Once again Joy found herself sitting between Cookie and Crusty at the back of a standard-class rail car. And once again the accommodations were terrible. Thinking about the tidy sum she had tucked away in her bank account was tempting. She could find a bank at their next layover and wire for funds.
No! I have to prove to myself and everyone else that I can travel on limited funds. I don't need a man or family or anyone to coddle me. She glanced at Cookie. If a seventeen year old girl can survive, so can I.
During the train's trek toward Pascoe, Joy had plenty of time to get to know her new friends. Cookie admitted that she wanted to find a town to settle down in. She said she had dreamed of becoming a milliner for years. Then she reached into her scuffed and dented valise and pulled out a tablet. Shyly, she showed Joy sketches of hats she'd envisioned. Immediately, Joy noted the girl's talent and praised her generously. Cookie blushed and excitedly divulged ideas for a new concept in ladies' hats that combined the old with the new, and when she turned a page in her sketchbook, Joy exclaimed, "Oh, those are beautiful! I'd wear them! In fact, I'll be your first customer."
Cookie grinned widely. "You're a sweet girl, Joyrider. I don't got no notion that I'll ever have my own shop, but it's nice to dream and hear that somebody else likes my li'l beauties."
Joy's heart saddened at Cookies obvious resignation and purposed in her heart to try and make the girl's dream come true. After all, what was the use of having money if it just kept the bank prosperous? Maybe she should stop being so frugal.
As for Crusty, when Cookie grew silent, he became talkative, describing remote parts of the United States. Joy said, "Tell me about Montana?"
"Ah, Montana, it's one of my favorite places. Is Glacier National Park the area you're interested in?"
"Yes."
"I know the area well. President Taft signed the bill making it a park in 1910, and I just happened to be there during the dedication that same year. Of course, my presence was not as an invited guest since I had just arrived on a boxcar traveling east. If I may be presumptuous, what is your reason for going there?"
Joy inwardly smiled at Crusty's command of the English language. He was as well spoken as any college educated man. She responded, "I've listened to my father describe the beauty of Montana since I was a child. He was born and grew up there. As a young man he traveled to what is now the park and painted," she sighed, "and I've always had a desire to follow in his footsteps."
Crusty folded his hands in his lap and she noticed they were shaking. Insight told her that he was having withdrawals from alcohol. In an act of compassion, she said, "If you need to take a nip, its okay. I know abstinence can be difficult." She hoped she didn't sound judgmental or condemning. Visions of Aunt Zena popped into her head and she shuddered. For the time being, she had been so caught up in conversations with her new friends that the reason for her flight from Oregon had been pushed to the recesses of her mind.
Meeting Crusty's gaze, she thought she saw his eyes mist, but he quickly glanced away and reached for his knapsack under the seat in front of him. With trembling hands he pulled out a flask and unscrewed the cap. He closed his eyes and downed a gulp. When he opened them again, he released a long breath. "Thank you, sweet Joy. If the truth be known, I wish I'd never tasted the devil's brew. I wish…" He smiled sadly, and quoted, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."
Little else was spoken until the train arrived in Pascoe. Since there was a five hour layover, Joy decided to take advantage of the time to buy new clothing. She and Cookie separated from Crusty, saying they would return soon, and went in search of the general store.
The store wasn't far from the depot and they happily entered. It wasn't until they were inside that Joy realized her disheveled appearance after long hours of travel, and Cookie's evident poverty, was drawing the attention of patrons and workers. A man arranging a display of marked-down boots snickered when they walked past. A woman wearing an apron and dusting rows of canned goods, said, "We don't give free stuff away."
Cookie frowned and said to Joy, "I didn't hear me ask for free stuff, or you neither. Did you hear us ask for free stuff?"
Joy stifled a smile. "No. I didn't hear anything either." She couldn't resist adding, "Maybe I don't want to spend my money in a store where the clerk needs a hearing instrument."
The woman stiffened. "What're you lookin' for?"
"I'm looking for women's trousers."
The man with the boots choked and coughed.
The saleswoman said, "We only got a handful 'cause ladies around here don't cotton to what flappers in the big cities wear."
Undaunted, Joy asked, "And where might I find the handful of trousers?"
The haughty woman jerked her head toward the rear of the store. "Back there."
Joy grabbed Cookie's hand and pulled her down the aisle to the back wall.
Cookie imitated the salesclerk, "Ladies 'round here don't cotton to what flappers in the big cities wear." She snarled, "I'd like to flap her flappy mouth."
Joy snickered and picked up a pair of trousers. They were five sizes too big. The selection was limited and all were overly large. "Okay, on to plan B," she said softly.
Cookie sent her a questioning look and followed her to another section of the store—the men's section. There was a vast selection of trousers in every size. Joy had no trouble finding a pair that would fit. To Cookie she said, "Pick out a couple. If we're going to be traipsing across the wilderness of Montana, we need to be dressed appropriately. We'll also need some flannel shirts. Grab a couple of those, too." When Cookie hesitated, Joy said with exasperation, "If you're going to be my employee, I'll not be the only one dressed in men's clothing."
That made Cookie grin. "Okay, boss. Whatever you say."
They brought their purchases to the front counter and the same saleswoman shook her head in disbelief. She grumbled as she rang up the sale and Joy had to bite her tongue to keep from releasing another cutting remark. When had she become so rude? Cookie had no such compunction to be polite and said, "If you don't cotton to what flappers wear, why is yer hat just like the one I saw in the latest issue of Flappers Monthly?"
At Cookie's question, the woman's eyes became tiny slits and the man in the boot section snorted.
Joy and Cookie laughed all the way back to the depot. When they arrived, Crusty was perched on an outside bench looking forlorn.
Joy called, "We're back, Crusty."
He immediately brightened and glanced at their packages. "Looks like you tried to buy the town out."
Cookie laughed, "Wait until you see the latest in flapper fashion!"
Joy and Cookie promised to return shortly as they went in search of the ladies water closet.
Soon they were walking back toward Crusty and although he watched their approach, it wasn't until they were upon him that he recognized them. He jumped to his feet and exclaimed, "Do my eyes deceive me? Are my lovely ladies dressed as boys?"
Cookie frowned and admonished, "You mark my words, some day women will dress for comfort and not appearance." She turned in a graceful circle and Joy laughed.
Joy said, "Actually, this is the only clothing that makes sense because of our destination. Traipsing across wild terrain in a dress would be foolish."
Crusty said, "You must describe the exact destination you are so determined to find. Perhaps it remains in the recesses of my memory."
Cookie's eyes widened. "Crusty, I'll say it again, for a hobo, you got the strangest way with words."
Joy saw something flicker in Crusty's eyes.