pa replied. “But I’ll be fine.” It was the gentlest I’d heard Pa talk in two days. “Alkali’s comin’ out in the mornin’. He’ll help me get dressed and all.”

“And don’t you worry a thing about the younger children, Mr. Hollister,” she said. “You just get everybody to town, and I’ll make sure everybody knows what to do. You’ll be very proud of your family, Mr. Hollister.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” said Pa.

They each gave a little wave, then Mrs. Parrish and Katie were off toward Miracle.

The rest of us went back inside and got ready for bed, everyone listening, I think, for the sounds of Uncle Nick’s horse riding up.

But we all fell asleep without hearing it.