Page 44 of The Harvey Girls

Thirty-Three

Robert was apologetic about the movie. “It’s four years old. We don’t get first-run movies here in the wilderness. You’ve probably seen it already.”

“That’s all right. I love movies, however old they are, and even if I’ve seen them before.

” When Billie was twelve, Maw had started letting her take the older children to the Ideal Theater in Table Rock whenever she had some extra change, which wasn’t often.

This movie had come out when she was eleven, so there was little chance she’d seen it.

The community hall was laid out with benches and a screen set up on the stage.

A cantankerous two-wheel projector was hauled in.

Robert suggested they sit near the front so the machine’s loud whirring wouldn’t distract them.

It was a silent film, which would have come with sheet music for an orchestra to play throughout the show, but there wasn’t even a pianist tonight.

The movie was called Fox Trot on the Congo , and the story followed a wealthy couple who goes on safari, gets separated from their tour, and stumbles upon a society in the middle of the jungle that is just as ostentatious and party loving as their own—only more “African,” of course.

The couple becomes so enamored of the tribe that they create a big ruse to protect them from the outside world when colonialists threaten to invade.

Billie was thrilled. “I saw the sequel, Charleston in China , but I never got to see this one. I love Gertrude Turner!” The leading lady was known for her comedic chops and physical humor.

She could slip on a banana peel and do a pratfall better than any other actress in Hollywood.

“She was an acrobat in vaudeville,” Billie told Robert. “I read it in Photoplay magazine.”

“She’s my favorite, too!” said Robert. “And boy, what a knockout with that blond hair and big blue eyes.”

Billie had a strange moment of jealousy. It wasn’t that she wanted Robert to think she was pretty—she’d told herself over and over that they were strictly friends. So why did she care if Robert thought some other girl was “a knockout”?

Robert seemed to intuit that he’d said the wrong thing. “You’re pretty, too,” he said quickly. “Actually, you’re beautiful, Billie.”

“You don’t have to say that. And Gertrude Turner is truly gorgeous.”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, why would I be?”

He stared at her a moment, frozen in uncertainty. Then the lights went down, and the screen flickered to life.

When the lights came up, people stood and stretched the blood flow back into their extremities after two hours on the hard benches.

They greeted one another as those at the back slowly filed out.

Billie was surprised that Charlotte had never shown up to scrutinize them in the dark, but she was nowhere to be found.

Billie and Robert walked down the road together chatting about the movie, the best parts (“All of it!” said Billie), and how the costars, Gertrude Turner and Henry Weston, had met on set and were a real married couple now.

“It’s very romantic,” she sighed, and he agreed.

They walked up the short steep hill to the women’s dormitory, and Robert suggested they keep walking. “It’ll be easier to see the stars if we get away from the lights of the buildings.”

It was past nine, and most of the tourists had gone to their rooms or to have a nightcap at the El Tovar lounge.

Billie and Robert strolled along the Rim Trail past the homely and aging Bright Angel Hotel with its gaggle of tent-cabins, the Lookout Studio and its competitor, the Kolb Studio.

They passed the Bright Angel Trailhead, and then there was no one around at all.

Billie stopped. “I think we’ve gone far enough. It’s so dark here we could step right off into the canyon without seeing it.”

“Just a little farther,” said Robert.

But Billie suddenly thought of Charlotte warning that he could drag her off into the bushes. “I’m going back,” she said.

“I’ll walk you back, but before we go… and before I lose my nerve… could I please hold your hand?”

Billie hesitated. “You want to hold my hand?”

Robert stiffened. “Is there something more you had in mind? Because if that’s the case, you’re not the kind of girl I thought you were.”

Billie was confused now. “What kind of girl did you think I was?”

“A good one! Chaste and respectable and—”

“I am a good girl,” said Billie. “ You’re the one who wanted to come all the way out here in the dark!”

“Because it’s beautiful! The stars and the canyon and the scent of Artemisia tridentata !”

“The what?”

“Sagebrush.” His shoulders slumped. “Oh, never mind.”

“Robert, you worried me. I don’t know you that well.”

“I’m sorry if I scared you. I guess I’m not very good at this.”

She sighed. “I’m not very good at it, either. I don’t go around with boys at night.”

“No, of course you don’t. I didn’t mean to accuse you of being…”

“A trollop.”

“I apologize. Sincerely I do.”

They stood there for a long moment, each gazing off toward the darkened canyon. “If it would be all right with you,” he murmured, “I would still like to hold your hand.”

Billie thought for a moment. Was there any harm in it? Holding hands seemed pretty tame. It wasn’t nearly as romantic as kissing. And even though Robert was a good deal older than her, there was a boyish innocence about him that reminded her of her brothers.

“It would be all right with me.”

He reached out and gently took her hand in his.

It felt warm and good. She’d had so little bodily contact since she’d left home, where there was always someone on her lap or an arm around her waist. She missed that comfort especially now, with Da so sick.

Outside of her family, the only person who’d touched her was Leif.

And who knew if she’d ever even see him again?

“Thank you very much,” whispered Robert, and they made their way back to civilization hand in hand.

Crouched behind a large Artemisia tridentata , Will and Charlotte watched them go.

“Seems like he might be harmless,” murmured Will.

“So far,” said Charlotte. “He’s still a grown man, and she’s still fifteen.”

The next evening when Billie and Charlotte came in late from the dinner shift, there was a letter on Billie’s bed. She snatched it up and studied it, her heart pounding in her throat, frozen in fear. “It’s from Peigi,” she murmured.

“Do you want me to read it first?”

Billie thrust the letter at Charlotte, whose fingers shook slightly as she tore open the envelope.

As soon as she looked at it, Charlotte smiled. “He’s all right.”

“Really?”

“See for yourself.” She handed back the letter.

It was exactly as Charlotte had said.

Dear Billie,

Da is all right. It took a while for him to get his strength back, and there was one or two days when he seemed to get worse, but he’s better now. He says he’s going back to work tomorrow, but Maw will have the last say on that.

You must be working hard. That was a lot of money you sent. I’m staying in school for now.

Yours very truly,

Peigi

PS. Don’t tell Maw I told you. She’d have my hide.

Tears rolled down Billie’s cheeks as she hugged Charlotte so hard she nearly smothered her. But Charlotte didn’t mind; it helped to hide the tears in her own eyes.