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Even if her father had fought against the North during the war.
Dancing Cloud was in deep thought now. He knew that he could do nothing about protecting his pride while he was among the white community. He was one man against a whole city. One false move on his part and they would have a reason to imprison him. Until he left Mattoon he must walk lightly and speak carefully.
The important thing, above defending his pride and proud name of Cherokee, was to return to his people, to lead them.
“We shall leave on the morrow,” he blurted out. “When the sun rises along the horizon we shall already be gone from this city.”
Although it came as no surprise to Lauralee that he made this quick decision, she was taken aback by the actual suddenness of it. “Tomorrow?” she murmured, thinking about her aunt and uncle.
In truth, she hated having to say a goodbye not only to her aunt Nancy and uncle Abner, but all that they offered her. They lived a grand life in Mattoon. Had she decided to stay, she would have been part of that life and finally be accepted in the eyes of the community as someone with something more than the title of “orphan.”
She reminded herself that by leaving them she would have even more than all of those things put together.
Dancing Cloud. He was more to her than the sky, stars, and heavens! So she could most certainly do without the menial things that she at one time thought were most important to a person.
And she would cast aside her title of “orphan” while around his people. She would live each day to the fullest with her beloved Cherokee and only hope that the hurt that she may have inflicted on the Petersons might be replaced by something else their wealth could bring into their lives. They had gotten along quite well before she had come along. They would most certainly get along without her.
“The time has come for me to return to my people and for me to mourn for my father with them,” Dancing Cloud said thickly. “I would leave now except that this one more day of building my strength will gu
arantee that I am bodily able to take the long journey to my mountain.”
Lauralee pointed the way. She led Dancing Cloud past Brian’s Place Saloon, then down Western Avenue.
They rode past the magnificent Trinity Episcopal Church, then onward, past the lovely houses that lined Western Avenue.
They traveled at a leisurely pace until the houses lessened along the street. Lauralee motioned for Dancing Cloud to turn left and urged him to stop the horse and buggy at the corner of Western Avenue and 32nd Street.
As she stared up at the tall elm, she recalled the many stories that her father had told her about the “Lone Elm” in Mattoon, Illinois. She repeated the tale to Dancing Cloud.
She said that her father had told her that this tree had served the traveling pioneers well, not only as a landmark, but as a symbol of the strength and self-sufficiency of the many families crossing the prairie who stopped to rest in its shade.
As the elm had grown in size it was a memorable sight, standing alone in the midst of tall, waving blue stem grass.
After telling Dancing Cloud about the Lone Elm, they rode onward down 32nd Street and past several smaller houses. They stopped at a railroad track and waited for a “ballooning” smokestacked locomotive to go past.
They continued for only a few feet past the tracks when Lauralee motioned for Dancing Cloud to make a right on a small dirt road. They rode toward a great white fenced-in pasture in which several beautiful horses grazed and pranced. She had heard her uncle refer to this place as “The Stables,” where prized show horses were kept and sired.
Recalling her love of the Clydesdales in St. Louis, she wanted to see these horses up close so that she could pet them.
“There,” Lauralee said, pointing to the horses. “Let’s ride over there, Dancing Cloud. Oh, but I do love horses.”
Dancing Cloud’s own love of horses caused his eyes to search through those that were grazing amid an abundance of tall, green grass. His heart skipped a beat when his gaze locked on one horse in particular.
It was a white stallion with a flowing mane, handsome tail, and bold, dark eyes.
As he grew a tight rein beside the fence the horse’s eyes locked with his and there was an immediate bonding.
“I have never seen such a magnificent steed,” he said. He stepped from the buggy as Lauralee slipped down from the seat on the other side. He tied the reins, then walked with Lauralee to the fence.
The horse came to Dancing Cloud as though a silent bidding had sent him there. He thrust his nose through the slats in the fence and nuzzled Dancing Cloud’s hand as he offered it to him.
Lauralee’s heart melted at the sight of the horse and Dancing Cloud’s bonding. She immediately knew that Dancing Cloud must have the horse, but she would not speak that aloud to him. She knew that he had no money for which to buy it, nor did he have anything to trade for it—except perhaps his own horse?
Then she cast that thought aside. Although his horse was beautiful and obedient to Dancing Cloud, to someone else who knew horseflesh well might think it was trivial. Most certainly his horse did not compare with this white stallion and no equal exchange could be possibly made.
She smiled to herself. She would use some of her inheritance money to purchase the handsome steed as a special gift for Dancing Cloud.
Her uncle! she thought. Just perhaps he might help her with this surprise. He was surely quite skilled at making purchases. She could give him the money. He could come and buy this horse for her while she was with Dancing Cloud elsewhere. Oh, how surprised Dancing Cloud would be if she presented this horse to him before they began their journey to his Great Smoky Mountains!
