Mysterious Signal (16 page)

Feeling relieved, Libby sank back down. More than anything in the world, she wanted to put distance between herself and her aunt. But Annika had more in mind.

“There was something I wanted for you today,” she said quietly. “In case you aren’t able to sense how much God loves you, I want to tell you.”

Filled with surprise, Libby blinked back the tears that had been just beneath the surface all day.
God loves me?

Then her pride took hold. “God loves
everyone
,” Libby answered like a child repeating what she had been told. “He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.” Yet even as Libby spoke the words, they didn’t seem real.

“That’s true,” Annika said. “God
does
love everyone. God
did
send His Son to die so that we can ask forgiveness for our sins. But do you understand that Jesus died for
you
?”

“Yes.” Libby’s voice was small. That spring Caleb had told her the same thing and she believed it. But now when Libby tried to think about God’s love, her mind edged away from the idea as though she were afraid to test it out.
Does He really love
me?

Annika seemed to have heard her thoughts. “Libby, God loves you as a person. As an individual. Just the way you are.”

Out of that dreadful day with her aunt, Libby found that hard to believe. God seemed very far away from her. “How can God possibly love me when my own aunt—a person I lived with for four years—never approves of the way I am?”

“Libby, look at me.” The teacher waited until Libby’s gaze met hers. “No matter what someone else thinks about you, you are a person God loves. If you forgive your aunt, you’ll be able to sense God’s love. He delights in you.”

“Delights in me?” Libby’s laugh was hard, bitter even to her own ears.

But Annika only smiled. “Just wait, Libby. You’ll see.”

Libby sighed. “I don’t think so. I know that God loves everyone. But Auntie wants me in Chicago again. With Uncle Alex gone, she wants someone to fill up her big quiet mansion.”

Annika shook her head. “Libby, listen to what I’m trying to tell you.”

Instead, Libby looked away. She felt desperate now.
God delights in me?
If Annika weren’t such a special person, Libby would have flung the words back in her face.
What am I going to do about Auntie? I don’t want to live with her!

Then like the sun rising over the horizon, Libby thought of the best idea in the whole world.
Pa married Ma while they were still young. Annika is twenty-six. Pa is thirty-four. A perfect match!

Libby straightened up.
If Pa married again, Aunt Vi couldn’t threaten me. She couldn’t tell Pa that I have to go back to Chicago
.

CHAPTER 13

M
eeting Annika’s gaze, Libby smiled—the smile she had practiced on the boys in Chicago. Without fail it had worked whenever she wanted to get her own way. “Annika, I should tell you about my pa,” Libby began. “He’s really nice—a good Christian man.”

When a flash of interest entered Annika’s eyes, Libby hurried on. “He’s very handsome. Tall, black hair, with just a bit of gray right here.” Libby touched her fingers to the part of her hair in front of her ears. “Just enough gray to look distinguished. He’s not really old.”

Libby’s words tumbled out as she made sure Pa sounded attractive. “And he runs a good ship. Why, the woman who marries him—”

A grim schoolteacher’s look crossed Annika’s face. “Just what are you trying to tell me?”

But Libby paid no attention. “I know the perfect solution,” she said. “Aunt Vi says I need a woman’s influence. That I need to live with her again. But I could stay on the
Christina
if you married Pa.”

“My young friend,” Annika said in a voice that not even Libby could ignore. “My really young friend—”

Annika’s eyes sparked with anger. As her soft white skin flushed red, Libby finally understood. Annika was not only angry. She was offended.

“I came west for two reasons. The Lord led me here, and I wanted to see the country.” Annika’s voice had a sound Libby had not heard before. “I did not come west to see if I could find a husband!”

As Annika stood up and started toward the exit, Libby had no choice but to follow. She had only one thought.
I made everything even worse!

When Libby and Annika stepped down from the train, Caleb and Peter stood near Pa on the long platform. Pa was talking with Aunt Vi, but glancing around, as if searching for Libby. With his black hair and captain’s uniform, Pa looked tall and distinguished.

Libby’s heart leaped. Not until she saw Pa did she realize how lonesome she had been. For a moment his gaze rested on Libby, as if making sure it was her. Then he raised his arm in a wave and broke away, leaving Aunt Vi behind.

As Pa hurried across the platform, Libby raced toward him. When his arms closed around her, he lifted Libby off her feet. His hug was so tight she could barely breathe.

Then Libby giggled, and Pa set her down. His voice was husky as he said, “I’m glad you’re home, Libby.”

Libby looked up into his eyes and saw that they were wet with tears. He, too, had felt lonely, Libby was sure.

“My dear Libby,” he said. “It seems like a year since I saw you last.”

Filled with the knowledge of her aunt’s threat, Libby said, “Pa, don’t ever let me go.”

Right there on the platform Pa hugged her again. “Of course I won’t let you go. Even when you’re so grown up that you leave home, you’ll always be right here.” Pa touched his heart.

For a moment he searched her face, as though knowing something difficult had happened. “Don’t forget,” he reminded in a quiet voice. “We’re a never-give-up family.”

Libby desperately wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t forget her aunt’s terrible words.
What if Auntie Vi somehow gets her way?
Libby couldn’t think of anything more dreadful. She glanced beyond Pa to where her aunt had begun counting pieces in her huge pile of baggage.

Then Pa held Libby off at arm’s length. “Judging by the way you look, you must have a story to tell.”

“Pretty awful, huh?” Libby asked.

“Pretty wonderful,” Pa answered. “You’ll be my girl again when your hair grows out.”

Pa cocked his head for a better look and grinned. “In fact, you’re my girl now, with or without your beautiful long hair.”

In that moment Libby remembered Annika. Linking her arm with the teacher’s, Libby drew her forward. “Annika, I’d like you to meet my pa, Captain Nathaniel Norstad. Pa, this is Annika Berg. Annika let us stay with her.”

“Thank you for taking in Libby and the others,” Pa said.

“She put out a quilt,” Libby told him.

“A signal quilt?” Pa asked, his voice too quiet for those around them to hear.

Libby nodded. “And she gave the quilt to me.” Libby held the rolled-up quilt proudly, like the treasured possession that it was. Not only was it a signal Libby could use if necessary. It
also said something more—that Annika believed in her.

As Pa stretched out his hand to shake Annika’s, a light leaped into his eyes. Instead of taking his hand, Annika caught up her long skirt and curtsied low. But when her gaze met Pa’s, Annika’s eyes had the look of mischief Libby was beginning to recognize.

Though there was no depot, they stood on a platform at the end of the railroad line. Beyond the flat land next to the river was the high bluff on which most of the town of Quincy was built.

Pa’s boat was tied up near shore with its gangplank down for taking on freight and passengers. As Libby turned toward the river, she had her first good look at the
Christina
.

The side-wheeler was tall and white with her railings gleaming in the last rays of sunlight. On the housing, the arched wooden box that surrounded the paddle wheel, the name
Christina
was printed in large bold letters.

Named
Christina
for my ma
, Libby thought as she often did. The four-deck high steamboat was a proud reminder of the mother Libby still loved with all her heart. As Caleb and Peter joined her, Libby gazed at the
Christina. I’m coming home!

Catching Peter’s eye, Libby grinned and thought she knew how he felt. Caleb straightened, standing taller as if he, too, shared Libby’s pride.

Even Annika seemed impressed. “You didn’t tell me it would be so lovely,” she said to Libby.

Seeing the waves lap at the
Christina’s
hull, Libby’s heart leaped. As though let out of school for the summer, she broke into a run. Caleb and Peter joined her in a race that ended at the water.

When Libby reached the gangplank, she glanced back. Aunt Vi walked between Pa and Annika. Holding her long skirts above the dirt of the riverfront, Aunt Vi looked stiff and stern. She was not pleased by Libby’s headlong run toward the boat.

Then from the main deck Libby heard a deep joyous bark. In the next instant Samson tore down the gangplank and headed straight for Libby. As she opened her arms, the big Newfoundland leaped up, nearly knocking her over. Staggering backward, Libby almost fell.

Except for white patches on his chest and toes, Samson was completely black. Down on her knees, Libby threw her arms around the dog’s neck. The moment she leaned back, he licked her face. Libby was so glad to see him that for once she didn’t mind. “You don’t need fancy clothes to recognize me, do you?”

Then she remembered Annika. Standing up, Libby solemnly introduced the dog to her. Annika just as solemnly stretched out her hand. When, in turn, Samson stretched out his paw, Annika laughed. “I’m pleased to meet you, Samson.”

Annika then turned to Libby. “This must be your dog—yours alone.”

Libby giggled. “It’s not too hard to tell.”

Now Peter was down on his knees. He, too, threw his arms around Samson as if they had not seen each other for years. When Libby and Peter started up the gangplank, Samson tagged along behind. As Pa, Annika, and Aunt Vi walked onto the main deck, Libby caught the look on her aunt’s face.

“Remember the day we said goodbye?” Libby asked quickly. “Pa bought Samson right after you took the train to
Chicago. Pa gave me Samson for my protection.”

“Protection!” Vi exclaimed. “It seems to me you need protection from the dog!”

“That’s what I thought too,” Libby answered. “At first, that is. I didn’t want any kind of dog, but now I like having Samson around. He’s a Newfoundland, a breed of dogs that rescue people who fall overboard.”

Libby rested her hand on the dog’s neck. Moving close, he stood as if guarding her. But Aunt Vi sniffed her disapproval.

In the
Christina’s
office, Pa saw to it that Annika was given the best available room on the boiler deck. This deck for first-class passengers was above the large boilers that heated water and created steam to run the boat. To Libby’s relief, Aunt Vi was given a room at the opposite end of the boat.

When the two women left to get settled, Libby waited behind. “Big present for you, Pa.” Proudly she turned over the money belt she had worn. “Caleb will give you the other half.”

As Pa took the money his eyes were solemn. “I never thought I’d see this again,” he said as he locked the money in the safe. “I can’t thank you enough. But I’m even more thankful to God for bringing all of you back safely.”