Glenna was on the verge of telling David why she and Daddy were on this particular train when the door of their coach flew open. Her father, red-faced and sweating profusely, lumbered onto the platform.
“Daddy, what is it? You look upset,” Glenna declared. Was he angry with her for coming out here alone? Or were his labored breathing and crimson face due to the rage he felt at seeing her and David together?
With a sense of urgency, Daddy grabbed Glenna’s arm. His face was pinched, as though he were in pain. “I love you, Glenna. No matter what happens, please remember that.”
Before she could respond, Daddy gave her a quick hug, threw one leg over the metal railing, and plunged off the train.
CHAPTER 4
Glenna let out a scream that echoed in her ears. “Daddy!” She leaned over the iron railing, her eyes scanning the ground below for any sign of her father. The train was moving too fast. She could see nothing but the blur of trees and thick dust swirling through the air. There was no sign of Daddy anywhere. Had he fallen under the train? Was he lying wounded in the dirt somewhere? Was he … dead?
David grabbed Glenna by one arm and pulled her away from the railing. She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. “Daddy! Daddy! Oh, why would he jump from the train like that?”
David patted her gently on the back. “I have no idea, but—”
His comforting words were halted when two burly-looking men came running onto the platform. One of them was dressed in a dark suit with a plaid vest. The other wore a Stetson and a tooled leather belt.
“Where is he? Where is that scum? I oughta lay him out like a side of beef!” the taller man bellowed.
“He came through this door!” the other one shouted. “Now where’s he hiding, anyways?”
When she noticed the guns nestled at both men’s hips, Glenna’s heart began to pound. Unable to answer, she merely swallowed and hung her head.
The shorter man’s fingers danced in a nervous gesture over the trigger of his weapon. “I’ll bet that low-down snake ran into the next car. He’s probably lurkin’ behind some poor old lady’s skirts, thinkin’ she’ll save his sorry hide.” The man squinted his beady, dark eyes. “I’ll blow the hair off anyone’s head who’s dumb enough to protect the likes of Garret Moore!”
Glenna pulled back from David and thrust her chin out defiantly, but it quivered nonetheless. “You needn’t bother looking in the next coach. My father is gone.”
“Gone? What do ya mean ‘gone’?” the taller man asked.
“He jumped off the train,” David explained.
The shorter man peered over the railing, as if he expected to see something more than the passing scenery. “You’d better be tellin’ the truth about this.”
“Why would we lie about something so awful?” Glenna’s voice shook with raw emotion, and she covered her mouth with the palm of her hand.
David reached out to clasp her hand. “Miss Moore is right. We have no reason to hide anything from you.”
The taller man shrugged. “If that simple-minded sidewinder jumped off a train goin’ at this speed, then he got his just reward.”
Glenna shuddered. This was her father they were talking about. Daddy had more than his share of faults—even cheated at the card tables from time to time—but he was no simple-minded sidewinder!
“You take that back!” she cried, jerking her hand free from David’s. She began to buffet the shorter man’s chest with her small fists. “My daddy loved me! He’d never have jumped unless he’d been forced into doing such a terrible thing.”
“Ha! He was forced, all right!” the big man blustered. “He either had to give our money back or take a bullet in the head.”
Glenna trembled, realizing her father’s choices had been limited—either die at the hand of another gambler or jump to his death from a moving train. Of course, he could have given the men their money. Better yet, Daddy should have resigned his unsavory lifestyle and gotten a decent, law-abiding job years ago. He could have given up drinking, too, she thought bitterly. His addiction to the bottle had only brought them untold grief.
The shorter man snorted. “Guess there ain’t no use hangin’ out here, Sam. The girl’s daddy is gone, and so’s our hard-earned cash.”
Glenna’s heart was thumping with fury now. “Hard-earned?” she shrieked. “If you two make a living the same way my father did, there was nothing hard-earned about the money you lost!”
Sam sneered at her. “You’re pretty feisty for a little slip of a gal.” He moved aggressively toward her. “Why, I oughta—”
David stepped quickly between Glenna and the gambler. “I’m sure the lady meant no disrespect.”
Glenna’s lower lip began to twitch. “I can speak for myself, thank you very much.”
Sam snorted again and turned to face his buddy. “Come on, Rufus. Let’s get back to our game. I’m sure we can recoup some of our losses if we find a few more saps to play the next hand.” He glared at Glenna. “This little filly ain’t worth us wastin’ no more time on.”
Rufus nodded. Then, brushing past them, his elbow bumped David in the back as he sauntered into the coach. Sam was right on his heels.
David drew in a deep breath. “Whew, that was close.”
“Close? What do you mean, ‘close’?”
“Those men had guns, Glenna. If your father hadn’t jumped off the train, they would have shot him.” David looked her straight in the eye. “And if I hadn’t stepped in and softened them up a bit, they might have shot you.”
Glenna’s mouth dropped open like a broken hinge. She’d been so upset about Daddy jumping from the train that she hadn’t realized her own life might be in danger. She chewed her bottom lip and winced when she tasted blood. “What does it matter? Without Daddy, I have no life.”
David followed Glenna back to their dreary coach, wondering what he might say or do to help ease her pain. He’d been preaching and counseling folks for a few years now, so he should know how to help her. The only problem was, most of those he’d helped weren’t as appealing as young Glenna Moore. At least none had conjured up the protective feelings he was experiencing right now. Was there more to this than just concern for her unfortunate circumstances?
Glenna reached her seat and stopped short. Her whole body began to shake as she bent down to pick up a deck of playing cards, lying on the bench. David figured either her father had dropped them there before his great escape or one of the other gamblers had decided to return them. Either way, the last thing Glenna needed right now was a reminder of her father’s folly.
He watched her study the cards as tears welled up in her eyes. Her chin began to quiver, and like a tightly coiled spring, she suddenly released her fury. “These cards are evil! They’ve brought us nothing but bad luck!” With a piercing scream, Glenna dashed the cards to the floor and fell in a heap beside them.
David looked around helplessly, wondering how Glenna’s display of unbridled emotions was affecting those nearby. He prayed fervently for the right words to offer in comfort. To his surprise he noticed that Alexander was still asleep, as were several other passengers. A woman and her husband, who sat two seats away, were openly staring. An elderly gentleman shrugged as though he couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about. David glanced toward the back of the coach. The men who’d confronted them a few moments ago were already absorbed in another round of poker, uncaring or unaware of the hysterical young woman on the floor.
David dropped to his knees beside Glenna, then scooped up the deck of cards. “The cards in themselves are not bad,” he said softly. “It’s the way they’re often used which causes folks to sin.”
Glenna hiccupped loudly as she looked up at him, her dark eyes brimming with tears. “Those cards are the reason my daddy jumped from this train.”
David stuffed the cards into his jacket pocket and gave Glenna his hand. Once she was on her feet, he offered her a drink from the canteen he’d taken out from under his bench. When
she calmed down some, he helped her into her own seat and sat down beside her.
She sniffed deeply as he handed her the handkerchief he’d pulled from another one of his pockets. “Thank you. You’re very kind.”
He smiled in response. “You know, Glenna, the deck of cards can have a double meaning.”
“It c–can?”
He nodded and pulled the cards back out of his pocket. “I’ve been thinking about using cards such as these for one of my upcoming sermons. It might help some who are more familiar with worldly ways to better understand the Bible.”
Glenna’s interest was obviously piqued, for she tipped her head slightly to study the cards.
David fanned the deck and retrieved the ace. “This stands for one and reminds me of one God, who loves us all.” When she made no response, he continued. “Now the two makes me think about the fact that the Bible is divided into two parts—the Old and New Testament.” David withdrew the three of hearts. “When I see the three, I’m reminded of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”
“And the four?” Glenna asked, touching a fingertip to the four of clubs.
“Four stands for the four evangelists—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” He held up the five of spades next. “Five makes me think of the five wise virgins who trimmed the lamp.”
Glenna’s forehead wrinkled. She obviously knew little or nothing about the Bible.
“The six of hearts is a reminder that God created the world in six days,” David said. “On the seventh day, God rested.” He tapped the seven of diamonds with his thumb.
“And the eight? What does it stand for?” she asked, leaning closer to David. In fact, she was so close that he could smell the faint aroma of her rosewater cologne.
David drew back slightly, afraid he would lose track of his thoughts if he didn’t put a safe distance between them. “Eight represents the eight righteous persons God saved during the great flood. There was Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives.”
Glenna nodded. “Mrs. Olsen, a woman who ran the boardinghouse where Daddy and I once stayed, often told Bible stories. I wasn’t that interested then, but I do remember her telling about Mr. Noah and the big boat.”
David chuckled. “Guess that’s about right, though I’ve never heard it put quite that way before.” He tapped the nine of spades with one finger. “This one makes me think of lepers. There were ten of them, and when Jesus healed them all, only one of the ten bothered to even thank Him. The other nine neglected to do so.”
Glenna frowned. “Jesus healed men with leprosy?”
“Yes, and He made many others well, too.”
“What does the ten stand for?”
“The ten represents the Ten Commandments, which were God’s law. He gave the laws to the children of Israel through His servant Moses.” David picked up the king of hearts. “This one reminds me of one special King … the One who died for each of us so we could have the gift of salvation and forgiveness from our sins.”
Glenna chewed thoughtfully on her bottom lip but said nothing.
“The queen,” David continued, “makes me think of the virgin, Mary, who bore our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“There’s one card left,” Glenna said, pointing to the jack of diamonds. “What does that stand for?”
“This card,” David said, emphasizing each word, “represents the devil himself.”
CHAPTER 5
Glenna’s brown eyes grew as huge as flapjacks. “The devil?” she rasped. “Mrs. Olsen said the devil is man’s worst enemy.”
“Mrs. Olsen was right.” David shuffled the cards thoroughly and held up the deck. “These can be used in a bad way, by the devil, or they can serve to remind us of the fact that there truly is a God and He loves us very much.”
Glenna blinked rapidly. “God could never love someone like me.”
“That’s not true,” David was quick to say. “Why would you even think such a thing?”
“My daddy was a gambler. He cheated people out of their money.”
David shrugged. “That was your father’s sin, not yours.”
“But—but, sometimes I covered for him. I often told lies in order to protect him. Daddy was all I had. He watched out for me, and I took care of him.” Her eyes pooled with fresh tears. “Some days, when we had no money, I begged or stole things. Daddy’s gone now, and I’m all alone with no way to support myself. I hate stealing, but I may not have any other choice.”
“You’re not alone,” David argued. “God’s with you, and so am I. You don’t need to lie or steal.”
Her eyes drifted shut as she drew in a shuddering breath. “You’re here now, but you have your own life. My ticket only takes me to Granger, Wyoming. When the train stops there, I’ll be forced to get off. You’ll go on and forget you ever met me.”
David swallowed hard. She was right, of course. He did have a life—obligations to the church in Idaho City where he’d been asked to pastor. He could hardly take Glenna with him. Besides the fact that he barely knew Glenna Moore, she was not a Christian. By her own lips she’d admitted she was a sinner.
“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” The scripture passage from the book of John reverberated in David’s head. He, of all people, had no right to point an accusing finger at anyone. Not after all he’d done in the past. He wondered if Glenna might question him about his earlier days now that she’d revealed some of hers.
“Your silence only confirms what I said,” Glenna moaned. “Once we part ways, you’ll never think of me again.”
David knew that wasn’t true. Though he’d only known the young woman a few hours, she’d made a lasting impression. He turned slightly in his seat so he was looking her full in the face. “I assure you, Glenna, you are not a woman to be easily forgotten.”
He resisted the urge to kiss away the tears streaming down her flushed cheeks. Instead of acting on impulse though, he merely reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Would it be agreeable for me to share some passages from the Bible with you? I believe God’s Word will act as a healing balm, if you’re willing to let it.”
For a moment she said nothing, her eyes shut and her breathing labored. Finally she spoke. “I suppose it would be all right. I have nowhere else to turn, and all the steam has left me … like vapor rising from wet boots.”
“There is only one place to turn. God’s love can ease your pain.” David removed a small Bible from his pocket and began to read some scripture verses pertaining to man’s sin and the need for salvation. Then he went on to read the account of Christ’s death and resurrection. “It’s about as clear as cold water, Glenna. You can be released from sins by a simple prayer of faith.”
“I–I don’t know how to talk to God. I used to pray when I was very young—when my mother was still alive, but I haven’t uttered a prayer since her death. I wouldn’t even know how.”
“I’ll help you, Glenna. I can lead you through the sinner’s prayer.”
She drew in a deep breath. “Sinner—yes, that’s what I am.”
“We’ve all sinned and come short of God’s glory,” David murmured. He admired her willing spirit. He wished everyone he preached to would be so eager to admit their shortcomings.
Glenna had never known such a feeling of freedom as when she finished her heartfelt prayer and confession of sin. A new creature, that’s what she felt like now that she’d asked God’s forgiveness and accepted Jesus as her Savior. She didn’t have her real daddy anymore, but David had reminded her that the heavenly Father would always be with her.
She brushed an errant tear from her cheek and sniffed deeply. God’s Spirit might be here, but physically she was still alone. Her ticket would only take her as far as Granger. Then what? Daddy had all their money. Glenna had nothing but the clothes on her back and a few more personal belongings in her suitcase. I may have my sins forgiven, she mused, but I’m sure in a fine fix!
“For a l
ady who’s just been reborn, you look a bit down in the mouth.”
David’s deep, mellow voice drew Glenna out of her musings, and she shifted in her seat. “I’m glad I found Jesus, but it doesn’t solve my immediate problem.”
He lifted one eyebrow in question.
Her shoulders drooped with anguish and a feeling of hopelessness. “Daddy’s gone, and I have no money—only a train ticket to Granger.”
“Do you have any other family?”
She shook her head. “Mama died giving birth to my brother. He died, too. That’s when Daddy started drinking and gambling. He never mentioned any relatives either.”
Love Finds a Home (Anthologies) Page 3