Chapter 8

Jonathan walked into Stemples office and was about to yell at him when Aaron simply said: "Jonathan, sit down, please! I have something to talk to you about…"

Jonathan cut Aaron off and said: Mr. Stemple my father is coming home, I do not know what kind of shape he will be in but until I do, I will be taking over the logging operations!"

Aaron looked at Jonathan and smiled, he was like his father in that he could come up with the most fantastic stories, however, he had a his Irish mother's temper wich had caused a bit of trouble back when he was young. Aaron looked at him and with careful thought asked him: "Jonathan, what does Josh say and what will Jeremy say about this as well? Sit down and let me talk to you about running a logging operation and using my mill!"

Jonathan sat down and listened to Aaron and found that it seemed that what he was saying about the finances, the books and of course the problems with keeping the men at the camp maybe he should have another partner? "After all, your father had his two brothers, and do you think he was able to handle the entire operation himself while raising to brothers? He was not, he needed help, He needed Lottie's help and the help of Big Swede and the other men to keep the operation going. In fact, since he so desperately needed the help to keep the men, he also needed my help financially."
Jonathan looked at Mr. Stemple and thought about what he had said. He remembered his father and uncle's all telling him how they saved the logging and mill operations also, how they had saved and built Seattle from the ground up by getting the 'brides'. But especially his father did not mention Aaron very much at all considering as Aaron put it, "I ended up financing quite a lot of your father's and Uncle's operation in the beginning."

"So, Jonathan, what do you think of my proposal?" Aaron said with a gleam in his eye!

The fall weather had a crisp cool feel and Christopher, and his son Mark and Nephew Jake were headed inland to the Lime Kiln works to pick up a winter job.

"As you boys know, this is much more dangerous than fishing or even hunting. In this job, if the lime gets wet, we have an explosion and fire. Men have been burned and killed from that. Also, when working at the quarry you can expect a fair amount of dangerous as well. Jake, since you are the least skilled of the three of us, I will tell the foreman to place you with the coopers, they make the barrels that hold the lime. That may come in handy as a skill. Meanwhile, you will be able to have regular hours and do some schooling when you are not working. As for you Mark, if your mother knew I had you up here for work, I think she would take Ben and Anna and leave me!" Chris said with a mischievous smile. "Not to mention that your mother, Jake would skin me alive! That is why you are both getting off on the 'easier' jobs. Mark, you will be cutting down and brining in the wood daily with me. We get $1.75 for a cord a day, but since you have been old enough, I think we both might get more since it will be two of us working on the wood. Ah! Here comes the foreman now." Chris walked up to the foreman and introduced his nephew and asked that he apprentice him to a cooper to learn the trade.

Merilee was in the kitchen preparing the evening meal when she heard Benjamin and Anna come in with loud squeals of delight. Merilee turned around and saw her son and his wife who was now about 4 months pregnant coming in the door.

"Charles!" she said surprised since she knew he did not travel in the late fall and winter. "What is wrong?" She asked in the Lummi tongue.

He looked at her and looked at the children. With his eyes he looked at Ben and Ben knew that look meant for him to take Anna out of the room. Ben left with Anna who was not happy leaving when she saw her uncle and aunt come.

"Ben, why do we have to leave?" Anna said curiously.

Ben thought for a moment and then in what he thought sounded like a grown-up voice he said: "Anna, whenever Charles looks at me or you for that matter with his eyes, he expects us to leave the room so that the elders can talk. If we need to be told, we will be told. If not, we will have to wait until mom or dad can tell us! Now, let's go find a book to read until mom calls us."

Anna looked at her brother and pretended to leave with him, but just as he started up the stairs she turned and ran right back into the kitchen.

"Mommy, I don't want to leave you. If it is something bad, I want to help!"

Merilee picked up Anna and soothed her. Charles although living in a different culture, he understood what it was like to be a small child and be sent somewhere during important meetings or when his father had been banished from the tribe. He lowered himself to her eye level and in the language of her mother's people he sweetly said to her that everything was all right and that her mother would tell her later what happened.

Anna listened to him and understood what he said but was still a little wary. Charles took her from Merilee just as Ben walked into the room. He put Anna down beside Ben and told her that she needed to go with her brother. Anna went, reluctantly but did as she was told.

With a heavy sigh, Charles continued the conversation. Seems as if a sickness they did not understand how to treat was sweeping yet again in their villages and he did not want to lose his wife or child. Merilee was glad that they would stay with her and Chris. She knew Chris did not mind having guests.

She called the children down and told them that Charles and Mary Star would be staying with them until Spring. Ben was happy, he liked his older brother and Anna was happy too because she wanted to help with the baby that was coming.

"We're home!" shouted Jake and Mark together. They were very dirty and had to change clothes out in the barn before they could come into the house.

Chris said to both Mark and Jake: "Now you two let me do the talking, we don't want to upset your mom about the work you are doing. So, just follow my lead and only speak when you are spoken too!" He winked as he put on clean pants and used the water that was in the bucket to rinse himself and wash his face and hands.

When they came in, they smelled suspiciously of the sweet scent of pine and the last of the wildflowers. In fact, Chris had picked these flowers on the way home for Merilee as well. When he stepped inside of the kitchen, he noticed that Charles was there along with Mary Star. Surprise and Joy came to his face.

"Well Charles, it is good to see you! What brings you up to this neck of the world?"

Charles explained the situation and Chris agreed that this was the best decision he could make.

They all sat down to eat their dinner and discuss the day's events.

"What, do you think you are doing Christopher! Having my son, our son works at the lime kiln where he could possibly get hurt and your nephew, what would your sister say!" Merilee was not happy about this, she was not happy that the boys, although old enough to do a 'man's work' were still in school and needed to stay there if they were to improve their lives. And worst of all her husband, working there as well!

"Christopher, you can't work there, neither can the boys. Someone will be hurt and then what happens if you get hurt. I don't want to lose another husband. It would not be good, I could have a bad reputation, then there will be no husband for me!"

Chris looked at her, with a twinkle in his eye he said: "You will never need another husband my beautiful wife. Nothing is going to happen that we can't handle together!" He then pulled her close and gave her a kiss right in front of everyone!

After supper, when Chris and Charles and the other 'young men' sat outside discussing things, Jake started to think about what Charles had said about a disease striking his people. He thought of Lisbeth. Would she survive the winter? How would he find out?

"Charles, have you heard anything about Lisabeth? I mean her family and her?" Jake asked a little fearful because he was not sure of the protocol about asking about a girlfriend.

Charles looked at him, Charles had grown up among both white and first nation people so he understood some of the courtship rituals since he himself had at one time been interested in a young woman but that had not ended well. He frowned, but for Jake's sake, since he was family, he did not show his memory.

"Jake, technically, a suitor would not ask about the girl but would enquire about the family, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather. Later when he had been told how they were doing and if they needed anything they would say either or yes, our daughter is doing well, or no she is not feeling well, we will let her know that you asked about her. They are very protective of their daughters since a family's wealth and economy often depend on the alliances between families."

Listened to this information. He was thinking he would like to live with Charles' family in the village and was about to suggest that when Merilee stepped outside and sat on the rocker working on some knitting.

"Mother, how did you learn that?" Charles said. "I learned it from one of my friends here in Argyle. I have found that knitting is very relaxing and, since there will be two babies coming in the spring, I thought that I should get going on this project." She said this as Mary Star shyly came out and sat on the back porch next to Charles. He looked at her and held her close to him.

Benjamin and Anna came out and said good night. They then went into their rooms. The adults also said good night and went inside. That first night Charles and Mary star slept in Chris and Merilee's bed. The next morning Chris would work on making an extra room for his son and daughter in law. All was peaceful and calm.