The old man was happy to help, and despite being nearly seventy, he had the strength to lift Sally into the back of the wagon so she didn’t have to exert herself.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Griggs,” Gloriana called above the wind and rain as he dropped them home.

“It’s no problem.” He helped Sally up the walkway and gave a slight tip of his hat. “I’ll be keeping watch through the night and praying.”

Gloriana met his gaze. She saw the worry there and looked away, nodding. Things were truly grim.

Chapter 5

Luke felt a great sense of excitement as he and a small party of others boarded the train in St. Paul. There was less than ninety miles of track laid beyond the city, but it gleamed in the autumn sun and promised great things to come. Several of the men on the train talked freely of investments and plans for the future. Luke would do his best to make their acquaintances and see what possibilities they might hold for an association with Mr. Cooke. His employer was always looking for investors and investments, and it served Luke well to keep his ears open for opportunities.

Just as Luke planned to get up and introduce himself, a man appeared in the aisle. This had been perhaps the biggest surprise for Luke. Theodore Sedgwick had introduced himself only moments earlier and presented Luke with a letter from Jay Cooke himself.

Luke had read the letter and then read it again. The words were burned into his memory. “I believe Mr. Sedgwick will make you a good secretary. He has been carefully chosen from a group of men who had no fear of relocation to Duluth, and who had years of experience in office service. Jay Cooke.”

The idea of not being allowed to choose his own secretary bothered Luke. He had always had a keen sense of his employees and had chosen them himself through what he considered to be God’s discernment. Having no say in the matter made him uneasy.

“May I join you, sir?” Sedgwick asked.

Luke put his discomfort aside. He smiled and motioned to the wooden seat opposite him. “Please sit and let us use this time to get better acquainted.”

Sedgwick did as invited. Luke studied him for a moment. He was painfully thin and careworn. He was clearly years older than Luke.

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself? Did you serve in the war?” For Luke, this was always a telling sign of a man’s overall character.

“I did, proudly.” Sedgwick smiled. “I was with the Fourth Maryland Volunteer Infantry. We fought for the Union with great pride.”

“I was with the Thirty-Second Pennsylvania, Company E. We were known as the De Silver Greys.” Luke smiled sadly. “It was a great bunch of fellows. We lost far too many.”

“Indeed,” Sedgwick replied. “But right prevailed.”