the house Not that she had died No she had come from Ontario when the house was ready down to the fancy brass doorknobs She arrived at Curlew station with her trunks Mr McLeod met her of course and drove her straight out to the house People said that she sat in the wagon for a long time and looked at the little wooden house and the land around it flat and treeless as far as the eye could see Then she said I can’t live here Take me back to the station She took the next train east to Ontario and Mr McLeod never went into the house again He still lived in a boarding house in town and came along this very track to farm his land but he left the house alone Josie wondered whether his bride ever thought of him now Did she ever wish she had given the house a chance You’re quiet Sam said curiously Are you thinking about ghosts Ghosts said Josie Are you trying to scare me Why would the silver house have ghosts Sam looked a little embarrassed I guess it’s just because it’s empty It always seems a little spooky to me as if it’s waiting for something It makes me think of that old house we used to ride past back in Iowa Everybody said it was haunted
Josie frowned She barely remembered a little falling down house that stood alone in a field near their old farm but she had been just eight years old when the Ferriers left Iowa Sam had been nearly twelve Haunted she said Nobody told me Mama wouldn’t let us scare you with ghost stories said Sam Anyway this house is different It just reminds me because it’s empty He looked down the track We’re almost in town I can see the water tower See you at Pratt’s He nudged King into a gallop again and rode on ahead Josie squinted her eyes against the dust they stirred up She didn’t have to hurry Ginger Sam wanted to get to the station in time to see the train pull in He would help Mr Pratt the postmaster unload the bags of mail and lug them over to Pratt’s Dry Goods Grocery and Post Office In return Mr Pratt would pick out the Ferriers mail right away In the meantime Josie had plenty of time to get the canning jars and spices Mama needed to make pickles For the first time since coming to Canada she had managed to raise a proper garden and now she had plenty of cucumbers but no jars Once they had passed the houses at the edge of town
Josie slowed Ginger to an ambling walk Curlew was just three blocks of stores and businesses and a few short streets of houses but there might be some thing interesting to see She passed the hotel and the restaurant and the laundry The bakery was always tempting but Mama did her own baking The newspaper office came next Mr Murray the editor of the Curlew Star was a friend of Josie’s She had won a contest for the best essay on The Future of Alberta and it had been printed in the paper On the glorious day it was published Mr Murray had invited Josie to the office and given her the first copy of the newspaper as it came off the press Josie loved the organized clutter of the newspaper office and she sometimes dropped in to chat Today there wasn’t really time She rode on past the livery stable where horses could be boarded hired bought or sold Beside it was the blacksmith shop Josie could see a glow of fire through the open doors where a group of men and boys gathered around a horse being shod It must be hot in there on such a day Josie arrived at Pratt’s store without seeing anything more interesting than a dog rolling in the dust She guessed that everyone was down at the station waiting for the train from Winnipeg There were still settlers coming in though Pa said that the best land was gone At least now in 1918
they would find a bit more of a town than Josie had seen the first time she had set eyes on Curlew Then there had been almost nothing between the station and Pratt’s Josie slid off Ginger’s back and led her over to the watering trough on the shady side of the store building Ginger drank for a long time then shook her head and snorted loudly You’re welcome said Josie She led the pony to the front of the store and tied her reins to the railing The inside of the store seemed dark after the glare of the morning sun Josie blinked and saw Mrs Pratt standing behind the dry goods counter measuring out some bright yellow gingham for a small tidy woman She smiled at Josie I suppose you’ve come for the mail she said Yes said Josie Sam’s down at the station helping Mr Pratt But Mama needs some things too especially pickling jars I’ll be with you in a minute said Mrs Pratt I don’t have to hurry said Josie I’ll just look around She began to walk the length of the store first up the food side where barrels of crackers and flour stood beneath shelves of canned goods and packets of baking soda and Bird’s Custard Powder When she passed the pickle barrel
