by S. A. Glenn
“A whole dime? Oh, boy, a whole dime!” exclaimed the oldest.
The Frenchman gave each lad his own ten-cent piece. “Merry Christmas, boys.”
“Merry Christmas, mister. Thank you!” they all shouted as they took off, forging through the deep snow.
Louis Pierre peered down at the three. “Well, everyone. Thank you for the lovely day. It has been a long time since we have spent a Christmas with ones we consider to be family.”
“It was our pleasure, Louis,” Sara assured him, stepping up onto the runners to peck him on the cheek.
“Take care, everyone… and to all a good night,” said Louis Pierre, clenching the reins in his hands.
“Good night!” they three told the two Frenchmen.
Turning the sleigh around, Louis Pierre whipped the leather straps above the horse’s back and they rode off and vanished over the hill into the nightfall, bells jingling on the horse’s legs.
CHAPTER 23
MARCH 1870
Life had been going well for Katherine with her teaching career running smoothly. She adored her students; and they had accepted her as their new teacher. Her method of instruction was different from that of Emily’s: Katherine had the children work together in groups instead of taking on all the tasks alone. Sometimes she had each one resolve problems on their own, but for the majority of their lessons, she had them helping each other to develop their social skills.
Early March snowstorms had caused a lot of damage around town. The wet, heavy snow had broken many tree limbs that were hanging over businesses and homes, causing rooftops to cave in and bring heaps of business to the mill. One of the structures damaged was the schoolhouse: Two of the rooms had a collapsed roof. Not needing three educators for the time being, Katherine drew the shortest straw and was placed on temporary leave, her students being split up and combined with the other two functional rooms. Samuel, having filled all of his work orders, gave a hand reconstructing the schoolhouse’s roof. He didn’t want the children and Katherine to be without each other too long since he knew how important a good education was.
A few days into the renovation, Katherine stopped by the school for a surprise visit, having a serious question to ask Samuel about the ring that he had given her. After peeking her head into the rooms to say hello to her students, she made her way to Samuel and found him standing on a ladder, hammering, his pants drooping and showing the crack of his buttocks. “That’s attractive,” she uttered, standing behind him.
“Ahhh! God darn it!” Shuddering at her voice, he stuck his throbbing thumb into his mouth. He turned around and saw Katherine gazing up at him.
“I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean for you to hurt yourself. Come down. I will kiss it for you, make it better.”
“What’re you doing here, Kat?” He pulled up his pants and climbed down and offered her his painful appendage.
She repeatedly kissed it, then said with a worrisome voice, “I came by to—” she stopped herself, perhaps to search for the proper words.
“To what, Kat?” He saw trouble in her eyes. Taking her by her hand, he led her to a chair and sat with her.
“I guess to ask you about this ring.” She showed him her promise band, shook her head to-and-fro with a look of disgust. “Where did you get it, Samuel?”
The way she said his name had him staring at her, feeling like he was being accused of something low. He hesitated, gazing uneasily at the wet, wooden, warped, planks, not sure about what she was getting at. “Whaddaya mean, Kat?” He didn’t look at her as he fidgeted with a hole on his pant leg.
“I took off my ring—the first time I’ve done that since you put it on me, but, anyway… I wanted to clean it. I looked inside the band and saw three small letters engraved upon it.”
“So.” He shrugged, peered up at her, then stared down at his pant leg.
“The three letters etched are ETC!” she asserted, giving him a cold stare. “And do you know what they stand for?”
Not liking her tone, he stood then walked over to the window and peered out at the broken limbs, with an attitude. “I don’t know… et cetera?”
She got up, took quick steps toward him, and firmly grabbed his arm. “Look at me, Samuel!” she begged with teary eyes.
“What!” He turned to look at her, resisting her compelling posture.
“At first, I didn’t think much about the letters… then it dawned upon me,” she testified. Releasing her grasp she walked about like she had solved a huge mystery. Placing her finger to her lips, she spun around with a strong stare. “The first and last letter seemed to fit my theory… but I needed to know about the middle one, so I rode out to visit with Louis Pierre.”
“About what, Katherine? What’re you talking about? What does that man have to do with that ring?” he pointed with wroth.
Removing the ring from her finger, she viewed inside it, locating the center letter. “I had a lovely conversation with Monsieur Pierre, stayed for an hour or so drinking tea. While we chatted, I threw in my question. I asked him ‘what was Emily’s middle name, Monsieur Pierre?’ I said. And do you know what he told me?” she insisted with a playful demeanor.
“What, Kat?” He was weary of her antics.
“Theresa! Her middle name was Theresa. Emily Theresa Cromwell!”
He made his way arduously back to the chair and sat and curled up, his head in his hands. Not certain on how to answer her, he wagged his head, then he bolted out a question. “What’re you gettin’ at, Katherine?”
“I simply want to know where you got this!” she beseeched him then changed her manner. Sitting down next to him, she took his hand, looked him in the eye. “What is going on, Sam? I’m sorry that I was overbold with you, but this worries me. Please, tell me how you got the ring.”
He was hurt by the way she had been treating him, and he didn’t want to talk to her. He was short with his words. “A little old man named Clifford riding a donkey named Frank sold it to me. There, are you happy?” He crossed his arms then turned away from her.
She huffed out a laugh. “Come on, Sam. You can’t possibly expect me to believe that!”
“Yeah? Well it’s the truth! And I don’t wanna talk about it no more.”
“Okay, Sam, I believe you, then.” But she didn’t seem fully convinced of his tale. “So what do we do about the ring?”
“What’s wrong with it?” He eased out of his anger and turned toward her.
“It may not rightfully belong to me—Oh, God!” she uttered with a blood curdling epiphany, tossing the ring onto the table. “What if she was wearing it when she was… murdered?” A shock of horror shrouded her pale face.
“She wasn’t engaged or married was she, Kat?”
“No, I suppose not.”
“Then it wasn’t on her finger when she was killed.”
“But what about the old man with the donkey?” she asked in a frenzy. “He stole it out of her jewelry box, then he killed Emily! My ring’s stolen property.”
“He couldnt’ve killed her.”
“What makes you so sure, Sam?”
“He looked to be 90 years old. He could barely hold onto the ring when he passed it off to me. She could have easily torn him up in a struggle. I guarantee he’s not the killer. And as for the ring being stolen, maybe Emily sold it to the old man. Maybe she did so she could get to Idaho to see her folks.”
“I guess that’s possible. But I still feel uncomfortable about wearing it. I don’t know what the truth is. We can’t ask around about it without bringing suspicion to ourselves. Do I keep wearing it or not, Sam?”
“I don’t know why not, Kat. It’ll be alright. I’ll get you another one in a couple of weeks, then we’ll get rid of it. Okay?”
“Okay, Sam. And I’m really sorry for the way I spoke to you. I was ju
st in another world with uncertainty. Please, forgive me,” she begged, fitting on the ring.
“I do, Kat. I can’t be upset with you. I love you too much to allow things to get in our way.” He pulled her up to her feet he kissed her passionately.
“And I, you, Sam. No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side,” she promised.
Pulling up his britches again, he grabbed his hammer and a handful of nails and hiked up the ladder to where he was. “I best be getting back to work, Kat, so you can start teaching again. You reckon?”
“I reckon, Sam. See you at home.”
CHAPTER 24
Katherine was back at the restaurant washing dishes. As she scrubbed out the last pot, she thought about the engraving inside of the ring. She came up with a solution to a troubled problem that had plagued her since she had discovered the engraving inside. She rinsed out the metal container and sat it upside down on the drain board then quickly and quietly headed upstairs with a big surprise in her mind for Samuel, knowing he would never see it coming.
Entering his room, she shut the door to keep her intentions private. Sneaking around to the foot of his bed, she sat upon it, going through his drawers, searching for information. Hunting through a stack of paperwork she found exactly what she needed. She grabbed a piece of paper and the pen off the inkstand. She copied down the address of the postal service on 18 Oceanview Lane, Topsail Island, North Carolina. Hearing footsteps growing louder up the stairs, she dropped the pen onto the dresser then hurriedly waved the paper dry of the ink. Without any time to spare, she placed the information down her dress and dropped to the floor, rolling under the bed.
A pair of snake-skin boots entered and walked over to the dresser. She stayed silent and still, her heart racing as a spider crawled over her arm. She gave out a tiny squeal, covering her mouth to snuff the fright. The boots stopped dead in their tracks. A hand reached for the blanket hanging over the bed and began to pull it up. A head slowly came into view. Katherine became overwhelmed with guilt as she awaited her discovery, not knowing how to explain her actions. Closing her eyes tight, hoping that would hide her, she prayed with every ounce of her being that she would not get caught.
“Katherine, are you upstairs?” her mother hollered.
“I don’t think she’s up here, ma’am!” Samuel yelled back, dropping the blanket. “I’ll check her room.” Hurrying into her room, he peeked in. “She’s not here, ma’am!”
“Thank you, Samuel. Can you come help me, please?”
“Sure thing, ma’am. Be right there!” He pelted down the stairs.
Katherine scooted out from under the bed, stood and dusted off the cobwebs—they gave her the willies. Tiptoeing out of his room, she hurried into hers and stashed the paper with the address on it under her mattress. She stealthily moved down the stairs, avoiding the seventh step that creaked. She opened the back door and stepped out, taking in a breath of freedom. Sara and Samuel came in through the swinging door. Katherine made a fast 180 degree turn and stepped back in.
“Oh! There you are, Kat,” said Sara, her hand full of towels. “Where’d you go? A customer knocked over a pitcher of water. What a mess!”
“I stepped out for a breath of fresh air.”
“Are you okay, Kat?” asked Samuel.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit flush,” she admitted.
Night came and the place was quiet, giving Katherine the chance to get done the covert task she had decided to take on. Sitting at her desk, she lit a candle then grabbed a pen and paper. After writing down the details of what was going on in Wrangler, she folded up the letter and sealed it inside an envelope. Grabbing the hidden sheet of paper from under her mattress, she jotted down the address. Once the ink dried, she placed the article under her pillow for safe keeping, a mischievous grin upon her face.
The next morning Samuel was up early to start replacing the water-damaged floor at the school. Before he headed off to work he knocked on Katherine’s door.
She was lying awake in bed, waiting for him to leave so she could deliver the message to the postal service. She gave out a big yawn and stretched. “Come in,” she said.
He cracked the door open and peeked his head in. “Good morning, Kat. Don’t mean to wake you up.”
“Good morning, Sam. It’s okay, I was already awake.”
“I just wanted to ask you if you were in my room yesterday.”
Her smile weakened as thoughts flashed through her slightly groggy mind, wondering what it was that gave her away. “Uhhh… no! Why do you ask?”
“Well…” he started off, scratching his head in confusion. “I found my pen on my dresser. I always keep it on the inkstand. I must be losin’ my marbles, Kat. Oh, well.” He placed his hat onto his head. “See you when I get home. I love you!”
“I love you, too,” she answered, relieved that she had not gotten caught.
CHAPTER 25
JUNE 1870
It was three days before the wedding on a sunny morning. Katherine was on the porch of the restaurant swinging on the suspended seat. A Stagecoach pulled up and a cloud of dust rolled off its large-spoked wheels. The driver yanked the break and wrapped the reins around the lever. Hoping off of the ride, he opened the door, waiting for his passenger to emerge. Katherine extended her leg and stopped the swing, wondering who would be exiting the carriage. Watching carefully, she saw the driver extend his hand and take hold of a woman’s white, gloved hand. The gentleman helped her down then grabbed a big travel bag, bringing it up to the porch.
“Howdy, ma’am.” The driver greeted Katherine with a tip of his hat, dust built up at the corners of his mouth.
“Good day, sir,” she replied.
The man headed back to the stagecoach. The woman took out her purse and placed a tip into his hand. He tipped his hat, nodded to her, and climbed back up onto his seat. Taking the reins into his hands, he released the break then whipped the leather straps over the horses’ backs and resumed his journey, leaving a trail of dust.
Katherine stood then walked over to the top of the steps. The visitor in her early forties approached. She wore a darkly elegant, royal blue and black Lucille walking suit and a blue bonnet. Katherine showed a warm smile, hoping that the woman was who she wished her to be.
The lady walked up the three steps and stopped face-to-face with Katherine. Pulling at the laces under her chin, she removed her hat. “I’m looking for Katherine Jones,” she stated.
“I am she,” replied Katherine with zeal, barely able to control her joy. “And you must be—”
“Becky Simms, Samuel’s mother!” she finished.
Katherine and Becky gave each other a big hug.
Katherine’s face became warm because of Becky’s assessing stare. “Oh, my. I can’t believe you came. I’m so glad you’re here!” Katherine put her arm through Becky’s, taking her and the luggage into the restaurant. Setting down the baggage, Katherine gave Samuel’s mother another big hug. “Thank you so much for coming. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Becky took hold of Katherine’s hands and leaned back. “My my! Look at how beautiful you are—and it is my pleasure to be here—this means a lot to me, also. My Samuel, are you taking good care of him? I miss him so.”
“I am, ma’am. And he’s taking care of me.”
“Thank you, Katherine, for writing and for letting me know what’s going on. Samuel told me he was in a nice town, but I had no idea where it was.”
“Do you need anything? Are you hungry? How was your trip?”
“I could use a glass of water, please. And my trip was long and tiresome, but worth it, mind you,” she explained, shooing her hand at Katherine.
“I’m glad. I’ll get you some water. Please, sit here at the booth, make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
“Thank you, Katherine.” Becky sat and removed her gloves.
Katherine wasted no time accommodating Samuel’s mother, bringing a cool, tall glass of spring water and a menu. “Here you are, ma’am. Everything’s on the house. The soup’s marvelous. Minestrone. You should try it.”
“Soup sounds good. I would love a bowl. Thank you.”
Sara poked her head out from the doorway, Katherine gave her the okay. Sara nodded her head and disappeared. Reappearing, she came out with a steaming hot bowl of freshly made soup, and a welcoming smile, setting the food in front of Becky. “Hello. I’m Sara Jones, Katherine’s mother. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Lee.”
Katherine’s face became troubled, knowing that she forgot about that one small detail about Samuel’s name. Becky peered up at Katherine like she was puzzled. Katherine knew that she could not allow this mystery to carry on any longer, so she quickly took the pressure off of Becky. “Actually, Mother, Samuel’s last same is Simms. His full name is Samuel Lee Simms.”
“Simms?” Sara questioned, gazing at her daughter then Becky, smiling as if it was a joke.
“Yes, Mother. He never exactly told anybody that ‘Lee’ is his last name. He just referred to himself as that since his mother always called him that.” She looked at Becky for approval.
Becky smiled and shook her head yes.
“Oh!” Sara said. “Well, then, pleased to meet you, Ms. Simms!” Sara offered with an understanding attitude.
“And you, too, Ms. Jones.”
“All this time I thought that my daughter’s last name was going to be ‘Lee’! But ‘Simms’ is fine, as well. Katherine Marie Simms. I like it. And I like Samuel, too. He’s a good man. I’m proud to have him marry my daughter. You did a fine job of bringing him up, Ms. Simms.”