by Susan Thomas
Dr. Davies' value to the town was proven only a short while after he arrived. Carl Hartmann fell from the roof of the barn he had been working on. He was unconscious and his injuries severe. Although he was taken by stretcher and wagon to Dr. Davies, no one expected that he would live, and even if he did, it was certain that his mangled left leg would have to be amputated. However, after hours of work, Carl Hartmann was still alive and his leg repaired. He was unconscious for a week, nursed by the women of his family. Finally, he awoke and survived. True his left leg was stiff, and he had a limp, but he would still be able to work and provide for his family.
Dr. Davies had no idea, but he contributed to Kirkham's changing view of itself. They were now a settled place: they had a school and a teacher; a sheriff; a church and a preacher; a newspaper; and now a doctor and a surgery. Why they even had women on the town council. Kirkham was growing up. This changing attitude was going to be important with the events that were still to come.
---oOo---
Annie had agreed to marry James Daffern but now she was scared. How could she marry the poor man? He had no idea what or who she really was. He had no idea about the money box that was hidden in her bedroom. In it there was paper money, gold dust in a bag and a bag of small diamonds. She had used some of the money to support herself and the children when they first ran away from him and went into hiding. She had stolen it from him and, although now untraceable, he had undoubtedly stolen it in the first place. It was tainted money, but how could she tell James without revealing more? She simply wouldn't set a date, and James grew rather frustrated with her, but women are, after all, a funny lot so he prayed for patience.
Perhaps it was Annie's indecision and guilty conscience that made her tetchy and irritable. Whatever it was she exploded one Saturday when she had no need. Amelia was asleep under a tree having had more nightmares and little sleep. Harold was outside and banging a drum, but it didn't disturb Amelia. He was marching up and down, as little boys will, banging his drum and, in his mind, leading an army into battle. Harmless enough stuff and Annie certainly thought so. However, a man working nearby grew irritated. He had a go at shutting Harold up and of course, as children will, Harold obliged for a while. However, he gradually grew louder and the man got fed up with it. He came over and took Harold's drum.
There is little doubt he had no intention of keeping or damaging it. He simply put it down where he was working and told Harold to go and play with something else. Harold went in and told his mother and she lost her temper. Annie stormed outside and confronted the man. Confront is really far too mild a word. She ranted at him, swore at him, threatened him and generally made an exhibition of herself. The man responded by being stubborn. He wasn't giving the drum back and now he might even keep it. It was at this point that the Rev. James Daffern appeared.
Annie didn't understand why she had lost her temper like that; the swearing now, that was his influence, of course. When she was growing up in her father's house, to use foul language was most definitely the cause of a serious spanking. When she trained as a teacher, to use any profanity would have led to expulsion, and in those two years of happy teaching, before she met him and followed his siren call, it never crossed her mind. However, he used the coarsest of language the whole time. At first it had seemed exciting, liberating even, but it was catching and it was hard to shake off. She had made a huge effort, and thought she had succeeded, but not today.
James was very quiet but firm. "Annie, that will do. Go indoors and I will deal with this."
She obeyed. Out of the window of her small house she could see him dealing with it... calmly, effectively. The man handed the drum back to him. She doubted he apologized but he gave it back undamaged. They talked for a while longer and she retreated from the window and sat down. James would not let this pass. She had let herself and everyone else down with her display of anger. She knew he would spank her bottom hard, and rightly she thought.
James was stunned by Annie's outburst. He knew women became quite irrational if their children were involved in a problem, but that abrupt change in Annie had been so sudden, and her language... He had heard that type of language before. The question was, where had she? He turned to go back to the house. Amelia was still asleep under the tree. Amazingly she had slept through it all. Well, she had been awake a lot of last night according to Annie; troubled by bad dreams again. Perhaps that was why Annie lost her temper... tiredness. Another question was why did Amelia have such bad dreams? He had come to realize that Annie's past had some bad experience in it, but that was no excuse for that outburst. He sighed, now he had to deal with her. At that point Amelia woke up and wandered out from her sleepy place looking confused.
Annie came hurrying out and picked her up. She sat both children down with some milk and a cookie each and watched until they'd finished. Then she asked Harold, "Will you take your sister out the back to play. Rev. Daffern and I have something very important to attend to."
Harold glanced in the direction of the woodshed and agreed. "Amelia, would you like to play 'house' around the back?"
Amelia did and James laughed. "Wouldn't have thought 'house' was your kind of game, Harold."
"It isn't, but she loves it and I don't often play that with her. It'll keep her happy."
The two children went off and Annie looked at him, her whole manner subdued and ashamed. "I expect you want to take me to the woodshed now. I've cleared it out and got rid of most of the dust and cobwebs."
"Harold looked at the woodshed. He clearly knows something. You don't take him out there do you?"
"No, of course not, but he hears the children at school. They say when their mamas misbehave their papas take them to the woodshed, or somewhere where they can't be heard, to spank them. He knows I misbehaved, he sees you as having authority, and so in his mind you'll spank me. I understand that. My father used to take me out to the woodshed to spank or strap me. Often in fact, for I was willful, headstrong and foolhardy. I took after my mother and I know she squirmed on her chair from time to time. I miss them both."
James Daffern listened intently. He had the gift, she thought, of making you feel as if every word you uttered was of vital importance to him. When she stopped, he smiled gently, "I think your father would approve of a trip to the woodshed right now. That was a terrible display of anger and profanity. Before you walk out to it, I'd like you to go and cut four switches, and when you've done show them to me, and if I approve we'll walk out together."
Her heart sank. Switches! She'd never been switched before but had heard talk of how much it hurt. Annie went and got a sharp knife and walked over to some of the bushes and trees near the front of the house, praying that no one would see what she was doing. She would be mortified if anyone saw her and reported the schoolmarm was getting a switching from the preacher. She cut eight altogether, of various thicknesses and lengths, for she wasn't sure what he would want. James was sitting on the porch chair looking calm and relaxed; he was so good at disciplining her. No anger, never shouting, always calm and reasonable he explained what she had done wrong and then the discipline followed. He spanked hard, no doubt about it, but she was never afraid of him... of the spanking maybe but not him. She knew he would never lose control and never really hurt her; it was like her father's spankings... done in love and for her own good.
His eyes danced with amusement when he saw the eight switches. "Not sure what was required?"
"No, I've never been switched before."
"I should have checked you knew and explained what was wanted. Well, there are four here I can use, just the right length, not too thick, not too thin and quite whippy. We'll leave the other four by the woodshed where they won't be noticed."
He took the switches in his right hand and held out his left and she took it. A tingle of pleasure went through her as she held his hand; every time she touched him her whole body reacted. It was only a short walk and they'd not gone half way when the calm of repentance left her and sh
e became scared of the punishment to come.
"Will it hurt very much?"
"It will hurt as much as it needs to teach you your lesson." He looked at her kindly. "It will smart considerably. You'll find it hard to sit down but it will not injure you at all. I would never do anything to really hurt you. It is a correction and no more."
"I'm really sorry I behaved like that."
"Then welcome each time the switch chastises you. It will help you bear it and help you not to behave like that again."
They arrived at the woodshed. It was not large but it was enough for his purpose. He could see her feminine touch alright. Tidy and orderly, it was cobweb and dust free. Cut wood was stacked neatly along one side. Tools, clean and sharp, hung neatly on one wall. A block for chopping and an X-shaped horse for holding logs sat neatly by the chopped wood, and in a corner was an A-frame saw horse. He pulled the horse out into the middle of the space.
"Now Annie, I think our relationship is such I may do this. Your switching will be on your bare bottom..."
"Oh, James! Please, is that proper?"
"I am courting you and have every intention of marrying you. I am also your pastor and in both capacities, have already disciplined you three times. When we are married any discipline you receive from me will be on the bare bottom and rightly so. In addition to these good reasons a switching is far less effective if clothing prevents it doing its job. Now I want you to pull your drawers down, maybe take them off altogether, and then bend over and place your hands on top of that saw horse in the middle. I will raise your skirt and petticoats."
He was so easy to obey and Annie knew she would do it. In fact, she longed to be naked in front of him, and have him take her to his bed, but those thoughts were most improper and she suppressed them hurriedly.
"Yes sir." He had never demanded that she call him 'sir' but her father had insisted on it when he spanked her and the old habit seemed natural. "But please will you turn your back while I remove my drawers?"
James smiled and turned to face the door. She hoisted her skirts and fumbled nervously with the ties of her drawers. As soon as they were loose she let them fall and stepped out of them. Picking them quickly up with a blush she stuffed them into the pocket of the apron she still wore. Realizing that the apron was superfluous she took that off and hung it on one of the hooks for tools. Then, her heart beating hard, she turned and bent over placing her hands on top of the saw horse.
"I'm ready sir."
Chapter 6
James found his hands were trembling at the thought of lifting Annie's skirts and petticoats. He may be a man of God, but he was a man, and had the normal physical desires of a man. Annie was an attractive woman, and he longed to 'know' her in the Biblical sense, so to lift her skirts and petticoats would be a test of his restraint. He pulled up what seemed to him an unnecessary amount of material, and exposed her smooth, elegant legs and bottom. His hands began to tremble more, as he resisted the temptation to gentle his hands over that delicate shapeliness, to run his hands up between her thighs, and explore the warmly secret place to arouse her, as he knew he could so easily. He found himself stiffening and stood for a moment seeking to regain control of his natural desires and return to the important job of correcting his bride to be.
Annie had whimpered as he exposed her and he knew he must get on and not delay. She did not deserve a protracted punishment for she was a good woman who had accepted his guidance. James had selected the four smoothest switches, neither too thin to cut nor too thick to bruise; now he seized one and stepped back into position. He did not raise the switch high nor bring it down on her naked bottom with great force. There was no need. The switch would punish quite well enough without excessive effort.
The high-pitched swish of the switch as it cut through the air made Annie tense and then it connected with her bottom with a nasty sound. Annie jerked visibly and gave a muted squeal but did not move from her position. Even to James' ears, the shrill sound of the switch as it swept towards the bottom, and the nasty sound as it connected, were chilling; to poor Annie it must be horrifying. She jumped visibly and made a hissing sound that spoke volumes about how much it hurt. Already two narrow but vivid red welts had risen on her bottom. They were like red string on the softness of her skin. James had a sudden mad urge to kiss them better but restrained himself. It was his duty to punish her and the comforting must wait.
Making himself deaf to the increasing sounds of distress that Annie gave, James whipped the switch down again and again onto the smooth skin he longed to fondle rather than chastise. The red lines multiplied in number, each one distinct but nasty. Annie writhed increasingly and her cries grew louder although not once did she beg him to stop. Suddenly she began to sob. It was a heart wrenching sound and in between the sobs she choked out, "I'm so sorry James. I wish I wasn't so bad."
James stopped. Annie's bottom had the thin, neat red welts all the way down the cheeks of her bottom right from the top down to the junction with her thighs. Some were so close together they had merged and made one thick welt. He had planned to punish her for longer but that heart-broken cry was too much for him. He threw the switch to one side and gently pulled Annie upright and held the sobbing woman close to him.
"You're not bad, Annie. You're a wonderful woman and a good one. You did something that was bad but every human on God's good earth does. You've been punished. That's it. It was the deed that you did, not you yourself, that was bad. I love you and I promise you that you are not bad."
It took James quite a long time to calm Annie down and persuade her she wasn't a bad person, just a woman who had done something wrong and was in need of correction. If he hoped that would help her to set a date for their wedding, he was wrong, and he was forced to pray very hard for patience.
---oOo---
Charles Flight, owner and editor of The Kirkham Patriot, had done well out of the Andrew Becker edition he had run. So, only a few weeks later, when the news came in that Becker's gang had been ambushed by an alliance of private agents and various law enforcement agencies, he was delighted. It enabled him to run a whole edition rehashing Becker's evil deeds and giving in lurid detail the downfall of his gang.
Wealthy businessmen had become sick of Becker's activities and hired private agents to hunt him down. Such was Becker's reputation that they had joined with sheriffs and marshals and formed a huge posse. Acting on a tip off they laid an ambush in a small town and Becker's gang had ridden right into it. A great many of Becker's gang had been gunned down and killed. There was suspicion that the posse had not been too scrupulous and had killed wounded men after they had surrendered. No one cared much. Becker's gang had committed terrible atrocities and if they were now dead that was it. Becker himself was captured. He too was wounded but the posse wanted the kudos of taking him for trial.
Charles ran several editions reviewing the evil deeds of the Becker gang and giving, not always very accurate, details of the ambush and capture of Becker. There were concerns that two members of the gang had evaded capture altogether, but since the head of the beast had been cut off, there was general rejoicing. Charles did well out of every edition, for the good people of Kirkham, feeling safe, hung on every word. Annie was no different to any of the other townsfolk who read every word in The Kirkham Patriot at least three times.
The trial of Andrew Becker also brought Charles a good revenue and it was a sensational trial. Although everyone knew he was guilty of many murders no proof could be found. Eyewitnesses, if there were any still alive, were absent. No other gang member had been left by the posse to betray him. Finally, he was found not guilty of most of the charges except armed robbery. For that he received the longest prison sentence the judge could give him. Becker laughed on hearing it. He sneered at the judge and told him he would not long be in prison, and walked out of the dock as if he had not a care in the world.
Annie sat reading the The Kirkham Patriot's account of the trial and sentence for the fifth time. Sh
e was still sitting with the newspaper on her lap when James came visiting. After she had served him refreshments he asked once again, and without much hope, if she would agree a date for their wedding.
Annie looked at him and smiled. "I've been most unfair to you haven't I, James; you've been so patient with me. Yes, we'll set a date, but there is a great deal to organize, so is two months too long for you to wait?"
For James, who longed to take Annie to his bed, as well as be a proper caring husband to her, it was an eternity, but he accepted the wait. Women, he knew, loved all those special preparations and there were also the children to consider. Amelia should have a special dress and Harold a suit of clothes so that he felt grown up. The date was agreed, set and announced. The women of the town began to plan excitedly. Mayor Spencer groaned and wondered how on earth they were to find another school teacher. None of them realized that events outside their control would shape the way things went.
---oOo---
The man who rode into town one Saturday claimed attention immediately. To everyone who spotted him he looked like trouble, and Kirkham was not like that. He was small, almost feral in appearance, and his clothing, although once expensive, was travel stained and dirty. It escaped no one's notice that he was well armed. Several residents walked quietly toward the sheriff's office. The man himself went into a saloon and bought a drink. He was shunned, for it was mostly a hard-working group of customers there only for a quiet drink and a talk. When he left there was general relief, but in fact he had gone only as far as the sidewalk, where he leaned against a hitching rail and lit a cheroot. He ignored the old timer sitting nearby on a bench and instead watched the town. What he was thinking was anyone's guess.