Chapter 2
It had been a long winter. A series of blizzards had blown through Minnesota blanketing the prairie with white powder. Not one to be deterred by the elements, Almanzo had tied the horses up to a sleigh and traveled out to the Ingalls farm on occasion to take Laura for rides. Neither of them ever brought up the subject of Eliza Jane.
Springtime finally came to the prairie, and with it thoughts of purchasing land to build a house for Laura and Almanzo to call home. Almanzo wanted something perfect for Beth and him to live out their lives. He was happy in Walnut Grove and he had no intention of moving again.
While Almanzo and Laura were out driving one day, she asked him how his search was going.
"I'm plum frustrated by it Beth."
"Why?" Laura asked with a smile.
"Cuz I just can't find exactly what I'm lookin for."
"What are you looking for?"
"I'll know when I see it Beth. I'll know when I see it…that little piece of heaven."
Laura laughed. "You sound just like my Pa. When we left the Big Woods and traveled over the raging Missouri River into Kansas, he said almost the same thing to Ma."
"I'm not sure if I should feel proud or insulted about being compared to your pa," Almanzo teased.
"Almanzo Wilder how can you say that?" Laura accused, pretending to be angry. "That same Charles Ingalls took such a liking to you that he's letting us get married a year before he planned. So you be nice," Laura pretended to scold. She reached up and planted a small kiss on his cheek.
"I do owe him for that," said Almanzo with a crooked smile.
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Days later Almanzo burst into the Walnut Grove schoolhouse. Laura, who received her teaching certificate last year, was going over a math lesson. Eliza Jane stood behind Laura with a sour expression on her face.
"Beth, I need you to come with me," Almanzo said as he tried to catch his breath.
"I'm in the middle of a class!"
"Oh Sis, can't she leave just this once, p-l-e-a-s-e?"
"Why don't you let me take over Laura?" Eliza Jane suggested; the sour expression now more pronounced.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
"Yes. Please go so I can get everyone back in order."
Almanzo walked over, grabbed Laura by the arm, and practically dragged her out to his wagon as the students laughed at the entertaining disruption to their otherwise boring day.
Manly took Laura to an open field and stopped the wagon. She watched him jump down and run up the hill. From the wagon seat she saw that at least half the land had been cleared for planting.
"Isn't this beautiful? Look at all this!"
"I…a…I guess it's very nice."
"Isn't it perfect?" Almanzo asked with a wide smile.
"Perfect for what?" a confused Laura responded.
"To be our own little piece of heaven."
A look of understanding came over Laura's face. "Do you mean…"
Almanzo shook his head. "I bought it today…all 80 acres. This is gonna be our home."
Laura hopped down from the wagon and ran to him. They hugged and smiled at each other as they reveled at the thought of owning their own land. The first step towards married life was complete.
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Later that night, Almanzo and Laura sat down to supper with her family. Charles was happy that Almanzo had found what he was looking for. He understood the way Almanzo felt. But he also knew the risks. Charles sat at the table, smoking his pipe and reading the papers Almanzo had signed.
"I just wish you didn't stand to lose so much if your crop fails," Charles said with concern.
"I put up all the cash I had. It was the only way he would sell it to me," Almanzo replied.
Charles nodded. He understood where Almanzo was coming from. It was the life you accepted as a farmer – betting everything on a successful crop.
"Manly, how are you going to work at the Feed and Seed, take care of Eliza Jane's place and work our land?" Laura asked.
"I have a friend from Sleepy Eye comin to help out. Do you remember me tellin you about Harv Miller?
"The one who likes to make jokes?"
"Yeah, he'll be here tomorrow on the afternoon stage."
"I'm glad. I don't want you working too hard."
"I do have a big day tomorrow, so if you don't mind I'm gonna head home."
Laura and Almanzo got up and walked towards the front door.
"Almanzo," Charles said. "I'd like to talk to you outside for a minute."
"Sure Mr. Ingalls."
"I'll say my goodbyes here then," said Laura as she reached up and planted a small kiss on Almanzo's cheek.
He hugged her and said I love you before walking outside with Charles.
"Somethin on your mind Mr. Ingalls?"
"You know Son, I pay for everything cash on the barrel. And there's a reason I do things that way."
"Mr. Ingalls, I appreciate your concern, but…"
"Just here me out," Charles interrupted. Almanzo nodded. "When we first moved here, we didn't have much of anything. I traded work with Mr. Hanson for the lumber I bought to build the house. And by the time it was finished, we had no money left for a plow and seed. So I made a deal with Liam O'Neil at the Feed & Seed. I would rebuild the roof over the storage shed and stack the grain in exchange for what I needed. He made me sign a chattel mortgage. If I didn't complete the work in three weeks, O'Neil got my oxen."
Charles winced as he remembered his painful first season in Walnut Grove. He looked up at the night sky and then continued. "Things were going great. I had paid off Mr. Hanson and rebuilt the shed. All that was left was the stacking."
"What happened?" Almanzo asked.
"I was on a picnic with Caroline and the girls. I fell out of a tree and broke four ribs. Doc told me to stay in bed for two weeks."
"What did O'Neil do?"
"He took the oxen. Without them I couldn't plow the field. If Mr. Hanson and the men from town hadn't finished the work for me and forced O'Neil to turn over the oxen, I would have lost everything."
"But it all worked out in the end Mr. Ingalls."
"You're right Almanzo; but there were plenty of times it didn't. Taking risks is part of being a farmer. But it's hard enough being a farmer's wife, without us making it harder on them."
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Almanzo was up before dawn the next morning; the words Charles spoke to him the night before were still ringing in his ears. Almanzo was determined to have a successful crop. He didn't want to be a disappointment to Beth or her father.
After working all morning at the new place, Almanzo drove his wagon back into town so he could get a bite to eat and wash up before the afternoon stage arrived. It would be great to see Harv Miller again. Harv and he had shared some good times while Almanzo lived in Sleepy Eye.
Almanzo thought about how different things were back then. He had asked Laura to marry him, but Charles insisted she wait until she was eighteen. In anger and frustration, Almanzo left Walnut Grove and moved to Sleepy Eye. Laura had refused to go with him. He left her and hoped to start a new life for himself.
His friendship with Harv was the only thing that helped Almanzo deal with living alone. Harv's jokes made him forget how lonely he was. He missed Laura, but his pride wouldn't let him go back to Walnut Grove and knuckle under to Charles' demands. It wasn't until Almanzo got a bad case of pneumonia that he realized how foolish his pride was. Charles had brought Laura to Sleepy Eye to take care of him. Almanzo knew then that he would wait two years or twenty years for Laura…because there was no one else in the world he wanted to be with.
Almanzo walked out onto the porch of Nellie's Restaurant to wait for the stage. He glanced over at the schoolhouse. Almanzo and his sister barely spoke to one another on the rides in and out of town these days. He hoped he could convince Harv to take over that job.
The sound of galloping horses made Almanzo turn around. The stage coach came to a stop and the door opened. A couple got down first. Almanzo tipped his hat at the woman and looked around her to find Harv stepping down from the stage.
"Harv! How are ya?" Almanzo smiled and slapped him on the back.
"Golly, it's good to see ya again Almanzo."
The driver tossed Harv his bag and then chirruped to his horses.
"I wasn't sure you were gonna come out here when I sent my letter."
"Aw, it's good to be out of the city for a while. Sleepy Eye ain't the same since you left Almanzo."
"Well, let's get ya settled in the hotel. Nellie and Percival Dalton run a nice place and Beth's ma does most of the cookin."
"Laura still as feisty as ever?"
"Feistier," Almanzo answered with a smile.
The two men made their way inside and Nellie showed Harv up to his room. Almanzo leaned up against the staircase.
"Is there something I can do for you Almanzo?" asked Percival.
"Nellie's just showin my friend Harv his room. But you know, I think I'll have a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Might as well bring some for Harv too."
"Right away," Percival replied and headed off to the kitchen.
Nellie came downstairs and told Almanzo that Harv would be back in a minute. Almanzo thanked her and watched Nellie walk towards the kitchen. She seemed to lose her balance and leaned against a nearby table for support. Almanzo rushed to her.
"You okay Nellie?" he asked.
"I…I'm not sure. I feel kind of dizzy."
"Percival! Mrs. Ingalls!" Almanzo hollered at the closed kitchen door. "Sit down here," Almanzo said and pulled out a chair for Nellie.
Percival and Caroline burst through the kitchen door into the dining room.
"What's wrong?" they said.
"Nellie's not feelin right. She says she's dizzy."
"I'll get a glass of water," Caroline said and headed back to the kitchen.
Percival bent down next to Nellie and placed her hand in his. Caroline came back out with the water and told Nellie to drink it slowly, and then take a few deep breaths.
"How do you feel now?" asked Percival.
"Better, my love."
"I want you to go see Doc Baker."
"I don't think…" Nellie began.
"I mean it Nellie," argued Percival.
"Yes, my love. Right away."
Harv came back downstairs and asked what was going on.
"Still knockin em dead with your charms Harv," Almanzo chuckled. "Poor Nellie got all dizzy and had to sit down."
Harv laughed. "Well, someone's gotta do it; you're getting married."
"That I am."
"You said somethin in your letter about livin in town now."
"Let's go sit down and I'll tell you all about it."
The men found a table near the window and sat down. Almanzo told Harv everything that had happened with Eliza Jane.
"So I'd appreciate it if you could drive Eliza Jane home in my rig, and pick her up in the mornin and bring her to the school," Almanzo explained.
"Sure thing. I gotta go out there to do the chores anyway. What time does school let out?"
"Three o'clock."
"I better get on over there then."
"We'll go together and I'll introduce ya."
Almanzo paid the bill, told Nellie he hoped she was okay, and then the two men walked over to the schoolhouse.
"You'll get to meet Beth too," Almanzo said as they walked up the stairs. "She's been helpin Eliza Jane teach."
"Oh," Harv said in surprise. He looked at Almanzo. "How's that workin out?"
"Don't know. Beth doesn't talk about it."
Almanzo and Harv entered the schoolhouse and found Eliza Jane at her desk grading papers and Laura collecting books.
"Howdy Beth, Eliza Jane."
"Hi Manly," Laura said in a cheerful voice.
Eliza Jane looked up but did not respond. Harv and Almanzo looked at one another.
"Laura, this is Harv Miller."
"Hello Mr. Miller," Laura said with a smile as she shook Harv's hand.
"Please, it's Harv."
Almanzo and Harv walked up the front of the room.
"Sis, this is the man I was telling you about. This is Harv Miller."
"Mr. Miller," Eliza Jane said with a tone of dissatisfaction.
"Miss Wilder."
"Harv will be takin ya home and pickin ya up from now on. He'll do most of the work at your place too."
"That's fine. I'll be ready in a few minutes," Eliza Jane said curtly.
"Well I guess…a…we'll wait outside then," Almanzo said and slapped Harv on the arm with the back of his hand. They nodded at Laura and walked out, leaving the two women alone again.
"Anybody got a coat. I just felt a chill," joked Harv.