“How is your father? He looked quite pale on Sunday.”
It was yet another reference to her father being ill rather than just injured. “I believe he’s doing all right. The pain sometimes gets to be a bit much. I have encouraged him to go back to the doctor and see if something more needs to be done for his back.”
Mrs. Cooper met Melody’s gaze. “I hope—pray, really—that it’s nothing serious.”
“Of course not. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
But throughout the day, Melody couldn’t let the matter go. She left on her noon break and headed home just to see how Da was faring. If he was ill, she would surely see signs of it. She was a block away from their little tent community when she spied her father on the street. He was walking quite slowly but with great determination. She decided to follow him and was surprised when he made his way to the bank.
She didn’t follow him in but headed back to the Coopers’, wondering what he’d been doing. Da hadn’t said anything more about his brother sending money from Ireland, but she guessed that this was probably the reason he was at the bank. He had told her he was determined to get the transfer set up and money safely deposited before heading west with the railroad. It would make sense if that was what he was up to now. The fact that he was banking for himself convinced Melody that her worries were for naught. Da wouldn’t have bothered if he’d been feeling poorly.
Later in the day, Melody went to the garden plot to check things out. There wouldn’t be any signs of growth just yet, but she couldn’t help reviewing the work that had been done and plan for the next tasks. Mr. Cooper had ordered more plants, as well as two apple trees from a nursery in North Platte. Seeing she could do nothing more, Melody figured it was time to head home.
“Melody, Melody, never contrary. How does your garden grow?” Charlie teased, his smile lighting up his entire face.
“It’s too early to tell.” She got up from where she’d been kneeling. “How are you doing today, Charlie?”
“Quite well. Tell me, have you had any more suitors?”
“I did. An obnoxious doctor and a sweet railroad worker.” She began gathering her gardening tools.
“And?”
She glanced at Charlie, who seemed completely interested in what she might have to say. “And nothing. The doctor ordered my dinner for me because, as he told me later, he knew best what I needed to eat. He talked nonstop about his work during the war, and I’m not completely sure, but I believe he’s dreadfully sorry that more amputations aren’t needed here in Cheyenne.”
Charlie’s eyes widened. “Amputations?”
She nodded. “Apparently, there was a wealth of them to be done during the war, and now he finds the task missing in his daily duties.” She couldn’t refrain from laughing. “In the absence of amputations, he’s looking for a wife.”
“I can’t believe the man would speak of such things while courting.”
“That and even more. It’s a good thing I’m not easily embarrassed or offended.”
“Maybe that was part of his testing for a wife.”
Melody hadn’t considered that. “Maybe so. Anyway, after the good doctor, I went out with one of Da’s railroad workers, Sammy Sullivan. An Irishman who has taken a job here in Cheyenne at the UP warehouse. He took me to seeHamlet.”
“Oh, a wonderful play. What did you think?”
“We only made it through act one, but I would like to see it through to the end someday. Sam fell asleep, and I took pity on him. We left and went to dinner, then returned to the tent, where we found Da already asleep. We said goodnight, and Sam went home to bed while I tidied up and wondered how poor Hamlet was going to prove his father was murdered.”
“I’ll take you to the play one of these evenings when you aren’t seeing anyone else. It’s really a very good play. Lots of intrigue, and I think you’d like it very much.”
“Thank you, Charlie. It’d be nice to just enjoy an outing without worrying about interviewing a husband.”
He smiled and bent down to adjust the wooden stake Melody had used to mark the new row of squash she’d planted.
“Did Da come to the bank today?” She hoped Charlie might give her insight as to why her father had visited him.
“He did. Came in while Jefferson was gone to lunch. We had a nice discussion about the town and railroad. I enjoy talking with your father. He’s quite knowledgeable.”
“Yes, for an uneducated man, he can definitely hold his own.”
“How much schooling has he had?” Charlie asked.
Melody carried her things to the gardening shed. “He quit after sixth grade. He was a troublemaker and not at all interested in what they had to teach. Da got himself into a world of trouble after leaving school. He took up smoking and drinking, but most of all he loved fighting. Only God was able to pull him back from the dark path he’d taken himself down.”
“He plays a good game of checkers, I must say.”
