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Two elderly ladies stood outside Oaken’s General Store, chatting with a young woman - a fairly new arrival to their fast-growing town – dragging her into all the town gossip.
“Did you ever hear about how that Anna Bjorgman came to be Mrs. Bjorgman?” The oldest of the two elderly women asked.
“What, no?” The poor, unsuspecting, younger woman replied.
“You do know the Bjorgman family, yes?” The second elderly lady clarified.
“Of course. They’re lovely people. Mrs. Bjorman is so kind.”
“Have you ever heard of the John Isle Brother’s Gang?” The first elderly woman tittered.
“I believe so. They were quite notorious, were they not?” The young woman asked, a bit confused as to what that had to do with how the Bjorgman’s met.
“Well, they attacked a wagon train that was traveling west just a few miles from here. Mrs. Bjorgman was on it and was married to another man at the time!” The first woman announced, taking on the role of primary storyteller.
“I heard that she was married to John Isle himself!” The second woman added.
“What!?” The younger lady's mouth fell open.
“She didn’t know it at the time! He was going by the name Hans Westergaard. So, I don’t think the marriage was ever legal in the first place… but can you imagine! You’re married to a murderer one day and then a complete stranger the next.”
“I’m sorry, what do you mean she was married to a complete stranger the next day?” The young lady was visibly confused again by the disjointed storytelling of the eldest lady.
“Well everyone thought her husband had been killed when the wagon train was attacked and so Mr. Bjorgman offered her a place to stay on her farm. We were such a smaller community then and all spread rather thin with all the other people from the wagon train seeking refuge, you see, so there was no other place for her to stay.”
“So, she married Mr. Bjorgman??”
“Yes!” The second elderly lady nodded, her merry eyes twinkling.
“Mr. and Mrs. Bjorgman? The big tall fellow and his little red-haired wife.” The young woman repeated to be sure they were all talking about the same people.
“Yes, the very same.” They confirmed.
“Really? They seem so… in love! I can hardly believe they didn’t even know one another.”
“Oh, they’re very much in love now! Really, they are such a lovely young couple. But when they first got married, she was planning to go back East! That was their whole arrangement. Her sister even came all this way to get her… but obviously she changed her mind.” The second elderly lady jumped in, taking her chance to do the talking.
“I should say so! She’s not even been here five years, and already pregnant with her third child. Shameless, really.” The first elderly lady tutted.
“Yes, I believe she’s quite happy with her life now. Really, what young lady wouldn’t be if they wound up in her shoes? Mr. Bjorgman is quite handsome.” The second lady giggled as if she were young again.
“Really!” The eldest lady scowled at her friend’s impropriety.
“But wait!” The youngest woman pushed past the friendly squabble. “Whatever happened to John Isle??”
“He cropped back up a few months later. Nearly killed them all, I heard. But a lawman, Olaf Olafsson arrested him before he could do any harm.”
“Wow.” The young woman gave a deep sigh. “I just can’t imagine it.”
“Imagine what?”
“That the Bjorgman’s have such a wild story! Really! It’s so… romantic.”
“I guess you could call it that.” The second lady smiled.
“I think it’s a bit too wild if you ask me.” The first gave a bit of a disapproving look.
“Well, we weren’t asking you. It is romantic. Oh, look! Here they come now! And would you look at young Mary! She’s becoming such a little lady and so smart, too! Have you heard she’s the head of her class?” The second lady called over her shoulder as she began waddling down the new sidewalk, the heels of her boots clicking as she went. “Mrs. Bjorgman! Over here! Let me hold that little Iduna Mae and give you a free hand."