Rimfire Bride (10 page)

Jana laughed. Perhaps a prince would see her and take her away to his ten-by-twelve-foot sod shack where he was proving up his homestead. Then she wouldn’t have to go to New Salem.

The dress that Mr. Watson had selected for her was by far the finest garment she had ever worn. The slate-gray velvet walking suit was trimmed in red cashmere frieze. The jacket had long coattails in the back and short points at the waist in front. The frieze, with its soft fiber curls, was gathered at the neck and then topped with a gray velvet collar. She had used wire hair rolls to help her arrange her hair in puffs, and when she put on a red hat with dyed red feathers and red kid gloves, she had to admit the ensemble was beautiful.

When she stepped out of the dressing room, Mr. Watson’s face displayed his approval.

“Jana, it’s perfect. If this doesn’t sell clothes, I
don’t know what will. I put a chair in the window, for you to steady yourself, but I don’t want you to sit down. We can’t get any wrinkles.”

“All right.” Jana walked toward the front of the store and stepped up onto the window ledge. She placed her hand on the back of the chair and stood as still as she could.

The first person who passed by the store didn’t even glance toward the window, but the next person was an elderly man who was shuffling along leaning on a cane. When he came to Jana’s window, he stopped. Then he began to rap on the window, trying to get her attention, but she stood as still as she could. Within a minute, he was joined by a small crowd of men.

Standing across the street, leaning casually against a post, Jana saw Drew Malone. He was grinning the way she imagined the Cheshire cat grinned in
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
, a book she had read to her students. Although she had not acknowledged any other gentleman who had stood in front of the window, she met his gaze directly and smiled discreetly as she nodded her head in his direction. In response, he tipped his hat and walked away.

For the rest of the day, Jana changed outfits every hour and got back in the window for ten minutes, before coming back into the store as a salesclerk. The crowds grew larger both outside and in the store. Also, and this was important, women began to be a part of the crowd.

Before the end of the day, Jana had sold eleven dresses, ranging in price from $3.50 all the way
up to one gown that cost $14. The store brought in $96 that day, which was more than Watson had made for the entire week, up until this date. “This is wonderful,” Mr. Watson said. “I’ve never had anything that created so much attention. But don’t expect sales to be this brisk tomorrow.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because today is Election Day and all the folks will be caught up in that frenzy. No, I’m afraid tomorrow will be a dead day for sales.”

“We’ll just have to choose some of your most spectacular dresses to entice customers to come in tomorrow,” Jana said.

“I tell you, they won’t be up this way. Everybody will be hanging around the courthouse tonight, waiting to see if this Citizens’ Ticket Colonel Lounsberry is pushing is going to win. They’ll all be tuckered out tomorrow.”

Jana was quiet for a moment, then said, “What if the dresses went to where the people are? Rather than standing in the window for ten minutes, why couldn’t I walk down to the courthouse and mingle with the people who are there?”

“That would be fine, but how would they know the dresses were from the Emporium?”

“Promotion, Mr. Watson. Promotion. Everybody loves a sale. We could offer a discount for any dress sold between Wednesday and Saturday of this week. Have some cards printed up that would have to be brought to the store to get the ten percent off or whatever amount you choose to give. Maybe we could even have a jar with lots of cards
in it and one would be as high as fifty percent off. That way people could draw their own discount. I know I would want to come to your store if I thought there was a chance I could get a new Christmas dress at half price.”

Mr. Watson was smiling broadly. “Remind me to buy a big steak dinner for Drew Malone. You, my dear, are a born merchandiser. Take care of the store while I run down to the
Tribune
office to have some cards printed up. When I come back, you can start wandering around, but I expect you’ll do the most good tonight, when they start posting the returns.”

“What time do you think the biggest crowd will be there?”

“Around ten o’clock I would say. By then most of the vote counting will be done.”

“Will you be at the courthouse?”

“Of course, everybody will be there.”

“You know, I’m looking forward to this. It sounds exciting,” Jana said.

“Oh, it is.” Watson picked out another dress and held it out for her to see. “And this is the dress I want you to wear tonight.”

“I couldn’t wear that one. It’s too beautiful. If there’s a big crowd, what if someone spilled something on the dress? Then we wouldn’t be able to sell it.”

“Jana, I don’t intend to sell the dress you’ll wear tonight. It’s yours.”

“Mine?” Jana asked, as if not sure she had heard him correctly.

“Yes. You’ve done such a good job, you’ve earned it.”

“Thank you, sir.” Tears glistened in Jana’s eyes.

“Did you vote?”
Clement Lounsberry called to Drew as he passed by the
Tribune
office.

“Of course I voted. It looks like we had a big turnout, thanks to all the hard work you’ve done. Tell me, Clem, do you think the Citizens’ Ticket has a chance of winning? I mean, you are going up against the establishment.”

“Yes, I do. And it’ll be thanks to the registry law you drew up. A riverboat landed down at the river this morning—all her passengers thought they were going to get to vote, just like the last time. You remember two years ago when the crew of the
Butte
voted at the landing and then some of them voted in all three wards?”

“Yes, of course I remember.”

Lounsberry chuckled. “Well, that didn’t work for them this time. I think both the Democrats and the Republicans are going to be in for a rude awakening come tomorrow morning when they’re all out of a job.”

“I hope you’re right, Colonel, but a lot of money has changed hands. It just depends on how fed up the citizens of Bismarck are with all the chicanery that’s been going on around here.”

“Will you be at the courthouse watching the returns tonight?” Lounsberry asked.

“If I can get the boys settled down and in bed in time, I’ll be there.”

“I thought you hired Mrs. Considine to take care of those boys.”

“I did, and she’s doing a pretty good job with them, but I try to spend as much time as I can with them. You know Sam’s in school now, and I try to listen to him read every night.”

“Is young Sam doing all right? I mean, everybody was so worried about him after . . .”

“He’s doing his best. He’s talking again, and that’s good.”

“Frank’s right you know. You need to find—”

“Oh, no, not you, too.” Drew chuckled.

“It never hurts to look. That’s all I have to say. I’ll see you tonight.”

“I’ll be there.”

Drew usually walked all the way down Main Street, turning over on Eighth Street to get to his home on Thayer, thus avoiding the spot where Addie had been killed, but tonight for some reason he went up Fifth, then turned down Meiggs, the street that passed by the Custer Hotel.

He smiled as he passed the hotel, and his mind wandered to Jana Hartmann. It pleased him that she had broken her pose for him when he had watched her tableau in the window this morning. When he met her in the Sheridan House, he had thought she was an attractive woman, but seeing her dressed in the latest fashions with her hair artfully arranged, he had thought she was more than attractive. She was beautiful.

A goodly number of his fellow citizens apparently agreed with him. Several times throughout
the day he had looked down the street toward Watson’s Emporium, and every time he looked, he had seen a crowd gathered in front of the window, fully as many men as women.

And why not? The beautiful and stylish dresses, Drew had to admit, were somewhat daring. Watching her bravery and good humor today, he had felt a strong attraction toward her, but he didn’t know what to think about that attraction. It seemed sexual, as if to a wanton woman. But was he being unfair?

No, it wasn’t just her physical appearance that drew him to her. She was a spunky lady; she’d showed him that in the way she’d reacted to Jason Richards’s attempt to buy her vote at the Sheridan yesterday at lunch. She also had a good sense of humor; he could see that today, by the way she was reacting to the people who had gathered around Watson’s store window.

Many people would be intimidated when they were the center of attention, but Jana’s smiles, body posture, facial expressions, and eye movements showed her to be at ease with herself. That was a most admirable trait.

As Drew approached the Custer, he slowed his pace and looked into the lobby. He didn’t see Jana, or anyone else, not even Tom McGowan. At just that moment, two gentlemen left the bar and came out onto the street.

“I don’t know how Tom can make money doin’ that, but I’ll be coming back tomorrow, sure thing,” one man said.

“Good eats at the Custer—and for free—that’ll bring more people to the bar.”

“That stew was right tasty, and that little ole gal they got cookin’, why she’s a sweetheart, don’t ya know. A pretty little thing, too.”

The two men, who were not in any way drunk, crossed the street and Drew could no longer hear their conversation. He wondered who the “little ole gal” was, but he had a pretty good guess. Maybe he would have to stop by the Custer some evening and sample the free food.

Shaking his head at his own folly, he hurried on home to spend some time with the boys before he put them to bed.

Returning to the
hotel that evening, Jana took Mr. Watson’s package up to the room, then changed into a plain skirt and waist, before going down to the saloon to check on Greta. When she walked in, Greta was standing behind a table, ladling out dippers of stew from a black kettle. Just then, Tom McGowan came from the little kitchen carrying another kettle.

“Hi, Jana, have you tasted your sister’s stew yet?”

“No, but I’d love to.”

“You’d better get a bowl quick. I thought Greta was making way too much, but it’s going like hotcakes. When this pot’s gone, it’s gone,” Tom said.

“It’s that good?”

“It is now.” Tom smiled. “Carl and me, why, we talked her into putting in a lot more black pepper than she was using, and this pot’s got a whole bottle of red-pepper sauce. It’s dang good, if I do say so myself.”

Jana laughed. “You’re scaring me, Tom. I’m not sure I want to taste this stuff.”

Just then, Greta saw Jana, and a wide smile crossed her face. Jana thought she had never seen her sister look happier.

“Why don’t you two go on back to the kitchen and sit a spell? I’ll do the serving,” Tom said.

“All right, thank you, Tom,” Greta said. “Come on, Jana, I haven’t eaten yet either.” Greta ladled two bowls from the pot, and the sisters went to the little room behind the bar.

“I’m so tired, but it’s a good tired,” Greta said when she almost fell into a chair sitting beside a small table.

“You’re sure this work isn’t too hard for you?” Jana sat down beside her sister. She lifted a spoonful of the stew to her mouth and blew on it gently as Greta eagerly awaited her reaction. “Greta, this is good! I knew you could cook, but I didn’t know you could cook this well.”

“I didn’t know it either,” Greta replied with a big, proud smile. “But I can, and, oh, Jana, I actually enjoy it.”

After the last
of the stew was served to the saloon patrons, Jana helped Greta tidy up the kitchen. After the sisters washed and dried the bowls and spoons, Jana practically dragged Greta to their room.

“I’ve got to go get dressed,” Jana said.

“Get dressed? For what?”

“I’m going down to the courthouse tonight for my job. Why don’t you come with me? Mr. Watson
says everyone will be there watching the election returns, and I’m going to be passing out discount cards to get customers to come to the store.”

“He’s making you work that late?”

“Oh, no, it’s not him. This was my idea. I want him to think his store can’t get along without me.”

Jana untied the package Mr. Watson had given her and removed a beautiful outfit.

“This is absolutely gorgeous,” Greta said as she picked up the dress. “Wouldn’t you love to have a dress like this?”

“It is mine, can you believe it? Mr. Watson gave it to me.”

“He gave it to you?”

“Yes, he did, so you can wear it, too. But right now, I need you to help me get into it.” Jana removed her clothing.

The dress was an orange-tinted satin with a plush green velvet collar. The bodice had insets of silk folds that were embroidered with gold lace and green chenille. Contrasting with the tinted satin were shaped panels of the green velvet in both the sleeves and the skirt. Then in the back, Greta carefully arranged the heavy drapery so that the orange satin foot plaiting still showed.

“You certainly won’t need a coat tonight,” Greta said as she placed a green-lace-and-feather hat on Jana’s head. “Mama could make three dresses out of the material that’s in this one dress.”

“I know. And to think that today I’ve had on seven outfits that are just as fine as this one.”

“Seven! What do you do at that store?”

“Let me show you what I do. I stand in the window,
and I do this.” Jana began striking poses, making each new pose more extreme than the one before until she had Greta laughing so hard that tears were coming. But soon the laughter turned to wheezing and coughing spasms.

“Oh, Greta, I’m sorry.” Jana got a cool cloth from the washbasin and began to wipe Greta’s brow. “This is the first time I’ve heard you cough since we’ve come to Dakota.”

“I think you’re right. It must be the climate.” Greta began to take deep breaths and the coughing began to subside. “It was worth it, though, because it was so good to laugh. But I think I’ll lie down for a while. You go on to the courthouse and I’ll stay here and rest.”