A Mark of Grace


 
 
 
 
 
 Half Title Page
 
 
 
 
 Books by Kimberley Woodhouse
 
 SECRETS OF THE CANYON
 
 A Deep Divide
 
 A Gem of Truth
 
 A Mark of Grace
 
 Books by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
 
 All Things Hidden
 
 Beyond the Silence
 
 THE HEART OF ALASKA
 
 In the Shadow of Denali
 
 Out of the Ashes
 
 Under the Midnight Sun
 
 THE TREASURES OF NOME
 
 Forever Hidden
 
 Endless Mercy
 
 Ever Constant
 
 
 
 
 Title Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright Page
 
 © 2023 by Kimberley R. Woodhouse
 
 Published by Bethany House Publishers
 
 Minneapolis, Minnesota
 
 www.bethanyhouse.com
 
 Bethany House Publishers is a division of
 
 Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
 
 www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
 
 Ebook edition created 2023
 
 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
 
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
 
 ISBN 978-1-4934-4059-7
 
 Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
 This is a work of historical reconstruction; the appearances of certain historical figures are therefore inevitable. All other characters, however, are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
 
 Cover design by Create Design Publish LLC, Minneapolis, Minnesota/Jon Godfredson
 
 Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.
 
 
 
 
 Dedication
 
 This book is lovingly dedicated to two precious women in my life:
 
 My daughter-in-love Ruth Woodhouse We’ve been so blessed to have you as part of our family. I love how you keep Josh in line. And how much you love him. Your sweet spirit and joy for life are beautiful. Here’s to decades more of memories together. Love, Mom
 
 And to MY mother-in-love Brenda Woodhouse Every time I typed 1909, I thought of you. It made me smile and giggle. You have been such a gift to me for more than thirty years. Thank you for loving me as your own. Love, Kim
 
 
 Dear Reader
 
 The Harvey Girls are one of my favorite parts of American history. Without them, would the West have been settled? Without Fred Harvey would we have the food and restaurant industry as we know it? What about marketing? Fred Harvey has been said time and again to be the father of modern-day marketing.
 
 The more research I did, the more fascinated I became. With Fred Harvey, the Harvey Girls, the Kolb brothers, and Mary Colter. I could fill twenty books with all the interesting little tidbits.
 
 What it all comes down to is this:
 
 History is beautiful. And enlightening. And we have so much to learn from it.
 
 It’s amazing to see what shaped our country. What shaped us—and our society.
 
 It is a privilege for me to bring A Mark of Grace to you, the end of the SECRETS OF THE CANYON series, and Ruth’s story. I’ve had hundreds of you write to me about your hopes that she would have her own story. I pray that this story blesses you and reminds you of how valuable you are. No matter what stage of life you are in, you are still useful and needed.
 
 Let’s venture back to the Grand Canyon, the El Tovar, and the Harvey Girls.
 
 Enjoy the journey, Kimberley
 
 
 Prologue
 
 1894 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
 
 “I’m not interested in settling down right now.” Ruth Anniston allowed the words to spill out.
 
 Mother’s gaze jerked up from the piano where she’d been working on a new piece for her music students. Her eyes widened.
 
 Ruth watched. At twenty years of age, she had a close and beautiful relationship with her parents. Rarely did she ever surprise them because they knew her so well.
 
 This was obviously one of those rare occasions. Had her words finally registered?
 
 Mother put a hand to her throat and removed her glasses. “Wait . . . Ruth, are you saying you don’t wish to get married one day? I thought you always wanted . . .” She swallowed. Blinked several times. “Forgive me. Tell me what’s on your heart.”
 
 Ruth bit her lip. The intention hadn’t been to drop the idea of becoming a Harvey Girl quite like this. But it had seemed like the perfect segue in the conversation and out it came. “I’m not saying that I never want to get married. Yes, I want a family. Just not now. I do want to help you and Dad out for as long as I can, and perhaps have a few adventures of my own along the way. You took me in—adopted me—and loved me when no one else did. I know what a sacrifice that was, especially on Dad’s small salary. This is an opportunity for a good job for me. A reputable job for a woman these days. You raised me to think for myself. Research. Read. Be independent.” She could ramble on forever, so she clamped her lips shut.
 
 “But, sweetheart, just because we made the sacrifice—which was all worth it, by the way—doesn’t mean we are destitute. The college is paying your father much more these days. And his geology lectures are gaining popularity every year. I have more students than ever. There’s nothing disreputable about staying at home and living with us until God brings the right man along.”
 
 Ruth’s shoulders fell as she let out a long sigh. “It’s not good for any of us if I sit around here and take up space. You know me. I