Mature Content: No
With: Ella Albrecht, her brothers Kurt and Bernhard plus anyone else who wants to join in
Time of Day: Afternoon
After her older brother Kurt had helped her out of the wagon, Ella took a good look around. Kalispell wasn't a big town but it wasn't small either. There were a number of stores including a large store that seemed to be a dressmaker of some sort. She couldn't quite tell from in front of Wilson's General Store where they had stopped. It would be probably the first of many places they would do business with, in the town. There were much needed supplies to get as well as deals to make to sell their wares.
She went to the back of the wagon to pull her bundle out from amongst the camping equipment they had in the wagon. The trip from the family farm had taken most of the day and they would have to spend the night out in the open. Thankfully at this time of year it wasn't that bad sleeping under the stars. At least she could sleep in the wagon, while her brothers Kurt and Bernhard would be sleeping on the ground. On their way in they had seen a suitable field where they could hopefully camp providing no-one objected.
Ella smiled at thought of people objecting. For this first visit to Kalispell she expected no problems. The three of them knew how to keep their mouths shut concerning what they were really doing on the farm. For now, they would partially tell the truth and tell people that they were growing only wheat. She knew about the troubles that came with raising sheep in cattle country and the longer they could keep it quiet, the better.
The other problem was that her family were German. Even though she and all her siblings except for Kurt were born here in America, it didn't matter. They looked like Americans and spoke with virtually no accent, it was their names that betrayed their origins. If only Papa and Mama had given them all American sounding names instead of just her brother Paul.
Kurt motioned for her to join them as he entered the general store. Now there was mystery. Shortly before his twentieth birthday Kurt had left home. He was gone for almost ten years, with only the occasional letter to let his family know that he was alive and well. Then just before they moved to the new farm near Smith Lake, he returned. Even though he was not good at farming or herding sheep, it was still good to have him around as they would need all the help they could get in the future.
For now, they had supplies to order. They would collect them in the morning before they left to go back home. Hopefully, before then she would get some time to see whatever sights Kalispell had to offer.
It was the first time that the three of them had been together since the wedding, Leonora Lutz was hoping a trip into town with Granny to see Jacob and call in on Clara at the diner would start to mend some broken bridges: bridges, she would have to admit, which she herself had helped to demolish by her somewhat mawkish reaction to the news of Clara’s ‘interesting condition’.
But of course, it wouldn’t be a trip into town with Granny without her making some kind of a ‘scene’ about something or other. This time, walking into the General Store, it was the price of flour she started to rave about: loudly declaring that it would be cheaper to build a windmill and grind her own corn than pay these 'shop bought' prices.
When Granny got like this, Jacob and Leonora used their own secret language to plot her removal from the scene. “Nimm sie mit ins Diner. Ich hole aus dem Gemischtwarenladen, was wir wollen.”* Leonora instructed Jacob, trying to get the old bat out of the General Store and off to somewhere where she wouldn’t be insulting people (or at least fewer people!)
As Jacob removed Granny Miggins from the scene, Leonora looked up at the people entering, and smiled at them sheepishly.
* Take her to the diner. I’ll get what we want from the general store.
Bernhard turned when heard the German words being spoken. A part of him was surprised that anybody out could speak his parents' native language and another part of him was surprised to see it coming from the woman who had arrived shortly after they had entered the store. The old lady seemed to be very dissatisfied with the price of flour and wasn't too shy about letting the store owner know.
Looking over at his sister, he could see her smiling as she looked through some fabrics on one of the counters. Her back was towards the three people who had come in so that they couldn't see her amusement at the situation unfolding between the old lady and the store owner. Meanwhile, Kurt was just ignoring the lot of them and talking to the store owner's wife about their order.
The one who had spoken in German, was close enough for him to casually step closer on the pretence of checking some items. When he reached her side, he whispered, "I don't think the diner is far enough, do you?"
The one who had spoken in German, was close enough for him to casually step closer on the pretence of checking some items. When he reached her side, he whispered, "I don't think the diner is far enough, do you?"
Leonora nearly shot straight into the air!
She was naturally nervous anyway and this whole business with Jacob and the Redmond girl had frayed her already thread-thin nerves. She span around to see who had addressed her: it was a rather untidy farmer type. a little taller than herself, who looked like he could do with a shave and a haircut. Her heart thumped. Sure, she was only a farmer's daughter herself but, well, she kept herself decent, went to church every Sunday and didn't go talking to strange men she hadn't been introduced to.
She wanted to express her indignant feelings at being approached like this, but was too scared. Instead she let out an alarmed. "Oh! Jacob?!" Her brother strolled over and stuck out his hand to the stranger, totally missing that he was supposed to be indignant, too, that the man was talking to his sister.
"Hello friend, name's Lutz, Jacob Lutz, this here's my sister Leonora and that nice old lady over there jabbing the store keeper with her finger is our Granny, Mrs Miggins. You folks new in town?" he inquired pleasantly while Leonora looked daggers at him. He wasn't meant to make friends with the ruffian!
Bernhard grabbed the hand that was offered and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you both," he said with a smile, "The name's Bern Albrecht."
He pointed over to his brother and sister, "That's my older sister, Ella over near the fabric and my older brother, Kurt talking to Mrs. Wilson"
Returning his attention to Leonora and Jacob, he continued, "Well new to here. This is our first visit to Kalispell. We have a farm just south of Smith Lake."
"Yes, Dear"
Bernhard grabbed the hand that was offered and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you both," he said with a smile, "The name's Bern Albrecht."
"Albrecht? Das ist ein guter alter deutscher Name!" grinned Jacob, deliberately pronouncing the surname with a SH sound, Albresht.
He pointed over to his brother and sister, "That's my older sister, Ella over near the fabric and my older brother, Kurt talking to Mrs. Wilson"
Jacob looked over to them, smiled and nodded. Ella was one of the prettiest women he had ever seen in his life, but the fact that he was married now made him automatically shut off his mind, or rather his heart, from any romantic or sexual interest in her. It was sort of liberating, in a way, this business of being devoted and committed to just one woman, forever.
Returning his attention to Leonora and Jacob, he continued, "Well new to here. This is our first visit to Kalispell. We have a farm just south of Smith Lake."
"Really?!" Jacob hadn't meant to sound so shocked, it was just that, well, that land wasn't too great for growing any kind of arable crop profitably, and the short grass round there meant cattle tended to stray off of it. He wondered if root vegetables might take or, sure, you could raise hogs. He'd been down that way hunting about a year ago, there had been no farm there then.
"What d'you raise there?" he asked with genuine interest.
Leonora, for her part, had started to calm down a bit, now that Jacob was handling the uncouth person who had approached her so, well, shockingly. She really wished that he would just see him off, though, not engage him in conversation like this.
Ignoring Jacob's mention of Albrecht being a good old German name, Bernhard just smiled. He and his siblings had decided long ago to speak German only when they we're at home and only if their parents lapsed into speaking their native tongue. All of them except for Kurt was born in United States and they considered themselves American. Kurt included himself in that as he had only been a baby when they had emigrated here. In a way, Kurt seemed to be the most American of them all. He had spent more than ten years drifting around the country doing whatever it was that he was doing. Maybe one day Kurt would tell them all about it and even though he wanted to know, Bern knew not to press the point.
Jacob Lutz then asked about what they were raising, which bought a slight frown to Bern's face. The last thing he mentioned the sheep, so he had to think of something else. "We're trying out a few things and seeing what works. Once we work out what the land is good for, we'll start raising it."
Wanting to distract, Jacob from his line of questioning, Bern turned to Leonora who was looking a bit uncomfortable, "Excuse me Miss Lutz, would like to meet my sister?"
Jacob Lutz then asked about what they were raising, which bought a slight frown to Bern's face. The last thing he mentioned the sheep, so he had to think of something else. "We're trying out a few things and seeing what works. Once we work out what the land is good for, we'll start raising it."
Lutz nodded laconically, fully accepting this story. "Well, if you ever want any barbed wire cheap, we've got a barn full: Granny there went a little hog wild about the stuff and bought twice as much as we needed to keep the cattle off of our crops. Big cow country round here. I reckon us smaller farmers need to stick together and help each other out."
Jacob hated the sound of his own voice and decided he'd spoken enough. He tried to tip the conversation back Leonora's way, she was being strangely quiet though. Also, she'd gone a peculiar pink colour. Oh well, she went white when she was in a fainting mood, so rosy cheeks were probably a good sign.
"Lee's reorganising the Farmer's League."
Bern turned to Leonora who was looking a bit uncomfortable, "Excuse me Miss Lutz, would like to meet my sister?"
Ugh, he was talking to her again! And looking at her with those... those soft, sad brown eyes.
"Yes please." she found herself saying.
Ella was looking at bolt of blue cloth when Bern approached her. She was deciding whether or not to buy some of the fabric for her younger sister, Anna who had tried to come on this trip but instead had been forced to stay at home. The blue cloth could be made into a pretty dress which would please Anna and make her forget her disappointment at not being able to go into town.
Bern tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to see what he wanted. To her surprise, he was accompanied by the woman who had come in with the disgruntled old woman. The woman looked a bit apprehensive, so Ella gave her a reassuring smile.
"Ella I would like to introduce you to Miss Leonora Lutz. Miss Lutz, this is my sister, Ella Albrecht," Bern said in a pleasant tone.
Holding out her hand, Ella nodded her slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lutz."
"Ella I would like to introduce you to Miss Leonora Lutz. Miss Lutz, this is my sister, Ella Albrecht," Bern said in a pleasant tone.
The other woman could have been a mirror of herself in some ways, she clearly made herself as decent as possible despite the exigencies of living on some distant rural homestead, making her own clothes and having to work outdoors. Well, she did a good job of it, too. She only hoped that she was married: Leonora had previously set her cap at the handsome widower Mr. Aurelian Redmond but, from what she had seen in the Church, he had been ensnared by a newcomer in town - a Mrs Dietrich it transpired.
These newcomers seemed to always sweep into town and steel away the most eligible men!
Holding out her hand, Ella nodded her slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lutz."
"And you, is it Miss Albrecht?"
She looked down at the cloth that Ella was handling, and thankfully, there was a subject she could comment upon. "Nice, isn't it?" she asked rhetorically and then glanced up to make sure the store keeper wasn't listening "But they have some finer over at Pettigrew's, and about the same price, too." Well, she needn't feel guilty about losing the Storekeeper a sale, after he'd hiked the price on flour!