Montana Rose Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Psalm 30:5 “...weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. “


I, Abigail R. McAllister, do solemnly swear that I will leave Montana and never return.

Diary entry 12 December, 1889

Tonight was the most humiliating night of my life! I despise Alicia Conrad and will never speak of her again! She has had designs on Bradley Wellington since we were ten years old. Everyone knows that Bradley’s heart belongs to me. Didn’t he ask me to the church picnic last Easter, walk me home from the school house every day, and most important of all…invite me as his guest to the Wellington Christmas Social? Now everything is ruined, how can I ever show my face again? Thanks to Bradley’s older brother, Marcus, I was able to leave the Wellington ranch with some dignity in tack.

The night began so magically, I in my new organza dress. Papa had the fabric sent from New York City. He let Mama hire a seamstress from Kalispell to make the dress. The same seamstress that Alisha Conrad uses…Oh dear, I mentioned her name again. That will be the last time, from henceforth I will refer to that girl as the flirt. Bradley in his waistcoat. I thought I would dance the night away with my dear handsome Bradley, but soon he disappeared and I, Abbey McAllister, was left alone to stand with the other wallflowers. Marcus Wellington rescued me after awhile and danced a few with me. Poor fellow, not as dashing and exciting as Bradley. A handsome man but so predictable, reliable, quiet, shy. He certainly surprised me to be so bold as to ask me to dance and how could I turn him down? What could we talk about? Marcus and his books and figures, with managing his family’s ranch, me with my grand ideas of traveling the world. Someday I would dance in Queen Victoria’s palace and meet the crown Princes of Europe. We managed somehow, and just as I was beginning to enjoy the night, it happened. Marcus offered me some punch and we stepped outside to look at the stars. I heard the familiar laughter of my sweet Bradley mixed with a female voice. Marcus grabbed my elbow and told me not to look and then he whisked me back into the foyer. I had just enough time to look at the couple and right away I recognized “the flirt’s” dress. A pink frock that looked almost identical to mine.

Diary entry 5 January, 1890

Today I'm leaving for Anoka Springs, Minnesota to live with my Aunt Tessa. I can never come back to Helena. Papa says it's for the best but I can tell that Mama has been crying. Dear sweet Mama, she is so hurt that I'm leaving. She thinks I am selfish and leaving for childish reasons. She can never know the truth. Papa helped me find a school for teachers and we told Mama that this is best for me because I never will marry. Wish that was not true but in my heart I know it is. Bradley does not know, not that he would care anymore. I wish I could say goodbye to Marcus and thank him for his kindness but there is too great of a risk in seeing anyone in Helena.


Audrey finished up the last of the mornings dishes and began to set the table for her lunch guest. She was meeting with Alicia Wellington Jackson today and needed things to be perfect. Alicia was the last surviving relative of the Wellington family, the original owners of the property that she and Jamie had purchased in East Helena. At eight five she had a sharp mind and had been the town historian. Audrey wanted to interview her about the history of the house and the Wellington family. She knew that the house was built in 1890 by Alicia's great grandfather, Marcus Bradley Wellington.
The house was unusual for it's time, an octagon shape with a porch that wrapped around the entire house. You could drink your coffee in the morning and watch the sunrise on one side and then move to the swing on the other side to see the sun set. Audrey had remodeled the interior and took great care to keep with the Victorian era decorating. Many days she would find a tourist at her door asking if they could take a tour of the house. Word had spread through the town of the amazing job she had done in restoring the old house to it's original splendor. The second floor had been the ballroom and still had the original hardwood floors. It had been quite the place for social events and she heard that there were many parties and balls held by the family. Montana was home to a great deal of the wealthiest people of the 1890's. Their money came from silver mining and the railroad industry.

Two bedrooms were added in the 1940's which Jamie decided to keep so that Tyler would have a recreation area for his friends. The ceiling was high so a basketball hoop now was at the center the floor. Audrey had discovered a trunk in the attic that looked to have been long forgotten. The lock had rusted and Jamie had to use great force to open it. Inside she found a wedding dress, some faded pictures, a locket with a baby picture in it and a diary. The diary of Abigail McAllister.

Alicia Conrad arrived and Audrey welcomed her into the house. She marveled at the transformation of the old run down house.
“Bless your heart Audrey! My papa would have been so happy to see this home like this again.” Alicia exclaimed.
“I'm glad you approve. It's been a very satisfying project. I wanted to ask you some more questions about the history of the house.” Audrey said.
“Ask away, it's one of my favorite things to talk about. I wish my son had been interested but the small town life was not for him. He's been in Los Angeles for 60 years. Went into real estate selling homes to the Hollywood stars.” Alicia said proudly.
Audrey smiled. “What was your great grandfather's name?”
“Marcus Bradley Wellington and he had two sons, Marcus and Bradley.”
“I found a diary in the house that has me puzzled Alicia. The person writing it was named Abigail R. McAllister. Who was Abigail?” Audrey asked.
“Abigail was my grandmother, she went by Rose. My grandfather loved her more than anything.” Alicia explained.
“So she came back and married Bradley after all, right?”
“Oh dear no. Bradley Wellington disappeared in 1901 and he was never spoken of in our family again. There are some that say he ran off with a good deal of his father's silver, others think he was killed by Indians. I'm a romantic and I like to think he went off to California to be a part of the Gold Rush.” said Alicia. “Rose married my grandfather, Marcus Wellington Jr.”
“Aw, Marcus won her heart. They had children of course.”
“Two children, only my father survived. There was a baby girl who died in infancy. My father didn't know much about her. They named her Alicia Rose. I'm named after her.” Alicia said.
“Alicia was a common name for that time? She mentions an Alicia Conrad in the diary.” Audrey wondered.
“It would seem that way, I never made that connection before. The Conrad family has had close ties to the Wellington's. They settled in Montana the same time that my great grandfather did. There is a mansion in Kalispell that you can tour now. I believe my grandmother was friends with Alicia. I suppose that could be why she named her baby the same.”

Now that would be something, Audrey thought. What happened in between running off to Anoka Springs, never to return, and coming back to Marcus and staying in Montana for the rest of her life? What about this baby that died, is that the baby in the locket?