She sat forward, and touched Heidi’s hand. “I must stop in some time and visit with you.”
Ellie laughed and turned to Heidi. “The only reason Grace wants to visit the pharmacy is to see Michael.”
The woman blushed a bright red, and stuck her nose in the air. “Ellie Henderson, why would you say such a thing?”
Michael. For a moment she’d forgotten the horrible things Clarence had told her about him. She glanced at Ellie under lowered eyelids. Did she know the type of person her brother was? Ellie’s expression and voice held definite surprise when she’d examined his injuries at the family dinner Saturday. Heidi’s stomach knotted when she tried to sort it all out. She’d known Clarence all her life, and her parents liked and trusted him. Surely he wouldn’t lie to her about something so serious.
A tall, thin woman in a dark blue wool skirt and white shirtwaist walked to the front of the room, and climbed a small platform. Her dark hair had been pulled into a loose bun at the back of her neck. She wore spectacles, which she pushed up on her nose as she consulted the papers in front of her.
She rapped twice with a gavel on the podium. “Ladies, and gentlemen, I would like to have your attention so we can begin our meeting.”
The chattering lowered to whispers, and then silence, as the audience faced forward. Ellie leaned over, close to Heidi’s ear. “Martha Walters. She’s the President of Women for Equal Rights of Guthrie.”
Heidi nodded and sat
back to listen. The woman spoke for a few minutes, and then asked various others in the group to come up and present their reports. Then she introduced the speaker of the evening, a lady from Oklahoma City who dedicated her life to getting the vote for women once Oklahoma Territory became a state. She assured the group women’s right to vote would happen in the next few years.
The woman held Heidi enthralled. Never had she thought about being able to vote. Miss Walters also talked about women in the work place and better opportunities for those who needed to earn a living. Not every woman needed, or for that matter, wanted, a husband, she stated, her chin raised. Heidi smiled when Ellie vigorously nodded in agreement. Ellie and her sister, Rachel, had quite a discussion on marriage Saturday. Ellie, adamant she would never marry and intended to look after herself, and Rachel, a widow with a son to raise, agreed she’d never marry again, either.
Heidi still couldn’t believe a woman would decide to not marry, and instead support herself. Such an unusual idea excited her. Papa had always taken care of her and Mother, and would have been scandalized if his wife had attempted to seek employment. He would surely feel it reflected badly on his ability to provide for his family. For the first time she realized taking a job may have also shamed him. In her desire for independence, she’d never given a thought to how her papa would view her actions.
“A few of us stop for coffee on the way home, after the meetings. I would love for you to join us.” Ellie took Heidi’s hand as they stood once the meeting finished.
“I’d like to come along.” She’d promised herself she would make friends. All the women Ellie had introduced, welcomed her into their circle. She found their zeal for women’s rights a bit scary. Her whole life had been isolated, with only Mother and Papa for company. There wouldn’t have been any way for her to know these types of women. They were exciting, interesting, and took care of themselves.
Surprisingly, many of them had husbands. But they embraced the cause wholeheartedly. She noted again the few men who had accompanied their wives, which she found even more astounding. The thought of Papa attending a women’s rights meeting had her shaking her head.
Ellie, and two of her friends, Mildred and Susan, chatted about the speaker as they walked to the coffee shop a few blocks from the library. Heidi kept her scarf up against the cold. The street lights guided their way past tidy houses with brightly lit lamps glowing from within. Occasionally, she glimpsed a family gathered together in the parlor, and at one house, she heard a lovely melody coming from a piano.
A sense of peace flowed over her. She liked her adopted town. Even if Michael Henderson was not the man she thought, that disappointment wouldn’t spoil her enjoyment of being on her own. Maybe she would look for a different job so she wouldn’t have to suffer his presence every day.
Why did that thought depress her so? He was a cad, and not a gentleman. She sighed at her confusion.
After the ladies finished their coffee and pie, Susan and Mildred parted ways with her and Ellie. They extracted promises from each other to return for the meeting next week. For the first time in her life, she had friends her own age who seemed to like her. They wanted her to join their group. A burst of joy made her face flush.
After saying their goodbyes, Ellie linked her arm with Heidi’s, as they strolled along. “How did you like the meeting?”
“Very interesting. I’d never thought of all the things the women spoke of tonight.” The wool scarf muffled her chuckle. “It made me feel proud of myself for what I did in breaking away from my old life.”
Ellie paused and regarded her. “Where do you rent your room? We’re so busy talking, we could be going in the opposite direction.”
“I’m in Mrs. Wilson’s home on Sixteenth and Dover.”
“Wonderful. I can detour a bit and walk right by there.”
They continued on in silence while Heidi worked up the nerve to ask Ellie what had been troubling her all day. “What is Michael like?”
Ellie looked at her with raised brows. “What? You’ve been working with him every day for over two weeks.”
“I know.” She sighed and shook her head. “I thought I knew him, but I heard some unflattering things lately.”
“What kind of things?” Ellie’s drew in a breath, and her eyes flashed.
Heidi hurried on. “How often is Michael involved in bar brawls?”
Heat rose from her middle to her hairline when Ellie threw her head back and laughed. “Michael? My brother, Michael? Are you serious?”
Heidi stiffened. “Yes.”