The Hansen Girls Chapter 6

Chapter 6

            A week later, the planting was complete. The Hansen fields were all seeded and ready for the rain. Mrs. Carter dropped by the Hansen cabin on Thursday and invited the Hansens to go to town with her family on Saturday. Belle reluctantly agreed when her sisters begged.

            “I’ve never been to town,” Jinger said excitedly changing into her best dress.

            “Neither have I!” Lynn said.

            “Or I,” Megan said.

            All the girls were upstairs changing into their best dresses, preparing to go to town. The room was filled with giggles and the rustling of fabric.

            “Davy and Caleb are here!” Elsie called peeking out the window.

            Belle joined Elsie at the window and sighed inwardly. Caleb is so handsome…

            Cassandra noticed Belle’s fixed gaze. She frowned momentarily. “I have to stop this,” she mused under her breath. Cassandra finished piling her hair on top of her hair and flounced out of the room.

            Belle left the window and quietly tied colored bows in her sisters’ hair. Nadia, Lynn, and Megan each had two purple bows to match their dresses. Hannah and Jinger had yellow ones and Faith and Elsie had green ones. Belle even found pink bows for Danielle. The girls quickly found their shoes and hurried outside. Belle and Danielle came out last and Belle locked the door.

            Caleb and Davy were helping the ladies into the wagons while greeting each girl.

            “Hurry Belle! Hurry Danny!” Megan called as Davy lifted her into the Carter wagon.

            “We’ll take the younger girls and you older ones can ride with the boys,” Mrs. Carter said.

            “Someone better stay with the younger girls,” Cassandra said as Caleb helped her into the Hansen wagon. She flashed a sweet and innocent smile Caleb’s way. Cassandra was hoping Belle would stay with the younger girls, but Faith and Elsie volunteered.        

            “Have a good trip,” they called as they hopped into the Carter’s wagon. Davy allowed Belle to sit up in the seat beside Caleb and he hopped into the back with Cassandra and Danielle.

            “So, have you been?” Davy said starting a conversation.

            “Very well,” Cassandra said sweetly, “how have you been, Caleb?”

            Caleb turned around in surprise, “Oh, ah…very good thank-you.”

            “Do you take care of these horses?” Cassandra asked Caleb.

            “Yeah they’re both mine,” Caleb replied.

            “I can tell,” Cassandra flirted.

            Danielle was steaming. How could her own sister be so cruel? Belle had flushed brightly and tried her best to ignore her sister.

            “Could you take me riding on your horses sometime?” Cassandra asked.

            “Well…maybe…” Caleb answered uncertainly.

            “Please, Caleb! Please!” Cassandra pleaded.

Danielle couldn’t hold it back, “Stop this wagon!” Caleb, surprised, stopped the wagon and stared at the girl. Danielle motioned Cassandra to follow her as she hopped off the wagon and marched a few yards away.  

            “Belle likes Caleb and he likes her, I don’t like it any more than you do but you can’t fight her for Caleb! Don’t you see?” Danielle glared at Cassandra.

            “Oh, Danielle! I don’t want Caleb! I just want Belle! If she gets married to Caleb, I will have to take care of everyone…I…I don’t think I can do it.” Cassandra stammered her last few words.

            “Cassandra—why didn’t you tell anyone?” Danielle looked at Cassandra with sympathy.

            “I was scared that you would think I was… stupid.”

            “So you were trying to pull Belle away from Caleb?”

            “Yes…sort of,” Cassandra looked up to see Belle walking toward them.

            “What’s going on? We need to leave.” Belle watched her two sisters.

            “Oh, Belle…please forgive me!” Cassandra poured out her whole story to Belle and apologized. 

“Cassandra, I apologize,” Belle said. “I should have been there for you and I should’ve thought about what you girls would think.” Belle hugged Cassandra.

            “Well, now that that’s cleared up, we better get going,” Danielle said motioning to the wagon. The girls climbed in the wagon and continued on the road to town. Danielle and Cassandra chatted with Davy and Belle and Caleb were able to talk together. Caleb was excited to talk to Belle and tell her more about himself and his family. While Caleb talked though, Belle hardly listened. She was busy thinking.

            I could I have been so unaware of Cassandra’s feelings? I was so selfish thinking about Caleb and I that I failed to see Cassandra’s concern. Belle harshly scolded herself. I’m a mother now. I can’t be girl anymore. I can’t worry about myself. I have my sisters to worry about.

            “Belle?” Caleb called.

            “Hmm?” Belle looked up suddenly.

            “Didn’t you hear my question?”

            Belle blushed, “Oh no, sorry…”

            “I asked if you were feeling alright. You look upset.”

            “Caleb…” Belle paused and bit her tongue before she spoke. She mentally thought about what she was going to say before she said it.

            “Yes?” Caleb waited.

            “I want to court you, Caleb…I do. I really like you but…” Belle made sure to lower her voice so her sisters wouldn’t hear. “But my sisters need me. I’m all they have now. I can’t leave them. Caleb, if you want to court me…marriage would be out of the question for a few years.”

            Caleb frowned. He was tired of Belle only worrying about her sisters. “Belle, think about yourself for once! You’re acting like a mother but you’re not.”

            “But I am! They have no one else. I have to watch over them. My sisters come first before anything else.”

            “Can’t Danny and Cassandra take care of them?”

            “I don’t know…besides, Mama asked me.”

            Caleb frowned and stared ahead. “Well, we can still court…and if we do want to marry, some of your sisters can live with us until they get older.”

            Belle looked at Caleb in surprise. “Really?”

            Caleb turned to look at Belle. “I like you a lot Belle…I’m gonna do what I can to win your hand.”

            Belle blushed again. “Thank-you.”

            Caleb reached over with his free hand and grasped Belle’s.

~~~ 

The town of Buffalo Gap had two hotels, two saloons, a school, numerous stores and businesses, a livery and blacksmith, a clinic, two churches, and a sheriff’s office. The girls stared in awe at the busy people and many carriages.

            “So many people,” Hannah said slowly.

            “Yes, Dove, so everyone hold hands,” Belle said grasping Nadia’s and Lynn’s hands. Everyone locked hands and crossed the street. The boys headed to the blacksmith shop while the girls went to the shops. Mrs. Carter went into a store with the twins, Hannah and Jinger, and Cassandra and Danielle. Belle took the three young girls into the general mercantile store. Belle, Lynn, and Megan “oohed” and “aahed” over the gorgeous dresses on display. Nadia meanwhile stood nearby gaping at the jars of candy. A man appeared over the counter and smiled at Nadia.

            “Here, have a free piece,” he handed a peppermint piece to the young girl.

            “Thank-you!” Nadia sucked on the stick and savored the taste.

            “What’s your name?”

            Nadia looked up, “My name is Nadia Hansen. My sisters, Belle, Lynn, and Megan are over there.”

            The man looked at Nadia strangely. “Hey, sheriff,” the man called.

            The sheriff was sitting on the front porch playing checkers with a deputy of his. He looked up. “What?”

            “Do you remember Zachariah Hansen?”

“Sure, he died five or six years ago. He was a farmer lived up in the hills.” The sheriff looked back at the checkerboard. “Why do you ask?”

“I think Zachariah Hansen’s children are in my store,” the mercantile owner said.

            The sheriff stood up and entered the store. Walking up to Belle, he said, “Are you the children of Zachariah Hansen?”

            “Yes…why?”

            “We thought you went to live with relatives back east.”

            “No…we stayed up in the hills.”

            “Well that’s not right; you children need a proper home.”

            Belle was confused, “I don’t understand. We’re doing fine on our own.”

            “Well, missy, that’s not how things work. We’ll have to place you girls in an orphanage.”

            Orphanage?! Belle thought in alarm. “Run!” Belle screamed to her sisters.

            Megan and Lynn ran right and Belle reached for Nadia. Suddenly, the deputy jumped into action and stepped between Belle and Nadia. The deputy grabbed Nadia and led her away. “No!” Belle raced towards the man. The mercantile owner grabbed her arms from behind and pinned them behind her back.

            “Now just settle down, girl,” the man yelled. “There’s no reason to get riled up!”

            Danielle appeared in the doorway.

            “Danielle!” Belle screamed.

            Danielle turned towards the nearest man and kicked the man in the stomach.

            “Oof,” the man doubled over and dropped Nadia, but it was too late. A number of men had already closed in on the girls.

            “C’mon,” the sheriff said, “let’s just go peaceably.”

            Danielle grabbed Nadia’s hand and reluctantly followed the sheriff to the sheriff’s office.

~~~

            Once inside the sheriff’s office, the girls were placed inside two cells so they wouldn’t run away. Mrs. Carter had witnessed the scene and now stood beside the sheriff pleading vainly to him.

            “These girls have done nothing wrong!”

            “They were supposed to be in an orphanage. That’s how the rules are around here. We can’t have a bunch of children living by themselves.” The sheriff folded his arms and set his jaw. “I’m supposed to look out for the people of this town.”

            Caleb burst through the door. “Belle!” he ran to the cell where Belle, Danielle, Cassandra, and Faith were. “What happened?” 

            “They happened,” Danielle grumbled pointing at the sheriff.

            Caleb whirled around and seized the sheriff by the shirt collar. “These girls did nothing wrong! Let them go!” Caleb’s huge arms slammed the man against the wall.

            “Caleb, no!” Mrs. Carter cried.

            “Caleb!” Davy ran in and pulled Caleb off the man. “Don’t! We’ll get in worse trouble.”   Caleb reluctantly dropped the stunned man.

            “Who are you?” the sheriff demanded while sending an angry look Caleb’s way.

            Mr. Carter entered the office and took off his hat. “I’m Jonathan Carter and this is my wife, Eliza, and my sons Caleb and Davy.” His sons respectfully took off their hats as well. “Now, why are you imprisoning these ladies?”

            The sheriff stood up and repeated his droning speech. “These girls are orphans that should be in an orphanage up for adoption.”

            “Why? They used to live with their brothers for years.” Eliza objected.

            “Brothers? Where are they?”

            None of the Hansen girls spoke. Truthfully they didn’t know where their brothers were.

            The sheriff took down the names of the girls and their ages and tried to pry more information out of the sisters and the Carters.

            “Since we don’t have an orphanage here in Buffalo Gap, they will stay with some families in town until we can find someone to adopt them,” he told everyone. “If no one adopts you, I’ll have to send you to a town that does have an orphanage.”

            “What!?” Cassandra cried.

            “That’s plain foolish!” Davy added.

            “It’s not foolish. They need a good home where they can be taken care of. Not some little cabin in the hills.” The sheriff glared at the Carters. “Now if you want to adopt the girls that is perfectly alright.”

            Mr. Carter glanced over at his wife then back at the sheriff. “We couldn’t take them…we couldn’t take care of ‘em.”

            “Well then, you have no more business here!” The sheriff waved his hand and chased the Carters out of his office.

~~~ 

            That evening, the sheriff found couples to take in the girls until other arrangements could be made.  The town doctor and his wife took Elsie, Hannah and Jinger, and Nadia.  The Jennings family took Lynn, Megan and Faith. A widow offered to take in Cassandra and a wealthy couple adopted Belle. The sheriff decided to keep Danielle with him at the jail house. The girls went their separate ways for the first time in their lives. None of the girls slept well that night. They were all too concerned about what the future held for them.

CHAPTER SEVEN