Mail Order Misfortune Read Online Free PDF Page A

  He said a quick prayer that there would be someone meeting his description.  There was no way he could run a ranch, cook, clean, and run herd on Ernie.  He needed someone to help him fast.
    The owner shook his head.  "Out here when a man dies, another man marries his lady within a week or two.  We don't have any single women, ' cept the school teacher, of course, but she ain't allowed to marry."
    Jesse nodded tiredly as he bought the supplies they needed.  "So there's a school?"   That was a plus.  He would have somewhere to send Ernie during the week. 
    "Oh, yes.  Miss Simmons is the teacher, and she's a pretty little thing.  Never talks above a whisper far as I can tell, but she's a good teacher."
    Jesse looked down at Ernie.  "You hear that?  You'll be starting school on Monday."  It would be easy to have him start school in a new place where no one knew of his mischief.  Jesse was relieved to hear the town had a school.  He'd heard that many didn't out West.
    "I don't want to go to school, Pa.  I want to stay home with you and help on the ranch."
    The mercantile owner's eyes perked up.  "You buy the old Kyle ranch?"
    Jesse nodded.  "I did.  I start work first thing Monday morning."   He wished he had the energy to start immediately, because the place really needed it, but he didn't. He had to take the weekend to rest.  Besides, the preacher had already invited him to dinner on Sunday night.  He was looking forward to going.
    "It's a good spread.  Shocked us all when Kyle announced he was retiring and moving back East."  The man continually wiped the same spot on his counter until Jesse wanted to warn him he was going to wipe a hole right through it.   What was it about mercantile owners and wiping the same spot all day?
    "I was happy to be able to buy it.  All the hands are being kind enough to stay, so I'll be able to learn easy." He knew he probably shouldn't admit that he was new at owning a ranch, but he'd done enough reading about it, he was certain he wouldn't make any really stupid mistakes.  At least he hoped he wouldn't.
    "What about your wife?  How's she feel about moving to Texas to be a rancher's wife?"
    Jesse shook his head.  "My wife died three years back.  It's just Ernie and me."  He didn't want to elaborate, so he paid for his goods and left, wondering how he was going to be able to cook enough to keep either of them alive.  At least the mercantile sold some bread.  He could do something with that.  Probably.
     
    *****
     
    Settling into the Hanson home was easier than Anna had anticipated.  Her room was small, but it had everything she needed, and she could easily go in it and shut the door, closing out the Hanson family.  She helped Mrs. Hanson with the dishes after each meal, and when Mrs. Hanson wanted help, Anna would help her cook as well.  She certainly didn't mind being in the kitchen, but when Mr. Hanson was around, she went to her room and closed him out.  He hadn't been nearly as rude to her as he had been to her friend, Julia, but she wasn't going to do anything to get him to be rude.  It obviously didn't take much.
    School was remarkably easy compared to teaching in Beckham.  She still didn't enjoy being a teacher, but without the demon horde attending her school, there were no discipline problems and just students working all day every day.  This was what she'd imagined teaching would be, and she wasn't dissatisfied with the turn of events that had brought her back to the classroom.   Teaching was fine as long as she wasn't teaching a classroom full of little demon spawn.
    She'd been teaching for two weeks without a single incident, and she was starting to relax a bit, feeling more comfortable with the task in front of her.
    She was actually looking forward to school Monday morning, and ate her breakfast as quickly as she could without Mr. Hanson making a comment about it.  She wiped the dishes dry for Mrs. Hanson, and the two of them spoke in