harmless. You need a place to stay. We have plenty of room.”
“Thank you. I’ll be happy to work for my board.”
“We’ll talk about that later.”
Dr. Franks appeared, and Birdie signed the dismissal forms. “You let me know if you start having headaches again, young lady.”
“I will. Thank you for my care. Please thank Nurse Taylor for me. I’ll pay my bill as soon as I get a job.”
He beamed. “I’m sure you will, but there is no rush.”
Mrs. Lockhart added. “Let’s get your things and be on our way.”
She pivoted in front of them. “This is all I have.”
“Well, seems we need to stop by the mercantile before we go home.”
Thirty minutes later Birdie found herself inside a spacious department store. She could only stare at the bounty of merchandise on shelves, items in wood and glass cabinets, and arrangements of furniture on one side of the large structure. Large ceiling fans stirred the warm air as people bustled around selecting their purchases.
“Come along, dear. This way.”
Birdie followed Mrs. Lockhart along the aisle. An hour later, with the counter loaded with what the older woman insisted she needed—two everyday dresses, two church dresses with a pair of summer oxfords to match, underwear, boots, a couple of skirts and three blouses, two dress hats, and a work hat. Birdie even talked the older woman into adding a pair of dungarees to the stack.
Bethany’s mouth fell open. “Mother! You won’t ever let me get a pair. Why can she wear them, and I can’t?” She stomped a foot. “It’s not fair.”
Birdie picked the pants up off the pile. “I don’t want to cause problems. I’ll put them back.”
“No, no need.” Olivia Lockhart turned to her daughter. One dark brow arched, she studied the girl from head to foot. Under the perusal, Bethany’s reddened face paled.
“I’m sorry, Mother. That was childish of me, but I so want a pair.”
“Since you had the good grace to apologize, I concede.” She shook a finger. “But I better never find you wearing them in mixed company.”
Bethany squealed and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “Thank you, thank you.” She rushed off and came back to add her selection to their purchases. As the sales clerk rang them up, Bethany moved closer to Birdie and squeezed her waist, her smile conspiratorial and engaging. She’d be shocked and surprised at the fashions in the future. The thought made Birdie chuckle, and she put an arm around the girl and squeezed back.
How Birdie would ever repay the older woman she didn’t know, but Birdie would find a way. Loaded down with packages wrapped in brown paper, they approached the carriage. The young ranch hand who’d accompanied the Lockhart women stored them in a compartment in the back and helped them board.
Birdie viewed 1890 Waco with different eyes this trip. Yesterday, she’d hoped to see something familiar; today she drank in all the differences—the wooden sidewalks, a saloon over on Franklin, the train depot, awnings on windows of stores to ward off the heat rays. Her gaze darted from place to place and noted Cooper’s Grocery on Mary Street and the Pacific Hotel on Franklin. As they neared the suspension bridge, she observed the toll-keeper’s cottage with its picket fence. In her time period, a fee wasn’t collected when crossing the bridge. In fact, only foot traffic was allowed across the historic structure.
She focused her attention on the spot Detective Ethan said she’d been fished from the water. Her skin tingled and the hairs on the back of her neck crawled leaving a feeling of intense anxiety. She shuddered. As close as she sat to the other two women, it was impossible to keep her reaction from being noticed.
“Are you cold, dear? We can fetch the blanket we always carry.”
“No, I just had an odd sensation wash over me.” The desire to step onto the banks of the Brazos was strong. Was the river her way back home? Something had brought her
“Thank you. I’ll be happy to work for my board.”
“We’ll talk about that later.”
Dr. Franks appeared, and Birdie signed the dismissal forms. “You let me know if you start having headaches again, young lady.”
“I will. Thank you for my care. Please thank Nurse Taylor for me. I’ll pay my bill as soon as I get a job.”
He beamed. “I’m sure you will, but there is no rush.”
Mrs. Lockhart added. “Let’s get your things and be on our way.”
She pivoted in front of them. “This is all I have.”
“Well, seems we need to stop by the mercantile before we go home.”
Thirty minutes later Birdie found herself inside a spacious department store. She could only stare at the bounty of merchandise on shelves, items in wood and glass cabinets, and arrangements of furniture on one side of the large structure. Large ceiling fans stirred the warm air as people bustled around selecting their purchases.
“Come along, dear. This way.”
Birdie followed Mrs. Lockhart along the aisle. An hour later, with the counter loaded with what the older woman insisted she needed—two everyday dresses, two church dresses with a pair of summer oxfords to match, underwear, boots, a couple of skirts and three blouses, two dress hats, and a work hat. Birdie even talked the older woman into adding a pair of dungarees to the stack.
Bethany’s mouth fell open. “Mother! You won’t ever let me get a pair. Why can she wear them, and I can’t?” She stomped a foot. “It’s not fair.”
Birdie picked the pants up off the pile. “I don’t want to cause problems. I’ll put them back.”
“No, no need.” Olivia Lockhart turned to her daughter. One dark brow arched, she studied the girl from head to foot. Under the perusal, Bethany’s reddened face paled.
“I’m sorry, Mother. That was childish of me, but I so want a pair.”
“Since you had the good grace to apologize, I concede.” She shook a finger. “But I better never find you wearing them in mixed company.”
Bethany squealed and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “Thank you, thank you.” She rushed off and came back to add her selection to their purchases. As the sales clerk rang them up, Bethany moved closer to Birdie and squeezed her waist, her smile conspiratorial and engaging. She’d be shocked and surprised at the fashions in the future. The thought made Birdie chuckle, and she put an arm around the girl and squeezed back.
How Birdie would ever repay the older woman she didn’t know, but Birdie would find a way. Loaded down with packages wrapped in brown paper, they approached the carriage. The young ranch hand who’d accompanied the Lockhart women stored them in a compartment in the back and helped them board.
Birdie viewed 1890 Waco with different eyes this trip. Yesterday, she’d hoped to see something familiar; today she drank in all the differences—the wooden sidewalks, a saloon over on Franklin, the train depot, awnings on windows of stores to ward off the heat rays. Her gaze darted from place to place and noted Cooper’s Grocery on Mary Street and the Pacific Hotel on Franklin. As they neared the suspension bridge, she observed the toll-keeper’s cottage with its picket fence. In her time period, a fee wasn’t collected when crossing the bridge. In fact, only foot traffic was allowed across the historic structure.
She focused her attention on the spot Detective Ethan said she’d been fished from the water. Her skin tingled and the hairs on the back of her neck crawled leaving a feeling of intense anxiety. She shuddered. As close as she sat to the other two women, it was impossible to keep her reaction from being noticed.
“Are you cold, dear? We can fetch the blanket we always carry.”
“No, I just had an odd sensation wash over me.” The desire to step onto the banks of the Brazos was strong. Was the river her way back home? Something had brought her
Similar Books
