Lauraine Snelling - Blessing in Disguise

Blessing in Disguise

Books by

Lauraine Snelling

Golden Filly Collection One
Golden Filly Collection Two

High Hurdles Collection One
High Hurdles Collection Two

A Secret Refuge (3 in 1 )

D AKOTAH T REASURES

Ruby Pearl
Opal Amethyst

D AUGHTERS OF B LESSING

A Promise for Ellie Sophies Dilemma
A Touch of Grace Rebeccas Reward

H OME TO B LESSING

A Measure of Mercy No Distance Too Far
A Heart for Home

R ED R IVER OF THE N ORTH

An Untamed Land A New Day Rising
A Land to Call Home The Reapers Song
Tender Mercies Blessing in Disguise

R ETURN TO R ED R IVER

A Dream to Follow Believing the Dream
More Than a Dream

BLESSING IN
DISGUISE

RED RIVER OF THE NORTH, BOOK 6

Lauraine Snelling

Blessing in Disguise
Copyright 1999
Lauraine Snelling

Cover design by Jennifer Parker

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-7642-0196-7

The Library of Congress has cataloged the original edition as follows:

Snelling, Lauraine.
Blessing in disguise / by Lauraine Snelling.
p. cm. (Red River of the north ; 6)
ISBN 076422090-X
1. Norwegian AmericansDakota Territory Fiction. I. Title. II. Series: Snelling,
Lauraine. Red River of the north ; bk. 6.
PS3569.N39 B58 1999
813'.54dc21

996578
CIP

My thanks to the Round Robins:
Sandy Dengler, Pat Rushford, Ruby MacDonald,
Marcia Mitchell, Elsie Larson, Colleen Reece,
Woodeene Koenig-Bricker, Gail Denham,
Marion Duckworth, and Birdie Etchison
for your wit, your wisdom, your brainstorming ideas
for Blessing in Disguise ,
and your unfailing friendship and support.
You are all gifts from God to me.

LAURAINE SNELLING is an award-winning author of over 60 books, fiction and nonfiction for adults and young adults. Her books have sold over two million copies. Besides writing books and articles, she teaches at writers conferences across the country. She and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons, a bassett named Chewy, and a cockatiel watch bird named Bidley. They make their home in California.

Oslo, Norway
July 3, 1889

Contents

Blessing, North Dakota
July 3, 1889

Uff da.

Bridget Bjorklund sank into the rocking chair on the back porch of the Blessing Boarding House and fanned herself with a folded newspaper. Her swollen feet hurt, her back ached, and the thought of rising and doing this all over again in the morning was more than she wanted to think of at the moment.

Mor, where are you? Hjelmer called.

Out here. Her son was the last person she wanted to talk to this evening. If he saw how weary she felt, hed tell her again to send for Augusta, her eldest daughter and his older sister. Hjelmer thought he knew all the answers, especially since he had become the areas representative to the Constitutional Congress for the soon-to-be state of North Dakota. While they hadnt been formally admitted yet, everyone knew it was just a matter of time at this point. If the representatives and other politicians could come to an agreement, that is.

She plastered a smile on her face and heaved herself out of her chair. After swatting one of the mosquitoes that persistently whined in squadrons around her head, she opened the screen door just in time to almost bump into her sons broad chest.

Were you sitting down? Are you all right?

She ignored his questions and only through sheer will kept herself from limping on her way to the stove. The coffee will be ready in a couple of minutes. She brushed a lock of snowy hair off her forehead with the back of her wrist. After all the wishing for the wind to die down last winter, now she would give an entire days baking for a breath of breeze.

Hot, isnt it?

That doesnt begin to describe it. She rattled the grate and added a few twigs and bits of kindling to the coals in the stove. So how was your trip?

Hjelmer shook his head. Wrangling, thats what. Those blowhards can find more to argue about than anyone Ive ever seen. Every one of them has an opinion on every little issue and thinks his is the only right one. Seems like every time theres something the railroad men dont like, the papers get lost so we cant vote on it. Between the railroad and the flour mills, the owners want to squeeze the life right out of the farmers. I never in all my life have seen such goings-on.

Bridget kept herself from reminding him that he had wanted to serve in the Congress. He was one of only ten Norwegians whod been elected to represent the counties, and the honor had been good for them all. Surely losing papers like that cant be legal?

No, of course not. But no one can prove anything.

So when will we be a state, then?

Who knows? Even though the territory is officially divided, we have issues to hammer out, and the people must vote to ratify the constitution first, like I told you.

Seems like Norways monarchy is easier.

Mor! Therell be no monarchy in this country. The government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Remember when I read you the Constitution of the United States of America?

Bridget didnt bother to tell him how little she had understood in spite of his efforts to educate the people of Blessing.