Sixteen
“Shouldn’t we be getting him up? Baccalaureate is in three hours, and I do not care to be tardy. You, especially, simply cannot be.”
“Aunt Ella, John won’t be joining us.”
“And why not, for heaven’s sake?”
“John has not been a church-goer the last few years, and it is pointless to insist. His soul is finding other paths to heaven, I suppose.”
Ella’s eyebrows shot up. She grunted, then marched into the kitchen.
Orval and Jay had arisen before dawn to prepare a breakfast, laid out for the ladies. A sliced apple, biscuits, butter, jam, bacon. There was a note on the table.
“Please enjoy the little snack. Father and I are off to paint a house, a job Father learned about late last night. Mr. Albright fell ill yesterday, and Mr. Ready came by to see if Father could do it. Seeing me, he said he would pay us both, knowing that we will be less expensive than Albright. Sorry we will miss the services this morning, but of course, we will not miss tomorrow, no matter how much they offer to pay!” Jennie put the note down.
“Well, Auntie, it will be just the two of us.”
“In a way, I am relieved. This will allow us to arrive early at the—was it at Rothwell gymnasium? I expect all will be in church on Sunday, anyway.”
“No, Auntie, this year, the services are at several of the churches. As the university is a public institution, students go to the denomination they are associated with. The Methodist Church will likely have the most students. If it is too crowded, people might be turned away or invited to sit outside.”
“Oh, my heavens! Let us depart soon and reserve our seats!”
Ella ate most of the bacon before she realized Jennie did not yet have a slice.
“Here, Jennie, I am sorry I wasn’t thinking.”
“Auntie, a half slice is all I can bear. As it is, I am having trouble eating a piece of apple.”
“Nervous?”
Of course not. Not about the ceremony, anyway…
“No, Auntie.”
Ella raised an eyebrow, expecting more detail which did not come.
An hour later, John was up and dressed, knocking on the ladies’ bedroom door.
“Your escort awaits, ladies!”
The two women looked at each other in amazement. Jennie opened the door, as both were presentable.
“Why, John! We thought you were sleeping the morning away. What a wonderful surprise!”
As the three exited, John explained he promised his father and brother he would accompany the ladies. He was only pretending to sleep, but got ready when the ladies went to the bedchamber. John grinned at the thought he had completely taken them unawares.
John left them off in front of the Methodist Church, an imposing structure. “I will be back to gather you a little around noon. I’ll circle the block or wait down the street until I see people leaving the church.”
“But John, I thought you were coming with us!” Aunt Ella seemed annoyed.
“My promise was to take you here. I never said I would stay.” Jennie shrugged. She knew John to be a man of his word, but words could be slippery. She found it easier to think of her brother as entertaining rather than as a constant disappointment. John seemed so like his father, and she hoped for him a different path.
Jennie touched Aunt Ella’s arm.
“Auntie, I must first go over to the tent over there to collect my cap and gown. We will be wearing them today as well as tomorrow.”
“Well, I hope they have ironed them properly. And…what will you do if your gown doesn’t fit?”
Jennie sighed. Her aunt was such a worrier.
“Aunt Ella, we had our fittings over a month ago. There are different sizes, of course, so very little tailoring was needed. They fit loosely over our clothing.”
Ten minutes later, Jennie reappeared, and the two entered the chapel. Ella noticed that there was a large reserved section in the middle for the graduates, with the remainder of the sanctuary open for guests. But Jennie proceeded with Ella to a pew they found acceptable. They had come early enough to feel secure they had one of the best seats.
“This sanctuary is enormous!” Though Ella had been in many Methodist churches, the one in Columbia was much more capacious than all the others.
“Well, Auntie, it is already bursting on Sundays. They will need to build a new one or add on to this one quite soon. This one seats five hundred, but they need at least double that.”
Jennie closed her eyes in a silent meditation. The ladies arrived well before the start of the services, and Jennie did not wish to engage in conversation. And, besides, she was weary.
Perhaps fifteen minutes passed before a gentleman escorted an older lady to a seat across the aisle from them.
“Miss Stark, we meet again.”
Victor Hornback stood close enough to address them without shouting, an older woman beside him.
“This is my mother Mrs. Hornback; Mother, this is Miss Jennie Stark and…I’m sorry, I do not know your name.”
“This is my Aunt Ella Stark, here from near Laclede. My grandfather’s farm.”
Mrs. Hornback stepped across the aisle to greet them. “Miss Ella, we had the pleasure of meeting you at the Methodist conference meeting on temperance last year. In Brookfield.”
“Oh yes! I remember that meeting very well. I knew you looked familiar to me, but I could not quite place it. Would the two of you care to join us?”
“Mother, that is a wonderful idea. I will escort Miss Jennie to our place with the other graduates, and afterward, we will all join up again.”
Jennie had intended to remain with her aunt but was relieved to not leave her unattended while she sat
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| Victor Hornback Class of 1913 |
with her classmates. Was it providential Victor was there, speaking to her? Taking her hand to help her to the reserved area?
“Miss Stark, I understand we are not required to sit in alphabetical order this morning. Tomorrow, for the graduation ceremonies, we will. I did not think to ask anyone before, but is the College of Arts and Science planning a separate ceremony? I have not heard anything from my College of Agriculture. I think we all sit together.”
“I believe that to be true, Mr. Hornback, although I understand that Law and Medicine and Engineering, and oh, Journalism, will have additional ceremonies afterward. Is Agriculture doing that, too? Arts and Science is not. But we have a reception on the quadrangle. Under a tent, I believe.”
“That is the same for us, Miss Stark. Are you meeting anyone for the services? If not, I would be honored if you would join me. Perhaps over here,” he remarked, indicating the middle of a pew.
“I… I was not in fact, because I had intended to sit with my aunt, protocol notwithstanding.”
Victor chuckled. “I have always thought of you as quite the independent sprite. Not giving a wit what others think.”
Sprite? Is that what he thinks of me? Oh… he might be flirting. Is that possible?
“Well, Miss Stark, you are in excellent company. I do not care, either. It helps you to go forward in life, accomplishing what you can. By the way,” he added, “what are your plans after graduation? I rather imagine you have planned out the next five years of your life.” He blushed. “That did not sound right. Please accept my apologies. It is just that I see you as someone who has goals and who will see to it those are accomplished in short order. I admire you for that.”
It was Jennie’s turn to grow red. She looked down at her white cotton-gloved hands. The gloves had seed pearls descending the outer sides. They were one of the gifts Aunt Ella brought her. These came from her Grandmother Gardner, sent with a lovely note.
She glanced up at Victor. She had never been this close to him—not after eight years of knowing him—and found herself struck mute. A long sigh escaped her as Victor smiled down. “I have waited years to be near you,” he murmured.
Jennie suddenly jerked her head, snapping out of her reverie. Had she been dreaming long? She hoped she had fallen asleep completely, as she was known to snore.
Oh, if only all of that had occurred—meeting Victor and his mother, sitting with him, hearing him say… But no, it was her imagination taking flight once again. Sometimes, her reveries were so realistic, she had a difficult time sorting them from actual events.
Jennie remained next to her aunt as others filed in. As it became more and more obvious that all the graduates were sitting together and none were remaining with guests, Aunt Ella urged her niece to join them.
“I shall be fine. I saw you waving at that girl down there. Why don’t you sit near her?”
Jennie arose, gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek, and strode to the reserved center section, near the back. She arranged her gown neatly about her seat, then heard a voice behind her.
“Miss Stark? I wonder if I might join you.”
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