Dorothy Garlock (18 page)

“Oh, well, I can come back later.”

“I’ll tell him you were here.”

George Belmont came in as Miss Fowler was leaving. “Howdy, pretty lady,” he said loudly, and April flinched when Miss Fowler turned and gave her a disapproving look.

“Hello, George. What brings you out in the middle of the day?”

“Wanna tell you I’m pitchin’ in the horseshoe tournament this Sunday afternoon.” He held out the hand she had stitched a week or so ago. “Take a look. It’s as good as new.” She took his hand in hers and looked at it from all angles.

“It does look good. I did a heck of a job. I’d appreciate it if you would recommend my stitching to your friends. I do hands, arms, legs, even heads on occasion.”

His homely face broke into a grin. “You’ve got my business from now on. How about comin’ and watchin’ me pitch?”

“I just might have to do that. Shall I bring my needle and thread in case that cut pops open?”

“I’ll expect a kiss if I win,” George said as he went out the door.

Later, April spoke on the phone with a woman whose baby was cutting teeth.

“I wouldn’t be alarmed at that, Mrs. Lawrence. Sometimes babies will have loose bowels while teething. Have you tried rubbing his gums with the flat handle of a spoon to help the little teeth come through? Another thing you can do is tie a thin slice of peeled apple in a cloth. Let the baby chomp down on it. The little flavor in the apple will make him want to bite down. Is he running a fever?”

“No, ma’am.”

“If he does, it’s not because of teething. It means that something else is going on, and you should bring him in to see the doctor. I’ll tell the doctor you called.”

After hanging up the phone April went to the back room to eat the crackers and cheese she had brought for lunch. When she heard a knock on the back door, she peered through the screen to see a large colored man clad in overalls standing with his hat in his hand.

“Hello.”

“I wants to see Mistah Docta.”

“Are you sick or hurt?”

“No, ma’am. Just wants to talk.”

“He was up most of the night. He’s sleeping right now. I’m his nurse. Is there anything I can do?”

“No, ma’am. I wait till he wakes up.”

“Would you like to come around and wait in the reception room?”

“I sit here on dis step, ma’am, if’n ya don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind.” April finished her lunch and tidied up the surgery.

An hour later Jack came in. He was all smiles.

“Don’t tell me.” April stood up. “You got the job.”

“I got the job.”

“Congratulations.” She came from behind the desk and kissed his cheek. “I’m so happy for you. You’ll make a crack-erjack of an officer, I just know you will.”

“I’m excited, but I couldn’t show it in front of the council when they told me. Here I can let my hair down. Where’s Doc? I wanted to tell him first off. Corbin already knows. Doc put in a good word for me. I want to let him know that I won’t let him down.”

“Doc’s sleeping. He was out at your sister’s most of the night.”

“Yeah, that’s right. I got a new job and a new nephew all in one day.”

April looked at the clock. “He’s been sleeping about three hours. I should wake him or he won’t sleep tonight.” She went through the door connecting the surgery to Doc’s house and knocked on his bedroom door. “Doc?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s nothing really pressing. I just thought you might want to get up now.”

“I’ll be there in a minute or two.”

When Doc came into the surgery, his hair was damp and combed and he had on a fresh shirt. He stopped when he saw Jack sitting on the edge of the desk.

“Grinning like a jackass could mean only one thing. You g-got the job.”

“Yeah, I did. I want to thank you for putting in a good word for me.”

“I didn’t really say you were all that g-good, but rather that you hadn’t robbed a b-bank or killed anybody that I knew of.”

“Well, thanks for saying that much.” Jack stood and extended his hand.

After the men shook hands, April remembered the man sitting on the back step.

“Doc, there’s a colored man waiting to talk to you. He didn’t want to come in.”

“Colored man?” Doc’s attention was immediate. “Where?” “On the back step.”

Doc hurried to the back door. “Silas? Is something wrong?” he asked anxiously as he motioned the man to go with him out into the yard behind the house.

April looked out the door to see Doc listening intently to what the big man was saying.

“I wonder who he is,” April said to Jack. “Doc seems to know him.”

“He lives down along the river.”

April went into the reception room when she heard the outside door open. Joe stood there. His smiling eyes met hers, then went past her to Jack.

“Hey, Brother. Just because you’re the new policeman doesn’t mean you can hang around my girl.” Joe stuck his hand out, clasped Jack’s and then banged him on the shoulder.

“You heard about it, huh?” Jack was all grins.

“I went by the paper and Corbin told me.”

“Starting Monday, I meet with Corbin and the district marshal. I’m anxious to get started. There’s a lot I’ve got to learn.”

“You’ll do fine. You always were too smart for your britches.” Joe’s eyes caught April’s. She was watching the exchange. “Of course, if you get stuck, you can always call on your big brother to pull you out of a hole.”

Jack laughed. “Yeah. I haven’t forgotten the time you and Thad pulled me out of a hole, then hung me in a tree by my overalls and didn’t come back for an hour. Julie was fit to be tied when I didn’t show up for the noon meal.”

“If I remember right, Pa made me do your chores for a week.”

“Jack,” Doc called from the door. “Joe. I didn’t know you were here. Will both of you c-come out here for a minute?”

Joe winked at April as he followed his brother out the door. Doc and the colored man waited beside Doc’s car.

“Joe, Jack, this is Silas. He t-tells me that for the past two nights men have been c-coming to Miss Deval’s, pounding on the door and making lewd s-suggestions. One man called the other Tator. Do you know anyone b-by that name?”

“Tator Williams,” Jack said. “Sammy Davidson has been hanging around with him.”

Joe looked at Doc’s worried face. He had known for some time that Doc made frequent trips to see Caroline Deval.

“If they k-keep it up, someone is going to get hurt, and it isn’t going to be Caroline Deval,” Doc said irritably. “Silas has a shotgun, and he’ll use it if they t-try to break in.”

“I don’t have any authority until I’m sworn in, Doc. But when I am . . .”

“Why don’t I have a talk with Tator and Sammy?” Joe could see how important this was to his friend, and it made him wonder if Doc had feelings for Miss Deval other than that of doctor and patient. Joe had only seen the woman from a distance. She had been working in her flower garden when he passed by. He had heard that she never left the house.

“Be careful with the shotgun, Silas,” Jack cautioned. “Even if you were defending Miss Deval, folks would get all stirred up if you shot a white man.”

“I knows that. I holler ’nd run at ’em wid a big stick. Little missy, her was scared.”

“Caroline isn’t the kind of w-woman folks think she is. They shun her and talk about her, and they don’t know what they’re t-talking about.”

Joe didn’t think he’d ever heard Doc so agitated.

“A woman shouldn’t have to put up with that. If she lived here in town, they wouldn’t dare. I’ll look up Sammy and Tator as soon as school is out. Sammy will head right for Shanty Town.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jack said.

“Better not, Brother.”

“Why not? You think to handle both sorry pieces of shit by yourself? I know Tator. He’s got the brains of a pissant, but he’s sneaky as a fox creeping up on a henhouse.”

“You’d best wait until you’re sworn in. I might have to beat the hockey out of Tator or do something else against the law. I don’t want you near. Word might get out you had a hand in it.”

“I’ll go with you,” Doc said. “I’m getting d-damn tired of having to p-pussyfoot around.” He didn’t explain what he meant. Joe and Jack looked at each other and didn’t ask. “Meanwhile, I’ll take Silas h-home.” He went in the back door to get his medical bag—he never left the office without it. “Tell April I’ll not be gone more than an hour,” he said as he passed Jack.

Chapter 14

J
OE HAD NEVER SEEN
D
OC
in such an agitated state. He drove the car down the river road hitting the ruts so hard that Joe had to hold on to the side door. When he turned to look at Silas in the backseat, he was doing the same. The car took a quick turn into the lane leading to a small house set back from the road. As soon as they reached it, Doc slammed on the brakes, stopped the car and got out.

“Back in a few minutes.”

Joe caught only a glimpse of the girl who opened the back door. Doc went inside. The door closed behind him.

“How often do men come here, Silas?” Joe and the big colored man got out of the car and stood beside it.

“Jist sometimes. Dey come lots after missy papa die.” “Have they ever broken in?”

“Naw, sir. But scare missy good. Mistah Doctah say I’m ta get ’er out the back and hide ’er in the woods if dey gets so worked up dey ’bout to break in.”

“I’ve not seen Miss Deval in town. Does she ever go out?” “Her don’t go to town. Mistah Doctah bring what she need.”

“Why doesn’t she go out?”

“She scared of folks.”

“That’s not right. She shouldn’t be afraid to go to town.” “Naw, sir.”

The back door opened and Doc called, “Joe, will you c-come in here?”

“Sure, Doc.” Joe took a deep breath, surprised by the request.

Doc held the door open. “There’s s-someone I want you to meet.”

Joe removed his hat and stepped into a neat and cheerful room with a cloth-covered table, braided rug on the floor and crisp white curtains at the windows. Doc closed the door, then moved to the side of an incredibly beautiful girl. Clouds of dark curly hair surrounded a pale face. She was small with dainty features, sweetly curved red lips and large golden eyes.

The words
calm
and
serene
came immediately to mind when he looked at her. But the calmness was a mask; Joe was certain of it when he saw the vein throbbing in her throat.
She is filled with anxiety.
He didn’t know why he thought so, but he was sure that she was sublimely unaware of her beauty.

“This is Caroline Deval, Joe.” Doc’s arm encircled the girl and brought her close to him. “Honey, this is Joe Jones. I’ve told you about him and his brother Jack.”

“Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“I intend to m-make her my wife.” The blunt words fell into the quiet room. On hearing them the girl looked quickly up at Doc.

Joe’s eyes went first to the worried frown wrinkling Caroline’s brow, then to Doc, who stood waiting with a defiant look on his face, his hand caressing her upper arm.

“Congratulations, Doc. You sure picked a beauty.”

“I think so. Caroline’s great-grandmother was colored.” For once he didn’t stutter. He spoke loud and clear and waited for Joe’s reaction.

“Yeah?” Joe didn’t know what else to say.

“That means that she’s considered a colored and easy pickings for the scum who hang around the river dives.”

“Don’t worry about Tator Williams. I’ll take care of him.” “You know what would h-happen if word got out that I’m going to marry her?”

“Yeah,” Joe said again. “Folks can be pretty stiff-necked about some things.”

“I’m trying to find a p-position in Canada.” Doc had decided to put all his cards on the table. “Caroline and I can be m-married there.”

“I wish you and Miss Deval all the best, Doc.”

“Then you’re still my friend?”

“Hell, yes. Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am. Why wouldn’t I be? Sometime I’ll tell you about Radna, a lady I met over in Rainwater, Oklahoma. She had a dab of colored blood. It made no difference to my friend Bluefeather, a Kickapoo Indian who was as rich as sin. He wanted Radna.”

Doc’s shoulders seemed to slump with relief. “Thank you, Joe.” He put both arms around Caroline and hugged her to him. “Somehow I knew that you’d understand,” he said, looking over her head.

“I’ll do what I can to help you, Doc. Does April know that you’re planning to leave?”

“No, and I feel guilty about that. I can’t tell her or anyone yet. I told you b-because it’s getting harder and harder for me to protect Caroline, and s-somehow I knew that I could put my trust in you.”

“You got it, Doc. Jack would feel the same.”

“Honey.” Doc turned the girl in his arms so that she was facing Joe. “I want you to know Joe Jones. Take a good look at him in case he ever comes and tells you that I w-want you to go with him. Understand?”

“But ...Todd ...”

“You can trust him, sweetheart. He’s been my friend for a long time. If the t-time should come when I can’t c-come for you myself, I’ll s-send Joe.”

“Silas—”

“I’ll tell Silas. Did the men threaten him last night?” “One of them threatened to do bad things to him when he told them to go away.”

“Did you see the men, Miss Deval?” Joe asked.

“No. But one of them was bad. He yelled nasty things. The other one was younger. He kept trying to get him to leave.”

“It very well might have been Tator Williams and Sammy Davidson. I’ll put the fear of the devil in them when I catch up with them.”

“Honey, I’ve got to get back. Mrs. Appleby is expecting her baby, and April needs to know where to find me.”

“I’ll wait outside.” Joe headed for the door. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Deval. Congratulations to you and Doc. He’s one of the best men I’ve ever known.”

“Thank you, Mr. Jones.”

After Joe had gone out and closed the door, Doc held Caroline away from him so that he could look into her face.

“What will your nurse think . . . when she hears about me?”

“I don’t know, honey. She seems to be a sensible person. She’s never expressed her views on mixed marriage. It makes no difference to me if she approves or not.”

“Do you like her?”