Bill was stumbling, struggling with an armload of baggage. Betsy trotted behind him as he made his way to the baggage cart parked on the platform. Naomi seemed to be about to say something to them both but she thought better of it. Instead, she returned her attention to Ruth. “You know I’d help you pay off the mortgage if I could but I can’t.”

Ruth’s voice was softer now as if she had become resigned to her fate. “And I wouldn’t expect you to. You’ve done so much already. I would’ve never been able to settle in Gladstone without you.”

“Your parents have plenty of money and you did make an effort to settle things with them after you ran away from home. Do you think they might help?”

“My Father would if my mother would let him. All mother wants is to control everyone and everything.” Ruth took a moment to swat a fly crawling on her chin. “I wonder if William Bailey would help us?”

“Oh. William would help you out alright…if you paid him two percent interest.”

Ruth brightened. “Two percent? That sounds alright, maybe we should just borrow some money and…”

“Think a little bit!” Naomi snapped in the tone of a former schoolmarm. “That two percent interest is compounded monthly! After a year you’d have paid William Bailey twenty-four percent in interest and it wouldn’t stop there that’s for sure. Why do you think most people from Gladstone go to Winnipeg to get mortgages?”

Meanwhile, behind the two women, upon the station platform, Bill had dumped his armload of battered baggage on the cart. After making his way around the cart, he began pulling it toward the entrance of the station. Never one to miss the opportunity for a free ride, Betsy jumped up on the cart beside the luggage.

Ruth began to pace. “Why does everything in Manitoba have to be so hard? I thought life on the prairie would be a grand adventure. I thought that marriage would one long honeymoon!”

Naomi laughed. “Marriage is quite the learning experience, isn’t it?”

“You said it. Simon sure has a lot to learn!”

“And so do you, twenty dollar lace curtains indeed!”

Ruth stopped pacing and whirled on her mentor. “Why is this all about me? Did you see Simon? He doesn’t listen to a thing I say!”

“Don’t complain to me. You’re a married woman. This is a problem you and your husband will have to solve.” Naomi began hobbling toward the sidewalk leading to the street.

“Besides, William Bailey has taken ill and I’ve been hired to tend him, so I really should be going.”

Undeterred by this, Ruth followed her. “But what do you think I should do? I need some advice on how to get Simon back in line.”

Meanwhile, upon the station platform, Bill had caught on to the fact that the baggage cart wasn’t moving quite the way it should be and the reason for that was his sister. Being a proactive sort of lad, he decided to park the baggage cart before the entrance to the station and confront her about her freeloading ways.

Naomi waggled a finger in the face of her student. “My advice is this, stop behaving like a spoiled child and start chasing him like you did last year.”

“Chasing him? He was chasing me!”

“Maybe so, but somehow, you’re the one who caught him, didn’t you?”

“I caught him alright. Now I just wish I could throw him back!”

Naomi placed a calming hand on Ruth’s slender shoulder. “Listen. The day before I married my late husband, my mother took me aside and said, Naomi, you don’t know this yet, but your husband is crazy and he’s going to do his best to drive you crazy too. But whatever happens, just remember that you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.”

“I don’t want to catch dead flies. I just want my husband to do what I tell him to do.”

“The graveyard is full of women who are still waiting for that to happen.” Naomi paused to study the confused young woman before her. It was almost as if she could see herself, many years ago. Naomi shuddered at the memory and then continued. “What I’m trying to say is this, a little grace can make a big difference. Show Simon that you appreciate him, remind him of the good times you had together and see what comes of it. And…do this soon, before your mother finds you.”

“What? My Mother is here? In Gladstone?”

“She sure is. She’s been stomping around town all day looking for you. Now, I really must go and tend to William Bailey. As sick as that man is, I fear he may not make the night.” On that note, Naomi headed down the sidewalk toward the street.

“What a day. I sure hope Mother doesn’t find us before we get this mess cleaned up.” Even as Ruth grumbled her mother was stomping onto the station platform, dragging the hapless Simon behind her.

“And why would the Municipality of Westbourne help Gladstone with its railway debts? Why would anyone help Gladstone? It has nothing to offer! I tell you now after I settle things with that banker…”

Simon pulled himself free from the grip of his mother-in-law. “Patricia. One of these days you’re gonna hafta stop talkin an listen for a bit! My father took out that mortgage on our homestead so he’s gotta be the one here dealin with it.”

Patricia peered out in all directions and then let out a dramatic sigh. “Well. Your Father isn’t anywhere to be seen, is he? And really, what do YOU think you can do? You’re the one who thinks a daughter of mine should live in such a horrible place.”

“That may be. But right now we’ve gotta fightin chance ta keep that homestead. If you march in there and start bellowin away at that banker you’re just gonna make things worse!”

Patricia’s tone gave the impression of someone speaking to a very stupid child. “Simon. I know you mean well. But in times like this, a mother simply must step in and do her God-given duty.” She turned her attention to the two railway employees leaning against the baggage cart before her. “Stand aside, please. I have important business inside.”

“Funny business no doubt,” Betsy retorted.

“Well well. I see that you two still haven’t learned how to work.”

“Why should we change something that isn’t working?” Betsy snapped as she lunged out grabbed Patricia’s bag and then tossed it back to her brother.

“I can think of plenty of reasons. One of them is this, if you don’t move this horrible contraption out of the way immediately I’ll see to it that you lose your jobs.”

“Good. For a moment there I thought you were going to see to it that we find jobs,” Betsy fired back.

Patricia took a step forward, wagging her white-gloved finger in the face of her tormentor. “If you ask me, it is a testament to the lack of competent leadership in this town that you two have been able to keep your current jobs as long as you have.”

This situation threatened to escalate further but then Bill slid off his perch on the baggage cart and handed Patricia her bag. “Please don’t pay any attention to Betsy ma’am. She’s just mad at me today. I’ll do whatever you want. See, I really need my job and…”

“Then you know just what you should be busy doing, don’t you?” Patricia snarled as she smoothed a wrinkle from her expensive dark brown dress.

Bill’s face grew red as labored to move the overloaded baggage cart out of the way. The sight of this was a pleasing one to Patricia, she chucked her son-in-law under the chin to catch his attention. “You see that. These lower classes simply need someone of status to put them in their proper place. It’s the same thing with bankers.” Patrica began striding to the open door of the train station. “Watch closely, you may well learn something for a change.”

For a moment Simon seemed about to chase after her but then he thought better of it.

“Well. Aren’t you going to go in there and stop her?” Ruth said as she approached.

“Tryin’ ta stop yer mother when she gets goin would be like tryin ta stop a blizzard in January,” Simon grumbled with a voice full of frustration.

As if to underscore this point a round of shouting burst forth from within the station.

“At least you could go in there and try,” Ruth said as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Ruth. I’ve been tryin ta stop your mother ever since the day I met her.”

The storm of shouting escalated, striking fear into the hearts of all those within hearing distance.

“So you’re just going to stand there and let Mother ruin all our chances to keep the homestead?”

“Ruth you gotta trust me. I’m tryin as hard as I can fer ya. Maybe if you weren’t out spendin money on stuff like twenty dollar lace curtains we wouldn’t be standin here in the mess we’re in right now.”

Patricia stumbled from the station as the door slammed shut behind her. Undeterred by this rejection, she moved to the door and pounded her fist against the wood. “You aren’t going to get away with this!” She bellowed.

Her duty complete, she swiveled to face her daughter and son-in-law who were watching her with horror. “The nerve! They said if they had the right forms on hand they’d be happy to foreclose everything right now!”

“What the sam-hill did ya do in there woman?” Simon exclaimed as he moved to the doorway and began knocking on it.

Patricia waved her hand as if dismissing a wayward child. “Don’t bother. They said they were done for today. I think they just knew they were in over their heads and were trying to get me out of there.”

Ruth’s voice was pleading as the desperation of their situation became apparent.“Is it true? The bank is going to foreclose? We’re going to lose our home?”

“That’s what they said. But I won’t allow it! They have to come back tomorrow to finish the paperwork and I’ll be here waiting for them! Westbourne may have refused to help Gladstone…”

“Westbourne refused to help us?” Simon gave up knocking and moved back toward his mother-in-law. “How’s Gladstone ever supposed ta get outta debt and get movin forward?”

“That’s a very good question, isn’t it? Since Westbourne refused to help, the entire Gladstone town council has given up and resigned. Frankly, I would expect nothing less from the people in this town. Now, where is your wagon? I need to get out of here.”

“Good. That’s what we’ve been telling you all along,” Betsy interjected from her restful position on a nearby bench.

Patricia marched toward the impudent youngsters. “If you ask me. Losing your jobs will be just punishment for all the trouble you two have caused over the years.”

Bill jumped up from his seat. “Betsy, come along, let’s go.”

Patricia watched as Bill grabbed his sister’s arm and attempted to drag her away. “As far as I’m concerned, you two need to have your heads examined.”

“Go ahead and look but you won’t find anything,” Betsy sneered.

Patricia charged forward like an angry cow on branding day.

“Betsy. Quit it. Let’s go. We’ll unload all their luggage tomorrow!” Bill exclaimed as he broke into a run, struggling to drag his sister out of range of their enemy.

Ruth grabbed her mother’s hand in an attempt to stop her but found herself being dragged along as well. Simon lunged forward, grabbed his wife’s outstretched hand, and dug his heels into the station platform. It looked like a tug of war as Patricia raged, struggling to continue forward, shaking a fist at her young enemies. “Go on then. Runaway. Mark my words. I haven’t finished with you two yet either. ” Patricia abruptly changed her direction, marching back toward her son-in-law. “I asked you a question, Simon. Where is your wagon?”

“I’m afraid Ruth is gonna hafta drive ya back to our homestead. I gotta go out ta Woodside an bring the handcar back here to the station” As Ruth began to protest, Simon hurried onward in his explanation. “An after that, I still gotta find my father. I’m hopin if me an father can talk ta that banker tomorrow we can…”

Patricia grabbed her daughter’s arm and began escorting her away. “Don’t you worry Simon! I’ll deal with that banker tomorrow morning. You just go on and do whatever it is you you have to do.”

Simon scratched his head, wondering why he had ever thought that marriage was a good idea in the first place. All the while, his wife was being marched away from him.

“Mother, I think you should give Simon a chance, I mean he’s trying his best, and…”

“Bah! If that’s his best. I’d hate to see him at his worst! You should be thinking about how to get Simon back in line.”

As this scene was going on on the west side of the platform, Bill and Betsy were having their own discussion on the east side of it.

“Whew. I thought you were going get us fired.”

“So did I,” Betsy said in a cheerful tone.

Bill raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? You agreed with me?”

“Don’t get too excited. I am still your sister. I won’t let it happen too often.”

“I don’t doubt it. Anyway. I’ve gotta get going. I’m late already.”

“Wait! Where are you going? Can I come along?”

“No. But just you wait. If everything goes as I’ve planned it. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow morning. Ha. I can’t wait to see your face.” Bill was still chuckling as he escorted his sister around the eastern corner of the station.

Meanwhile, Patricia’s lecture of her foolish daughter was still going strong.

“You’ve obviously forgotten that you aren’t some common tramp from Gladstone! You are my daughter, only the finest dresses must grace your tender form, only the finest curtains must hang in your home.”

“Only the finest curtains? But Simon won’t…”

“Let there be no buts about it! Your husband must learn to do what you tell him to do! I tell you now after I finish with that banker tomorrow morning things are going to change around here.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of,” was all Ruth managed to get out before she was pulled off the western edge of the platform.

“Now. Where did you park that wagon?”

Left alone in the middle of the platform, Simon shook his head as if the clear it and then walked down the sidewalk toward the street.