Giant Steps Page 18

  “That was a few years before my time, but I think we beat you,” Nick said.

  Vincent replied, “There is always next year.”

  Bernie exchanged pleased glances with Aunt Rose. Nobody seemed distressed when Vincent needed help buttering his roll and accidentally stuck his fingers in his mashed potatoes.

  After the meal, Bernie could not have been more pleased when Nick asked Vincent if he would like to go outside, despite the cold early spring night, and sit on the front porch. She would have given anything to go out with them and listen to their conversation. She started to follow them, but Mother looked at her with that old familiar warning expression that needed no words. Even Aunt Rose held Bernie’s arm and shook her head. “I think maybe those two have things to talk about that might not be said if they thought anyone else was listening.”

  Bernie knew that Mother and Aunt Rose were right. After all she had invited Vincent so that he could get acquainted with Nick. So, she stayed inside to help clear the table and do the dishes. Papa went into the parlor. Now that the war was over, newspapers were allowed in the house once again.

  American women continued to fight for suffrage throughout World War I and after the final armistice in 1918. (Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Records of the National Woman’s Party)

  Back in the kitchen, Mother sighed and laughed, “Women’s work. Will it ever change?”

  “It will if Bernie and I have anything to do about it,” Aunt Rose replied.

  Mother looked thoughtful. “I suppose you and the Lafayette Franchise League are back at work now that the war is over.”

  “We never stopped. We’re trying to get an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We can always use more help,” Aunt Rose said, looking squarely in Mother’s direction.

  “I’ll give it some thought,” Mother smiled as she answered.

  22

  May 1920

  Surprises

  Bernie and Lizzie walked through the halls of the high school on their way to the principal’s office. Neither of them spoke. Bernie’s mouth was so dry that she could not have uttered a word even if she had tried. She supposed that Lizzie was every bit as nervous as she was. This was the day that both of them had looked forward to all year—and yet dreaded. With graduation only weeks away, this was the day that the senior class standings would be posted. “You go first,” Bernie said to Lizzie.

  Lizzie hesitated, squared her shoulders and stepped forward. She stood looking at the list for a few moments and did not say a word when she turned back to face Bernie.

  Bernie swallowed hard and then walked to the bulletin board. There at the top of the list was the name of the person who had the best grades for the past four years of school. This was the person who would be the class valedictorian. Bernie stared at the list with disbelief. The first name was Elizabeth C. Mifflin. Lizzie had won. She would make the main speech, as Alice had done a few years earlier. Lizzie, not Bernie, would stand up on stage in front of everyone to be honored.

  Bernie’s eyes moved down to the second place. When she saw the name listed there she felt sick to her stomach. She covered her mouth with her hand. It was not her name on that line. Bernice R. Epperson was listed at number three. She could barely force herself to turn around and look at her cousin. She knew what words she needed to say, but how could she say them? She remembered how Lizzie had reacted when the winner of the Lafayette Franchise League Essay Contest had been announced a few years before. Lizzie had seemed genuinely glad for Bernie, even though she had wanted to win. This kind of generosity was one of the things that Bernie loved so much about her cousin.

  Bernie moved toward Lizzie and hugged her. She started to say, “Congratulations.” But before she could say a word, Lizzie burst out with, “Oh, Bernie. I’m so sorry. I can’t bear for you to be disappointed. I’m sure you could make a much better speech than I’ll be able to do.”

  Swallowing her pride, Bernie replied, “No, truly—I’m so happy for you, Lizzie. You’re going to do fine. I know your speech will make us all proud. And, it will be something for Peggy and Susie to live up to.”

  The principal had stepped out of his office to witness the scene. “I’m glad to see that you two girls are still friends.”

  “We always have been,” Bernie said. “Besides, we’re cousins, so we’ve kept the honor in the family.”

  The principal continued, “I just want you to know that this was the closest the scores have ever been. The top three students were within a few grade points of each other. All three of you are to be congratulated.”

  Bernie and Lizzie’s graduation outfits would have looked similar to the ones worn in this photograph of a high school graduating class of 1918 in Marion, Indiana. Education had recently undergone extensive reforms in Indiana and across the United States. In 1910 high school graduation rates were around 10 percent. By 1920, when Bernie graduated, the graduation rate had doubled. Statistically, women had higher graduation rates than men at this time, which is evident in the photograph. (Indiana Historical Society Collections)

  It was cold comfort, but Bernie knew she would have to learn to live with it. She could do her crying at home tonight. When she told Vincent about Lizzie winning the prize she had wanted so badly, he answered, “Yes, you feel bad about this right now, but in a strange way setbacks can make you stronger.”

  At first her feelings were bruised by his seeming dismissal of her disappointment. But, after she thought about it a little while, she realized how foolish and shallow she must seem to let something like that get her down. Vincent had faced a lot worse than she had. In fact, a lot of the people she met at the Soldiers’ Home had shown her what real courage was.

  Bernie had been so happy to have both of her brothers safely home and the war over, but things were no longer the same as they had been before the war. Strange, how when she was younger she used to think that she would give anything not to be teased by Ben and Nick. Now she missed it. She would have preferred the teasing banter in place of the sense of uneasiness in the air. She didn’t know what to do about it.

  Nick had been quiet and uncommunicative since he came home from the war. Mother worried about his leg. She warned him not to overdo it on the long walks he took with Vincent and Sheppie. Nick snapped that the doctor had said he needed to exercise his leg so that it did not stiffen up.

  Ben made no secret that he was unhappy working at the store. He wanted to be anywhere else but at Epperson’s Emporium. That made Papa unhappy. When Papa was unhappy, Mother was unhappy. That made everyone unhappy.

  Talking about this with Vincent had shown Bernie that there was no wishing things were the way they used to be. It was better to look forward and not back. He had said, “When I’m upset, I just try to get busy doing something.”

  Apparently, Vincent had taught them all a lot of things. One day after Nick returned from a long walk with Vincent, he and Ben drove their new friend back to the Soldiers’ Home. They were gone for an unusually long time and arrived home late for supper. Mother had been pacing between the table and the window, fussing about how the food was getting cold. When they came in at last and took their places, they each muttered a brief, “Sorry.” Nothing else was said except the quick blessing of the food. They were too old to be scolded now, but Papa’s demeanor made it clear how he felt.

  At the end of a very silent meal, Nick announced, “I have something to tell you.”

  Bernie felt the tension growing in the room. She had noticed Nick and Ben exchanging furtive glances.

  Nick continued, “As a matter of fact, both Ben and I have something to tell you.”

  Everyone stopped eating and looked from boy to boy—or rather, from young man to young man.

  Nick said, “I have decided that I would like to go back to school. I’ve always been good at mathematics. I want to take a few classes and then work at the store with you
, Papa.”

  Papa was obviously surprised by this announcement.

  Nick continued, “Then, if it works out for both of us, we can repaint the store sign to say “Epperson and Son” again—like it was when you worked for your father.”

  It took a while for Papa to take this in.

  The second part of the announcement was even more of a shock. Nick looked at Ben, who said, “Go ahead. Tell the rest of it.” With Ben’s encouragement, Nick continued, “Ben and I have talked this out. When I go to work at the store, this will allow Ben to do what he has always wanted to do. He can go west with his camera.”

  Papa started to interrupt, but Mother reached over and put a calming hand on Papa’s arm. She looked at Papa and nodded slightly. She hadn’t said a word, but it was enough for Papa to realize that he was outnumbered.

  General stores of the early twentieth century were somewhat similar to the big box stores of today. They carried a variety of goods such as clothing, fabric, and linens. Unlike today, stores were not self-serve. Instead a customer was always assisted by an employee. Bernie’s father’s store, Epperson’s Emporium, may have looked similar to this midwestern clothing and dry goods store, ca. 1910–1919. (Collections of Stevens County Historical Society of Morris, Mn)

  Bernie could not help but wonder if Papa remembered Aunt Rose and her lost opportunity to go west with the man she loved. Did he also remember how he had stood up to his own father when he wanted to marry Mother? Bernie thought it must be very difficult to allow your children to make their own choices.

  Papa sat quietly. The longer he sat the more his tired face began to relax. Before the table was cleared, Papa managed to look happy. He and Nick began to talk about what duties Nick would take over at the store. Papa even asked Ben if he had made any travel arrangements.

  A strange feeling of peace seemed to settle over the family. Things certainly weren’t as they had been before the war, and Bernie now knew that they could never go back—too much had happened. But she smiled as she watched her father and her two brothers talking earnestly together—as men. It felt good to see them making plans. Maybe change was not such a bad thing after all.

  23

  August 18, 1920

  Stepping Out

  There was to be a picnic to celebrate Bernie’s eighteenth birthday, so the Epperson family piled into the car and headed for the Mifflin farm. As Papa turned onto the long lane that went to the farm they saw a bizarre sight ahead of them. Alice was galloping along like a young colt, her red curly mane flying loose in the breeze.

  “Won’t that girl ever grow up and act like a lady?” Papa snorted.

  Ben laughed, “What would be the point of that? Alice acting like a lady wouldn’t be Alice.”

  As they drew nearer they could see that she was running alongside a young man who was pushing a wheelbarrow. In the wheelbarrow were two children hanging on for dear life and shrieking happily at the top of their lungs. Alice’s three younger sisters followed closely behind, laughing as they ran.

  “Whoever is that?” Papa asked.

  “I think those are Emily Kennedy’s children. You know, Jack’s sister,” Mother said. “Lolly has taken them under her wing again.”

  “But who is that pushing the wheelbarrow?” Papa insisted.

  An eerie feeling crept along Bernie’s spine, as she stared at the back of the young man. She remembered vividly that day, near the end of the war, when Nick had returned home unexpectedly. For a moment she had a wild fantasy that Jack had come home. What if the past couple of years had been a horrible dream or a mistake? Maybe Jack hadn’t died in France.

  As the Hupmobile drew nearer, Papa honked the horn with a loud ca-doo-gah sound. The young man stopped and stood at the side of the roadway. He turned and waved at them as they went past.

  Of course, it wasn’t Jack, but Bernie was shaken by the thought. As they passed him on her side of the car, she couldn’t help but notice his eyes. They were the most astonishing deep-blue color she had ever seen. She put one hand to her chest. She felt the cobalt blue bead on the fishing line that she wore beneath her blouse, where no one would see it.

  “I don’t think we know that young man,” Mother said.

  “Well, I’ve seen him somewhere,” Nick said. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Probably Alice’s latest beau,” Ben suggested.

  As soon as Papa stopped the Hupmobile in front of the farmhouse, Lizzie and her younger sisters ran toward them and jumped up on the running boards, making it impossible for anyone to open the car doors and get out. Lizzie, who still couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it, was bubbling over, anxious to share everything she knew.

  With her audience trapped inside the car, Lizzie burst out, “Oh, Bernie, you will never believe what happened! It was so exciting. Yesterday afternoon we heard an airplane pass over our house. It was flying quite low. We all ran out to wave. Then we heard the plane’s engine begin to sputter and cough. There were little puffs of smoke coming out of the engine.”

  By this time, Susie and Peggy had joined in the conversation.

  “We were sure it was going to crash,” said Susie.

  “Father ran to get our auto, and we followed it,” Peggy continued.

  “The plane landed in the meadow just beyond the pond,” Susie said.

  “The pilot climbed out,” said Lizzie. “And, he’s been here ever since.”

  Nick, who had been listening intently, replied, “Now I know where I’ve seen him. There are posters up all over town with his picture on them. He’s a barnstormer.”

  “What in the world is that?” Mother asked.

  Nick described how these men, who had been pilots during the war, were now traveling all over the country giving demonstrations of fancy flying. They flew upside down, made loops, barrel rolls, and more. “Barnstormers,” he said, “come to small towns alone or in small troops and offer locals a chance to fly with them for a fee.”

  Lizzie interjected, “Well, my father could hardly wait to get his hands on that plane to find out what was wrong with it. He and Philip, that’s the pilot’s name, tinkered with the engine until Mama made them both come inside for dinner. They gobbled their food and went right back out until dark when they couldn’t see to work anymore. Father is in seventh heaven to have an airplane to work on.”

  Barnstorming became popular after World War I when pilots from the war returned home and wanted to continue flying to make a living. Many were able to buy planes inexpensively because the federal government was selling its surplus Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplanes for as little as $200. Barnstormers were either individual pilots or troops of pilots that came into small rural towns, putting on daredevil aerial shows and giving rides for a fee. (Martin’s Photo Shop Collection, Indiana Historical Society)

  Susie said, “Mama told Philip he must stay with us because we have plenty of room. You know how Mama is.”

  They all nodded. Papa muttered under his breath, “Haven’t I always said she takes in every stray that shows up on her doorstep. Now she has one that dropped out of the sky.”

  By this time, Alice and Philip had made their way to the Epperson automobile.

  “This is Philip Fairfield,” Alice announced.

  He reached out to shake hands with Papa, Ben, and Nick. He took off his cap and nodded politely toward Mother and said, “Pleased to meet you, Ma’am.”

  Susie and Peggy jumped from the auto’s running board and buzzed about Philip like honey bees in spring flowers. To Bernie’s surprise Philip opened the car door on her side and offered his arm to help her down. Once again she looked into those hypnotic blue eyes and her cheeks grew embarrassingly warm. She tried to pull away, but he held on for a few seconds and said, “This must be the birthday girl.”

  Then he turned from her and lifted little Mazie Kennedy from the wheelbarrow. She clung to
him. No amount of coaxing could pry her away. He hoisted her brother, Georgie, onto his broad shoulders and walked to where a long trestle table sat beneath the shady maples near the farmhouse. Bernie watched while Mazie climbed up on a chair and insisted that Philip sit next to her. As he sat down, Philip put Georgie down on his other side.

  “Guest of honor at the end of the table,” Aunt Lolly directed Bernie, and everyone else began to take their places. After the prayer, the family passed around heaps of food in large bowls and platters. Bernie tried to busy herself with these, but occasionally she glanced up to sneak another look at the fascinating guest. Each time she did, she saw that he was looking back at her.

  After they ate, Mother suggested that Bernie open her presents before cutting the cake. “I think we need time for our food to settle.”

  Everyone agreed. They moved the dishes away from Bernie and brought their gifts, forming a tall stack on the table in front of her. There were so many that she could not even see over them.

  “Now, this is a welcome surprise,” Nick said. “Ben and I have been trying for years to make our little sister disappear.”

  Bernie stood up hurriedly so that she could see all of them gathered around the table. “You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you?” As she said this she looked fondly at Nick, who was displaying a boyish grin that no one had seen in a long time. She didn’t mind hearing a good-natured gibe from him. In fact, she welcomed it and any other indication that her brother was finally making his way back from the dark place where he had been for so long.

  “Open our present first,” called little Mazie. “Mother made it especially for you.”