By Way of the Rose by Cynthia Ward Weil Read Free Book Online Page A

the Maypole, lacing it with the colorful ribbons and unlacing it again.
    Agnes and Paul left early the next morning. Their wagon had been decorated sometime in the night with all the flowers and ribbons from the Maypole.
    Marion had tears in her eyes as she watched them go. “I will miss her. I can't believe my first daughter is already leaving the nest.”
    Daniel put his arm around her. “That's how it's supposed to be, momma bird.” He kissed her. “She will make her own nest now.”

Chapter Four

    * * * *
    John tried to keep his promise to Agnes, but over time the fighting between the brothers became more and more frequent. Each fight was a little worse than the one before. John steered clear of Nathan as much as possible, but it didn't work. Nathan knew exactly how to provoke him: Sarah was the key and he used it often. John bit his tongue but his temper got the better of him and despite his best intentions there would be an argument.
    About three months later, they received their first letter from Agnes. She and Paul had settled in Kansas and were very happy, she wrote. They were within walking distance of a small town. She wrote about the cabin they were building and the curtains she was making. They had some friendly neighbors who were helping them raise the walls and they were nearly finished. They couldn't leave the claim until next spring but she said they would come home for a visit then.
    John noticed that his mother carried this first letter around in her apron pocket for days. He supposed that was her way of feeling close to Agnes.
    With Agnes gone, Cora was given more duties around the house. She must start helping Marion more. Watch the twins, set the table, help with the laundry and wash dishes. This left little time for her romps with Nathan and John knew that he must feel that even his improvised ‘brother’ had been taken from him.
    “Why can't Sarah do something around here?” Nathan fumed one day when Cora had been made to stay home when he wanted her to go fishing with him. “Sarah hardly ever does anything around here! It's not fair!”
    “Sarah has her chores, Nathan. They're appropriate for her age. I'm sorry, but I need Cora to stay here today. She can go fishing with you tomorrow. This is baking day and I need her to help with the twins.”
    “It's not fair!”
    “That's not a fair thing for you to say to me! Shame on you! Why don't you go out and chop up some wood and wait to go fishing until Cora can go with you?”
    “While John and Sarah are free to go to the library and do nothing?”
    “Well, you can go to the library too. You can go fishing. You've done your work. But if you keep standing here pestering me, I'm going to find some work for you to do.”
    “It's no fun by myself.”
    “Well, there's two people leaving for the library who would be glad to have you join them.”
    “I'd rather chop wood!” He stomped out.
    “Poor child,” Marion shook her head. “He's never happy.”
    Time passed. Agnes wrote often. They all anxiously awaited her spring visit as the winter months slowly dragged on.
    Agnes made sure, when she wrote home, to never let her folks know how terribly frightened she was to live out here on this Kansas Prairie. Indians had been growing more hostile towards the settlers. Some had raided her neighbors and the store in town. They mostly took the white man's “:thunder sticks” as they called guns. So far, no one had been harmed, but Agnes feared them and what their reasons might be for obtaining so many weapons. Whenever she left the cabin, she took a rifle with her. No matter if she were just milking the cow or gathering eggs, she dared not be without it.
    Paul worked the field from sun up till sun down leaving Agnes alone with her thoughts all day. She cooked and cleaned and tried to keep herself occupied and happy. Mrs. Tanner, their neighbor three miles away, often stopped by on her way into town. Today her visit was most welcome.
    “Oh, Mrs.