Chapter One
Agnes Murphy watchedout the porthole as the steamboat docked in Skagway.She took a deep breath, a bit nervous, but she knew her friends had done this before she had, and they had all been happy.Now it was her turn to meet the man she’d spend the rest of her life with: Jasper Jones.
She’d corresponded with Jasper over the winter, but she hadn’t been able to force herself to commit until after Sally left.Sally was her closest friend, and not seeing her at work—or anywhere else—had been the last nudge she needed to finally say she was ready to be a mail-order bride in Alaska.
The trip had been long, and she knew she had another month ahead of her before she finally reached Yeti, the town her three friends, Sally, Maggie, and Belle, had all settled in.She reminded herself that courage wasn’t about never feeling fear but about facing that fear when the time came.And the time had come.
When she was finally off the boat, she stood looking around the crowded area, wondering which of the men there was Jasper.Would he be kind?He seemed so from his letters, but much could be hidden if they didn’t come face-to-face.Now she would soon know all about him.Would he be a good man?A good husband and father to any children that came along?
Finally, a tall man approached her, hat in hand.“Are you Agnes Murphy?”
“I am.Are you Jasper Jones?”
A smile lit up his face.“I am.It’s so good to finally meet you, Agnes.”
“And you,” she said, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth of its own volition.
“We have to walk a great distance every day, so if you don’t mind, we’ll marry quickly, and then be on our way.”
“That sounds good to me.”She wasn’t looking forward to the walk.She and the other waitresses and maids at the hotel had read the letters from Maggie and Belle aloud to each other.The letters had rekindled hopes and dreams that had long ago been forgotten.But the thought of the journey to Yeti was daunting.It took trains, boats, a long journey by foot, and then another boat.She only hoped this man was worth it.
He took her carpet bag and offered his arm, and together they walked toward a man who looked nothing like a preacher to Agnes.Jasper stopped in front of him.“This is Agnes Murphy.We’d like the quick wedding so we can be on our way before it gets too late.”
The preacher nodded.He went through a very basic wedding ceremony, and when he was finished, he invited Jasper to kiss her.Jasper brushed a kiss across her forehead, tucked her hand through his arm, and headed straight for a wooded area.
There was nothing truly remarkable about Skagway.It was more of a trading spot than anything else from what Agnes could see.They were away from the bustle within minutes, and he led her to a mule.“I’ll sell this once we get to Lake Bennett, and then someone else will go back the way we came,” he said, nodding to the mule.
“That sounds very practical,” she said.
“We’re going to only eat food that I brought with me so we can arrive home faster.My friend is milking my goat for me, and I need to get back to her and my work.”
Agnes nodded.“I understand the need for work.Do you enjoy your job as a lumberjack?”she asked as he took the lead for the mule and began leading it.
“I do.I came here to be a prospector, and I found a bit of gold, but not nearly enough for the work I was putting in.Working for Everett Thompson has been good.It’s steady work, and if I want to work extra hours, he gladly pays me for them.”
“What work is there for me?”she asked.
He frowned.“I know all your friends who are here work constantly, and you can do that, but only if you want to.I can support us.”
“I’m used to working.I don’t know what I’d do with all my free time if I didn’t do some kind of work.”
He nodded.“From the way I understand it, Mrs.Thompson hunts, Mrs.Hunter forages, and Mrs.Harlan grows crops.They share with one another, and they sell any excess to the general store in town, owned by the Johnsons.Then they split the profits.Mrs.Thompson and Mrs.Hunter also sell baked goods to the store.There are never enough baked goods, so if you enjoy baking, they’d probably let you in on their little money-making enterprise.”
“I do enjoy baking.I’ll talk to them and see how I fit in.I hope you won’t mind if I work.”
He shook his head.“Honestly, after the way your friends are, I expected it.And you all worked together at a restaurant?”
“Yes and no.We worked at a restaurant in a hotel.Sometimes we would fill in for maids, in the kitchen, wherever we were needed.I wasn’t sure I had the courage to join you until Sally left to come here.I missed her.”
“Well, you’ll see her in a few short weeks!”Jasper told her.
“It’s hard to believe you live in an area so isolated.Don’t you miss friends and family?”Agnes asked.
“I write my parents and receive letters from them often.We have a good relationship, but they live in Seattle, and I wasn’t fond of the city.I’ve made the best friends of my life in Yeti, so I’m not unhappy.It’s a good place to live.”
“Is there a church?”Agnes asked.She’d been raised to be a devout Christian, and she couldn’t imagine a world where she couldn’t worship.
“Of sorts.We don’t have a church building, but a group of us get together on Sunday mornings, sing a couple of hymns, and study a Bible passage together.There’s no preaching, but I’m learning more about the Bible than I ever did from some church.”
