Chapter 12:
Mary, Laura, and Jonathan are pulling up to the Blind School in Iowa. Charles helps them all off the wagon. Charles holding onto Mary, they walk inside and meet Mr. Nash at the door. Charles and Mr. Nash goes into Mr Nash's office to finish up some last minute paperwork on Mary. Adam Kendall takes Mary, Laura and Jonathan to their rooms. Jonathan is taken to his room first. Then Laura and Mary rooms which is in another hallway from Jonathan's. Adam says, "Laura, you will have the same room as before." Then he turns to Mary, "Your room is right beside of your sister's."
Mary says with a tear in her eye, "I would prefer to be in the same room as my sister."
Adam puts his hand on Mary's shoulder and says, ''Maybe at a later date you can move in with your sister, but for now you need a room by yourself, so you can learn to do for yourself."
Laura hugs Mary and says, ''He is right, Mary, that is how I learned to do for myself, being in a room by myself. Mary I won't be far just next door."
A few minutes later Charles goes up to Laura's room and kisses her good-bye, then Mary's room to kiss her good-bye. Just like Laura did her first time there Mary says, "Pa, don't leave me here!"
Charles answers, "Mary you are not going to be alone, Laura is right next door."
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A month passes and Mary is doing fine, eating and studying with the other children. One day Adam and Mary are at a piano and Adam asks, ''Mary have you ever learned how to play?"
"No, but I have played a little keyboard once." Mary answers. Then Mary says, ''I always wanted to be a school teacher, but all that has changed now."
Adam asks, "Why has that changed?"
Mary answers, "How can I teach children, I can't even see?"
Adam takes Mary's hand and lefts them to his face and says, ''Mary, you can see but in a different way."
As Mary is feeling Adam's face she says, "Adam it has been a long time since I have seen anyone."
Adam as he brings his hands up to Mary and begins to feel her face says, ''Mary, I never seen you either you feel beautiful!"
Mary begins to cry, "Adam, I'm sorry I didn't know."
Adam says Mary, "If you want too, you can become a teacher just like I did."
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Meanwhile while Adam and Mary are talking. Laura is with Mrs. Whipple finishing the quilt that she started when she was home. She had just finished it when a man comes in, a Jeremy Arger. He sees Laura's quilt and says, "Young lady that is beautiful did you make that?"
Laura answers, ''Yes Sir."
Mr. Arger replies, I'm Jeremy Arger, and I have a Art and Quilt Museum. We are having a quilt exhibit next month Saturday, April 16th, and I would love for you to have your quilt there."
"Mr. Arger, Thank you, that would be great I would love to bring it. Laura says with excitement. Then Laura asks "Mr. Arger, do you have a daughter by the name of Sarah Arger? We are good friends."
Mr. Arger answers, ''Yes, I have come to visit her. As Mr. Arger is handing Laura a business card he says, "Give this to Mr. Nash and have him keep in touch with me about the quilt exhibit."
Laura goes to Mr. Nash's office, tells him about the quilt exhibit, gives him the business card. He replies, ''Laura that sounds exciting."
Laura runs out of Mr. Nash's office calling for Mary, Mary says, "I'm in here, in the piano room with Adam what's all the excitement about?"
Laura goes into the piano room and says this man Mr. Jeremy Arger, Sarah's dad came in and saw my work on my quilt and wants me to bring it to his quilt exhibit next month."
''Laura that is wonderful!" Adam says.
With a smile or Mary's face, ''Laura I am so happy for you!"
As Mary and Laura are giving each other a big hug, Laura says with excitement. ''Mary, I'm going to send Ma and Pa a telegram. I want them to be here for the quilt exhibit and oh, I want Manly to be here to!"
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Charles receives the telegram from Laura and tells Caroline about the quilt exhibit. Caroline says, ''Charles, I would like to go see Laura at the quilt exhibit can we go?"
Charles answers, "Are you sure you can travel in your condition? You are expecting in 3 months."
''Yes, I can travel, I'll be fine. I want to go." Caroline answers.
Charles takes Caroline's hand and says, "Ok, we'll go." Then Charles says maybe Almanzo and Eliza Jane can come with us."
Charles goes over to the Wilder's and tells them the news and asks Almanzo and Eliza Jane if they want to go. Eliza Jane answers, ''Charles, I would love to but I can't, there is no one to teach the school in my place but Almanzo can still go."
Almanzo says, "Sis, I can't leave you by yourself."
Eliza Jane with a little look on her face, Oh Manny, I can take care of myself, now go! You know you want to see Laura again. You haven't stopped talking about her since she left."
"Ok, Sis." Almanzo says, and turns to Charles. ''Charles, I guess I'm going with you."
"Great!" Charles says then turns to Eliza Jane. "Eliza Jane would you mind watching Carrie and the house while we are gone?"
"No problem, Charles." Eliza answers.
Charles sends a telegram back to Laura saying, he and Caroline and Almanzo will be there for the quilt exhibit.
Both Laura and Mary are excited to have their Ma and Pa visit in a couple of weeks.
Thursday April 14th, Charles, Caroline and Almanzo arrive in Iowa and get a hotel room and settled in and then go over to the Blind school to see Mary and Laura. They have supper together and talk about the upcoming quilt exhibit on Saturday afternoon.
The next day Friday, they are setting up Laura's quilt at Mr. Arger's Museum. Mr. Arger asks Laura, "Would you mind auctioning off your quilt for 80% profits and 20% to the auctioneer?"
Laura says excitingly, "Mr. Arger, that sounds fine."
Saturday April 16th 1881, they are at the quilt exhibit. The Senator, Governor and Mayor along with their wives are there. As they are walking around and looking at the quilts an elderly lady is talking to the Senator's wife saying, "Did you know this quilt was made by a blind person?"
The Senator's wife answers, "WOW, no I didn't!"
The auction for Laura's quilt starts, the auctioneer asks, "Who will give me $25?"
The Senator's wife says, $25."
The Governor's wife says, "$35."
The elderly lady says, "$40."
Governor's wife, "$100."
Senator's wife, "$200."
Governor's wife, "$400."
Senator's wife, "$600."
Governor's wife, "$875."
Senator's wife, "$1000."
As the Governor's wife is throwing up her hands, "That's too much!"
The auctioneer says sold to the Senator's wife for "$1000!"
Laura goes up to the Senator's wife and thanks her for buying her quilt and the Senator's wife says, "Laura you do beautiful work!"
Laura says, ''Thank you, my Ma taught me how to sew when I could see and I am thankful that I still can though I'm blind."
The Senator's wife takes Laura's hand and pats it and says, ''You truly have a gift from God. I will be giving this quilt to my daughter when she gets married in 2 weeks."
Laura says, ''Thank you!" and walks away with a little tear in her eye.
Almanzo embraces Laura and says, "That's my Beth, so proud of you!"
Charles and Caroline embrace Laura as Charles says, "My, Half-pint is growing up so proud of you too!
Mr. Arger gives Laura a $800 check, the 80% for the quilt and asks, "So young lady, what are you going to do with all this money?"
Laura answers, ''The Blind school needs alot of fixing and repairs. I'm going to donate it all to the school."
To Be Continued...
