Place to Belong, a by Lauraine Snelling Page A

be able to pay wages.”
    â€œI know all that. I thought about this a long time.”
    â€œI’m sure you did.” Mavis heaved a sigh. “You know you will always have a home here, should you decide to visit or return.”
    Cassie tried to talk around the lump in her throat, but she couldn’t. She tried not to cry, but tears trickled down her cheeks in spite of her. Chief was part of her life, all of her life, like a piece of her mother and father, the sole remaining piece.
    â€œThis does not have to be good-bye. You know we want Indians to be part of the Wild West show, the rodeo, next summer.” Lucas leaned forward. “We’ll be coming to look for you and hope you will bring us others to be part of the show. Especially those who know the old ways of doing things, some good riders, some who want a job, not for a long time, though who knows where this one show will lead.”
    â€œYou sound like Adam Lockwood, so long ago,” Chief said. “I went along for one season and look what happened.”
    Mavis wiped her eyes too. “I’m so glad you brought Cassie to us. We will never be able to thank you enough for that.” She blew out a breath. “No matter what you say, this ranch is your homestead too. Both Adam and Ivar would say the same thing. You are the only one left, and if nothing else, we need to hear the rest of your stories of those early days. I know Cassie wants to know more too.”
    Stop this , Cassie ordered herself. Stop sniveling ! You will see Chief again. This is not the good-bye he says it is. The reservation isn’t across the country, only somewhere out beyond Rapid City.
    A short time later she stood on the front porch and watched her friend and teacher ride off. Another piece of her heart gone. How she hated the idea of his leaving!
    Her whisper to herself accompanied her waving hand. “Thank you.”

6

    T uesday morning the clouds hung low.
    Cassie woke from a restless sleep in which she kept dreaming that Chief was in trouble. She was never sure what had been the problem, but the urge to go to him tore at her.
    He had made the choice, but what if no one wanted him to be there? True, the townspeople here didn’t want Indians around either, or at least some of them didn’t. What difference did it make that Chief was a Sioux Indian? He was just like any of her other friends, only closer because they’d been together a long time, thanks to their years in the show. Since he’d been her father’s good friend, she’d known him since she was born. And what about his eyesight? How would he hunt? Where would he live? Did he still have relatives there? What was life like on the reservation?
    She fought the tears again. Today was supposed to be a happy day, a wedding day.
    But some people would castigate Micah for marrying an Indian woman. All this bigotry made her angry deep inside. She pulled on her woolen petticoats and waist, slipped her woolskirt on over her head, and pulled on her long wool stockings. With a sweater added for good measure, she jerked the hairbrush through the ripples left by her nighttime braid.
    Life just wasn’t fair. That was all there was to it. If God loved everyone like the Bible said, how come the Indians didn’t have that love too? Maybe one of these days she’d sit down with Reverend Brandenburg and ask him. He was a pastor, and she knew he and his wife didn’t hold anything against the Indians. After all, they’d invited them all for supper at their house and made sure they had more food for the next days.
    And he was coming out here to perform the wedding ceremony that afternoon. She bundled her hair into a snood, hearing the rattle of stove lids that said Mavis was up and preparing breakfast. Cassie had gone to sleep thinking maybe she should learn to milk the cow and take care of the barn chores. After all, if she was indeed a member of the family as Mavis said,