Wyatt thought about all the changes he had seen in Cripple Creek. Even this past month had brought plenty of change to the town. It seemed every week there were more fortune seekers flocking to the town in hopes of striking it rich.
Here, in its happy situation, the things of the church felt . . . separate somehow from the mayhem of all the goings on in the town. Nothing, it seemed, could force the church forward. Must they always lag behind the times? Any new discovery in science was usually deemed “witchcraft” or “heresy.” But Wyatt could not help himself. He was intrigued.
At last, Wyatt reached the church. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and entered. Piano music greeted him. He allowed the simple melody to wash over him but found the tune indistinguishable to his ears. The reverend, the only other occupant of the church, sat at the instrument, his hands moving expertly across the ivory keys. All too soon, the music came to a halt. Wyatt’s eyes met Timothy’s. So, the reverend had noticed the intrusion. It must have distracted him from his playing.
“Wyatt,” Timothy said in greeting, turning his body sideways on the piano bench. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Timothy,” Wyatt tipped his hat. “That’s all right. I was enjoying the mini-concert.” It didn’t matter that the rest of the council, or the town for that matter, referred to Wyatt as “Doc” and to Timothy as “Reverend.” They referred to each other by name. While they were not friends as schoolboys, they had come to hold a mutual respect for each other.
Timothy smiled at the compliment. He waved Wyatt into the space. “I’ve got the table set up.” Timothy stood, straightening his jacket as he moved toward the raised platform.
The council preferred to meet at a table so everyone could see each other during discussions. It also afforded them a surface on which to place any documents or take notes if they had need. Timothy was faithful about clearing a space on the pulpit for the table and setting up chairs so everything was ready for the council members.
Wyatt nodded and took his seat. Might as well enjoy the silence. It wouldn’t be long before the crowd showed up.
Just then, the door swung open and Phillip Yerby walked in.
“Phillip,” he called to the man. “How’s business?”
“Same as ever,” Yerby said, heading straight for a chair as usual. The man’s girth and age demanded he sit often. As Yerby settled into his seat, Wyatt heard the man’s breath heaving from the walk to the church.
A few of the townsfolk began trickling in. Timothy stepped down from the dais to greet them. That was Timothy. Ever the cheerful outgoing one. Wyatt did not have that gift.
Soon thereafter, Mayor Jacobs joined them.
Their group was nearly complete. Seated, they awaited the last member’s appearance. Jacobs and Yerby exchanged talk of the recent heat as Jacobs took out his pocket watch. He would hold out a few more minutes for the banker. It wasn’t quite time for the meeting to start yet and more townsfolk were filling the pews.
Wyatt drummed his fingers on the table’s surface. These minutes ticking down to the start of the meetings always made him anxious. His eyes watched the door, waiting for the moment Mr. Hammond would come and they could get started.
Betsy entered and flashed him a grin before taking a seat on the front-most pew. He managed to smile back. She always seemed to show up wherever he was. Rather supportive of the town that way, she was. Or of him. Either way, she was a good friend.
It wasn’t long before Mr. Hammond entered and joined them on the raised platform. He muttered his apologies before taking his seat.
Wyatt cared not for his reason; he simply wanted to get this over with. His eyes scanned the small space for Timothy and caught him near the back of the room. He was speaking with Katherine Matthews. It did not escape Wyatt’s notice that Timothy stood rather close to Katherine. Closer than he needed to.
Why should that bother him? Because it was improper for the town’s reverend to behave so? Yes, that must be it. Only, it wasn’t. He had every right to court a single woman of his choosing. Warmth began to creep up Wyatt’s neck.
At that moment, Timothy turned from Katherine and moved toward the empty seat on the dais.
Wyatt continued to track Katherine as she took a seat by her mother near the middle aisle. He didn’t realize he still stared at her until her eyes met his. Then he turned his attention to other men at the table.
Mayor Jacobs stood and opened his mouth to bring the room to order and called for the meeting to commence. Timothy read the minutes from the last meeting. They were accepted and the way was cleared for new business.
“There is one matter I think we need to settle first and foremost,” Jacobs spoke up, his voice more timid than Wyatt would have expected. This was his town. He was charged with presiding over it. Where was his confidence?
“I know we have discussed this before, but I think we can no longer deny this town needs more deputies. Our population continues to grow, the saloons are full to bursting, and our town streets are rowdy at night and no longer safe for the common folk to walk.”
A chorus of voices sounded from the congregation. But such a din of voices were they, that nothing could be discerned.
Wyatt wanted to reserve his opinion until he’d heard everyone out. But he couldn’t help his reaction. More deputies would mean more taxes. While, yes, it sounded nice, that was not something he wanted to put on the townsfolk.
“I agree,” Mr. Yerby said, eyebrows furrowing. “Things get awful shady when the sun goes down.”
“And it will only get worse with the influx of silver miners,” Jacobs reasoned.
“Silver miners?” Wyatt’s eyes lit up. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. Has someone found silver in our valley?”
“No,” Jacobs said, his voice slow.
Sounds of stifled laughter came from the people.
Wyatt chose to ignore it and focus on the problem. His fellow council members spoke as if this was something he should know. Had something significant happened? How was he not in the know?
Jacobs tried to prompt his memory. “Because the whole silver market went bust? All the silver miners out of work? Looking for work in gold mines?”
Wyatt shook his head, mouth quirked. This was news. He had not heard anything about the silver miners.
“Goodness, man,” Mr. Hammond said, appearing equally as shocked as Jacobs that Wyatt didn’t know what was going on. “Where have you been? Under a rock?”
More sounds from the congregation. Wyatt tapped his finger on the tabletop. His eyes cut over to Katherine. He was somewhat relieved to see she appeared every bit as confused as he felt.
“Are you not aware of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act?” Jacobs offered.
It sounded vaguely familiar. But not enough that Wyatt could rely on his memory for anything. So, he shook his head again.
“Do you ever read the paper?” Mr. Hammond asked, exasperation evident in his voice as he waved his hands in the air.
Jacobs put a hand on Mr. Hammond’s arm. “The long and short of it is that a lot of silver was being mined, and people wanted to be able to bring in silver to the bank and exchange it for silver dollars the way you exchange an ounce of gold for a minted ounce. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was a compromise. It increased the amount of silver the federal government would buy. So, when a silver miner brings his silver to the government, he gets a silver note. Only, this silver note can be exchanged for a silver dollar or for gold.
“What do you think people wanted? Gold. This drained the federal government’s reserves of gold. So now, the government is in desperate need to replenish those reserves. The price of silver went down, the silver market went bust, and every business that touched the silver market went bust. So now all those silver miners are out looking for work. Where do you think they’re going to go? The gold mines.”
Now it made sense. “So we’ll have an influx of miners,” Wyatt said.
“Yep. And I think we’re crazy if
we don’t prepare for it.” Jacobs’ gaze shifted to the other members of the council.
“Not only will the increased population be a problem, but those extra miners will stir up trouble at the mines for sure. No one likes their job being threatened,” Mr. Yerby said, his breathing getting more rapid.
“So it sounds as if we’re all in favor,” Mr. Hammond’s booming voice interjected.
Timothy remained quiet. He struggled. The council had this debate before, privately and here in these council meetings. He wasn’t as ready to realize that Cripple Creek had become the bigger town it was. In his mind, it was still the small town where he had been a boy.
“Reverend? Are you in?” Jacobs set his eyes on Timothy.
“How many deputies are we talking about?” Timothy was ever the practical one.
“Good question.” Jacobs turned to the others. “Sheriff has two right now. What say we extend his force to include five?”
Wyatt considered the stakes. They made a valid point about the incoming miners. He didn’t want their streets to be unsafe. Extending the force seemed the right thing to do.
Wyatt, Hammond, and Yerby nodded. Then all eyes settled on Timothy. He remained pensive. After some moments, he made a slight nod and everyone in the room let out a collective breath. No one enjoyed outvoting other members of the council. Seemed too much like forcing someone’s hand. It was much better when they came to a consensus.
And so they were on to the next matter of business.
* * *
“See that frog?” Timothy pointed to a brownish-green and white frog in the distance.
Katherine squinted to get a better view of the amphibian in question. The small creature sat on a rock apparently sunning itself, ignorant of its audience.
“That is a wood frog,” Timothy said with admiration in his voice. He couldn’t hide it; there was still a great love for all manner of creatures in him.
Class had only been in session for one week and already Katherine had taken the class on their first field trip. To say the students and Katherine were still learning each other would be an understatement. They had tested her boundaries. But that was to be expected. This outing had proven to be a good break from the classroom for all of them.
They had been out on their reptile hunt for an hour, and Timothy had already unearthed several types of lizards, a couple of snakes, and a few salamanders. As quiet as they tried to be, the students still were not the stealthiest. So Timothy had to catch most of the animals and then bring them over to show the children. Once an animal was in his clutches, he was better able to talk about its unique features. Katherine had no doubt they were all learning a lot.
Timothy and Katherine had decided to take the students into the woods behind the schoolhouse. And they had traveled quite a ways back, perhaps a couple of miles. In his enthusiasm, Timothy continued to take them deeper and deeper. Katherine, on the other hand, watched the sky with growing concern. There weren’t storm clouds to observe, but something just didn’t seem right to her. Was it the way the wind blew?
“See how it has what looks like a mask on its face and an almost white stripe along the middle of its back? Those are its most distinctive characteristics.” Timothy’s smooth baritone drew her attention back toward the focus of everyone’s attention.
The students hung on Timothy’s every word. Today they had come to discover there was much more to their preacher than they had ever thought. He earned great admiration among her pupils. Even now, they all crowded around him, trying to catch a glimpse of the frog he pointed out.
“I think,” Katherine spoke up, unable to keep silent about her concerns any longer. “That it’s time we take all our newfound knowledge and head back to the schoolhouse.”
A disgruntled chorus of “aws” from the students followed. Katherine hated to disappoint them, but it was best they start the trip back sooner rather than later. Could she find a brighter side of the situation for them to look to?
“We don’t want to miss the dismissal bell, do we?”
They all shook their heads begrudgingly. It wasn’t quite the “brighter side” Katherine had hoped it would be.
“Miss Matthews is right,” Timothy interjected. “I’m glad you have enjoyed our reptile hunt. Perhaps we can do it again another day.”
All eyes turned on Katherine, begging her to agree to such a prospect.
She was pinned, but she smiled in spite of it. Another reptile hunt would suit her just fine. “I guess that’s that, then,” Katherine agreed. “We must do this again.”
Another chorus sounded from the children. Cheers and “yays” this time. The students weren’t so forlorn then as they turned back in the direction of the schoolhouse and began the long walk back.
Katherine shared a smile with Timothy, grateful for his offer. How did he always know just what to say?
They resumed their traveling order, but in reverse. Katherine led and Timothy took up the rear to ensure there were no stragglers.
She continued to worry about the possibility of the weather turning, with no real evidence that it would, other than the chill of the wind. So she hurried the students along as quickly as they could go. Her niece, Jessie, was the youngest at six and her little legs rushed to keep up.
Only a few minutes had passed when the sky opened up and unleashed a torrent of blinding rain upon them. Katherine met Timothy’s eyes over the heads of her students. They needed to find shelter, but they were in the midst of an open field. Where would they find such a place that would hold them all? She scanned the area for some abandoned structure or at least enough tree limbs to make a lean-to.
Small hands were upon her skirt. Lowering her head, she looked into the wide-eyed face of Jessie. Of course she would be nervous. Katherine lifted her easily into her arms.
“Over here,” Timothy called out, waving in the direction of a nearby hillside. “There’s a little cave over here.”
Katherine glanced in the direction he indicated but couldn’t make anything out. All she saw were bushes. But as she peered more closely, she could just make out an opening beyond the branches of the shrubs.
Timothy did not wait any longer for Katherine. He turned the group, leading the children to the safety of the small cavern. Holding up a hand to pause the students, he stepped in first. They didn’t want to disturb a dangerous animal that might be living in their newfound refuge. Seconds later, he appeared again, waving them into the small space.
Katherine, with Jessie clinging to her, began herding the children into the cave, but stopped short when it was her turn to step inside. She froze to the spot.
All of a sudden, Timothy appeared, holding out a hand for her. “Katherine, come on,” he shouted to her.
She shook her head, her mind just as frozen as her body. Why couldn’t she just step inside? What held her back? Jessie squirmed in her arms.
Timothy stepped out to her in the pouring rain, taking her hand. “Katherine, you’re upsetting Jessie. You must come inside. You’re getting drenched!”
She then allowed him to take Jessie from her and lead her into the small cavern. With him holding her hand, she could go wherever he led her. He sat her down near the opening and turned to see that the other children were okay.
The cavern was small. Had it been an animal’s shelter? Carved out by God’s hand or humans’? She swallowed, but it seemed to catch in her throat. Her breath caught and she began to feel a bit dizzy. But in the midst of her swirling came a moment of clarity—the reason this was so difficult. A cavern so many years ago . . .
Closing her eyes, she tried not to think about the tunnel they had walked into on that fateful trip. Or how it started like this, an opening in the ground that became darker and more enclosed . . . and then there was no way out. Her eyes flung open and she gasped for air.
She couldn’t breathe!
Clawing at the top of her dress to loosen it, Katherine became frantic. Her hands were shaking and she couldn’t control her
movements.
Then hands were on hers—Timothy’s. He placed his body between her and the children, doing his best to block their view of her.
“Katie, what is the matter?” he whispered, his gentle voice now harsh.
“I can’t . . . ” She felt faint, she had to get air. “I can’t breathe.”
“Yes, you can. Look at me,” he said, his voice firm.
She stared straight ahead. The walls of the cavern closed in on her.
“Look at me,” he commanded her.
She turned her head toward him. His eyes on her were deep. And kind. They were an anchor.
“Now, breathe with me.” He took a few exaggerated breaths.
Katherine tried to obey, tried to breathe with him. Drawing in ragged breaths. But she ended up coughing. It was no use. She couldn’t control her breathing. Continuing to fight for air, she felt her breaths come faster and faster. Light-headed and faint, she seemed to float farther away from the cavern.
“Stay with me.”
Her eyes locked with Timothy’s once more and when he drew in a deep breath she fought to suck in air. When he exhaled, she pushed air out. He squeezed her hand and it grounded her to the moment. After some more exaggerated, deep breaths, she was able to breathe more easily with him. Then, as she continued to concentrate on her breathing, it normalized.
“Good,” Timothy said, his hands now on her arms. “Keep breathing like that.”
She nodded and his hand slid down to capture hers once more. He then turned toward the children to tend to their needs and fears, something she should have been doing. But it took all she had to hold it together. And she gripped Timothy’s hand as if it were her only hold on reality.
Chapter 3
Nearly an hour after school dismissed, Katherine sat hard at work grading papers. She smiled at the answers to this most recent assignment. Yes, she was pleased with her students and their progress. Although a few gave her pause, and a couple gave her trouble, it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. The most important thing was that they showed improvement under her tutelage. And they did.
Hope In Cripple Creek Page 5