And All That Will Come In Between (ages 9-12)

 By Ella M.

“Andi, could you go upstairs and fetch my brooch?” mother asked from the kitchen. It was a Sunday morning and everyone was rushing around getting ready for church. Andi obediently ran upstairs and into mother’s room to find the brooch. Andi knew she kept it in a small wooden jewelry box. Mother’s jewelry box had three drawers. Andi couldn’t remember which drawer mother kept her brooches in so she tried the middle one. That drawer held all of her necklaces.

But before Andi closed the drawer something caught her eye: an oval-shaped pendant with orange flowers on the front hung on a gold chain with an inscription on the back: Beth: I love you through and through and all that will come in between.

            “Some poetry that is,” Andi said to herself.

            “Andi!” mother called from the stairs. But Andi didn’t hear her. She was busy wondering about the necklace.

            “Andi.” Mother grabbed Andi by the shoulder.

            “Aup!” Andi yelped. “You scared me mother!”

            “Well, what is taking you so long? I sent you up here five minutes ago for something that should’ve taken five seconds. Mind explaining what has kept you?” mother asked.

            “Well, I didn’t know which drawer it was in, so I opened the middle one that I know holds your necklaces, but before I closed it this necklace caught my eye,” Andi said really quickly. She held up the oval-shaped pendant.

            Mother looked at the pendant for a long moment, until Melinda walked into the room.

            “Mother, Justin has the buggy all ready for us…“ she stopped short when she saw the necklace dangling from Andi’s hand.

“Will someone tell me what’s going on?!” Andi asked.

“That necklace has quite a story,” mother replied.

“Really? What is it?” Andi asked. “Does Melinda know?”

“I know where mother got the necklace but I’ve never heard the story.”

“Oh dear me, look at the time!” mother said. “We can’t be late for church.”

“But what about the story?” Andi said as mother pinned on her brooch.

“That will have to be told this afternoon,” mother said, walking out of the room.

 

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            Andi wondered all the way to church what the story was. She was able to take her mind off of it long enough to pay attention in church, but as soon as the table was cleared from lunch Andi said to mother, “Will you tell me the story of the necklace now?”

            “I suppose I will,” mother replied. “You and Melinda come to the parlor and I will tell it.”

            Andi and Melinda sat down in the parlor and mother came in a few minutes later carrying the necklace.

            “This story begins awhile after I had met your father and we were courting regularly. My parents, though, very much disapproved of this,” mother said as she started telling the story.

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            The warm summer sun glistened on the dew of the wildflowers in the meadow as Elizabeth Julieann Baker took off her woven straw hat and clutched it in her right hand with a bouquet of flowers. She was standing by the only patch of Flowering Current growing under the scrub oaks that border lined the meadow. A young man wearing a button up shirt, chaps and a coonskin cap came running up, carrying a small green box.

            “Sorry…I’m late!” he said between breaths.

            “I thought you’d never come James,” she said sarcastically with a smile tugging at her lips.

            “But I kept my promise. And I was late because I said I’d work longer at the livery so I could buy…this.” He opened the box and inside was a small oval pendant with an orange flower on the front, hanging on a gold chain.

            “Oh James, it’s beautiful!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “It must have cost a fortune. How can I thank you?”

            “Three dollars and fifty cents, in fact. But I was worth it for you Beth. Here, try it on.”

            She slipped it over her head ever so delicately and looked down at it.

            “I have something for you too.” She reached down and grabbed the bouquet of flowers on top of her hat.

            “Shouldn’t I be the one giving you flowers?” James said with a sparkle in his eye.

            “Not this time,” Beth replied.

            “Are you bringing something to the church picnic on Sunday?”

            “Apple pie,” Beth replied. “I’m picking apples on Saturday in the Gramison’s orchard. Would you like to join me?”

            “Are your parents okay with that, Beth?” James asked.

            “I’m going by myself.”

            “I’ll meet you there,” he said.

 

            Saturday arrived and Beth was up bright and early to pick apples.

            “Don’t forget your bonnet, dear. The sun is already high in the sky,” Beth’s mom said.

            “Yes, mother.”

            “Do you have your basket?”

            “Yes mother, I have everything. I just need to leave now.”

            “Okay dear. See you later.”

            On the way to the orchard James came riding up on his lithe bay mare, Chastamocha.

            “Need a ride, my lady?” James asked holding out his hand.

            “I don’t see why not,” Beth replied.

She grabbed James’ arm and gracefully lifted herself on to Chastamocha’s broad back. They arrived ten minutes later and tied Chastamocha to a tree. They spent the next half hour picking lots of apples. Suddenly a string of sharp barks came from the bushes and a white and tan fox hound burst out.

“Oh Rascel, you silly boy! How did you find me all the way out here?” Beth said.

But Rascel wasn’t listening as he ran right under the ladder that Beth was on. Rascel knocked it hard enough so it started wobbling. Beth dropped the basket and flailed her arms for balance.

Crash! A dull thud followed as Beth landed on the ground in a crumpled heap.

James came running to her side and said, “Beth, are you all right?”

“Aside from the wind being knocked out of me, I think I broke my leg.”

“Well, you can’t walk back and I can’t carry you five miles, so we’re going to have to ride back.”

James went and untied Chastamocha. He swung Beth into the saddle and mounted up behind her.

“Giddy up Chasta.”

“Where are we going?” Beth asked.

“Your house is the closest piece of civilization out here.”

After riding hard for a while, Beth’s house came in to sight.

            James pulled Chasta into a sliding stop in front of the house. He hopped off and then swung Beth out of the saddle. He carried her up to the threshold and knocked on the door. He stood there a minute, waiting for someone to answer.

When no one opened the door, Beth said, “Just open the door and walk in. Mother and father won’t care this time.”

James opened the door and stepped inside. “It doesn’t look like anyone’s home,” he said.

He set Beth on a chair at the dining room table. He then noticed a piece of paper lying on the table. Grabbing the paper, he read aloud what it said:

“Beth: We went to town to run some errands. Be back before supper. Love Mother and Father”

Beth had been gritting her teeth through the pain, but it was getting worse. James noticed this and said, “I need to take you to my place where Doc Smith is. I know he’s there because he was looking at some sick and injured cows at our place.”

He scooped Beth up, took her outside and put her on top of Chasta. He got on and after a gentle kick to her ribs, Chasta cantered away.

They were quickly making their way to the Carter ranch when Chasta slowed down to a walk. She was hot and tired from running five miles in the blazing heat. James tried to urge her to go faster but she just stopped. 

“Please go, Chasta. Home is just over the next hill,” James pleaded to his horse. His concern for Beth grew stronger by the minute.

Chasta seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and soon turned her walk into a trot.

When they reached the main yard, James pulled Chasta into a stop in front of the barn and yelled, “Pa! Pa! Where are you?”

“I’m in the hayloft, son,” came the reply from a gruff voice up above.

“Pa, where’s Doc Smith?”

“At the cow pens.”

“Can you bring him to the house? Beth broke her leg and she needs help now.”

James swung Beth out of the saddle and carried her into the house. He gently set her on the couch.

“Could you get me a glass of water, please?” Beth asked.

James went into the kitchen and came back out with a glass of water.

“Thank you very much,” Beth said.

Two hours later, Beth’s leg had been set and she was still sitting on the couch, with James waiting on her hand and foot.

“Do you need anything else?” he asked.

Beth patted the couch. “Sit down.” James sat. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me, giving me the necklace, bringing me to the doctor, and almost fatally injuring your horse in the process. How can I truly thank you?”

“Well there’s one way…”

“What is it?”

“I wasn’t actually finished with the necklace yet. See, I wanted to etch something on the back but I didn’t know what. I’m not a poet but after all we’ve been through together, I may have found just the right words.”

“What are they?”

“I love you through and through and all that will come in between” James said.

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“We were married eight months later and I wore that necklace on our wedding day,” mother finished the story.

“That was beautiful!” Melinda said.

“I’m glad it wasn’t too mushy,” Andi said. “I’m glad you still have that necklace though. It’s very pretty.”

“That’s not the only thing that is still around,” mother commented. “I think your father’s coonskin cap is still in the attic somewhere. Though I do recall there’s no longer a tail on it.”

“How did that happen?” Andi queried.

“Now that,” mother started to say as she got out of the chair, “is a story for another time.”