Echoes of the Heart (8 page)

“It will just be
part-time, you understand.
 
The Federal
office already gave me the okay and I’m meeting with the mayor tonight to
discuss the position.”
 
He spooned stew
into his mouth before continuing.
 
“You
will be able to stay at the jail with John.
 
I hope we will be expanding soon, but in the meantime, it may be close
quarters.
 
We can use one of the old
cells for you unless we get a run of drunken cowboys.
 
I’m going to ask for four new cell rooms
going off the back of the building, but I’ll settle for two.”

           
“The
job sounds pretty good to me,” Chad
said as he began stuffing his mouth with a thick biscuit dripping with butter.

           
Taking
a second biscuit for himself, Cash nodded toward Chad.
 
“Okay, it’s settled.
 
I’ll fill you in when you come in with the
herd.”
 

The meal over, he
rose from the table, “Thanks for the fine meal, Martha, your kindness never
goes unappreciated.
 
I need to be leaving
now but I suppose I’ll see you around town before winter.”

           
“You’re
always welcome, Cash.
 
Don’t be such a
stranger.
 
Come out and see us any time.”

           
Chuck
rose and walked alongside while Cash went for his horse.
 
He led her to the water trough and let her
take a long drink before the ride back to town.
 
“I’ll inform Slim you will be coming by to pick up the bull.
 
Maybe we can trade a couple of those pups I
heard you have as partial payment.
 
Stop
by the office and we can go have a drink.”

           
“I
sure will, Cash.
  
It’s been a long time
since I have been to town.
 
There’s also
a shipment coming in on the next train for Martha.
 
She wants to fill the house with fancy
furniture and things.
 
Guess she will be
having extravagant dinner parties next.”
 
He shook his head in bemusement.
 
“I just can’t get over how much things have changed around here since
the railroad arrived.”

           
Cash
shook hands in farewell then stepped into his stirrup, swinging his leg over
the saddle.

“See you later,
Cash, and you are welcome to a couple of those cow dogs.

Cash rode off at a
swift pace toward town knowing there would barely be time before his council
meeting with the mayor.

***

           
Arriving
in town, Cash went immediately to the mayor’s office.
 
Not having time to change, he brushed off
dust from his pants before he entered the meeting.
 
The room held a long oval table with eight
tall oak spindle-back chairs.
 
Kerosene
sconces hung two to a wall, provided adequate light reflecting off the highly
polished wooden table.
 

When he laid out
his plans relaying his concerns about security for the town with its increased
population and his need to increase the jail area, he received the okay on all
his requests after two hours of discussion by the council and the continued
efforts of Cash to persuade them to see his point of view.

After the meeting
ended, the men all gathered to chat and drink coffee before going home.
 
Not wanting to spend any more time than
necessary, Cash sauntered toward the door.
 
He combed his fingers through his hair before adjusting his hat and was
ready to depart when Mayor Smith caught his arm.
 
“Hold on, Cash.
 
There is something I wanted to discuss before
you leave.”

Cash turned to
face Harry and paused in silence waiting for him to speak.
 
“You know, you have quite a reputation around
this state since being a marshal brings you into most areas.
 
Have you ever thought about politics?”
 
A serious tone chimed in his voice.

           
Cash
chuckled and raised a curved finger to his lips in an effort to hide his
amusement. “I can’t say it has ever entered my mind.
 
The thought just doesn’t appeal to me, Mayor.”

He liked his job
most of the time and enjoyed the freedom it gave him to travel the state.
 
Barely able to tolerate the council meetings,
he could not envision himself tied to a desk and running for office.

He did not mind
getting involved for someone else’s benefit, he considered it his duty to help
them get elected but he preferred to stay out of the limelight and with his
dubious past, there would probably be scandal and gossip if someone felt the
need to ruin his
image
.

Cash had no desire
to have his personal life exposed for public scrutiny.
 
He wouldn’t even to talk about it, much less
have to defend himself or his actions.

           
“Well,
we need a new face in the governor’s office and I think you’re the man for the
job.
 
Why don’t you give it some thought?
 
We could use you and your knowledge of the
Indians would be a big help.
 
They need a
strong voice and maybe you could make a difference.
 
We all know how much you care for them.”

           
Cash’s
face steeled and his jaws tensed while he attempted to control his rage.
 
“I don’t know, Harry, I can’t see where it
would do any good.
 
I would have to think
on it.
 
In any event, their fate appears
to be sealed.
 
They refuse to go to the
reservations and everyone wants the gold they are sitting on up in the
hills.
 
I think they will all eventually
be slaughtered when the troops arrive.”

Harry cringed
while looking away from his stare.
 
“If
the harsh weather in the winter had not helped them stay secluded, they would
already be wiped out for the fact most white men can’t make it out there for
any length of time has probably saved them thus far.

“I get furious
thinking our government will be sending soldiers into the hills next spring to
drag them off their land.
 
It looks
pretty hopeless but you can bet if I thought being governor would do any good,
I would take the position gladly.”
 
His
face burned hot while his jaw continued to pulse.

           
“Just
think about it will you?
 
There is no
real hurry but I feel the Cheyenne
could use you on their side.
 
You know
those of us who have been around a while, have no problem with them, it has
only been the Apache who have caused any problems.
 
We can talk again.”
 
He lightly slapped Cash on the back as they
walked to the door.

           
“Okay,
Mayor.
 
I will think about it, but don’t hold
your breath.”

           
He
stepped outside into the brisk night air, walking slowly to allow his rage to
cool while making his way toward the office to check with John before going to
the hotel to sleep—or at least go through the motions.
 

He had left a
bottle of whiskey at the office to take with him to his room at the hotel but
expecting another sleepless night ahead, he thought a visit Angie would help
soothe his hostility.
 
Right now, he
could use a hospitable woman.

Seven

           
Along
with her aunt and uncle, Raeden boarded the massive train.
 
Its engine towered above them belching black
smoke and ashes while passengers said their farewells.
 
Blood surged through her veins thinking about
the new adventure lying ahead.
 

Workers closed
screeching doors on metal rollers on cattle and baggage cars before slamming
them shut, vibrating through the passenger sections, and Pullmans
then made last minute checks.
 
The train
chugged slowly from the station jerking and clanking as the forward momentum
caused tension on the steel connectors between cars when they grabbed hold
moving toward a new phase in her life.

She waved until
her family could no longer be seen then settled in for the ride beside
Diane.
 
Since the train trip would take
several days, they had sleeper accommodations in a luxurious stateroom and ate
their meals in the dining car.

Checking on Arte’s
care, Mike went to the stock car holding the horse whenever they stopped for
fuel and water. Raeden stayed glued to the window during the day so she could
see the passing country.
 
Mile upon mile
of rangeland broken only by occasional trees and rock formations passed while
Raeden stayed in her seat not wanting to miss anything.
 

She observed herds
of antelope and deer and coveys of upland game birds—quail, chucker and
ring-necked pheasant sporting multi-colored tails over two feet in length.

At one point, she
spotted a vast herd of buffalo grazing on the prairie, black dots in the
distance not allowing a closer look.
 
Her
uncle had explained how the buffalo hunters slaughtered thousands of the wild
burly beasts to starve out the Indians.
 
Soon there would be no buffalo left.
 
The sinful waste of such majestic animals would surely leave a scar on
the earth, which could never heal.

Raeden brought
along copies of Tolstoy’s
War & Pe
ace
and Dickens’s
Our Mutual Friend
to
read along with her sketchbook to help pass the time, and she talked for hours
with her aunt and uncle about the store and the town where they resided.
 

With each passing
day, her anticipation grew and she believed her destiny of divine intervention
when Diane and Mike mentioned she could help in the store and set up a space
for sewing.
 
She would dress all the
ladies of Chamberlain in her own designs and maybe send some of her sketches to
fashion houses in New York City.
 
Filled with ideas for her gowns, her
eagerness grew stronger as they neared the end of their journey.

***

           
The
size and expanse of the buildings when they finally arrived in town astonished
Raeden.
 
Immense pens lined the rails on
one side of the track holding hundreds of cattle packed together awaiting
shipment when the train returned to St. Louis.

Dark russet dust
clouds billowed above the pens and cattle voiced their objections in loud lows,
the stench almost unbearable.
 
She had
never seen such herds before and the spectacle had her full attention while she
covered her nose with a handkerchief to block some of the dust.
 

Mike and Diane,
already off the train and seeing to their merchandise, knew it would be a big
job unloading so several wagons and youths from town waited to assist.
 
Raeden swiftly amassed her belongings and
stepped off the train into a crowd of bustling people while the workmen noisily
began opening the doors of the freight cars.
 
She caught site of her aunt and uncle and began walking toward them as
wagons lined the area ready to load.
 

As she approached,
she noticed a tall man standing with them his back toward her, his widespread
shoulders over a yard in width, and his frame inches over six feet dressed in
snug fitting denims with a black leather vest.
 
A gun hung low on his hip.
 
She
visualized him a gunslinger from one of the dime novels so popular these days.
 

When she
approached, he turned and stared.
 
Her
cheeks burned as his gaze slowly traveled the entire length of her body then
back to her face while his eyes seared into hers, so dark she could hardly
distinguish the pupils.
 
Looking at his
finely chiseled tanned face with dark hair showing under a black hat, she thought
him the most striking man she had ever seen while she smoldered under his gaze.

“Cash, this is my
niece, Raeden Newell.
 
She is visiting
from St. Louis.
 
Raeden, I would like you to meet our friend,
Marshal Cash Rydell.”

           
He
stared into her face and held her gaze.
 
No smile appeared on his lips but one eyebrow rose.
 
“Well, aren’t you a pretty little thing?” A
mocking grin spread slowly across his full lips as his eyes traveled to her
breasts.
 

Pretty little thing indeed
.
 
A smirk spread across his face as he stood
legs slightly apart with a thumb hooked into his gun belt.
  
His haughty arrogant stance infuriated her
and she certainly did not care for his crude remark and lascivious stares.
 
She snapped back at him.
 
“Well, I can see the men in this town could
use some manners.”

Nose in the air,
she turned her back and gazed toward the livestock car to watch Arte being
unloaded.
 
When she walked toward the
car, she heard a deep chuckle behind her.
 
Ignoring his taunt, she went to check on her horse.
 
His dark red coat glistened in the sunlight
while she rubbed his muzzle and spoke softly into his ear.