A Home At Last chapter 2

Abby, sat staring at the ad. Would that be an answer to her prediciment? "Oh, Abby,get that thought out of your head. What ever made me even consider it?" she said to herself. "That would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Yet she wondered what kind of man he could be and why was he advertising for a wife? "He must be a very ugly man who can't find one any other way." "On the other hand, maybe

he had lost a wife and had seven children to care for, like in the Sound of Music." Now that was something very interesting. Abby

loved children.



Abby was getting hungry. She hadn't eaten very much at lunch before she left the prison. She had been too excited and in a hurry to get out of there. She rumaged in her purse and found a comb and some lipstick to freshen up a bit. She also decided to count her meager supply of money. She would have to be very careful not to spend too much. She took her purse and went down the stirs and outside to find a restaurant or cafe. She saw a small cafe a few doors down from the hotel. She hoped that it would not be too expensive. Maybe they would need a waitress. She would ask them while she was eating her meal. She went into the cafe. It was rather dark inside with dark paneling. There was a counter with stools in front of it and a few tables. She sat down at one of the tables and the waitress came with a glass of water. "What'll you have Miss? Our special is beef and noodles, green beans and a roll."

"I think I will have a hamburger and fries.""Hamburger and fries it is." She hurried off to give the order. When she returned with the food, Abby asked,"I wonder if you could tell me if there

Is any chance that they are hiring any more waitresses or dishwashers here?"

"I'm afraid not Things are pretty tight and I am lucky to have this job. I just hope every day that they will keep me."

"Well thank you any way." Abby was disapointed. She really needed to find a job and prices had shot up alot in ten years. She would have to stay at that hotel again and to her it cost a fortune, due to her finances. While she waited she noticed that a newspaper was lying on the next table. No one was seated there,so they must have left it there. She went over and picked it up. With trembling hands She turned to the want ads and looked some more. There was that ad again. Wife wanted: It was the same guy,but in this paper there was a phone number. She looked in her purse for a pencil and paper. She quickly wrote it down and put it in her purse. The waitres returned with her bill. It was much more expensive than she had been used to,ten years ago.

As Abby walked back to the hotel, she decided that she would call that number and find out what the deal was. There was a pay phone just up the street in front of a store. With shaking hands she dialed the number. A man answered the phone.

"North west mounted police" "May I help you?"

"Yes'" Abby replied. "I saw an ad in the paper and it said to call this number." She was shaking, North West Mounted police.What have I done now she wondered. Should she just hang up or should she ask for this Travis Wills.

"Who would you like to speak to?" the man asked.

"The ad said to ask for Travis Wills." Abby answered.

"Oh, that ad" the man said. Well miss,you are the first one to answer it. He is out on call at this time. If you will give me your name, address and telephone number I will relay the message to him. Abby wondered if she should give him her name. He was a policeman and he could find out just about anything about her if he wanted to. What if he found out that she had been in prison? Maybe he would think that she wanted to get money from him or who knows what he would think. But, he was in Canada and she was in The United States. She was afraid,yet she was desperate. Hesitantly she gave her name,

"My name is ,Abby Jones." She had been given that name when she was brought to the orphanage. I am staying at the Madison hotel. She gave the phone number of the hotel. Just ask the desk clerk to get me" She was half afraid that he would call and half afraid that he wouldn't call. What a delema.

"Ok Miss" I will give him the information. He should be back

this evening."

"Thank You," Abby replied and hung up fast. She walked back to the hotel and up the stirs to her room.

"What if he does call and what shall I say to him she worried."

She was pretty tired so she laid down on the bed to rest a bit.

"Well he probably won't call" she told herself. She had fallen asleep for a while when all of a sudden there was a sharp knock on the door.

"Who is it?" she said sleepily as she sat up on the bed.

"The desk clerk" he answered. "There is a telephone call for you."

"Oh, all right, I will be right there." Abby answered. "It must be him." from the fear mode she went to the panic mode. She opened the door and went down the stairs to the telephone.

"Hello, this is Abby Jones"

"Hello, Miss Jones, this is Travis Wills." "I beleive that you answered my ad." He had a wonderful deep voice.

"Yes," Abby answered. This was very ackward. "I was wondering what you meant by advertising for a wife?" If it was for

some one to look after your children or what?"

"I do not have any children" he answered rather curtly. What I need is some one to clean my house and cook an occasional meal." " Out here if you have a woman in the house, you better be married to her." he explained. We will be married by proxy and you will come here and take care of my house. It will be a marriage of convenience. You need not worry about me as I am gone on assignments most of the time. There are two bed rooms so you will have your own room. I will provide everything for you, and give you some money to spend. When people come over I expect you to act like a wife and dress in an appropriate manner." He sounded very arrogent.

"He did say that he would provide for her." That was the main thing she needed now. She thought for a moment and then took the plunge.

"All right, That sounds fine to me. I will do the very best I can. When do we have this marriage by proxy?"

"I have that all worked out. A friend of mine there in the States will stand in for me. It will take place tomorrow after noon at two oclock. He will come by and escort you to the justice of peace office, where you will be married to me. He will then take you to the airport where you will be flown to Toronto. Another friend of mine will meet you at the airport and take you to my cabin. I'm afraid I have to go on an assignment so he will help you get settled in. I will see you in a few weeks. This is a long assignment. Good by and have a safe trip to here." He hung up the phone and Abby stood still in shock.Tomorrow, I can't beleive that, I must be having a dream or a night mare. Which I don't know. She went back to her room. She had no other clothes, other than the suit she was wearing. She hung it up so that it would straighten out. went in to the bath room to take a shower and then into bed. She tossed and turned. Trying to decide if this is the right thing to do. On the other hand he just wanted a house keeper and a cook. She was good at both. The thought consoled her and she fell asleep.

To be Continued