Andrew held his hands behind Rosanna’s head and clapped them loudly. Startled, Rosanna dropped the jug and Andrew caught it. She shamed him by rubbing one finger against the other as the audience again laughed at their antics.
The song concluded to appreciative laughter and applause.
After that, Rosanna left the stage, and Andrew stood there for a moment, looking out at the audience.
“I want to thank all of you for the warm welcome we have received,” he said. “And I want to thank General Custer for the invitation. This next song is dedicated to another of the general’s guests, and if you will all look over there, you will see that when the writer wrote this song about a woman named Lorena, surely he had to be writing about someone as lovely as this young lady of the same name.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ‘Lorena.”
As Andrew began to sing the song that had gained its popularity during the Civil War, the soldiers in the room lost themselves in the lyrics and melody. It reminded some of home; it reminded others of the time when they were actually fighting the war.
Falcon looked over at Lorena and saw that she, too, was moved by the beautiful music. He smiled. He had personally requested that his brother sing this particular song.
After Andrew finished his song, and the applause was finished, Custer stood.
“Mr. MacCallister, Miss MacCallister, speaking on behalf of all the troops posted here at Ft. Lincoln, I want to thank you for coming to provide us with such a wonderful show. And now, to further show our appreciation, I call upon our own Seventh Cavalry chorus to sing our regimental song for you.”
At Custer’s announcement, the same soldiers who had entertained at Custer’s dinner party stood up from the audience, then formed themselves into a chorus. The chorus leader, Sergeant Cassidy, resplendent now in his dress blue uniform with stripes and accoutrements, stepped in front and lifted his hands. The chorus began to sing.
Chapter Eleven
Falcon was sitting in the waiting room of the Bismarck depot, drinking coffee with his sister, Rosanna. Andrew had gone out onto the depot platform to see about their luggage.
“I appreciate the two of you coming out here to perform for the men,” Falcon said. “I know they really enjoyed it.”
“Andrew and I enjoyed doing it,” Rosanna said. “You know how much we like to come out West.”
“When are you going to come back?” Falcon asked.
“I don’t know. I suppose when we get another invitation.”
“No, I mean when are you coming back to stay.”
Rosanna put her hand out to touch Falcon. “Darling, I thought you knew. Andrew and I are never coming back to stay,” she said. “Why, New York is our home now.”
Falcon nodded. “I thought as much,” he said. “But from time to time, the family wonders about you.”
“Ha,” Rosanna said. “Mama and Papa left on their own while they were still practically children. Believe me, if there is anyone who would understand why Andrew and I have chosen to go our own way, it would be Mama and Papa.”
Falcon chuckled. “You’ve got that right,” he said. “But as long as you are out here, you could run down there now, couldn’t you? When is the last time you’ve seen anyone from the family?”
Rosanna smiled. “We’ve seen you twice in the last two months.”
“I mean other than me.”
“I don’t know. It’s been a while,” Rosanna admitted.
“Then a visit is due, don’t you think?”
“Oh, Falcon, it would be impossible to go down to MacCallister now,” Rosanna said. “Andrew and I must start rehearsal for a new show soon. In fact, we were barely able to make the time to come out here to do this.”
