Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, waiting until a tall man with blond hair opened it.“Hello.I’m here to see Mrs.Tandy.”It took every bit of her courage to ask to see the woman.How on earth was she going to be able to travel across the country on her own to marry a man she’d never met?She wanted to turn around and go back to the hotel, where everything was familiar, but she couldn’t force herself to do it.
“Yes, of course.Follow me.”
The man led her down the hall and to the last door on the left.“Elizabeth?There’s someone here to see you.”
Elizabeth got to her feet.“I’m Elizabeth Tandy.”
Maggie opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.She cleared her throat and tried again.“I’m Maggie O’Malley.Belle Mont—Belle Thompson told me to come see you.”
Elizabeth’s entire face lit up.“Oh, Belle is such a dear woman.Come in!”She looked at the man.“Bernard, would you mind bringing tea and cookies?”After he’d left, she gestured to the sofa.“Have a seat.”
Maggie did as she was told, wondering how to begin the conversation.
When they’d sat in silence for a bit, Elizabeth took charge.“Are you here to become a mail-order bride?”
Maggie nodded.“I guess I am.”
“Well, I got two letters yesterday, one from Belle, and one from James Hunter, who is from the same town in Alaska as Everett.I’d love for you to read his letter if you’d like.”
Maggie nodded, unable to voice her thoughts, but she took the letter from Elizabeth’s outstretched hand.
Dear Mrs.Tandy,
I am not certain what you wish to know about me, but I will do my best.I will give you some basic details about myself in hopes that you can find a woman who will be right for me.Forgive the smudged ink as I cut my hand today, and it is heavily bandaged—one of the dangers of being a logger.
1.I was born in Washington, though Yeti has claimed me since it was three cabins and a prayer.I am 30 years old, stand just over six feet, and can lift the better part of a felled spruce when pressed.
2.I have no family to speak of, not since my mother died, but I have made my own: a stray dog that comes around sometimes named Georgie, a few good men, and the woods.I was raised by a couple who needed help with their workload, and though the food was plentiful, there was a lack of true caring.
3.I own a cabin that is barely insulated, but works well enough and a patch of land bordering the river.My means are modest, but I have little debt and no patience for lies.
If you will allow me to skip the formalities, I will tell you exactly what I want in a bride.
I have seen what happens to men who grow old alone.My bunkmate, years ago, was one such man.He talked only to his hounds and the trees, and when he finally left us, there was not a soul to notice his absence until the first thaw.I will not end that way, nor do I wish it for any woman you send west.
I suppose what I am saying is, I am looking for someone with the strength to keep on trying, even on the days when the wind is spiteful and the room is dark.
I will try to tell you the qualities I would like in a bride, though it makes me feel like a fool.
Courage, first.Not the kind in dime novels, but the sort that keeps a person from leaving the table until the work is done, even when no one is watching.
A sense of humor, because there will be days here that test every other virtue.
Some ability with hearth and home, though if she cannot cook, I will teach her.(Or we will eat charred meat until one of us learns.) he doesn’t cook and on,y eats jerky and hard tack
And kindness.Not just to me, but to neighbors, to strangers, even to the stray animals that wander through from time to time.
If it helps your search, I have never been married.Nor have I fathered any children.There are no debts attached to my name, and my only vice is coffee and, if I am truthful, sometimes impatience.
If you need a story to share with any prospective bride, you can tell her I once lost an entire week’s worth of food to a black bear and learned only that next time I would rather share than eat alone.
I trust your judgment, Mrs.Tandy.If you can find me a bride with a heart and a mind like Belle’s, I will see to it she never lacks for warmth or laughter.
Thank you for giving hope to the men who live at the edge of the world.
Sincerely,
James Hunter.
