Chapter 20 - Ghosts From The Past

Caleb and Elizabeth's family grows. Elizabeth has a shocking encounter in the city.

          Within a short time, Caleb and Elizabeth were thrilled to find their next child was on the way.  On Christmas Eve 1854, their second daughter was born.  Elizabeth named her Grace.

          Caleb stood beside the cradle at the end of their bed.  The shadows danced on the walls as the fire crackled behind him in the small brick fireplace that warmed the tiny cottage.  Elizabeth lay still in the bed now, her eyes closed.  An angel, Caleb thought.  She looks like an angel.  The sweat stood in beads on her forehead, damp hair pressed against the sides of her face.

          She opened her eyes and smiled.  A deep fire danced her eyes.  In that moment Caleb felt himself fall in love with her again.  He stepped to her side and sat lightly on the bed.  He gently wiped the hair from her face and kissed her on the forehead.  Elizabeth began to sit up but Caleb put his hand gently on her shoulder.

          “No, stay,” he told her quietly.  “You’ve had a hard day.  You need to rest.”

         “Is she sleeping?  I want to hold her.”  She gazed at the small basket at the end of the bed.

          Caleb stepped to the crib and gently lifted the tiny baby and carried her to her mother.

          “The blankets,” Elizabeth whispered. “Caleb, would you get the baby blankets?  In the chest in Hannah’s room.  Be careful not to wake her.”

          Caleb made his way quietly into the other room.  He knelt by the chest and slowly lifted to lid.  A quilt, which Elizabeth had been working diligently on, lay half finished on top.  He moved it aside and dug for the tiny blankets, she had requested.  Caleb’s hand found a small round disk in the bottom of the chest and he brought it out for closer inspection.  The metal glimmered in the dim lamplight.  Memories of a past Christmas flooded back.  He could almost smell the food and hear the music and laughter again.  He closed his eyes and saw Elizabeth, nine years old, her long golden curls hanging down her back, tied with a shiny blue bow.  He remembered her smile and how her eyes sparkled.  He ran his fingers over the carving and opened the casing of the old watch.  The hands sat fixated on one o’clock; frozen in time.  Caleb wound the stem and it came back to life, ticking in perfect rhythm.

 

          With a rapidly growing family, Caleb and Elizabeth both became well aware of the need for a larger home.  Grace grew fast.  Then only as the winter snow began to melt.  Elizabeth suspected yet another addition was on the way.  Caleb set out in search of a slightly larger home.  He found the task to be quite difficult, as there seemed to be a housing shortage, especially in the city.

          One evening, Caleb sat on the bank of the river next to Jess.  The sun began to set on the horizon and the air glowed orange.  A moment later, Frank appeared over a low rocky hill and came to sit next to the water with the other men.  He held up a dark bottle with a smile, then took a drink and handed it to Jess.

          “You find yerself a place to stay yet?” Frank asked.

          “Not a damn thing.”

          “Talk to O’Connor in the mornin’.  I bet he knows somethin’.  He knows this place better’n most,” Jess told him.  “S**t he knows this place better’n most those rich b******s who’ve been out here their whole damn lives.”

          “Where ya suppose he comes from anyway?” Asked Caleb.

          “Oh we know where he comes from.  Jus’ listen ta him a bit,” Frank told him.  “If that accent don’t give it away fer ya, he will.  Course after bein’ out here this long we’ve run into plenty of ‘em.  O’Connor’s one of the good one’s though.  I’ll assure ya, there sure are a lot of ‘em in the city who are jus’ int’rested in fightin’ an’ drinkin’.”  He paused to take another drink, then continued.  “O’Connor come here ‘bout twenty years back from what he likes to call ‘the old country’.  Suppose that’s fittin’ enough.  Raised sheep there.  Had himself a family, too.  He don’t talk much ‘bout them but from what I can gather, his wife passed and his little ones grew up.  Didn’t see much reason ta stay so he got on a boat an’ came here.  Made himself a purty good life.  Made a name fer himself ‘fore all the others come runnin’.”

         

          The following morning, Caleb went straight to Mr. O’Connor.

          “Ol’ boys told me you may be able to tell me where I could find a place for me and my family to live.  It’s growin’ so fast we’re runnin’ outta room in that little place we’re stayin’ in.”

          The old man thought a moment.  “Ya havin’ tr’ble findin’ a place in town, are ya?”

          “Yes, sir.”

          “Well, that don’t su’prise me none.  All ‘em comin’ from the ol’ country, runnin’ outta room, or at least people willin’ ta give room.  Espec’lly ‘em wit’ Ga’lic names.  Same with work.  They see a name like ours, they don’t care how long ya been here.”  The anger grew in his voice.  “Losin’ business too.  ‘Em people don’t want ta do der business wit’ folks like us.  Say we takin’ der jobs,” he scoffed, then took a deep breath and continued more relaxed.  “I been spendin’ most muh time out here anyway.  Ain’t been at ‘at ol’ cabin in a couple weks.  I’ll lend you and yer family that cabin o’ mine.  Sell it ta ya if ya decide ta buy.  Ain’t got no use fer it.  Can keep it furnished too if ya don’t mind the looks.  Ain’t nothin’ fancy but it does well.”

 

          Caleb stepped into the door of their new home.  Only the dim light of the setting summer sun broke the darkness of the cabin.

          “Elizabeth?” he called, surprised that she was not home.  He began to search the house for her.  As he entered their room he noticed a dark shadow in a chair across the room.  Muffled cries came from it.

          “Elizabeth?  What is it?” he asked, kneeling at her side.

          “I saw her,” she sobbed.  “In town.  And she didn’t even know me.”  Her crying became heavier.

          “Who?”

          She muttered something he could not understand and he asked again.  Elizabeth took a deep breath and wiped her face.

          “My mother.  I saw my mother in town today.  I know it was her, how could I not.  I called her and she didn’t respond.  I carried Hannah and Gracie as fast as I could and caught up with her.  I had to call her Anna before she would look my way.”  She wiped her face again.  “It was as if she has gone mad.  With grieve I’m sure.  Caleb, she looked awful.  I don’t remember having ever seen her that way.  Her eyes were dark and dull, her face had so many lines, and her hair was streaked with grey.  She had always been so neatly kept.  She gave me this look, this blank empty look.  It made my heart sink in my stomach.  I told her, ‘It’s me, Elizabeth.’  The look didn’t go away so I told her, ‘your daughter.’  She told me she had no daughter.  Her daughter was dead.  She just walked off.”  Elizabeth began to cry harder.

          Caleb put his arms around her and held her to his chest.  Suddenly he remembered the woman he had seen in Jacob Meyers’ home.  He wanted to tell Elizabeth but decided not to.  She was upset enough and he did not want to upset her more.  He needed to know what had happened, however.  Frank’s words echoed in his head, “Meyers ain’t a threat no more.”  What had he meant by that?  The first time he had heard it he had payed little attention but now it struck him hard.