LA FAMILLE Chapter 16 GETTING TO KNOW YOU



The Wagons Needed to be Unloaded
courtesy Photobucket.com

 

Jean2 was worthless as far him doing the job Jean wanted him to do.

All he could think of was getting married.  Elaina tried to talk some sense into him to no avail.  

Jean finally had to take him aside and tell him to take each girl and be alone her for a while and make sure he had a firm picture of her in his mind.  What he liked and disliked about each one.  

He told Jean2, "It is time to get the wagons back to St. Louis for the next load of goods for the post. While you are gone take time to consider thoughtfully and decide which girl you want, and if she would have you, then you could be married when you get back."

Jean2 reluctantly agreed but realized it was going to be hard to make up his mind for he still wanted them both.  His main argument was the Doctor has two wives.  

Jean told him that was an entirely different situation and besides from experience he knew one wife was all he could handle.  

The next morning by daylight Jean2 and his drivers were on their way and he was immersed in his thoughts about the two girls.  Every non-sensible idea came into his head about how he could have both girls like heading off into the unexplored area to the West.

 
By the time he got to St. Louis he was mentally worn out.  He gave the list for goods to the main driver and told him to load everything and get ready to start the trip back to the post.  

Jean had sent for one of his half brothers Phillip to come to the outpost for a job he had for him.  Phillip was at the St. Louis warehouse and was ready to head north.  He was the same age as Jean2 but by a different mother.  

Jean2 talked to him about the two girls he had to pick from and the difficulty he was having selecting one.  As far as he was concerned there was no difference between them.  

All this talk was getting Phillip interested in the girls, without even seeing them.  He figured that Jean2 didn’t know what a pretty girl was, and if he couldn’t decide which one he wanted maybe he should help him out.

He suggested that he should pick out one for himself and Jean2 could have the one that was left.  Jean2 was angry at that suggestion for Phillip had no interest in the matter as far as he was concerned.

Phillip thought that was funny but made sure he stopped short of blows with all the teasing.  As the outpost came into view Philip said don’t worry when you see the girls you’ll know who it should be.  

All this time the girls didn’t know about all of this bantering back and forth going on and they were being thought of as being desperate for a man.

As far as they were concerned it was up to them to decide if the were interested in Jean2 enough to have him as a husband.  

Before the wagon came into the gates to the outpost one of the girls Levine said, “You can have him.  I think I will look further for my man.”

Lesley the other girl said, “What makes you think I want him?”  Levine said, “I can see it in your eyes.  You got to have him, and besides it would be a good match.”

When the wagons arrived the guys were in need of a bath due to the three days dust and sweat on them.  

They went to one of the horse troughs and removed their shirts and proceeded to wash up.  Elise went over to where they were and gave them a towel to dry off with and the girls followed her over to them.

Elise began asking about the trip, and if they got everything on the list or not.  All the while the girls were looking the guys over.  Elise said for them and the other drivers to come over to the kitchen and eat.

Jean got a couple of the workmen to start unloading the wagons and said the drivers would join them when they had been fed.  

The girls were wearing some pretty dresses they had made and were looking very fresh to the men on the wagons, and there was some rather rude remarks being made to one another under their breath.

Phillip had his eye on Levine and was cozying up to her while Jean2 was watching him.  Elise saw this could lead to trouble so she said if you are finished eating you have wagons to unload.

She called Jean2 back and asked if he had decided which girl he liked best.

He said, “Yes.”

Elise said you had better get on with telling her how you feel for Phillip has a hungry look in his eyes and it doesn’t look like he is going to wait for you.

She then had a talk with the girls and said for them to cut out the flirting until things settled down.

They both said we weren’t doing anything.

Elise said I know all about not doing anything and I know it can lead to trouble so cut it out.

To be Continued