Sabrina's Man (38 page)

Judge Parker looked over at Heck Thomas, who was sitting in his chair tilted back against the wall. “Waco is still acting like he's a dead man.”

Heck shrugged his shoulders. “I did some askin' around. Found out a few things. He and that woman had quite an affair goin' a few years ago. Sweethearts, you know. The way I get it, he was gonna use her to make his getaway, and then when she got killed, well. . .”

“You're right about that. He stays in the saloon all night and hides out in the daytime where nobody can get at him. I've tried to talk to him, but he just won't listen.”

“Well, he's too good a man to waste. I never thought we'd bust up LeBeau's bunch, but he did the job. As you know, I wanted him to become a marshal, but he declined my offer.” Parker sighed. “He just seems so lost.”

“Well, that's what a woman can do to a man. When I was talkin' to Miss Sabrina, though, somethin' came out. I could tell she feels somethin' for Waco.”

Parker looked up with surprise. “Why, she's rich and comes from a fine family. Waco hasn't got anything but the clothes he's standing in.”

“I don't think that's the whole story. I'll keep an eye on him, Judge.”

“You do that. He's too good a man to waste.”

“Sabrina, I need to talk to you.”

Turning quickly, Sabrina gave her father a quick look and saw that he was in deep thought. She had learned to read him fairly well and saw that he was troubled. “What is it, Dad?”

“Something I have to ask you about.”

Sabrina sighed. “I'm tired of talking about it. I thank God He got us out of that by His grace. Just a miracle that Waco wasn't killed, and I think LeBeau pretty well decided to kill me and Marianne, too. He just kept us alive to trap Waco.”

“Sit down a minute and let's talk.” They were on the front porch of the hotel, and the walkway was empty. It was midday, and the sun was beating down on Fort Smith, bringing with it the intolerable heat.

Sabrina shrugged but followed his request and sat down in one of the rockers.

He pulled his chair around to where he could see her face and said, “I've got to know something, daughter.”

“What's that, Dad?”

“Well, you can tell me if it's none of my business. I'm used to that. But I've had some long thoughts since all this happened with Marianne and then almost losing you. It shook me up some.”

“You never were much shaken by anything,” Sabrina remarked. She studied her father's face and saw that there were lines that she had never noticed before. “What is it that's bothering you?”

“Well, I may be all wrong,” Charles Warren said slowly and rather reluctantly. “But I've got the feeling that you feel something for this man Smith. Your mother feels the same way. Now, I don't know about a father poking into his children's private lives, but this thing has made me love my family more. I don't want to miss any signs. What do you think of this man?”

Sabrina dropped her head and was silent for a while. When she looked up, Charles Warren saw that her face was tense. “It's hard to say. He's not what I thought he was.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, he was in prison, and to tell the truth I was a real snob. I just used him, but we were together alone quite a bit, and I got to know him. He's had a terrible life. Betrayed by his best friend and a woman that he loved. He's never gotten over it.”

“That can cut a man pretty bad.”

“Well, it almost destroyed him. He just gave up and became an outlaw. But he's got more to him than that. I know he has.”

“So you love the man?”

“I—I feel something for him.”

“What about him? Does he care for you?”

“It's hard to say. I think he does, but since Callie died, he's been sunk in some sort of deep depression. He drinks all the time, and from what I hear that's not like him.”

“Well, I can kind of understand that. She took a bullet for him. From what you told me, it would have killed him if she hadn't jumped to save him.”

“I know. He's very bitter, and I don't know anything to bring him out of it.”

“Well, we've got the woman's funeral to go to.”

“Are you going?”

“Yes, we'll all go. She wasn't a good woman, but she did a good thing there at the last, and I want to honor her for it.”

Waco did not want to attend the funeral of Callie. More than anything else he longed to just get on his horse and ride away and try to put all the thoughts of her and everything else about this sorry affair behind him. He knew, however, that he would be a long time, maybe forever, trying to forget her.

Pastor Mordecai Jones read a long list of scriptures, but they meant little to Waco. Finally he heard the pastor say, “One thing I may conclude my remarks with. Most of us live for ourselves. We take care of ourselves, we're worried about our problems, and very rarely do we find a human being who steps outside of that pattern.” Jones hesitated for a moment then said, “But this woman, who had struggled with a hard life, at the last moment gave the gift, the greatest gift. The Bible says that Jesus came to die for the sins of all of us, and we are eternally grateful for that. Now every time I think of this woman, I will have the thought she had her problems but at the end she gave the most precious thing she had, her life, for her friend.”

At these words Waco bowed his head and closed his eyes. He wanted to get up and leave but could not. He stayed until the service was over and then followed the funeral procession. When they reached the cemetery, they surrounded the open grave. The pastor read a few scriptures and then dismissed.

Finally Waco turned and stumbled away. He heard Sabrina calling him, but he did not hesitate.

Sabrina followed him, saying, “I have to talk to you, Waco.”

Waco stopped, turned, and saw that the crowd was dispersing. “I've got to get away from here.” He turned back and began walking.

“Then I'll go with you.”

Waco gritted his teeth and said harshly, “Go away and leave me alone!”

“I can't do that.”

Finally they reached the edge of town. There were few people stirring that afternoon.

Sabrina said, “Waco, I know you're sad and grieved over Callie's death, and you should be. It was the bravest thing I ever saw anybody ever do. She loved you very much indeed.”

“Don't say that!”

Sabrina's eyes opened with surprise. “Why shouldn't I? It's true enough.”

“Don't you understand, Sabrina? I was using her. I let her think I loved her. That after the robbery she and I would run away together. I knew all the time that was a lie. I'd give anything if I could do it all over again.”

Sabrina knew she was standing on precarious ground. She said quietly after a long pause, “You were trying to do a good thing in the best way you could. Think about what it means to my family, especially to Marianne. I think she'll marry Frank and they'll have a family. That never would have happened if it hadn't been for you. I think LeBeau would have killed me. I saw it in his eyes, and it didn't happen because you were there.”

Waco stood with his head bowed, listening as Sabrina spoke on. Finally he said, “I can't live with this thing.”

“You can have a good life, Waco.”

“How can I live a good life? God can't use me.”

“God doesn't need to use any of us. You know what the Bible says God wants of us?”

“I guess to work hard for Him.”

“He doesn't need anybody to work for Him. He's almighty. He can do what He pleases. But there's one thing we can give Him, and I'm just now finding out what it is.”

Waco lifted his head and saw that there was a tremendously sober look on her features. “What's that?”

“God created us to do one thing. To worship Him. To love Him. If we do that, we've satisfied Him. Anything we could do for Him, that's fine, but to love God, that's what Jesus said. ‘Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might.' That's what I'm going to try to do for the rest of my life—and I would like it very much if you would do the same thing.”

Waco did not answer. He heaved a deep sigh and said, “I'm not sure I could do a thing like that.”

“I would like to see you try, and I'll help you all I can. You've made so many friends here. Judge Parker and Heck and my family. We all care for you. But we don't care for you as much as God cares for you.”

Waco stood stock still, and he whispered, “I just don't know, Sabrina. Let me alone.” He turned and walked quickly away and was relieved when she did not follow him. He walked to the stable and was surprised to see Gray Wolf standing in the shadows.

“Hello, Gray Wolf.”

He said in his direct manner, “God's giving you another chance. If that woman hadn't got in the way, you would have been dead, and you wouldn't have any way to make it right with God. But she bought you some time. Now act like it. Don't act like a fool.”

Waco felt a flash of anger, but then it passed. He shook his head slightly. “I'm not worth saving.”

“Yes, you are as much as any of us. Climb out of that whiskey bottle and act like a man.”

Gray Wolf suddenly faded back in the shadows, and Waco stood there silently, thinking of Sabrina's words and then of Gray Wolf 's warning. He got his horse and went for a long ride, but he could not ride far enough to avoid the thoughts that came to him. He thought of Callie's face as she lay dying in his arms, and it was a razor cutting him to pieces on the inside.

Finally, when darkness came, he went back and for a moment thought of going to talk to Sabrina. But instead he turned and walked into the Lone Eagle Saloon. He began to drink and knew that he was a lost cause.

Time passed, and he knew he was so drunk he could barely walk. Suddenly he felt something on his side. He turned to see that Heck Thomas had pulled his gun loose. “Don't take my gun, Heck.”

“Come along with me. You're under arrest.”

Waco had trouble speaking his tongue was so thick. “For what?”

“For being a fool. Now come on.” Heck hauled Waco out of the saloon, and Waco could barely walk. When he got to the jail, he hardly knew it when Heck shoved him into a cell and down onto a cot. “Stay there for a while.”

Waco wanted to protest, but he was so drunk he fell into a stupor.

“Well, are you sober enough for me to turn you loose?”

Waco looked up, and his head was throbbing. “Let me out of this place.”

“I'll let you out, but first you've got to talk to a man.”

“What man?”

Thomas did not answer. He led Waco out of the cell and took him to a small office.

Waco saw that Charles Warren was sitting there. “Hello, Waco,” Warren said. “Sit down. I've got to talk to you.”

“You can pick up your gun when you leave, Waco,” Heck said. “You listen to this man. He's got sense.”