Free Prairie Widow by Harold Bakst Page B

ostensibly, everyone was there to see her. “
    I tell you, he’s up to no good. Did you know he’s been sending homesteaders away?”
    â€œOh, stop and think a moment, will you? He’s a government land agent!”
    â€œYeah, and he seems to own most of the land in town! I tell you, he’s got something cooking!”
    â€œWith the railroad?” “
    And the cattle interests, yes…”
    Jennifer only barely listened. She felt uneasy, realizing that Nancy Camp had been standing off aways and staring at her solemnly with her big, doe-like eyes. Lucy, meanwhile, set a plate down before her. “I’ll fetch you some coffee,” she said. Jennifer tried to eat, but she had no appetite.
    Finally, Nancy Camp approached the table. She sat down cater-cornered to Jennifer. “How are you feeling?” she asked, touching Jennifer’s hand.
    â€œThose wolves…”
    â€œI know. Sometimes their howls keep me awake at night.”
    â€œIt seems to me he oughtn’t be a land agent then,” growled Aaron Whittaker.
    â€œI say we all go into town the first thing in the morning to talk with him,” said Lucy to everyone as she brought Jennifer her coffee.
    â€œI agree,” said Will. “Let’s confront him on this!”
    â€œPerhaps he thinks we’re blind to him,” said Lucy, “or maybe that farm folk are stupid.”
    Nancy shook her head in admiration. “Will you listen to her? My, I wish I were as strong. She’s been gabbing with the men all evening about that Bill Wilkes.” Nancy stopped to listen again.
    â€œNo one made him king,” Lucy was saying. “This is farming land, not range.”
    â€œI tell you,” remarked Nancy quietly, leaning close to Jennifer, “I, for one couldn’t address a group of men like that.”
    â€œWell, there are a lot of things I cannot do,” said Jennifer, gazing down at her coffee. “Which is why I’ll be returning to Ohio.”
    Nancy looked at her neighbor as if unprepared for such an announcement. “Oh, dear, you don’t mean it.”
    â€œWhy, yes, of course…”
    â€œJust because you saw some wolves…”
    â€œThere weren’t just ‘some’…”
    â€œI was hoping we might become better acquainted. It can be so very lonely on this prairie without another woman to talk to.”
    Jennifer was taken aback by this sudden show of interest on the part of her neighbor. “You have Lucy.”
    â€œYes, and I love her,” said Nancy. “But sometimes she can be difficult. She’s just so strong. She doesn’t always understand how I feel. You do. You’re like me.”
    Jennifer was sorry she had said anything to Nancy about leaving. The last thing she needed was to have someone try to talk her out of it. “It was not my idea to leave Ohio. And now that Walter is…gone…”
    â€œWhat does it matter whose idea it was? You’re here now.”
    â€œI miss my father.”
    â€œWe all miss someone…”
    Jennifer’s eyes glazed over. “God, I don’t know how I’ll tell him about Walter.”
    â€œWhy, we can become like sisters,” continued Nancy. “Wouldn’t that be nice? We can share secrets. I can’t do that with Lucy. Please, Jenny, say you won’t go.”
    â€œI had better write him first,” said Jennifer. “Hm! He’ll see now that I was right. I trust he won’t ever side against me again.”
    â€œJenny, are you listening to me?” Nancy pushed forward from her chair and gripped Jennifer’s wrist. “You know, Lucy likes you. I can tell.”
    â€œNancy, I …”
    â€œShe’d miss you.”
    Jennifer turned her head away. “I have no husband. It’s impossible…”
    â€œNo, it’s not. Lucy was already suggesting that you might teach school. Would you like