Chapter 39

May Bailey to Jessie Buchanan Apr. 4. 1938

… Grace is unhappy that she will be unable to accompany Van on his speaking tour. However, the news coming out of Spain about the Lincoln Battalion and the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion is discouraging. There will undoubtedly be more bad tidings for her to deliver to the pen pals here in New Bedford and she has no choice but to await their arrival.

Van understands this, but still wishes Grace were coming with him. He doesn't like to be away from her again after they have been so long apart. He is also proud of everything she did for him and his comrades when he was away in Spain and would like to show her to his audiences. I just hope the Spanish Republic still exists by the time his tour finishes.

I intend to go to Toronto with Van and Juanita when they leave. It will be a chance to look in on some business affairs there and to see Bob and Doris. When I talked to Grace about my plans, she warned me that Bob will be very displeased if I refuse his invitation to stay at his and Diana's home. I don't want another quarrel with him, but to stay in the same house with a home wrecker is more than decency will permit.

… Grace mentioned at Sunday dinner that she is glad that Will Lane and Eileen Sawyer are getting along so well. However, she wonders if he really wants to let himself in for a foul-tempered drunkard like Mark Sawyer as a brother-in-law or two swaggering toughs like Howard and Frank Sawyer as nephews by marriage. Max reminded her that he has taught a number of Sawyers. Eileen was a much nicer person than most of them and seldom had much to do with the more discreditable members of her family. Max remembers her as always being a little shy. He is glad that she seems to be overcoming that trait.

Grace Mainwaring to Sally Henry Apr. 5, 1938

Van seems less troubled now that we have settled the future of our marriage and he will soon be able to do something for his friends still in Spain. I've never liked the far off look he gets in his eyes when he talks about them. It's as though part of him is still with them.

… Van sat in on the Silverdome Mining Company Board of Directors meeting today. When Mother mentioned that Van was there not only as her son-in-law, but as a stockholder interested in viewing his investment, Mr. Bridgeman thanked him for stabilizing the stock almost two years ago when it could have plummeted under the threat of more modern competition. "That showed real family feeling."

He threw me a condescending look as he spoke. What he was thinking couldn't have been clearer. I was just a silly little rich girl who had to be rescued from disaster by her husband when the going got rough.

I don't claim to have Mother's talent for business, but I served as president of the company for four months and managed not to run it into the ground. Oh well. As soon after Van returns from his trip as I can wind up my affairs in New Bedford, we can leave here for a new life managing the Alawanda Lumber Co. I won't ever have to deal with Lawrence Bridgeman again.

May Bailey to Jessie Buchanan Apr. 5, 1938

… Van politely informed Lawrence Bridgeman that he had also bought Silverdome stock as a good investment. It was backed by proven reserves of nickel after all. He was kind enough to add, with a glance in my and Grace's direction, that his confidence in the ability of management to find a way to finance up-to-date equipment to compete with the company's new rival had proven fully justified.

Mr. Graham had the decency to look embarrassed as well he should. If he had agreed to lend us the money we needed to begin with, that particular crisis might have ended much sooner. I am still not happy with the Royal Dominion Bank for forcing his admission to the board of directors as a condition of reopening our line of credit.

The board members were happy to hear that plans were afoot to find someone to take the position of vice president and eventually succeed me. There really needn't have been so many sighs of relief when I made the announcement. My health could be better, but I have a few more steps left before the edge of the grave than they seem to think.

Grace's presence at my side should prove invaluable in this endeavor. I have come to rely more and more this past year on being able to talk over every aspect of the business with her. I find that our conversations help me clarify my thoughts. I can see the edge of her intelligence sharpening with every question and answer. She will make a fine business partner for Van when they settle down. I have no doubt that she will be able to negotiate an acceptable preliminary agreement for the purchase of the Alawanda Lumber Co. with the owners while he is away.

From the Memoirs of Grace Bailey -

… Johann and Ida Schmitz could barely conceal their fears for their son and their nephew. After learning of the collapse of the XVth International Brigade during the retreat to the Ebro, they were all but frantic for news of them. Van was forced to admit that Franco's current drive into Catalonia could well extinguish the Spanish Republic before the month was out. In addition to the usual assurances that Harry was a tough, resourceful soldier who knew how to take care of himself, Van could only offer the Schmitzes one crumb of hope.

Harry still had his passport. He could use it to return home if he had to run for it. Fortunately, he had followed Van's example when they had first come to Spain. When the Communist officials at Albacete came to confiscate the volunteers' passports, he had hidden his and pretended to have lost it. He may have been a loyal Communist, but even he wasn't willing to take a chance on his passport being used for shady purposes if he were killed. Will had followed Van's example as well.

The Schmitzes were grateful for this comfort, but also sought the solace of a higher power. I joined them as they knelt and prayed. Van stayed in his chair, although he did assure Ida that, if there was a God, he was certain that, as an infinite being, He was, by definition, everywhere. In that case, He was with Harry and Gottfried wherever they were. I looked up at my husband for a second as the Schmitzes and I were praying and saw that his head was bowed, whether in silent prayer or simply as a gesture of respect I could not say.

The Lanes were deeply sympathetic to the Schmitz' anxieties. Underneath the concern, their relief that their own son was safely home from the war and no longer in any danger was obvious. So was their gratitude to Van for risking his life to make Will's safe return possible. We talked about Will's courtship of Eileen Sawyer for that is what it was developing into.

The Lanes were a little anxious about his bringing her to dinner to meet them. Hal had never been impressed by Mark Sawyer and his sons. He considered them a bunch of strutting braggarts but allowed that Mark and Eileen's older brother Milt was a solid, reliable person who had done a better job of looking after Eileen than either of their parents. It was a shame that he had to leave New Bedford to take a job at a sawmill near Pinebury five years ago. Even the rottenest barrel can have a good apple or two in it.

The subject turned to Iris Barlow's efforts to start a New Bedford Garden Club. Nora Lane was flattered by her invitation to join even though she mostly grew vegetables rather than the flowers that graced the finer houses in the community. Mrs. Barlow had even invited Ida Schmitz to join. Neither were sure they would be truly welcome in such genteel company. Mother and I urged them to pay no attention to Mrs. Grady's nasty comments about their gardens. She had been making snide comments about the quality of the carrots and tomatoes in mine for years. Never mind that hers were no better. I just ignored her and encouraged Ida and Nora to do the same.

Van and I walked up the hill to visit Roolie. She was in good spirits as she always was when spring approached and she anticipated working on her own vegetable and herb gardens. Given her independent nature, I wasn't surprised that she refused Mrs. Barlow's invitation to join the New Bedford Garden Club. I was disappointed. None of us has her knowledge of herbs.

She insisted on telling our fortunes. We would have long life and happiness together and a large family. Roolie promised me as many children as I had fingers on both hands. My mind reeled thinking of how many sets of twins and triplets I would have to bring into the world before I reached menopause for that prediction to come true.

Next Week: The holy and the damned. Young dreams and suffering. To life!