Hope In Cripple Creek

by Sara R. Turnquist

  “I can’t believe it,” he shouted at them. He appeared as if he wanted to say more, but seemed to realize it would be like talking to a tree stump.

  Anyone with eyes could see that these men were too drunk to comprehend anything he would say.

  “Ah, forget it. Let’s take them over to the sheriff’s office and lock ‘em up,” he hollered at his makeshift posse.

  With a handful of rifles, they led the drunken miners to the sheriff’s office. There was still no sign of the deputies.

  “What are we going to do now?” David asked Calderwood as they stood in front of the city jail.

  “I’m thinking. We need to put them somewhere. They are a danger to everyone, and we can’t let them derail our negotiations with the mine owners.”

  Just then, they heard the door to the sheriff’s office unlocking from the inside. They heard a voice call out, shaking, “What’s your business?” The man inside seemed unsure about the situation, but perhaps sensed that this group wasn’t on the same crazy rampage that had been sweeping the town.

  “Officer, I rounded up the drunk miners. We were hoping to lock them up for the night and sort things out in the morning.”

  The door swung open wider, and a man carefully stepped out, holding a pistol and a lantern. He eyed Calderwood. Seeing the intoxicated men surrounded by weapons, his shoulders relaxed.

  “I think we might be able to fit them in. Let me open the cells, and you start bringing them.”

  With that, all the rowdy miners were locked up. Calm was restored and sanity reigned again.

  * * *

  Another day was done. Katherine worked to clean the chalkboards and allowed her thoughts to wander. But she did not care for the places they went. As they so often did, they dwelled on Wyatt and her marriage. She had waited long into the morning hours for his return, until even sleep overtook her. So much so that she barely stirred when strong arms carried her from her place of vigil in the great room to her bed. They’d had so many ups and downs, she and Wyatt. Would it ever end?

  True, it was not the typical marriage, but there had been times when it almost felt real. When it had seemed it could be real. Then there were moments like now, when nothing seemed real at all.

  The schoolhouse door opened, drawing her attention away from her work. Turning toward the intrusion, she saw Timothy closing the door behind himself.

  “Leave it open,” she called. “It’s a bit stuffy in here.” She offered him a small smile. “I don’t often have the pleasure,” she said, wiping her hands off. It was true. Timothy did not make the regular visits to the classroom that he once did. Not since she and Wyatt . . .

  She pulled her thoughts back to the present. And then she noticed Timothy still stood at the back of the room.

  “What brings you this way?” She took a couple of steps toward him, indicating one of the empty student desks in the front row.

  Timothy ran his hands over the brim of his hat, now in his hands. “I thought it was probably time for us to sit down and review your year. It’s something the town council does with the teacher every year. And I thought I might help you get ready for it.” He stepped toward her.

  “That’s a fine idea, Timothy. I appreciate your help.” She moved to sit at her desk while he took the desk she had offered him. “Where shall we start?”

  “Let’s talk about the students and their progress.”

  They went down the roll, discussing each student, their successes and challenges throughout the year. Next they moved on to her goals for the year and how she had fared on meeting them.

  As they went through everything, she noticed that Timothy became more and more quiet. Was there something on his mind? Should she ask him? But it was he who spoke about it first.

  “Is everything all right, Katherine? You don’t seem your usual chipper self today.”

  Katherine froze. How could she expect him to not notice? He was her friend.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  She waved him off. “It’s nothing. I don’t want to bother you with it.” In truth, she didn’t know how appropriate it was to be discussing her marriage problems with her former beau.

  “You know me better than that. We may have hit a rough patch, but I’m still your friend. And your reverend. You can trust me with anything. It will stay between us.” His eyes searched hers, they were warm and kind. As always.

  And he was right. He was a man of the cloth. A godly man. If she couldn’t trust him, whom could she trust? She did so long for someone to talk to.

  She sniffled. “It’s my marriage. I’m not sure it’s working out.”

  He nodded. “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “We spend so much of our time at odds with each other. For the longest time, I didn’t want anything more than a paper marriage, but then I started to think maybe, for the sake of the children, it would be better for us to try to be something more.”

  Her eyes sought Timothy’s face for a reaction. She did not want to injure him with her words, but she feared her admission might do just that. His features held fast. He was reliable, trustworthy Timothy. So, she continued.

  “But, I have come to accept Wyatt doesn’t see me that way. He doesn’t want me. And he never will because he has the attentions of a more beautiful woman.” Her eyes stung and she felt tears welling.

  Timothy reached out and placed a hand on her arm. “That cannot be possible, Katherine. You are the loveliest woman in Cripple Creek, if I might be so bold.”

  She smiled up at him, though the tears started to flow. “Thank you.”

  Why didn’t she wait for Timothy? They were the match that should have been made. That would have lasted.

  “You always will be, in my eyes.” He reached forward with his other hand, grazing her face.

  “I just don’t know what to do,” Katherine said, shoulders sagging. “But I know I can’t live like this anymore.”

  Timothy opened his arms to her and she walked into his embrace. He soothed her with calm words of reassurance that everything would be okay, that things would work out, that she would find a way.

  Whether or not she believed him, it felt good to be held by someone whose affection she did not question, someone who felt comfortable to her.

  * * *

  Wyatt watched all of this from the porch of the schoolhouse. His plan was to surprise her with a picnic. After the rocky night they’d had, he hoped to patch things up and move in the right direction. Perhaps even tell her his heart and his hopes for them at last. But he was shaken to the core by what he saw. And his anger burned toward the both of them as he watched her walk so easily into another man’s arms.

  * * *

  A larger army of deputies was being raised by the mine owners. That was no secret. Large-scale recruitment like this could not be kept hidden. And it struck fear into the miners. David, along with his cohorts, were on the verge of abandoning all hope of success and disbanding when an edict came down from the office of the governor. The situation with this recruitment must have also unnerved Governor Waite.

  Even now, they stood together as Calderwood prepared to read the governor’s proclamation.

  “The miners’ encampment on Bull Hill is to be disbanded.”

  There was a mixture of reactions from the group. David could not stop his sigh of relief. So many wanted to stay and fight, but others, like David, were ready to return home to their families. They all, in some way or another, knew they could not stand up against a force of over a thousand deputies.

  Calderwood cleared his throat. There must be more. “The force of 1,200 deputies being formed by Sheriff Bowers is hereby declared illegal and is to be disbanded.”

  A cheer went up from the entire group. Again, David’s concern was greatly alleviated.

  “The state militia shall be on alert for any move on Cripple Creek by any force.”

  A great sense of relief rippled through the collection of men.

  How long had it been since
he had held Mary? Seen Jessie’s smile? Heard Peter’s giggle? They would be worried about him. In the midst of all that had happened, did they even know he was alive?

  But something seemed unclear in the midst of all this.

  “What does this mean for us?” someone called out. Someone had just read his mind.

  Calderwood didn’t miss a beat. “It means we are to continue our strike. We will succeed and we will all be paid a good, just wage for our labor. But we must remember to not get foolish or violent and damage our chances of accomplishing that.

  “For those of you with families, return to them and enjoy your time.” His words were comforting to David. “But I expect to see every one of you Monday morning so we can resume our strike and negotiations.”

  With those last words, a big hurray came from the large group of men. Then the men parted and went about their separate ways, packing up their things and departing the camp.

  David didn’t know how to contain his excitement. He could almost feel Mary in his arms and see his children running to greet him. His eyes filled. Home. He was going home.

  * * *

  Timothy walked toward town with a spring in his step. He shouldn’t be happy about a couple’s marital misery, but he couldn’t help himself. Katherine’s disappointment with her marriage maybe, just maybe, could lead to an annulment.

  Guilt crept into the edge of his conscience. This was most unbecoming of a pastor. If he were honest with himself, he should be praying for their marriage. And counseling them in the direction of unity. But he found he didn’t care. All he could think about was the possibility that Katherine might be free to . . .

  “Reverend! Reverend! I’ve got a bone to pick with you!”

  Someone called to him from behind. He turned to see Wyatt Sullivan’s fist flying toward his face.

  Timothy landed solidly on his hindquarters. Colors exploded in front of his face and he worked to catch his bearings.

  “Wha . . . What was that for?” He dabbed at his lip, trying to discern if he was bleeding.

  “Stay away from my wife,” Wyatt ground out, teeth clenched, posture still firm and statuesque as he glared down at the reverend.

  Timothy’s eyes narrowed. “Friend, you have more problems on your hands than you know. And if you think taking me down a notch is going to fix anything, you’ve got it all backwards.”

  Wyatt remained silent for several moments, his hands clenched into fists as if he wanted to hit Timothy again. “Just stay away from Katherine,” he said as he spun on the balls of his feet and walked off.

  Two men came from nearby to help Timothy to his feet, but he barely noticed. He looked after Wyatt’s retreating form and couldn’t help but smile.

  * * *

  Katherine laid Susie in her crib and stepped out of the room, careful to latch the door soundlessly behind herself. She moved across the hall to look in on Jack and assure herself that he still napped. In the hustle and bustle of the last couple of days, it seemed she’d not had a moment of silence to think. Even at night, she came to her bed exhausted and fell asleep before she could put two thoughts together. Between school and her duties here with the children and the home, there seemed to be no time for her.

  But now all was silent. A Saturday at home alone with the children was just what she needed. There was nothing to distract her from her thoughts. Things between her and Wyatt had been so awkward that when he mentioned at breakfast that he needed to make some house calls, she was quick to agree. And this was her reward—a couple of hours all to herself.

  Katherine sat in her chair by the fireplace. She stared at the hearth as if it would yield some answers to the questions that faced her. What was she going to do? What about the children?

  One thing was certain, she could not stay in this marriage. Not when it was tearing her apart. Wyatt’s face appeared in her mind’s eye. The features she could trace without effort were before her, and her heart ached. Why had she opened her heart to him?

  Katherine laid her head in her hands. How was she to get out of this? Could she care for Jack and Susie on her own? She couldn’t leave them. They meant too much to her. There must be a way to make it work. And she was not totally alone, she reasoned. Her parents would help her any way they could. At the same time, she knew leaving Wyatt would mean leaving Cripple Creek. And she would have to face that.

  In her heart, she knew she needed to turn to a source she had not sought in many months. Yes, this had been a season in which she had been the prodigal son. But now she was ready. And she wanted so much more than this on again/off again relationship with God. She needed a firm foundation. And the Bible said He was it. No more teetering on the edge. He deserved a commitment from her. So, she bowed her head and her heart before Him and prayed.

  As she did so, the answers became more and more clear to her.

  Chapter 14

  David watched as Governor Davis H. Waite dismounted with all the grace he could muster. Then, with the broad smile of a politician, he went up to the closest miner and shook his hand. He moved on to the next, and then the next, and so on. There was a palatable easing of tension among the group with his warm greeting. The man certainly seemed to live up to his reputation as a ”man of the people.”

  After Waite had made his way around much of the group, he worked his way back toward where Calderwood still stood, holding the reins of both horses. Waite inhaled to his full height, cleared his throat, and launched into his speech.

  “Good men of Cripple Creek, I thank you for receiving me so graciously. I understand why you are here today. I know you have hopes . . . hopes that I will fulfill for you.”

  There was a stirring among the crowd, whispers among the men. Should he be trusted? David was unsure.

  Waite continued, “There has been much ado these last weeks, and I know many of you are discouraged. Take heart. The end is near. Trust in your leaders. Trust that they are fighting for you. And if you will allow me, I will fight for you as well.”

  General utterances among the miners became more excited. The men seemed ready to believe him. Still, David reserved his judgment. He had been swayed too easily in the past.

  “Remember, it was I who ordered the illegal force of deputies to be disbanded. This force which threatened your mission and even your well-being!”

  The men nodded and the drone of their voices became louder.

  “So, what do you say, men?” Calderwood interjected. “I know you are frustrated, and I know you are tired. I am, too. But we are nearing the end. It is in sight! Shall we take this last chance? Do we throw our hat in with Governor Waite?”

  The crowd cheered.

  Calderwood and Waite exchanged a smile. Another alliance had been formed. But would it be to their benefit or their detriment?

  * * *

  Katherine took a deep breath before she knocked on the familiar door that belonged to her parents’ home. Footsteps sounded on the other side.

  Lord, give me strength. She shot up a prayer. This would become a more common occurrence, this regular communication with God. It made her feel more connected. Lead me not astray.

  The door opened and her mother stood before her, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Katie! Come in, come in.” Ma moved aside and opened the door wider for her. “Your father said you needed us to watch the kids for the afternoon. What’s going on?” The concern was evident on Ma’s face. “Everything all right?”

  Katherine nudged Jack forward. Once inside, she set Susie on the family room rug. As much as she believed she retained control of her nerves, one glance at her mother and her stomach rolled. She never could hide anything from her mother.

  “No, Ma, everything’s a wreck!” She attempted to calm herself by taking several deep breaths.

  Ma’s face was now etched with worry. She took Katherine’s arm and led her to a chair. Placing a hand on her daughter’s knee, her soft voice urged Katherine for more. “Tell me.”

  “It’s Wyat
t. It’s no secret that things have been . . . up and down for us. I fear he doesn’t care for me, and I can’t pretend anymore. I can’t keep trying to make a life with him. So I need to know once and for all if there’s a chance.” Katherine stared at her hands in her lap.

  Ma remained quiet for several moments before she spoke. “What about the children?”

  Katherine’s head jerked up. “I’m doing this for the children. If it doesn’t work between Wyatt and me, how is that good for them? To live in a home full of contention and lies.”

  “Lies?” Ma’s eyes darkened, her voice serious.

  Katherine waved her hand as if to dismiss Ma’s question. “The whole of it is that if Wyatt doesn’t love me or if he’s in love with someone else, I can’t keep living a lie.”

  Ma gave her a long look.

  Katherine wished she could read her mother’s thoughts. Or maybe not. There were many unanswered questions. It was a drastic step. And there remained the real possibility that Wyatt would not respond favorably.

  Oh, God, what am I doing? Katherine bowed her head. What can I do?

  A sense of peace washed over her and she knew she had to try. Her eyes met her mother’s again. “I left a note for Wyatt. If he wants this marriage to work, he will meet me at the clinic after he gets home. That should be within the hour. And then I’ll know.”

  Leaning forward, Ma took both of Katherine’s hands in hers. “Your father and I want nothing but the best for you.”

  The tension in Katherine eased at her mother’s reassurances.

  “I just want to know one thing,” Ma said. “Do you love him?”

  * * *

  Wyatt turned Rusty toward home. He had seen all of his homebound patients. They stretched across many miles. It would be a bit later when he returned home, but Katherine would understand. Not that they were on the best of terms right now.