A Gown Of Spanish Lace Part 21

"They need a teacher at a local school?"

"Well, we don't have a local schoola"yeta"but we do have young'uns in the area," added Uncle Jake.

"Jake, why don't you talk to the neighbors at the next community gatherin'?" Aunt Molly went on, then she turned to her brother-in-law. "We don't have a church yet, but we meet for Bible lessons once a montha"turnabouta"in one of the neighbor's homes."

"Papa," cried Ariana, "why don't you start a church?"

Four pairs of eyes turned on George Benson. They all looked eager. Anxious.

He shook his head slowly. "I'd have to do a lot of praying about that," he said slowly. "G.o.d hasn't shown me that my work in Smithton is finished yet."

There were looks of disappointment, followed by nods of a.s.sent. Certainly he had to follow the will of G.o.d.

"But we do need a school," went on Aunt Molly. "Jake, you talk to the neighbors."

Jake nodded. There was no harm in discussing it.

"I can't believe you broughta"everything," Ariana said to her mother as she carefully unpacked her belongings and stacked them in the chest of drawers Aunt Molly had provided.

"I didn't know when youamight beahome again," said her mother slowly. "I didn't want to put you in jeopardy."

"I really don't think they'd everatake me again," said Ariana thoughtfully. "I meanatheir reason is gone now."

"Reasona"what was the reason? I never have understood it."

Ariana sat down, her eyes misty. She patted the bed beside her for her mother to join her.

"It's a long story," she managed. "You really want to hear it?"

Her mother nodded and took the seat on the bed.

"Wella" Ariana took a deep breath. She was finally going to get to tell her mother about Laramie. She welcomed the opportunity. They had always shared secrets. She could hardly wait to speak of him, for she knew instinctively that her mother would somehow understand the real man.

But even as she opened her mouth to begin, a little part of her held herself in check. What could she say to her mother? How much of her inner thoughts did she dare to reveal? Laramie was a wanted man. Yet Laramie wasa"a special man. Would she dare to confide in her mother that she thoughta"that she supposed she had fallen in love with her captor?

"Why did you bring this?" asked Ariana, her eyes wide with question.

"It's yours," answered her mother simply.

"But I don't need ita"now," returned Ariana.

She heard her mother sigh. "Ariana," she said, "I'm not sure when I will be able to make this trip again. And when a girl reaches your ageathenaone never knows just whena""

Ariana was not sure how she should respond. She was saved by the bedroom door opening. Aunt Molly stuck her head in.

"Tea's ready," she called merrily. Then she saw the gown in Ariana's hands. She pushed the door open and stepped in.

"What a beautiful dress!" she exclaimed. "Oha"my. Where'd you ever get it?"

Ariana let her hand slide over the material. It was beautiful. The most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"It was my mama's wedding gown," Ariana answered simply.

Aunt Molly turned her eyes toward her sister-in-law.

"Oh, not mine," Laura Benson was quick to explain. "Ariana's birth mama. It was rescued from the wagon train after the raid. Ariana's second mamaa"Lucy Millarda"saved it for her. It was one of the few thingsa" Her voice trailed off.

Aunt Molly stared at her with horror-filled eyes. Then she turned back to the gown. "Well, it sure is a beautiful thing. I've never seen such a pretty dress in all my days."

"Yes," said Ariana softly. "It is beautiful. When I was little I used to dream about the daya"" She stopped. She wasn't sure now if she ever wanted to wear the gown.

"What is it made of?" asked Aunt Molly.

"It's satina"satin overlaid with lacea"Spanish lace, Aunt Lucy told me," replied Ariana. "It was imported. Brought over special. Just for the gown."

"One sleevea"" began Aunt Molly, reaching her hand out to the gown.

"One cuff is missing," Laura Benson filled in. "See the way it is madea"this big puffed sleeve nipped into this slender cuff that reaches to the wrist. This cuffa"on this sidea"b.u.t.tons on with these tiny little b.u.t.tons. That cuff must have been lost at the timea. It'll need to be repaired before Arianaa""

"I wonder if one can find matching lace," began Aunt Molly, who loved to sew.

"Oh, I don't think so," went on Laura Benson. "Lucy said she watched for materiala"and I've looked too. Mind you, I've not been to the bigger cities, but it was special materiala"ordered just for that gown. Imported, like Ariana said. No, I don't think one would ever match it."

"It's a shame," mused Aunt Molly, still studying the beautiful lace and the missing cuff.

"I've thought that one could just make two new cuffsa"of satin. It wouldn't be quite as elegant, but it would do just fine. It's still the most beautiful wedding gowna""

"Well, there's plenty of time to be thinking on that," said Ariana suddenly. "I have no plans."

She began to fold up the gown with trembling hands.

"Is something wrong?"

Ariana stirred at the sound of her mother's voice. She did not know how long she had been sitting, gazing off into s.p.a.ce, her thoughts far from the little log home that belonged to her aunt and uncle.

"What do you mean?" she managed to reply.

"I don't know. You just seemedamiles away. Ratheraforlorn."

Ariana stirred listlessly again.

Her mother sat down beside her and placed a hand on her arm.

"I've noticeda"somethinga"ever since we arrived. What is it?"

"I'maI'm not sure," Ariana began. "Perhaps Iajust miss the schoola"the students. My friends from church. If I could have gone back homea""

"Maybe," replied her mother, not sounding too sure.

They continued to sit in silence, each occupied with her own thoughts.

"I thought you might be missing him," her mother finally commented.

Ariana swung around to face her, fully understanding her mother's remark. "He's ana""

But she couldn't say "outlaw."

"He's notaa believer," she said instead.

"I know. You told me," said her mother quietly. Her hand gently stroked the gingham sleeve. "That is what makes it difficult. You must dictate to your heart. You've made the right decisiona"but it isn't always easy to make the right decisiona"even when you know you must. Sometimesa"sometimesa"the heart needs some convincing, even though our faith saysa""

"He wasa""

"Your prison guard. I know. I've heard rather strange storiesaabout women andaand their captors. It really isn't at all unheard of for them toato learn to love them."

Ariana brushed a hand nervously over her ginghamed lap. "Oh, Mother," she said quickly, "how could I? I mean, I was frightened of hima"at first. I wanted the old mana"Sama"toato guard me. I certainly didn'ta"I mean, even after IaI thought of him asasafeaI still didn'ta"all the time at the campa"and even later on the trail I nevera"I mean, I never thought of himain that way."

"And now?" prompted her mother. "Now that he is no longer your captora"but has become instead your liberator?"

Ariana shook her head and the tears began to fall, even though she fought against them.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know," she wept. "He was reallyareally a victim himself. He didn't choose that life. That way to live. His fatherahe was just raised toaand he had nothing to do with myahe didn't even know why I was therea"at first. He really wasaquitea. IaI know I shouldn't. I know he still isn't a believer, so I can'tabut IaI'm afraida"

She turned to her mother, the tears coming more quickly. "Wella"it's a good thing he's gone," she blurted out and threw herself into her mother's arms.

The mother said nothing more, just held her daughter and patted her slender shoulder. It was as she thought. Ariana had indeed fallen in love with the young man. Her heart was still a prisonera"even though she had been set free.

Laramie managed to find work on a large ranch in the foothills. At first it seemed strange to have to report to the foreman, but he loved being out in the open. He even enjoyed working with the herd. And it was a new experience to line up once a month for his small stipenda"earned wagesa"and know he had worked hard for what was rightfully his.

He didn't head for town and the saloon like the rest of the outfit. No one asked questionsa"though they must have wondered. Laramie didn't want to take any chances of being spotted by some lawman, though he was fairly sure he would not be known to anyone in the area as one of Will Russell's band.

Besides, he wished to save his money. Someday, he dared to dream, he'd have a little spread of his own.

"Preacher comin' to town," laughed one of the cowboys as he pulled off high-heeled boots and flopped down on his cot to sleep off the booze. "Can you imagine thet? A preacher. Here."

Hoots of laughter followed.

Soon snores replaced the coa.r.s.e laughter. Except for those who had duty riding herd, all would sleep for the rest of the day.

But Laramie was curious. Who was this preacher? When was he coming? And where?

He decided to saddle up and ride into town to see if he could find out.

The neighbors were thrilled to hear of the possibility of their children being taught.

"We need to build a school," one big man proposed.

"Maybe we could use it for the Bible lessons," offered a small woman timidly.

"Sh.o.r.ea"a school an' a churcha"all in one," someone from the back of the room called out.

Laura Benson smiled at Ariana as she laid a hand on her arm.

"Perhaps G.o.d brought you to this community for a purpose," she whispered and Ariana smiled in return. She fervently hoped they would hurry with the building. She was anxious to get back in the cla.s.sroom again. Perhaps it would give her something else to think about. Something other than Laramie.

Laramie looked up the preacher and was pleased to hear that the man was not just pa.s.sing through the area. Laramie had lots of questions, and he was sure they couldn't be answered in a few short days. He began to attend the services whenever he was free. He even tucked his Bible in his saddlebag and took it with him as he rode the range. When he had a few moments as the herd contentedly grazed, he let his horse rest and feed while he sat in the shade and read the Bible, one eye on the lookout for trouble.

At last the pieces began to fall into place. He felt he was beginning to understand what G.o.d had in mind for His creationa"for him.

The sinner could be forgiven and the sin, not just forgiven, but forgotten, because of what Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, had done on the cross of Calvary. He had been the sacrificea"the atonementa"for man's sin.

He, Laramie Russell, had to claim that gift of salvationa"had to accept what had been done in his place. Had to vow to sin no more and make rest.i.tutiona"as far as possiblea"for sins of the past. Then he would be free to join one of the little groups that would be baptized at the small creek east of town.

It was not difficult for Laramie to acknowledge that he was a sinner. He had known that fact, deep down inside, for some time. Nor was it hard for him to ask for G.o.d's forgiveness. He had longed to be freed from his burden of guilt. It was going to be much more difficult to right past wrongs. He didn't quite know where and how to start.

Chapter Twenty.

Truth Ariana was thrilled when at long last the crude little schoolhouse was ready for use. Heart beating fast, she looked out over the small cla.s.s of pioneer children. Their eyes shone with antic.i.p.ation. Their faces looked to her with eagerness.

Perhaps Mama was right, she whispered to herself. Maybe this whole chain of events was for this very purpose.

It was nice to think that maybe there had been a reasona"something good that could come out of the dreadful ordeal. How wonderful to know that G.o.d never lost control, she thought, that He could be trusted even during the darkest times when there seemed to be no purpose to it at all.

As Ariana looked into eleven pairs of eyes fixed on her face, she took a moment for a quick prayer. Thank you, Father, she whispered silently.

It was not mucha"but it came from an overflowing heart.

Laramie felt torn in three directions.

His first desire was to return to Ariana. He was anxious to tell her about his Bible reading, his talks with the pastor, and the fact that he now understood her faith. Yet he hesitated. He had no right to expect acceptance from her or her family. He had a past. A past that had not been put to right.

His second choice seemed to be to stay where he was and continue to grow in his understanding of the words in his mother's Bible. He had been welcomed into the small Christian fellows.h.i.+p group. The minister was most willing to lead him in his new faith. Other church members greeted him warmly and made him feel one with the little congregation. In fact, the eldest of the minister's daughters seemed more than willing to move the friends.h.i.+p beyond that. Laramie noticed that she often tried to catch his eye, flirting just a bit, and took advantage of every opportunity to speak with him. Had it not been for his feeling for Ariana, he may have felt flattered and perhaps even responded. Laramie simply did not give the extra attention much thought.

Yet, as much as he longed to return to Ariana, and as much as he enjoyed the fellows.h.i.+p of the little church, Laramie concluded that the only honest choice was for him to pursue rest.i.tution for the past. It was not an easy decision and one that troubled his soul as he battled it through.

"I've got to go back."

Laramie came to the conclusion after a long struggle. He had wrestled with the problem for many weeks, trying to find a good excuse for avoiding the return. After all, the trip could well cost him his life. He would not be welcomed back to his father's camp. Nor would he be welcomed in any of the towns where he had been part of the gang's activities.

But there was no way to escape the urgings of his conscience. He had done wrong. He had been forgivena"but he musta"as far as possible, make right the wrongs of his past.