The Land(90)

“Well, just so happens I was doing some business with the family of the young lady you proposed to. Her daddy told me.”

Mitchell shook his head and let out an embarrassed laugh. “Who’d’ve figured, huh? Me? Fella wasn’t never gonna get tied down.”

I smiled at his predicament.

He became suddenly serious. “But this one, Paul, she special.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ve met her.”

“Did?”

“Met her whole family. Her daddy came in one day up to Luke Sawyer’s place wanting me to make a rocker for her mama, and I met the young lady then. She’s a fine young woman.”

“Ain’t she, though?” Mitchell grinned at his good fortune. “I first seen her back last summer when she come t’ the camp with her mama selling pies, but I ain’t started ’changing many words wit’ her ’til the spring.” He laughed. “I s’pose she kinda scairt me!”

“Is that why you went off?”

“Ain’t ya heard? My daddy was low sick.”

“Uh-huh.”

Mitchell laughed again. “Ya right, Paul. I was tryin’ t’ get her off my mind. She’s young, but she’s sure got a woman’s hold on me. I figured t’ take up my time with somebody else and put some distance between us, but it ain’t helped. All I could think ’bout was her.” He looked at me a bit sheepishly as he confessed that. Then he said, “So, ya seen her, huh? Ain’t she somethin’?”

I nodded and was honest with my friend. “I was on the verge of asking her daddy if I could court her myself when he went and told me she was spoken for.”

“That a fact?”

“It’s a fact, all right. I reckon I was just too slow getting up my nerve to try and court her.”

“Reckon you was,” said Mitchell; then he hesitated. “You liked her that much, huh? I got reason t’ worry?” Mitchell studied me close, no longer laughing. “You got any problem ’bout me and her? You do, you tell me now.”

I shook my head. “You spoke for her. She accepted. Whatever feelings I had, or I’ve got, I’m letting them go. I’ve got no part in it now, except as your friend.” I said that, and I meant what I said, though I was feeling a hurt I’d never felt before.

Mitchell looked at me long, accepted my words, and sighed. “Who’d’ve thought it, Paul? Me, with a fine young lady like that? I don’t know if her daddy care much for me, but I promised him he got no cause to doubt me. I’m gonna take care of Caroline. I’m gonna take care of her fine.”

“I expect you will,” I said. “Especially if you’ve got yourself twenty acres of good farmland.”

Mitchell let go a raucous laugh. “You really tryin’ t’ get me ’bout this thing, ain’t ya?”

“You going to turn me down?”

Mitchell was silent. “You know I done had my share of the womenfolks, Paul, and you know jus’ ’xactly where I come from and where I been, so I ’spect you know what I mean when I say Caroline Perry the best thing ever come into my life.” He looked at me, and I answered him with a nod.

“You just make sure you take care of her,” I said. “She’s too fine to be thrown away.”

“Don’t worry,” said Mitchell. “I know that. I know you’ve seen how I’ve done before, but you can believe this, Paul. I won’t ever do that t’ Caroline.”

I accepted my friend’s words and went on. “So, what about the land? Are you going to work it with me?”

“Wouldn’t be able to work it with you for another few weeks. I’m flat broke and I need me some cash money from this camp. Soon as I leave from here, I’m even plannin’ on sellin’ my gun t’ put some money in my pocket.”

“But you’ll come in with me on this?”

Mitchell grunted. “You asked me and I need it.” He extended his hand. “You’re a true brother to me, Paul. Always done been.”

I took Mitchell’s hand. “And you know, you’re more a brother to me than any of my blood.” We shook hands, and the deal was sealed. That night I wrote out the terms of our agreement even though Mitchell didn’t want any part of any written paper. We had shaken hands on the deal, and that was enough for him. But I figured it was the fair thing to do, for if anything happened to me before our two years were up and there was any question about the forty, Mitchell would need some written word about our agreement. I wrote it and signed it, and against his objections, Mitchell signed it too.