Free The Teacher's Mail Order Bride by Cindy Caldwell

which it is. Maybe a little of both.”
    “I don’t know what you mean. Tombstone is like any other small town. At least it has been. But in the past couple of years, it’s nearly quadrupled in size, so I suppose I don’t know everyone any longer. What are you referring to?”
    Mr. Tate cleared his throat. “In my experience, children do not come to school for one of two reasons. Frequently, in cultures where work is important—well, necessary—they are needed to help with the family business. It’s quite common, I’m afraid.”
    Rose had lived in the area her whole life, at the ranch before Tombstone had even become an official town. She and all of her sisters had come to school and it had been important to her parents that they did. At the time, all the children that she knew had also come to school, but she supposed there may have been other children on outlying farms who didn’t. She hadn’t really thought of it before, having been immersed in her own learning.
    “I have to say I’m surprised that could be the case, Mr. Tate, but I suppose I do understand. Don’t the parents realize, though, that an education is what’s best for their children? That the world is a very big place, and learning how to read and write and all about the world is what will help them?”
    He looked at Rose and slowly shook his head. “Unfortunately, that’s not the opinion of all parents. For many of them, the world is quite the opposite of a very big place. It centers around one location and one goal—survival.”
    Rose rested her hand on her chest, not quite able to understand. “You mean that the livelihood of the family, the ability to eat, rests on the shoulders of young children? At their expense?”
    “I mean exactly that. Many households struggle to have enough food, or money to buy what they can’t produce on their own. From what I’ve seen of Tombstone so far, farming is very difficult with the limited water supply. So families must rely on whatever business skill they have or work skill, and that requires workers. And children can be workers.”
    “I did wonder why some of the children only came to school for a few years. Now that I think about it, when they grew a little taller, a little bigger—they stopped coming to school.”
    Mr. Tate folded his arms over his chest and leaned against the desk. “My point exactly, I’m afraid.”
    “I suppose not everyone was like me growing up. Or had a family like mine that really placed a great importance on education. Even when my sisters didn’t want to come and would rather play in the barn, we had to attend. It wasn’t optional in my house.”
    Mr. Tate sat back down behind the desk. “Nor mine. But I also know that my family was the exception rather than the rule. I knew many boys who never came to school. And never learned how to read.”
    Rose gasped, her hand on her cheek. “Is that possible?”
    “I’m afraid it is, Miss Archer. Sadly so.”
    “I suppose we ought to consider ourselves fortunate, then,” Rose said as she glanced again out the window. “You mentioned another possibility? Another reason why they might not come to school?”
    Mr. Tate sighed as he ran his hands through his dark, wavy hair. His eyes clouded as he said, “I don’t know this town very well. I shouldn’t speculate, really.”
    Rose stood at the sound of his voice, wondering what could cause him such concern. “Please, I’d like to know what you mean.”
    He turned toward Rose and looked directly into her eyes. “I hope this isn’t the case, but I’ve also seen places where certain students weren’t...shall we say...welcome.”

Chapter 14
    A s Rose continued cleaning , sorting books and making decorations, and Mr. Tate tended to his tasks, she mulled over what she’d heard. She knew that some of her sisters hadn’t liked school very much—Sage and Pepper in particular—but they also were aware of the necessity and grudgingly did attend.
    But not being allowed to