"Consider your message delivered."
Moments later, he handed her a portion of the ticket to give to the conductor, along with tags for her to tie onto the handles of her satchel bags. Then he directed her toward the waiting area for departures, stating that her train would be arriving in the next ten minutes. She was really on her way now and had an introduction to a possible new friend to help her find her feet in Hope Springs.
~#~#~#~
Standing on the hardened, packed dirt awaiting the arrival of her train, Millie felt the excitement rise within her. Thoughts of soon being a married woman occupied her mind, causing a pleased grin to tug the corners of her lips slightly upward. Being married carried with it, an aura of respectability. She would be the wife of the Sheriff, someone to be respected in the community and she would make sure she did not let her new husband down. Making him proud of her was one step along the way to earning his respect and hopefully, his love. Such happy thoughts for the future were at the forefront of her mind and she reluctantly pulled herself back to the present, thinking there would be plenty of time for reverie on the long train trip.
People began to gather nearby and she imagined some of them would be boarding the train. Others were likely there to greet passengers as they disembarked. In the midst of the growing crowd, she started to feel tiny, insignificant, and insecure, but without understanding why. She raised her arms a little as if to hug herself, the satchels in her hands hanging in front of her. Strange as it was, the gesture helped her feel a small measure of safety and she started to relax.
A man came up from behind and stopped half a step ahead of her on the left. He was about a foot from her, looking around as if searching for someone he expected to meet. Millie turned her head to the right, not wanting to seem as though she might be prying into the man's affairs. To be honest, it wasn't any of her concern as to why he was there and she hoped he would find the person he was looking for in the ever growing crowd.
From the edge of her vision, she saw him move and thought he'd found the person he was waiting for. But then she felt something cold on the back of her left hand, and looked down in time to see a knife being pulled free from it.
Her gaze followed the weapon, then up the thin chest of the assailant and she gaped into a pair of cold, dark, lifeless eyes, as black as the coal that was used to heat the orphanage. She had just enough time to realize what happened and inhaled sharply when the man spoke.
"Give me yer bags if ya care to live." The voice was deep, raspy, and colder than the eyes.
Millie was dumbstruck and couldn't believe this was happening. Why would anyone want to take her satchels? There was nothing of value in either of them - only her Bible and the few items of clothing she possessed. Then she remembered the little bit of money she had was in one of the bags. She had planned to transfer it to the reticule securely strapped to her right wrist, but had forgotten. Now it was too late. This crazy man seemed like he wanted to kill her just to get the pittance contained in her luggage. It was beyond her comprehension why someone would do this to her. She was heading towards a rosy future and couldn't begin to imagine what her new husband would make of her arriving with no luggage at all.
With fear rising in her chest, she opened her mouth to tell him she had nothing of value, but he spoke again before she could force to words from her mouth.
"Hand 'em over now, lady!" He raised the knife to her left cheek. "Or should I start cuttin' on ya 'til they fall outta yer hands?"
The point of the blade scraped her face, tracing a line down the length of her left cheekbone. She felt a few drops of blood run to her chin. He'd cut her! Why did he have to do that? She was damaged now, and it was possible her intended husband would reject her. It was beyond belief this was happening to her. She was a good person and surely didn't deserve this. Her future didn't feel so rosy anymore
Terror took root in her heart and quickly grew to unbearable proportions as all rational thought fled from her mind. She heard a woman screaming. Who was it, and why was she howling so eerily? Didn't she, herself, have a better reason to scream? She felt confused as the volume increased and thought again this couldn't be happening.
Then it came to her. She was the one making the noise, attracting the attention of everyone within range of her panicked voice. As the realization sank further into her consciousness, she put more effort and volume into her cries for help before sinking into the arms of those closest to her, who to her relief were offering assistance, as her mind sought the oblivion that was fast overtaking her senses.
~#~#~#~
Chapter Three
A whirlwind of activity was taking place around her and though her thoughts were addled, she was still aware of what was happening around her. She felt as though she was outside of her body, looking down on events, if such a thing was possible. Millie's screams brought men in uniforms rushing toward her, then chasing the thief as he attempted to flee into the crowd. With so many people around, he didn't get far before they caught up, wrestling him to the ground before securely binding his hands and marching him off into custody.
There were several considerate and concerned folks gathered around her, literally holding her on her feet, asking if they could be of any assistance. With the fear and panic subsiding slowly - along with the ensuing confusion - she wasn't sure how to respond to these kind folks, or even if she could. One woman, who appeared as though she could be a grandmother, took hold of Millie's right hand, stroking it in an effort to calm her. The attention worked, though not enough to bring her fully back to her senses.
The lady had said something, but Millie hadn't heard what it was. However, one thing had gotten through to her brain.
"My husband went to get the deputy and a doctor. You're going to be just fine, dear."
"Doctor?" Fetching a lawman made sense because anyone who thought they could walk up to a stranger and steal their things deserved the full force of the law, but for some reason she couldn't understand why she would need a physician. "What ... ? Why ... ?"
Her head now felt as though it was swimming aimlessly in deep water and being adrift, had no idea of when the world as she knew it, would make sense gain. What was going on here? She did her best to concentrate on the older woman's face in front of her, and clarity began to return, albeit slowly. Everything was back in place, as it should be, and she prayed it would stay that way.
"Trust me, dear. You need someone who can tend to your wounds." The softness of her voice had a soothing effect on Millie. What little remained of her shock and fear dissipated like a vapor in a strong breeze as she felt comfort enter her being.
"I'm wounded?" Why couldn't she remember receiving any injuries? Then it all came back to her in a flash. Images of the knife slipping from the back of her hand and the man slicing her cheek rushed headlong into her mind.
It was over now though, and she was going to be fine. She sent up a silent prayer.
Thank You, Lord, for the mercy You've shown in not letting that man harm me further. I pray this will not affect my marriage to Jake , however, let Your Will be done. Amen.
She let her gaze find the sweet older lady once again and it seemed as if the woman was waiting for Millie to recall what had just happened. Reaching up with her left hand, she tried to touch her cheek, but her fingertips refused to send a signal to her brain and wouldn't do as she wanted. Odd. Her cheek could feel the fingers, but why could her fingers not feel the cheek?
"Yes, I suppose I am wounded." Her words sounded hollow and distant.
"But I'm sure I shall be fine and I cannot miss this train. I must get to Hope Springs."
"Don't worry about that, dear. Another one will be leaving in a few hours. You need to have those cuts bandaged as soon as possible." She seemed unrelenting in the matter.
Why was this woman so insistent she wait for the next train? What was going on? Jake would be waiting for her, and she needed to be on this one.
However, the kind lady wasn
't finished with her yet. "To be honest, dear, I'm surprised to see you still standing." She pointed to the ground.
A quick glance was all it took for Millie to see the small crimson pool at her feet. Only then did she come to realize how much blood she'd lost.
The world darkened as though an early summer storm cloud had suddenly appeared overhead. She felt warm and sticky, a light sweat forming all over her body.
Her face paled and she felt her stomach reacting, threatening to spill it's contents, but before it had a chance, everything went black.
~#~#~#~
Feeling as though she'd slept all night, Millie opened her eyes. She was in a strange place, somewhere she had never been before. The room wasn't familiar, and instant panic took hold of her, relentless in the way it clawed and gripped at her. Where was she? Why was she here?
An image of a man with cold, dark eyes floated through her mind, quickly followed by the memory of a pool of blood at her feet. Then it all came back to her. She'd been waiting for the train to Hope Springs when she'd been attacked by the man with the cold eyes. A nice older woman had mentioned she needed a doctor, and that was the last thing she recalled before seeing the dark red puddle in the dirt. The idea of it left her feeling cold and scared.
"Ah! There you are." It was a soothing male voice, and she turned her head in the direction from which it had come.
The bespectacled man seemed to be in his early fifties, and his sparse hair had receded and thinned even more on the top. A friendly smile adorned his round, gentle face.
"Are you ... ?" A croaking sound was all she heard. It seemed her throat was dry, and she couldn't continue.
"I'm Doctor Lewis." He handed her a glass of water. She sat upright on the hard table and eagerly took several swallows. "I was summoned to the train station to tend to your wounds. We had to bring you here so I could do a proper job of stitching you back together."
"Stitches?" Oh, no! She reached up to touch her cheek. No! Not on her face! Her left hand felt odd, also. Inspecting it, she saw bandages tightly wound around her palm and four fingers, but her thumb was free of them.
Her heart seemed to gain weight, and for a moment she felt as if it wanted to sink down to her feet. She was damaged now, and there was a good possibility Jake would reject her. What would she do if that happened? Was this what the Lord wanted? To be rejected by everyone for her entire life? Now she would never find a man to love her.
Dear, Sweet Lord in Heaven, I don't know what to do now. Calm my fears, Lord, and lead me on the path You've set for me. Thank You for answering my prayer. Amen.
Letting go of her troubles was never easy, but she knew it was something she must do. She'd come to learn long ago that God wouldn't be able to solve her problems if she didn't give them completely to Him. Then again, this particular disaster might not be one God considered important in the grand scheme of things, even though she thought it was.
"I've missed the train, haven't I?" It was more of a statement than a question and her voice sounded flat and dull.
"Another will be departing in an hour."
Although his words were reassuring, disappointment ate away at her. She was sure Jake would not wait for the next train. Why should he. A busy Sheriff didn't have time to waste. However, it was beyond her control and she knew with every fiber of her being that getting to Hope Springs as quickly as she could was the only way forward.
Maybe he'd understand when he saw her wounds and maybe she was getting herself upset for no reason at all. Sure, he might not want her with a scarred face, but there was also the possibility he might not place any significance on the blemish. The only way to find out was to go to Hope Springs and confront him as soon as possible.
Millie got up onto her feet, careful not to overbalance as a wave of dizziness washed over her. "I must get back to make arrangements for the next train. It's important."
Doctor Lewis stepped in front of her. "I think it would be best for you to rest a little longer. You've lost some blood and been in shock."
"I feel perfectly fine, Doctor and expect I look worse than I feel." She gazed into his azure eyes, beaming her sunniest smile at him and hoping he was fooled by her display of will and didn't notice she was still less than confident on her feet. "I thank you for the excellent job you've done to patch me up, but I truly need to get on the next train."
She brushed past him, and went out the door, hoping she wouldn't fall over, and that people would not be alarmed by her disheveled state. Once she was outside, however, she had no idea how to get back to the train station and she blinked in confusion while the afternoon sunshine beat down. Thankfully, a man walked by and she was able to get directions from him, choking down her fear at confronting another strange man. She was glad to know she didn't have far to go and hoped her clothes weren't too badly stained with blood and dirt.
~#~#~#~
Chapter Four
Sheriff Jake Benson, the top lawman in Hope Springs, Texas, sat fidgeting behind his desk. His bride, a young woman named Millie, would be arriving the following afternoon and he'd just been told a brutal gang of cattle rustlers appeared to be heading his way. Just what he needed. He was tired of dealing with men who thought it was fine to rob hard working ranchers of their cattle, rather than setting up for themselves and putting in an honest days work. Still, there was nothing he could do about it so there was no point dwelling on it.
"Are you certain they're coming here?" He tried to mask his anxiety, and it seemed he succeeded.
"Yes, I am, Sheriff." Deputy Bobby Matthews nodded. "You know my brother, Jacob, is a deputy in Houston. He rode all night to get here this morning. He wouldn't do that if it weren't true. No man rides all night if he doesn't have to."
"No. I don't suppose he would." He let out a weighty sigh. Having dealt with them more often than he cared to remember, he knew the Dalton Brothers gang better than he wanted to. He wished he didn't. "We'll visit every ranch today so they can prepare and maybe secure their cattle . You head north of town, then east. I'll go south and west. Between the two of us, we should be able to alert them all by this afternoon."
Bobby gave a curt nod. "I'll start with Old Man McConnell, and go from there." He turned to go, then stopped to look back over his shoulder. "I hope they stay away from Old George. He'd probably have a heart attack trying to deal with rustlers at his age. I'd hate to see anything bad happen to that nice old guy."
"I feel the same, Bobby but you know there isn't a lot we can do about it. People who decide to settle out here have to accept that the lawless are attracted to the West like flies to a honey pot. We can only do what we can to keep the peace and protect them."
"You can count on me Jake. " He grinned, turned, and went out the door.
Chuckling, Jake sat back in his chair for a moment, but his good humor didn't last long. He had a big task ahead of him, and he was hopeful it would keep his mind occupied. All manner of thoughts made an attempt to distract him. Though he did his best to keep them at bay, a few slipped through.
Images of the sorts of things that might happen danced in his head. A depiction of Millie on her own for the first time in her life, feeling small and afraid among throngs of people in a city unfamiliar to her. The Dalton Brothers arriving in town and kidnapping her the moment she stepped from the train.
It took all his strength and will to push the thoughts aside. No. He couldn't see into the future, and and so decided to refuse to let those images prod his emotions and trouble him. It was better to think about what it would be like to meet his new wife for the first time. She sounded like a sweet girl in her letters to him and he hoped she would be able to adjust to life out west. It was very different from the sheltered existence she had lead so far at the orphanage. Time would tell though. Some women handled the conditions and others never toughened up. What he wanted, if he was honest with himself, was a wife who was sweet and pretty, but had the steely core that was necessary to face the dangers of living out her
e.
He decided he should concentrate on his job without being pestered by the nagging worries that tried to distract him. He stood in one smooth motion, lifted his gun belt from the back of the chair, and buckled it around his hips. With a look of resolution on his face, Sheriff Benson stepped out the door to start alerting the ranchers to the danger that could be heading their way.
~#~#~#~
Around two in the afternoon, Jake walked back into the Sheriff's Office to find Deputy Matthews had returned as well. Jake was certain Bobby was a good lawman, and would make a fine Sheriff one day. Another thing he was sure of was that several more years would pass before he'd retire and hand the badge over. It was good to know though, that there was a steady deputy waiting in the wings for when the time was right. You had to earn your spurs in this business.
Before he'd headed out that morning, Jake had stopped to alert his fill-in deputy, young Rory Baker, of the situation with the gang. He needed the young man to stay at the office in case any of the townsfolk should come in while he and Bobby were out.
"Did Rory leave any messages?" He made his way toward the desk to check.
Bobby shook his head, stood up, and moved aside. "Been a quiet day, I reckon."
"Wouldn't surprise me if the entire town is preparing for the Summer Festival this afternoon," replied Jake.
The deputy let out a dry chuckle. "I'd be there too, if I could be sure certain folks wouldn't attend."
Jake nodded. With the exception of one family in Hope Springs, it seemed everyone accepted Bobby's marriage to Ida and were happy for the young couple.
"I don't know if Ida's folks will ever accept you, but I keep hoping that someday they will." He paused. "I suppose it'll take some time for them to adjust. They really had their hearts set on Ida marrying that other fellow they picked out for her. It figures they'd be upset but you'd think they would've accepted Ida's choice by now. They're being pig-headed if you ask me."
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