by Al Lacy
The doctor arrived quickly. While the nurse was trying to console Jenny, she asked the doctor to examine the dead patient to see if he could tell the cause of death.
After examining Myrna’s body for several minutes, the doctor stepped to Jenny. “Miss Linden, your mother died of a stroke. As you know, I have attended her many times since she has been here. One of the predisposing conditions that brings on a stroke is hypertension, which your mother has been suffering all along. Hypertension often thickens the arteries, which is called arteriosclerosis. It did so in your mother’s case. The thickening of her arteries finally took its toll. I’m sorry.”
“You’re very kind, Doctor,” said Jenny. Her throat was tear-clogged, but her mind went to Dan Tyler. He’s the one who’s going to be sorry.
17
THREE DAYS LATER, JENNY LINDEN STOOD beside her mother’s coffin at the cemetery. Zack and Emma Henderson had closed the store so they could attend the simple graveside service, conducted by the Bowdens’ minister. Jack and Dorothy also stood with Jenny, as did Dr. Adam Griffin.
The undertaker and an assistant stood back several feet, waiting to put the coffin in the ground when Jenny and her friends were gone.
The radiant sunshine that brightened the cemetery was a mockery to Jenny because of the darkness that seemed to surround her. While the minister was speaking words that meant little to her, Jenny stared forlornly at the deep rectangular hole that waited to receive her mother’s body.
There was very little money to spend on the funeral. The coffin was a plain pine box. Myrna’s body was wrapped up to her neck in a beautiful quilt she had made shortly after William had gone off to the War. It had often adorned her bed. Now it would be used to cover her lifeless form in the darkness of the grave.
The minister finished his brief message and nodded at Jenny. Jenny stepped to the open coffin, carrying a small bouquet of flowers she had gathered from her own yard. The Hendersons, the Bowdens, and Dr. Griffin moved up behind her.
Jenny bent down and kissed her mother’s cold cheek. Choking on the tears that clogged her throat, she managed to say, “Good-bye, Mama. I love you.”
Having spoken those final words, Jenny stepped back, looking at the still form of her mother in the coffin. The undertaker stepped up, quietly closed the coffin lid, then returned to the spot beside his assistant.
While the minister and Jenny’s friends looked on, she placed the flowers on the coffin lid, stood there a moment, then turned to her friends and thanked them for being there.
Dr. Griffin gave her a brotherly embrace, as did Zack and John. Emma and Dorothy put their arms around her and held her for a few minutes, then each kissed her cheek and released her.
“We’ll take you home, honey,” said Dorothy.
“Jenny,” said Zack, “you get yourself a good rest. Emma and I will manage. Don’t come to work until you feel up to it.”
Jenny gave him a weak smile. “Thank you. I’m sure I can be back on the job within two or three days.” Glancing once more at the coffin, she turned and walked away with John and Dorothy.
When the Bowden buggy pulled into the Linden yard, John and Dorothy walked Jenny to the door and offered to come inside with her. She explained that she needed to be alone, but thanked them for their kindness to her. They made sure she understood that if she needed them, all she had to do was let them know. Both of them embraced her one more time and headed for their buggy.
Jenny moved inside, closed the door behind her, and walked slowly into the parlor. This was the only house she had ever known, and at that moment, it was quieter than she could ever remember. To her, it was like the silence of a tomb.
She walked to the rocking chair by the large front window and laid a hand on its high back. It seemed so empty. She rocked it slowly for a minute, then lowered her tired body into it and stared at the same view her mother had gazed upon day after day, year after long year, waiting for Captain William Linden to come home from the War.
Jenny’s mind wandered back over her happy childhood as she grew up in this house with her parents. As with every family, they had good and bad times, but always they had each other and the love that bound them together. Now there was only herself.
She left the rocking chair, and with an aching heart, she moved slowly through the house, entering every room and recalling memories of the past. With each memory, her heart grew heavier.
When she had been all through the house, Jenny returned to the parlor and began to pace the floor. Wrath burned in her soul toward Dan Tyler. Her mind went back to the day her mother died. She was standing over her mother’s body in the hospital room after the staff physician had gone. The nurse had an arm around her, still trying to console her, when Dr. Adam Griffin came in. He had just arrived at the hospital to visit some of his patients and had learned from a nurse that Myrna Linden had died.
While the nurse sat down with Jenny, Dr. Griffin examined Myrna’s body, and agreed with the staff physician that Myrna had died of a stroke. Dr. Griffin then added, “With the emotional problems your mother was already suffering, Jenny, no doubt the shock and violent impact of your father’s death was what brought on the stroke.”
With those words echoing through her mind, the hatred she felt for Tyler twisted her face. The bloody murderer had now taken both of her parents from her. “I’ve got to find him and put the punishment on him he deserves!”
Pondering the situation, Jenny sat down in the rocker again and stared out the window. She knew that if she went to the Confederate capitol building in Richmond, Virginia, they would no doubt still have records of all the men who served in the Confederate army during the Civil War. Once she learned where this Dan Tyler lived, she would go there and find a way to shoot him some dark night without being seen by anyone. She would never rest until the man who took both her parents from her was dead.
With her mind made up to make the search for Dan Tyler until she found him, Jenny hurried out the door and headed toward downtown.
Zack and Emma were both behind the counter when Jenny came into the store. Emma had a customer, but Zack was busy filling a large glass jar on the counter with candy canes.
As Jenny moved around the end of the counter, Zack looked up. “Hey, little gal, I told you to get some rest. We can handle things here.”
“That’s right, dear,” Emma said, turning toward her. “Now you go home and rest.”
“I didn’t come to go to work. I need to talk to Zack.”
“Oh. All right. Let’s go back to the office.”
When they entered the office, Zack pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit down, Jenny.”
“Thank you, but it won’t take that long. I just wanted to tell you that I need to take a week or so off.”
“Why, of course. You’ve been through a lot.”
“No, no. Not to rest. I have to make a trip in regard to my father’s death. I can’t tell you exactly how long I’ll be gone, but I don’t think it will be much more than a week. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“That’s fine, Jenny. Take as long as you need. A little trip will be good for you after all you’ve been through. Your job will still be here waiting for you.”
Jenny hugged him, speaking words of appreciation, then hurried out of the store, waving to Emma as she passed the counter.
When Jenny arrived home, she went to her father’s den and took a .38 caliber revolver from a drawer in his desk. She swung the cylinder out to make sure it was loaded, then snapped it shut and slipped it into her purse.
At that moment, there was a knock at the front door. She laid the purse on the desk and went to the front door to find Laura Denton standing there. “Laura! How nice to see you. Please come in.”
As they walked toward the parlor door, Laura said, “Honey, I just arrived back in town last night. You know that Shirley Atwood is living in Pittsburgh now?”
“I’d heard that.”
They moved into the parlor.
&
nbsp; “I’ve been visiting Shirley. I went to the general store to see you a few minutes ago, and the Hendersons told me about your father having been murdered and that your mother died three days ago. They said she was buried this morning.”
Jenny’s countenance was a grayish color. “Yes.”
“I came to tell you how sorry I am for what has happened.”
They embraced, then Jenny said, “Come over here and sit on the sofa.”
Laura settled on the sofa and placed her large purse at her feet. Jenny sat down beside her. “It’s sweet of you to come and see me, Laura.”
Laura patted her hand. “I care about you, Jenny. Do you mind talking about your parents? I’d like to know more about what happened to both of them.”
“I don’t mind.”
Jenny gave Laura as little information as possible, saying only that a Confederate guard at the Andersonville Prison Camp had murdered her father. She then explained in brief about her mother’s stroke that was brought on at the news of her father’s death.
Laura tried to comfort Jenny, and while speaking to her in a kind, tender manner, she reached into her purse and took out a small Bible.
Jenny stiffened at the sight of the Bible.
Laura reminded Jenny of the times she and Shirley had talked to her about the Lord during their school days, then brought up the day at the store when she and Shirley tried to help her to see that she needed the Lord Jesus Christ as her Saviour.
Jenny nodded. “I mean no offense, Laura, but I still can’t see it.”
Laura smiled and opened the Bible. “I want to show you something. She turned to 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and drew closer to Jenny so she could hold the pages in plain view. “Follow it while I read it to you.”
Jenny was uncomfortable with what was happening, but did not show it.
“Verses 3 through 6,” said Laura. “ ‘But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’ ”
Laura looked at Jenny, who had noticed that the four verses had been underlined with red pencil. “It says the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who are unbelievers, Jenny. Notice the small ‘g’ on the word ‘god’. That’s not the God of heaven. That’s Satan, who is indeed the god of this world. Satan is the one who has blinded the human race so they can’t see the truth. Jesus said in Mark 1:15, ‘Repent ye, and believe the gospel.’ Here, it says Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.
“You aren’t going to repent and believe the gospel until its light shines into your darkness. And here in verse 6, it is stated of believers that God has shined His light into our blinded hearts. I was once like you, Jenny. I heard about salvation in Jesus, and all that goes with it, but I just couldn’t see it. But when I found my life so miserable and was fearful of what lay beyond death, I allowed Him to shine His light into my Satan-blinded heart and mind. I saw the truth, and in repentance of my sin, I opened my heart to Jesus and received Him as my personal Saviour.”
Jenny’s face had a deadpan expression.
Laura smiled. “Notice here in verse 6, Jenny, that it refers to God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness. See that?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Laura held her place in 2 Corinthians and turned back to Genesis chapter 1. “Look here in verse 1. ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.’ Now watch verse 3. ‘And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.’ ”
Jenny’s expression had not changed.
Laura turned back to 2 Corinthians 4. “Now, look at verse 4 here again, Jenny. Read it to me.”
Reluctantly, Jenny read verse 4 aloud.
“All right. You get the picture, don’t you? Satan has blinded you so the light of the gospel should not shine unto you. He doesn’t want you to be saved. He wants you to die without Christ and spend eternity in hell. Now look at verse 6 again and read it to me.”
Jenny nodded and read the verse aloud.
Laura smiled at her. “Look there. ‘For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts’ … the hearts of those like myself, who have put our faith in Christ. When I gave God the chance, Jenny, He shined the light of the gospel into my spiritual darkness. What I couldn’t see before that moment, I could see clearly then. And when I saw what the gospel was, I realized that Jesus had gone to the cross of Calvary, shed His precious blood for my sins, died for me, and came out of the grave three days later so He could save me if I would open my heart to Him.
“That’s what the gospel is, Jenny, according to 1 Corinthians 15:3 and 4: ‘How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.’ There is no one else in the gospel, because only Jesus can save us. We must put our faith totally in Him for our salvation, Jenny, based on the finished work of His blood-shedding death, His literal burial, and His literal resurrection from the dead.
“If you will let God shine His gospel light into your darkened heart and mind, He will do it. He will not force it on you. But if you will, you will see the light. When you do, you will repent and open your heart to Jesus.”
Laura flipped back to Romans chapter 10. “Here, honey. Read verse 13 to me.”
Noting that this verse was also underlined in red, Jenny read it aloud. “ ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ”
“It’s that simple, honey. Put that together with what we’ve already read. If you call on Jesus to save you in repentance of your sin, believing the gospel, He will save you. You will then have Jesus living in your heart. God will say, ‘Let there be light,’ and all your darkness will be gone. All your sins will be washed away in His precious blood, and you will go to heaven when you die, not to a horrible burning hell.”
Jenny licked her lips but did not respond.
“I’ll be glad to help you, honey.”
Jenny shook her head. “I still can’t see it, Laura. I’m really busy right now. I need to get back to what I was doing when you knocked on the door.”
Laura surprised Jenny by closing the Bible and placing it in her hands.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m giving this Bible to you. I bought it for you when I was in Pittsburgh. Did you notice that I had the verses underlined that I showed you?”
“Yes.”
“I did that so you could find them easily.”
Jenny smiled. “Laura, that was sweet of you. You’re very kind. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Will you promise me something?”
“What?”
“That you will read the underlined passages over and over again, on your own.”
Jenny nodded. “I will.”
“And may I come back and talk to you again about this?”
Jenny felt her stomach tighten. “I’m … ah … going to be gone for a little while, but maybe sometime later.”
Laura would have liked a more positive answer, but she wouldn’t push Jenny too hard. She wanted to deal with her again after the Word had some time to take root in her heart. She hugged Jenny, saying again how sorry she was for the loss of her parents. Jenny laid the Bible on a small table by the sofa, then walked her to the door. When she closed it, she went back to the parlor, sat down in the rocking chair, and put her mind on the search she would make for Dan Tyler.
A few minutes later, she le
ft the house and walked to the railroad station to see when the next train was leaving that would carry her to Richmond.
When Jenny returned to the silent house, she took her satchel from the storage closet, and without much thought of what she was doing, began to pack a few items for her trip. Closing the fasteners, she placed the bag near the front door.
Her next stop was the kitchen, which once was the liveliest room in the house. She stoked up the stove, filled the kettle with water, and placed it where it would get hot the quickest.
I’m not the least bit hungry, she thought. But for the task ahead of me, I must maintain my strength.
After eating a light supper and washing her few dishes, Jenny stood at the cupboard, drying her hands. Her heart began to race in anticipation of her trip and eventual quest to find and destroy Dan Tyler.
She decided to give the house a good cleaning, since she would probably sleep very little, anyway. She tied on her apron and decided she would start in her parents’ bedroom. Pouring hot water from the kettle into a bucket, she picked up a mop. Upon entering the room, she saw a gorgeous sunset through the window. She paused a moment and watched the sun throwing its slanted rays through the lace curtains, duplicating their pattern on the wooden floor.
Her eyes traversed the room. There was the bed, standing in stately fashion near the window, overlaid in a blue and white coverlet with a colorful quilt folded across the foot. The next to draw her attention was the washbowl and pitcher on the dresser, decorated with painted flowers and ivy. Next to them were her mother’s comb and hairbrush. Pegs along the wall by the closet still held some of her mother’s clothes. There was even her father’s favorite jacket on a peg, left their purposely by her mother.
Tears filled Jenny’s eyes. She moved to the items on the pegs and touched them. “I love you, Mama.” She told her father she loved him too.
The moment became too much. A deep sob escaped her lips.