Chapter 5
Spencer set out for Carrie’s the next morning, whistling as he went.
The temperature had warmed some twenty degrees and melted a good portion of the snow, making a slushy mess of the roads and sidewalks.
It didn’t matter, however. He felt good about the day and confident that Carrie would see the sense of his proposal.
Of course, she might say no. Somehow Spencer didn’t think that would be her decision. Carrie was a logical woman. She weighed matters out in precise order. It was part of the way her brain reasoned, and he loved that about her.
As he approached her apartment building, Spencer considered how things might be, married to Carrie.
In fact, he’d thought of little else since suggesting they wed to afford him the perfect cover.
Carrie was an astonishing young woman. Where most women were happy to pose as inferior in intelligence, Carrie was proud of her abilities.
Yet for all the awards she’d been given in school and high praise of her teachers, she was humble.
She never made a fuss about getting the glory or standing out in the crowd.
Not only that, but her studies in the sciences had not caused her faith in God to waver.
If anything, she had told Spencer, it had strengthened her beliefs.
Nothing as intricate and complicated as the human body could have just happened into existence. There had to be a divine Creator.
Spencer wiped his boots, then entered Carrie’s building.
He whispered a prayer as he made his way to her door.
God alone knew if this was the right path, and Spencer wanted to be certain.
He knocked and held his breath. Carrie was there in a moment.
She had dressed simply in a skirt and blouse, as she usually did.
The one surprising thing was that her long wavy hair hung loose down her back.
“I wasn’t expecting you so early. I haven’t even managed to pin up my hair.”
“Looks beautiful down.” He found himself wanting so much to touch the long strands.
“Perhaps, but that’s hardly the acceptable fashion.” She turned away from him and wove her way through the crates. “Give me a moment.”
She disappeared into her bedroom and was gone only a few minutes. When she returned, she had braided her hair into a single plait down the back and tied it off with a piece of ribbon.
“I had just finished my Bible studies when you knocked. The time got away from me.”
“What have you been studying?” Spencer glanced to the table where her Bible still lay open.
“I was reading in First John, chapter four.”
“A chapter all about love,” Spencer replied, remembering it well. “‘Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.’”
She smiled and went over to the open book and closed it. “‘He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.’”
Spencer continued. “‘In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’”
“You’ve memorized it well.”
“I can quote the entirety of First, Second, and Third John. In fact, I have a good portion of the New Testament memorized and parts of the Old Testament as well. My mother and father were both big on Scripture memorization.”
Carrie gave a bow of her head. “That’s quite remarkable. I was encouraged to memorize Scripture as well, but never accomplished all that you have. My goodness, what a blessing. You can just sit and recite the verses in your head and linger on God’s Word without anyone around you being the wiser.”
“It’s served me well on many occasions.”
“Something my parents will definitely admire.”
He looked at her for a long moment. “So you’ve decided to marry me?”
She nodded. “After a very restless night. I probably only slept an hour at the most, and that was fitful. I just kept praying and wondering if I could marry you in the manner we discussed and not betray God. Marriage is, after all, a commitment not only to each other, but to God as well.”
“And what conclusion did you reach?” She’d already said she would marry him, so Spencer hesitated to even ask lest she change her mind.
“I can’t marry you in a church ceremony.
Not with the anticipation that as soon as you catch your man, we would annul our marriage and go our separate ways.
I will, however, marry you in a civil ceremony.
I will not pledge until death do us part, nor any of the other traditional promises.
It would be a lie to say that I will stay with you for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer. ”
“What do you suggest then?”
“We get a justice of the peace, or if you have a judge who works with the Pinkertons that would be acceptable. So long as it’s all legal, we can explain to him ahead of time that we will simply agree to be husband and wife without any extra fanfare.
Then I won’t feel that I’m betraying God in the matter. ”
Spencer was once again impressed with her simple logic. She wasn’t wrapped up in emotions and rhetoric, nor did she have any false expectations about what their marriage would mean.
“I believe we can do that without any problem. I’ll set things in motion immediately. I’m sure my supervisor can arrange it all. Are you free this afternoon?”
“To marry? Seems even you would have trouble getting that accomplished.” She smiled, and her blue eyes seemed to twinkle. Spencer was momentarily mesmerized.
“But perhaps not,” she added, seeming to study him.
Spencer pulled himself together. “No, I figure Monday will probably be the earliest, however, we should make our plans for travel and arrival in Cheyenne.”
“It’s certainly not what I thought I’d be doing today, but there is no reason we can’t get together. However, before you go, I must ask a favor.”
“Anything. You’re certainly doing a huge favor for me. What do you need?”
“I need those four crates delivered to my friend’s apartment. It’s here in the same building. Just down the hall.”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ll do it right now and then go take care of business. Later today, say around four, I’ll come pick you up, and we’ll have dinner and make our plans.”
“I’ll be ready and waiting.”
He wanted to give a shout but wasn’t really sure why.
It wasn’t as if they were in love and planning a great future.
They would no doubt get along just fine and perhaps even enjoy their time together, but it wasn’t a real marriage.
Yet it felt like something wonderful had just happened.
He felt even happier now than when he’d first come to see Carrie.
Maybe it was just for the fact that the matter was settled, and he would hopefully soon have Astor in jail.
“Show me where to deliver them,” he said, going to pick up the first wooden box.
Carrie moved to the already open door. “Just follow me.”
Carrie could see in Spencer’s reaction that he was quite pleased with her agreement to marry him.
He didn’t even seem to mind that she wanted nothing more than a civil service with no false pledges of love between them.
This was a job for him. Nothing more. She had told herself this over and over through the night, and yet something in her heart suggested it could be more. Did she want it to be?
Rebecca opened the door to admit them into the apartment she shared with her mother and aunt. Spencer followed Carrie inside and glanced around.
“Where would you like me to place this crate?”
“Over here,” Rebecca said, leading the way to an empty space in the living room. “I hope I’ve made enough room for all of the boxes.”
“I think so,” Carrie said, noting the space. “There are three more, and they’re about the same size.”
Spencer exited to retrieve another crate, while Carrie spoke to Rebecca.
“I just want you to know that I plan to leave for home on Monday. I’ve spoken to the landlord, and he already has a waiting list of people for the apartments here, so he has no trouble in letting me out of my lease early.
Plus, I did much to improve the place, so he won’t have to do a thing to attract a tenant. ”
“It’s very fortunate for you that it is a furnished apartment. That way you won’t have to load up the furniture and ship it home.”
Carrie laughed. “Oh, believe me, I would just sell it off or leave it here. It’s not in that great of shape. Don’t you remember we had to work together to nail the frame of the bed to keep it from separating at the footboard?”
Rebecca chuckled. “I do. Most of the pieces we have here are our own. We never figure to leave this place, and Mama felt so much better having her own things about her.”
“Where are your mother and aunt?” Carrie glanced around as Spencer entered with two more crates. He set them down without a word and went back for the last one.
“They are out on early morning visits. In the building, of course.”
“Of course.” Carrie smiled. The two older women were often seen creeping along the hallway, making their visitations to some of the other elderly residents. “Well, I’m sure to see them before I go.”
Spencer brought the final box and placed it with the others. Carrie gave Rebecca a hug. “We can say our good-byes later.”
“Why don’t you come for tea Sunday afternoon at three?” Rebecca suggested.
“I’d like that very much. Thank you.” Carrie made her way back to her apartment with Spencer following close on her heel.
“I’ll be going now. Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything else?”