by PJ Eiden
Warren reached over and took hold of Harriet’s arm.
“No ma’am, I’m not looking for the good book. I’m searching for a new life,” Hank said.
The statement surprised Harriet. She came a step closer and took a broom by the handle to point at him. “You won’t find one you like around here. You keep away from our family!”
Warren intervened. “Harriet, stop it now!”
She set the broom down and dried her moist hands on her apron. “Are you trying to steal our money? Well, we don’t have any to give away. You can tell things aren’t very flush these days. Some investors from the big city moved in over at White Pine Cove and turned a few cabins like ours into a giant affair.”
Hank could see the fear in Harriet’s face grow as she spoke. He took a step back and turned away.
Harriet continued her tirade directing it at Hank’s back as he lingered near the door. “I guess they don’t need the train to bring their customers in. The superhighway comes up from Minneapolis and slices right through next to Gull Lake making it easy for people to visit them. They have all the advantages, like electric lights and indoor plumbing, in every cabin! I heard a rumor this week they are going to build one of those fancy golf courses over there. Can you believe how much timber they’ll destroy?”
Warren tried to appeal to his wife. “Harriet, settle down. We are making the best of things here. We’re thankful to have a few electric lights in the lodge now, aren’t we?”
Hank wandered back outside.
Warren got an idea from Harriet’s rants. “Why don’t we go over to Gull Lake today and look around to see what people like so much about the new place?”
“Why would a person ever do such a thing? No, I won’t set foot on their property.”
“Well, before we lose more customers, I thought you might want to see if there are any changes we could make to appeal to the people who want a quiet place to stay, away from large crowds. You seemed curious. Wouldn’t you like to snoop around?”
Harriet was undecided. “It might feel like trespassing.”
“Gull is a larger lake. I’ve heard the fishing over there is quite fine.” Warren wasn’t making things any better.
Harriet looked out the window toward the shoreline and the boats tied to the dock. “I don’t suppose there is much we can do about that.”
She stared at the floor. “Maybe.”
Warren couldn’t believe his ears. “What did you say?”
“Maybe I do want to spy on them.”
Warren scratched his head. “I don’t think we would be breaking any laws to go and visit a fellow business in our area. I’ll let the kids know we’ll be gone for an hour or so. They have plenty of chores to do this afternoon.”
Harriet joined Warren in the Studebaker sedan for the drive to the Village of Lake Shore. Harriet insisted on wearing a clean dress and her church hat. She’d felt threatened by the rumors it was a first-class resort. She was certain the new retreat with all the modern advantages was ruining her family’s business.
The smooth, paved highway curled its way through the afternoon shade from the dark pines. Towering at the edge of the road, a large billboard promoted fine family vacations at White Pine Cove on Gull Lake. Harriet winced when she spotted the sign. “It seems awful gaudy to me. They have such poor taste.”
“I can see why people don’t think about us much anymore. It seems this new place has quite a presence now,” Warren said.
Harriet raised her nose in the air somewhat. “They are spoiling the landscape. A modest sign would surely have had the same effect and still give other businesses a chance, too.”
As they left the main highway for the driving tour around the north side of Gull Lake, a flatbed truck loaded with inflated rubber tire tubes passed them on the sandy driveway. The young man in the cab waved a tanned arm out the open driver’s window as he drove on toward the water. Several teenagers rode red-and-white bicycles along the drive. Their unofficial race to be in the lead carried on in uproarious fashion. One of them carried a soda fountain drink in one hand.
A man was waxing an overturned canoe with a wooden hull on a rack next to a lake cabin. Harriet was silent.
At a large tree-covered hill, the drive curved along the water and led to a three-story timber lodge. Women and men lounged in wicker rocking chairs on the shaded porch that wrapped around the building. Three children played in the sand. Two tossed a beach ball, while the other searched for clamshells.
The large pier extending out into the lake buzzed with activity. Some fishermen had come in with their catch, and two families were loading gear into boats getting ready for afternoon trips out on the water. Warren stopped the car when he noticed the sheen of a silver Evinrude outboard hanging from the back of each fishing boat. He watched a guest pull a starting cord. Smoke puffed out from the rear of the outboard. Moments later, the fisherman twisted the handle on the motor. The craft powered away from the dock out into the lake and splashed through the waves. Warren shook his head in amazement.
Harriet watched a young family picnicking under a tree near the shoreline. People were smiling, laughing, and appeared to be quite happy. She was perplexed. How could this be? Don’t they know about the stock market collapse and the great depression forcing families out of their homes into lives of begging? It all seemed so unfair. “Take me home, Warren. I don’t want to see any more of this.”
He leaned in close to his wife’s ear. “Harriet, you know this hasn’t hit everyone the same way. Even though many folks are suffering, these people still deserve to be happy.”
Harriet was silent on the car ride home.
When they arrived back at Clark Lake Lodge, Harriet was visibly agitated as she left the car. She noticed Hank outside searching for a chair to use on the porch. She glared at Warren, before she went off on a rage-filled rant.
She marched toward Hank, screaming, “My husband may be afraid to tell you this, but you are not welcome here! You stay away from this family and get the hell off our property right now! I don’t want to ever see you here again!”
Hank was on his feet and avoided more confrontation by leaving from the far end of the porch.
Harriet’s face burned red and tears rolled off her cheeks as she disappeared into the lodge. The screen door slammed behind her.
Warren intercepted Hank out on the lawn and grabbed him by the arm. “Hold on a minute. No excuse, but Harriet is upset by what she saw over at Gull Lake. She knows this place is doomed to compete against the new larger business and I’m sorry she lashed out at you.”
Hank stood silent as Warren continued, “Besides, there isn’t a train leaving here until tomorrow. Let me give you a ride to find a place for the night.”
Hank nodded. “It’s probably best.”
The two men returned to the car. Warren said, “You know, my wife would kill me if she heard me say this, but White Pine Cove looks like a nice place to stay.”
Hank looked at Warren, surprised by the frank comment.
After delivering Hank to Gull Lake, Warren returned and pulled the car back into the barn. He rolled the large doors shut. He took care not to make too much noise when he climbed the staircase to their room. The bedroom door was closed. Harriet was still in her dress. Her hat and shoes were strewn about on the floor. Warren picked up the hat and set it on the dresser. He took a seat next to Harriet, who was face down in the pillows.
He reached for her and brushed the side of her shoulder. She bristled at his unexpected touch and pulled away. Warren stayed close. “It’s time we talk about this,” he began as he stood next to the bed. “You can’t treat people this way. You know the tour really upset you, not Hank.”
Harriet raised her head from the pillow and spoke without looking at him. “That man is a monster, and I don’t want him around here. You know I hate criminals. I don’t want his
business. I’d rather starve than take his money. We should have dealt with him properly the first time he showed up in Albert’s boat.” She put her head back down on the bedding.
“He’s gone now. Let’s go outside, get some fresh air, and talk things over.”
Harriet rose from the bed and changed into her regular clothes. Warren waited for her in the dining room. He guided her toward a shaded picnic table across the yard.
As they walked side by side, Harriet raised her arms out with her hands facing up. “I don’t understand. What exactly does Hank want with us?”
They stopped walking. Warren turned to her and said, “He wants to start over, and he needs money.”
Harriet’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in disbelief. “What do you mean Hank needs money? We have nothing to give him. We have mouths to feed. Furthermore, he’s a monster. Why would we ever help him?”
Warren took a deep breath. He looked directly into Harriet’s eyes. “Harriet, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a long time.”
Harriet crossed her arms and stood as rigid as a statue. Her eyes narrowed and her lips drew into a white knot.
Warren had never seen his wife with this much anger on her face. He pointed toward the empty table. “Let’s take a seat.”
With a piercing tone, Harriet said, “Can’t you see, I don’t feel like sitting down right now.”
Before this impasse got much worse, Warren moved in and swung an arm around Harriet. He tried to guide her toward the table.
Harriet wouldn’t be corralled. She twisted away from her husband to face him. “Warren Johnson, what have you done?”
Warren regained his position next to her and pressed on. “Come with me.”
Harriet was reluctant. She followed Warren to the table but stood with her arms crossed. She knew she wasn’t going to like what he was about to say.
The breeze sweeping through the pines muted out the rest of the world. As Warren began, he patted the bench next to him. “Take a seat. I have a long story to tell you.”
Harriet remained rigid with her arms locked as she took a seat across from him. She stared at Warren’s chest and neck but wouldn’t make eye contact.
“Harriet, you know when we first met, I told you I had roots in Minnesota but worked in Chicago for several years. I also told you I bought this place as a way to make a living outside the big city, right?”
Harriet held her stare firm. She didn’t acknowledge his statements.
This was going to be a tense conversation for both of them. Warren knew he had to tell her everything if there was any hope they could move on together. He didn’t want to lose his wife, but it was a real possibility if he wasn’t careful with his message.
“I told you before we met, I worked as a manager at a beverage company. Well, it’s true, but there’s more to the story. What I didn’t tell you was I worked for my older brother Hudson, and we brewed beer for clubs in Chicago.”
Harriet glared at Warren’s face. Both the corners of her mouth curled down with distaste like she’d swallowed bitter poison. “You mean illegal beer, don’t you?”
Despite the summer heat, Warren felt a chill come over him. He stared at the cracked planks of the table’s top. “When my father Martin emigrated from Europe, he arrived in the Midwest without a dime to his name. At the time, deceitful men in the city took advantage of many new immigrants to run numbers for illegal gambling and for collecting bets on horse races. If these handlers got caught doing the dirty work of roughing people up for money, they could be replaced with new immigrants coming off the boats. It kept the crime bosses out of jail.
“Martin arrived in a strange country all alone, and he spoke little English. He was penniless and couldn’t even muster up the price of a ticket to return to Europe. He was stuck, and he struggled with working in a dishonest business and committing the violence expected of him. While he was forced to accept this life, deep down, he was torn between his beliefs and the need to support himself. While he came to America in search of a better life, crime was the only road he found leading to it.
“But what began as survival, later became his own temptation.”
Harriet could hear the empathy in her husband’s voice as he described the predicament his father had fallen into.
“A couple years after my father first landed here, something unexpected happened. His boss died in a gun battle with cops who were trying to clean up illegal gambling. My father found himself the new leader of a minor syndicate. He assumed the role and set out to make his share.”
The longer she listened to Warren speak, Harriet recognized her own growing sense of foreboding.
“Over the years, the business grew, and Martin created two separate organizations. One was for running gambling, and the other coerced merchants into carrying his line of expensive tobacco products. The second enterprise expanded to control supplies of meat, fish, and eggs.”
Warren was deliberate in covering the details. He wanted her to know everything, the good and the bad. “It took time and a lot of bribes for both the local police and city officials, but Martin persevered. When he was quite established, he met a spunky impoverished woman with emerald green eyes. Her name was Julia. Shortly after she emigrated from England, Julia started working for my father, keeping his gambling and shipping records. He was fond of her from the first time they met and protected her from the hoodlums in her neighborhood. When they married, she became a great influence in his life and convinced him to keep clear of the deadliest sins. She was content and not weak to the endless gluttony of most criminal operations.”
Harriet watched Warren speak with a sad look on her face.
Warren fixed his gaze on the old barn atop the hill. It was as if the faded paint held a story. “Once both my brother and I were born, life changed for my parents. Dad was determined to raise his boys in a good home and to return to an honest life. Mother left the business and set about the work of raising us children full time.
“Father tried pouring money into legitimate businesses but found he could never earn much unless he returned to the disease of tipping the scales in his favor somehow. Despite his dark occupations, Hudson and I attended school and had fairly normal childhoods.”
Harriet sat quietly and focused on her husband. Warren decided to keep going while she was willing to listen. “Things were pretty good for my brother and me until the military draft sent Dad to fight in the bloody trenches in France. You know the Selective Draft picked on immigrants in those days. He never returned from the war.”
Harriet gasped and covered her mouth. Her eyes welled with tears.
“A few years later, the Eighteenth Amendment passed making alcohol production illegal, and all hell broke loose. My dad was gone, and Hudson got pulled into the bootlegging business. Mother worried about us but couldn’t keep me out of it either.”
Harriet motioned for him to continue.
“My brother may have taught me the business, but I wouldn’t do the things he did. I worked in the office and made many decisions.” Warren looked down at the ground. “After Hudson died, my world fell apart.
“Before I knew it, an army of men came for me, too. I was shot and assumed dead. I had to escape somehow. I was banged up when I arrived in Minnesota. It took me a couple of years to fully recover. By the time I got back on my feet, it was too late to help Hudson’s kids. His daughter was taken in by some nuns in St. Louis. His son was surviving on his own.”
Her face turned pale. She was aghast at the senseless brutal attacks and murders. She’d read these sorts of headlines in the paper out of Minneapolis but had never known anyone who was involved.
Harriet sobbed and reached for Warren’s hand.
“It changed me forever. I was determined to stay out of the business anyway I could.”
Harriet stopped crying. She pulled her h
ands back. “You were one of them— Are you a murderer?”
Warren stared at Harriet. He would not answer.
“All this time you’ve kept this from me?” She covered her face. “Oh God, I’m married to a killer!” Her sobs turned into coughs and gasps.
Harriet went down on her knees and began to vomit on the ground. She took hold of the bench seat. When her retching ceased, she pulled herself up and staggered toward the lodge. Warren came around the table after her.
She stood straight with her arm extended. “Get away from me, you, killer! I don’t want you near me or the kids!”
“Harriet, wait.” Warren stepped between her and the lodge. “I was in the business, but it’s not the way you think. There’s more you need to know.” He tried to wipe away partially digested food left smeared on her cheek.
She slapped his hand away and put her clenched fists on her hips. “What else, Warren? What other dirty secrets have you been keeping from me all these years?”
He could see the swarm of emotions racing through his wife. He sensed this announcement might light a match for her already explosive anger. “Hank is my nephew. He’s Hudson’s younger son.”
She went into shock. Harriet covered her face. She shook her head as she backed away from the man she was starting to despise. “No, no, no! You can’t do this to us! What happened to the Warren I married?”
She tore at her hair and made a tangled mess of herself. She cried out through the tears, “Why didn’t I see this coming? Now I understand your weird behavior about protecting us around him.”
Warren tried to defuse the tension with a calm voice. “Harriet, his family is all gone. We are the only relatives Hank has left.”
“No, you are the only family he has left. He’s not my nephew. I want nothing to do with either one of you.”
Albert was standing on the porch now. He’d never seen his parents have a serious fight before. He yelled, “Mama, what’s wrong?”
In an instant, her maternal instincts took over. “Go back inside, Albert, and get your sister. We are leaving right now!”