Ruth decided it may be best to wait inside the railroad depot. Maybe she’d find Dr. Alexander Grant or his appointee inside. She would at least be away from all the hustle and bustle of people disembarking, and those maneuvering to get on board.
Many women wore the latest fashion—bell-shaped skirts, mutton-leg sleeves, and shirtwaist blouses with tucks and frills, some with lace. Young girls wore empire-waist dresses with sashes just above the waist tied in bows at the back, paired with straw bonnets whose ties matched the sashes. Ruth preferred her day dress with long fitted sleeves, and her cascading jabot collar.
Men were dressed in frock coats and black trousers, with some wearing blazers or jackets with top pockets, waistcoats, and neckties with pins, and some sported bowler hats or black top hats.
Ruth smiled sadly as she remembered how jaunty her father looked whenever he wore his favorite striped trousers with his black double-breasted jacket, and a bowler hat. He often received admiring glances from passersby as he walked down the streets of Colorado Springs, which he secretly enjoyed. Although he believed in practical clothes for comfort, he believed in dressing well, especially when one cut a good figure as he did. Ruth clung to those precious memories, holding carefully onto each of them. After all, he had been the most important person in her life.
Ruth sat on one of the vacant wooden benches in the terminal and sighed. She had strolled the various public places of the station, watching families with excited children, but as time passed, fear began to grip her, and she worried whether she had been forgotten. Was anyone coming to meet her at all?
Oh,Lord,she prayed,please help me. No one has come to meet me, and I fear I am stranded.
She had the return letter Dr. Alexander Grant had written, accepting her request, and promising that someone would be at the station to meet her. Digging into her bag, she found the letter and read it for at least the tenth time.
“Dearest Ruth,
My deepest condolences on the loss of your father; please know that he was my dear longtime friend and I will miss him dearly.
He detailed your dilemma some time ago and I welcome you to my home as I would a daughter.
On the day of your arrival, I shall send someone to meet you and bring you safely to my home …”
It was beginning to get late, and the crowds thinned both in the lobby and on the platforms. She tucked the letter away and decided to have another look at the platform where passengers debarked, but as she suspected, there were few people milling about.
Surely Dr. Grant wouldn’t have written back if he had no intention to meet her. She feared having to spend the night the depot and wondered whether it would even be permitted as the possibility began to seem more likely.
Not too far away from where she had disembarked earlier was a family gathering their luggage. A young boy, about twelve years old, dressed in knee-length brown breeches and a matching buttoned jacket was pulling at his father’s waistcoat. The woman was dressed in a bell-shaped burgundy skirt and white blouse with a short waisted burgundy jacket. She seemed intent on keeping track of the family’s luggage.
Increasingly scared and frustrated, Ruth was ready to cry, but as they looked like good-hearted people, and inasmuch as she had no other choice, she slowly approached them.
“Excuse me,” said timidly. “Do you happen to know the Grant ranch?”
The boy took a step back, looing her way while his father turned to Ruth with a smile. He was a tall dapper man with a neat mustache and a full head of dark hair with streaks of gray.
“We do indeed. In fact, we pass by the ranch as we head home. Do you need a ride?” his voice was friendly, and Ruth saw that his wife smiled when he spoke.
Oh, Lord, thank you!Ruth thought, and found herself sending up a prayer of thanks that her need had been met.
“Someone was supposed to meet me here to take me there, but no one has come,” Ruth explained, the pounding of her heart in her ears beginning to subside.
“We’re happy to give you a ride. In fact, I could use the company,” his wife said, looking to her husband, who nodded.
Her hair was fair and neatly bound at the back of her head, and she smile readily as she stepped forward, linking her arm with Ruth’s.
“Oh, thank you!” Ruth breathed. “That is such a relief! I have never here before, so I don’t know anyone at all, or my way around.”
“Not to worry. We help wherever we can,” the man assured her in a cheerful voice. “Is this your only luggage?” he asked, indicating her satchel.
“Yes,” Ruth said, her hands clasped in front of her.
“Our wagon is this way.” He gestured to an open area where a few carriages, wagons, and horses were kept. “It’s not grand, but it’s strong.”
It was then they introduced themselves and she learned they were Richard and Mary Bloomer, and their son, Tom who had added,It’s short for Thomas.Richard Bloomer was a strong, stocky man in his early forties, and Mary Bloomer was only a couple years younger. Tom was quite a big, sturdy boy for his age, and he looked more like his mother than his father.
Ruth followed them to the only horse-drawn wagon with a covering. Although the wagon looked as though it had seen a lot of service in its lifetime, it appeared to be strong. The bows looked stable and the covering, though stained from age, looked to be tied securely. Mr. Bloomer helped her climb into the wagon, and the wood creaked as she stepped up.
Twenty minutes later, the clip of horseshoes sounded and they were on their way to the Grant ranch, traveling along a very bumpy dirt and gravel road. Valleys, hills, and basins rolled across the horizon, breaking a solid line between the sky showing off scudding clouds, and the vast dusty mountainous landscape in the dsitance.
Ruth wondered about Dr. Grant and his ranch. Despite the assurance from her father as to his goodwill, she was doubtful, especially at being forgotten at the railroad depot. It didn’t put her mind at ease. She had always believed and trusted her father implicitly and knew he would never put her in harm’s way. If only she could see him one last time. Suddenly she felt so lonely and missed him so badly there was a piercing ache in her heart.
