Madeline: Bride of Nebraska (American Mail-Order Bride 37) Read Free

Nebraska and that she would forward the letter to Madeline as soon as it had arrived. That would save Madeline both the time and the money for the train ride into Beckham just to see if she had received a reply, and would only add another day or so to the letter’s journey.
    Although Madeline had hoped she would hear from her potential fiancé quickly, she was rather surprised to receive the letter on only her second trip into the post office. She had waited a full two weeks before bothering to start what would become her daily stop to see if she had received a letter, and she had expected to wait at least another week or more for her reply.
    Her hands shook with excitement when she saw the return address on the envelope from Miss Miller in Beckham. She began to walk home quickly, determined to wait until she was in her room to read the letter, but she could not take the suspense and decided halfway home to stop at a bench in the park and read it there instead.
    She opened the envelope to find a short note from Elizabeth Miller, along with a second envelope from Mr. Caleb Stark in Chimney Rock, Nebraska. The letter from Mr. Stark was still sealed.
    The note from Elizabeth Miller read:
    Dear Madeline,
    Your letter from Mr. Stark arrived this morning. I know how anxious you must be and am sending this off to you promptly. The envelope is thick, which means it should include your train ticket. Remember what we talked about. If you need a way out of this marriage, get on a train to one of your roommates new homes or return to me here in Beckham. I wish you well, and please let me know how you are doing when you arrive at your new home.
    Sincerely,
    Elizabeth Miller
    Madeline smiled nervously, reassured by Elizabeth Miller’s kind words. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then tore open the envelope from her future husband and carefully pulled out the letter. Folded inside the letter she found a train ticket and five dollars. She carefully put the ticket and the money back in the envelope, then quickly unfolded his letter and read it.
    Dearest Madeline,
    I know that isn’t the proper way to address a lady I haven’t met, but as you are my fiancé, I hope you don’t mind. That is how I think of you already, my dearest wife. Inside the letter you will find a train ticket and some money in case you should need anything along the way. I cannot wait to meet you and hope you will like your new home. We’re on the edge of the prairie and the start of the mountains, so I am sure it will be quite a change for you.
    When you get off the train in Bayard, we will head directly over to the preacher’s house in Chimney Rock to get married. It doesn’t seem right to take you home with me without being married first. I’m glad you’re tall. I’m tall myself and this way I won’t get a crick in my neck looking down at you.
    Yours Sincerely,
    Caleb Stark
    Madeline reread the letter three times before looking at the train ticket. Her mouth twitched in amusement each time she read the part about the crick in his neck. At least her future husband had a sense of humor.
    When she glanced at the ticket, she saw that she was set to leave Lawrence at ten in the morning on October tenth. That only gave her four days to prepare. The thought both thrilled and terrified her. She also noted that her fiancé had splurged and gotten her a berth in a Pullman car, which showed that he could be kind and thoughtful.
    She felt as though butterflies suddenly took up residence in her stomach. For better or for worse, she was officially engaged once again. She just prayed that this time would be for the better.

Chapter 2
    Chimney Rock, Nebraska
    October 14, 1890
    Caleb woke up earlier than usual the morning of the fourteenth to the sound of birds singing. The sky was barely beginning to lighten. He felt as though he had not slept all night and for the life of him, he could not understand why he was awake now. All he wanted to do was close his eyes