up from his table and walked over to her.
Jana saw the handsome man from the other table come toward her, and she wondered if he, too, was going to try to buy her vote.
“Ma’am, I’d like to shake your hand, and on behalf of the honest people of Bismarck, I’d like to welcome you to our city. You are exactly the type of citizen we need in this town. I’m Drew Malone.”
“What are you running for?”
Drew laughed. “Why, nothing, ma’am. I overheard the way you handled our least favorite politician, and I wanted to tell you that I liked how you did it.”
“In that case, Mr. Malone, I’m Jana Hartmann.” She extended her hand, and when she looked up, she was struck by the man’s captivating blue eyes. For an instant, her gaze locked with his.
The other man who had been sitting at the table with Drew had approached, and he spoke to her, breaking the spell.
“Would it be an affront to you if we joined you? I’m Frank Allen. Mr. Malone and I are partners in the Allen and Malone Law Firm, and I believe I overheard you say you had a problem.”
“Did I say that?”
“You’ll have to excuse Frank, Miss Hartmann.Sometimes he tries to horn in on other people’s affairs when he has no business doing that.” Drew moved toward his seat at his own table.
“No, wait. You said you were lawyers?”
“Yes, we are,” Frank said as he grasped Drew’s arm to keep him from returning to their table.
“Then maybe you can help me.”
Both men moved to her table and sat one on either side of Jana.
“What can we do?” Frank asked.
“As I said to the rather disagreeable Mr. Richards, I just arrived in Bismarck. My sister and I came last night on”—she paused for a second before she continued, knowing that what she was about to say would speak volumes about her economic status—“the emigrant train. It is our intention to go next spring with a group of like-minded people to form the community of New Salem.”
“New Salem? Have you heard of that, Drew?”
“I believe it might be in Morton County, about thirty miles west of here. Would that be the place, Miss Hartmann?”
“I’m not sure. We are waiting for Pastor Kling from the German Evangelical Synod to arrive in the spring, and then we will find out.”
“Miss Hartmann, wait a minute, let me get this straight. You don’t have any idea where you’re going?” Drew asked.
“No.”
“But you do know this man who is in charge, do you not? Pastor Kling, I think you said?”
“I’ve met him.”
“But you don’t know him.”
“Ease up on her, Drew. She’s not in a court of law.” Frank laughed nervously.
“He’s right, Miss Hartmann, I’m sorry.”
“Well, you may have a point. I wanted to leave Chicago so badly that I really didn’t delve into all the particulars about New Salem.”
“You wanted to leave Chicago? Do you have a legal problem?” Drew asked. “Maybe we could help you.”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Jana lowered her gaze, breaking any eye contact with either man. She took a deep breath. “I left because of something I read. The Northern Pacific Railway published a pamphlet that said a woman could homestead in Dakota, and I thought I could do that.”
A broad smile spread across Drew’s face. “Well, now, that I can understand. There are hundreds of other women right now in Burleigh County proving up their claims. And if that’s your problem, we can help you.”
“Before I do that, I have another problem.”
“And that would be . . . ?”
“I need a job.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Bismarck is a boomtown right now with all the people moving in, and if we get to be the capital of the territory, there’ll be even more jobs. Have you ever worked before?”
“I taught school for three years.”
“You’re a schoolteacher, but you want to homestead? Proving up a homestead plot is hard work. Do you know anything about farming?”
Jana laughed.
“Did I say something funny?”
Jana saw the handsome man from the other table come toward her, and she wondered if he, too, was going to try to buy her vote.
“Ma’am, I’d like to shake your hand, and on behalf of the honest people of Bismarck, I’d like to welcome you to our city. You are exactly the type of citizen we need in this town. I’m Drew Malone.”
“What are you running for?”
Drew laughed. “Why, nothing, ma’am. I overheard the way you handled our least favorite politician, and I wanted to tell you that I liked how you did it.”
“In that case, Mr. Malone, I’m Jana Hartmann.” She extended her hand, and when she looked up, she was struck by the man’s captivating blue eyes. For an instant, her gaze locked with his.
The other man who had been sitting at the table with Drew had approached, and he spoke to her, breaking the spell.
“Would it be an affront to you if we joined you? I’m Frank Allen. Mr. Malone and I are partners in the Allen and Malone Law Firm, and I believe I overheard you say you had a problem.”
“Did I say that?”
“You’ll have to excuse Frank, Miss Hartmann.Sometimes he tries to horn in on other people’s affairs when he has no business doing that.” Drew moved toward his seat at his own table.
“No, wait. You said you were lawyers?”
“Yes, we are,” Frank said as he grasped Drew’s arm to keep him from returning to their table.
“Then maybe you can help me.”
Both men moved to her table and sat one on either side of Jana.
“What can we do?” Frank asked.
“As I said to the rather disagreeable Mr. Richards, I just arrived in Bismarck. My sister and I came last night on”—she paused for a second before she continued, knowing that what she was about to say would speak volumes about her economic status—“the emigrant train. It is our intention to go next spring with a group of like-minded people to form the community of New Salem.”
“New Salem? Have you heard of that, Drew?”
“I believe it might be in Morton County, about thirty miles west of here. Would that be the place, Miss Hartmann?”
“I’m not sure. We are waiting for Pastor Kling from the German Evangelical Synod to arrive in the spring, and then we will find out.”
“Miss Hartmann, wait a minute, let me get this straight. You don’t have any idea where you’re going?” Drew asked.
“No.”
“But you do know this man who is in charge, do you not? Pastor Kling, I think you said?”
“I’ve met him.”
“But you don’t know him.”
“Ease up on her, Drew. She’s not in a court of law.” Frank laughed nervously.
“He’s right, Miss Hartmann, I’m sorry.”
“Well, you may have a point. I wanted to leave Chicago so badly that I really didn’t delve into all the particulars about New Salem.”
“You wanted to leave Chicago? Do you have a legal problem?” Drew asked. “Maybe we could help you.”
“No, it’s nothing like that.” Jana lowered her gaze, breaking any eye contact with either man. She took a deep breath. “I left because of something I read. The Northern Pacific Railway published a pamphlet that said a woman could homestead in Dakota, and I thought I could do that.”
A broad smile spread across Drew’s face. “Well, now, that I can understand. There are hundreds of other women right now in Burleigh County proving up their claims. And if that’s your problem, we can help you.”
“Before I do that, I have another problem.”
“And that would be . . . ?”
“I need a job.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Bismarck is a boomtown right now with all the people moving in, and if we get to be the capital of the territory, there’ll be even more jobs. Have you ever worked before?”
“I taught school for three years.”
“You’re a schoolteacher, but you want to homestead? Proving up a homestead plot is hard work. Do you know anything about farming?”
Jana laughed.
“Did I say something funny?”
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