The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck Page A

the hall to Father and Mother’s door and demand Father’s reason for keeping Daniel from her.< F/p>
    But she knew better. Father never responded to temper tantrums, especially at one thirty in the morning. He’d only tell her to behave herself, go to bed, and be ready to apologize in the morning, and if he felt the need, he might discuss the issue.
    Why concern herself with Father now? She had Daniel’s letters. Emily roused herself and took the first letter from the pile. She filed the remainder in the box.
    April 16, 1912
    Dearest Emily,
    It’s late and I need to get some shut-eye, but I couldn’t go to sleep without writing you.
    I said prayers for you, and me, tonight. I’ve only been gone a few days, but I’ve been thinking a lot about you and any future we may have together should the good Lord so smile on me.
    Believe me when I say I have you on my mind every day, even though I’m playing ball and seeming to have a good time with the fellas. I miss you terribly, Em.
    Playing ball is a lot of work for a few bucks, if you can imagine. Ole Moley works us hard. If we’re not playing, we’re practicing. He’s called for an early practice in the morning before we travel.
    Guess I can’t blame the guy. Scully pitched a no-hitter against the Atlanta Crackers tonight. Moley said we must keep the winning fires stoked.
    We sleep in run-down motels and even on the ball fields. It rained a week straight and we had to sleep in the jitney. Moley found a nice lady to rent us a room for a hot bath after we’d only washed in a pail for ten days. Don’t have to tell you how ripe we all smelt.
    What other news can I share? Sure wish I could hear from you so I could talk about your world a bit. Milton’s girlfriend wrote that she was engaged to another man. Poor worm. He moped around pretty good until we got to the ballpark and several pretties were waiting at the ticket booth. He forgot his old gal right quick.
    But don’t worry, Emily, my eyes are only for you. Say, when you write me, can you send along a new photograph? The one I had of you was destroyed when the jitney sank in a mud hole up to the chassis and we had to dig the old girl out. The roads in Tennessee aren’t as good as the slag roads in Birmingham.
    But you already know that, since your father financed the limestone mine that makes the slag.
    My birthday was yesterday. Did you remember? I hope you sent me a birthday greeting on the wind. I craved my mama’s cake. I remember the last one she made for my sixteenth birthday, right before she died.
    I’d say more if I knew what you were doing these days. Say hello to the folks there for me.
    Remember the first night we met in the campus library? My buddies were cutting up, not paying any mind to the rules, talking mischief. You shot fire at us with your dark eyes. I said to my roommate as we walked back to our dorm, “I’m going to marry that girl.” I meant it. I’ll spend all my life making you happy. If you want me.
    One final note, some of the boys and I attended church on Sunday. The preacher was a bit heavy on the hellfire and brimstone, but it got to Scully. He ran down to the altar when the call was made. For me, I just remembered why I love Him. And you.
    All my love and affection,
Daniel
    Emily folded the letter back into the envelope, not sure what or how to feel. Schoolboy folderol, most of it. Spend his life making her happy. Goodness. What a childish declaration. Daniel should know better since he’s a grown man.
    Stuffing the letter back in the box, Emily slammed the lid shut, her engagement ring pinging against the wood, and shoved the box under her bed, way back, against the wall.
    She was engaged. Why, she was practically stepping out on her intended, reading another man’s love letters. How could she be so untrue to Phillip mere hours after accepting his ring?
    Emily readied for bed, then sank to her knees, where she said her prayers every night. But instead of closing her eyes, she