Until September

by Brenda Jernigan

  “I know, but my condition is getting worse. I had a bad spell last night.”

  “I see,” he said reaching for his cup of coffee. After he’d taken a sip he asked, “Why Fraser?”

  “Do you remember the doctor who helped me when I was shot?”

  “Yes, I do. Believe her name was Susie,” Ben said. “Nice woman.”

  “Well, my doctor from back home sent my medical history to her. She thinks she can help me. I’m not sure if she can, but I’m willing to try.”

  “And what do you think of this, Ute?”

  “I have not met the woman,” Ute replied. “But I do know that Claire needs to do something to get better.”

  “I see.” Ben rubbed his chin. “Then I don’t blame you for going but don’t you want to wait until Billy returns?”

  Claire finally put her fork down, unable to eat. “I thought he’d be back before now, but my time is running out so I can’t wait. You do realize this is the first of September?”

  Ben nodded.

  “Besides, I don’t know if I could tell Billy in person that I don’t want to marry him. I’m not sure I could stand to see the hurt in his eyes.”

  “So you’re going to take the easy way out,” Ben said with a frown, “and walk out on Billy just like everybody else.”

  “Don’t be so hard on her,” Aunt Ute told him.

  “I’m not being hard. But it’s very evident that Billy loves Claire, and he’ll be coming home expecting to find her waiting for him.”

  “And that’s the reason I must not be here,” Claire insisted. “I must convince Billy that I don’t love him anymore.” She leaned forward on the table. “I have to see if there is a chance I can get well. If I can’t, he will have lost me anyway. Don’t you understand, I’m doing this because I love Billy? He doesn’t deserve my problems.”

  “I think you are cutting Billy short,” Ben said. “But I will abide by your wishes.”

  Claire breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” She felt so tired and her chest hurt, but she had to go. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a letter and laid it on the table. “I want you to give this to Billy.”

  “All right,” her uncle agreed.

  “Now that all this is settled, how do we get to Fraser?” Aunt Ute asked.

  “By train. You’ll be going into the high country. Thank God it’s only September because when the winter months set in the only way you can get there is by train and sometimes that doesn’t work because of the snow.”

  “Can we get the train from Denver?” Claire asked.

  “Yes,” Ben said with a smile. “Ute, you’ll love Fraser. It will remind you of home or at least the way I remember Germany. Fraser is eighty-five miles across the Continental Divide in the midst of 13,000-foot peaks. It’s maybe fifty miles from Denver as the crow flies, longer any other way. I’ll take you to the train whenever you’re ready.”

  “We’re already packed and ready to go,” Aunt Ute said.

  “We?” Ben asked.

  ‘‘Ja. I wouldn’t let her travel alone. Besides, the doctor could probably use a good nurse.”

  “And she’ll be getting one,” Ben said as he rose from his chair.

  “We’ll be leaving in a few minutes,” said Claire.

  When her uncle rounded the table, Claire hugged him. “Thank you for understanding. I’ll miss you,” she said. “I would like you to take care of Floppy for me. I’m afraid it will be too cold where I’m going, come winter. If something happens to me, make sure Willie gets him.”

  Ben nodded. “I’ll do that. I think Floppy has adjusted well here. This morning when I went into my office, I found him on the sofa with his head on a pillow. He didn’t move an inch when I came in.”

  Claire laughed, the first time in days. “Floppy does like his comforts.”

  Once they were under way, Claire felt like she was leaving her life behind her and a deep sadness settled in her. She knew that her heart was breaking because she was walking out on the one person she truly loved. After he read her note all that would change and Billy would hate her.

  You ’re walking out like everybody else has. Her uncle’s words rang in her ears, and the worst part was that it was true. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping the words would go away. As much as it hurt now ... it would hurt so much more later. Sometimes life wasn’t fair. She’d just have to put one foot in front of another and do what she needed to do and somehow she’d get by.

  The steady rhythmic clack-clack of the train wheels began to soothe her as the train started its climb through the foothills. She stared out the window at the tall ponderosa pines. Her ears felt funny from the pressure, and she looked to Ute. “Do your ears feel strange?”

  “Ja. Swallow,” Ute said. “Better?”

  “Yes.”

  “The higher we climb in the mountain, the more pressure you’ll have on your ears. Just swallow and it will go away. You will get to use to it after awhile.”

  Claire smiled at her aunt “You always know so much,” she said. “I wish I were more like you.”

  Aunt Ute chuckled. “It’s called age, my dear. The more years you live, the smarter you become. It is strange, but I have a good feeling about our trip. I feel that the higher altitude will be good for you and make it easier for you to breathe.”

  “Now that you mentioned it, my chest has stopped hurting. I hope you’re right,” Claire said and turned her attention back to looking out the window. “Look, there is a mountain up ahead.” She had no more said it than they were plunged into darkness. Claire reached for her aunt

  “Do not worry. We are in a tunnel that runs through the mountain. We’ll be out in a few minutes. Can you imagine making this tunnel?”

  “No. It sounds impossible to me,” Claire admitted.

  In just a short time the train burst from the tunnel back into daylight.

  A big Swedish lumberjack sat across from them. He wore a red plaid shirt and he held his black knit cap in his lap. “There’s nothing for you little ladies to be worrin’ about,” he said with his heavy accent. “I’ve made this trip many times.”

  “Danke for your concern,” Aunt Ute said. “Have you been in this country long?”

  “About three years now,” he said. “And you hail from Germany?”

  “Ja. ” Aunt Ute said. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  They entered another tunnel and this time when they came out the car had started to grow hazy from the coal smoke, which accumulated with each tunnel they went through. It was also getting colder and Claire reached for her shawl.

  “Tie your handkerchief over your mouth and nose, and it will help you breathe easier,” the big Swede suggested.

  Claire did as he instructed and it did help. She wanted to smile her thanks at the man. Instead she nodded.

  “What is your name?” Ute asked.

  “I am Joseph. I am a lumberjack with these other men,” he said.

  Claire leaned against the window as Ute and Joseph continued talking. It was the most Claire had heard her aunt talk in a long time and she was glad that Ute found something enjoyable about the trip.

  If Billy were here, she’d be talking to him, too. She missed him already. God, how she missed him. It was funny how he’d come to mean so much to her in such a short time. But she wouldn’t go back and trade one minute of their time together.

  Love makes fools of us all was Claire’s last thought as she drifted to sleep.

  When she woke she heard Joseph saying, “This tunnel is called the Needle’s Eye because the engineer can see a slit of daylight through it as he comes up the grade from Yankee Doodle.”

  “They have some strange names,” Ute said.

  As Claire straightened they were coming out of the tunnel. She turned and glanced out the window and her heart jumped into her throat; she was staring straight down 2,000 feet She felt like the only thing holding the train up was thin air. Finally, she pulled her gaze away from the window, deciding it w
as too scary to watch any longer.

  The train started to slow and the conductor came through announcing they were pulling into Arrow. All the lumberjacks told them goodbye and started off the train.

  Joseph stopped beside Aunt Ute and said, "Tanks very much, missus, I enjoy our conversation. Maybe I will get to see you again sometime.”

  “Ja, ” Aunt Ute replied. “If you get to Fraser come by and see me.”

  Claire nudged Ute. “I think he likes you.”

  She smiled. “He’s a fine man, Ja. ”

  “I agree. With that blond hair and blue eyes, he’d steal any woman’s heart”

  The train continued on chugging over the mountains. When Claire didn’t think that they could go much higher the train pulled into the station where a big wooden sign that looked haggard from the weather proclaimed they had finally arrived in Fraser.

  Claire stepped off the train and collapsed.

  Billy and Mary were thirty miles away when they caught their first glimpse of Pikes Peak. The mountain rose to a majestic height of 12,000 feet and its apex was covered with perpetual snow.

  As they wound their way around the mountain through lofty pines and cedars, the air grew much cooler so that they had to slip on their jackets. Billy wondered if there really was a mining town in this wilderness. They had ridden for miles without seeing anything other than antelope and a bear or two.

  About the time he was ready to suggest turning back, they reached a small mining town. The rough wooden sign said they were in Gregory Gulch. In a field to the left was a herd of antelope grazing in a meadow. Everything appeared very peaceful, or was the word dead?

  “This isn’t much of a town,” Billy said as they sat on their horses looking down a dirt street that had log cabins scattered on both sides. Each brown cabin looked alike—some didn’t even have windows.

  “I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this,” Mary admitted.

  “Do you want to go back?”

  “No. I’m determined to make this work. If a little hard work will bring me gold and independence then I can handle this. However, I am glad we stopped and picked up supplies and heavy clothes. It is the middle of August, but it’s cool up here.”

  “Yes, it is,” Billy said. “I guess we should go to the claims office first and find out where your claim is located, and then we can see about finding you someplace to stay.”

  “I really do appreciate your help,” Mary said.

  Billy smiled at her. “That’s what brothers are for.”

  It was easy to find the recorder’s office because it was in the middle of the buildings and had a big sign hung on the side. When they dismounted they found a line waiting to see the clerk so they had to wait.

  Finally Mary made it to the desk. She took out her deed and handed it to the man. It took him a few minutes to read it over. He reached under his desk and pulled out a very large book that looked like it contained a variety of maps.

  After flipping several pages, he frowned and reached for a brown book on the edge of his desk. He turned back and forth between several pages until he found what he wanted. He scanned die page with his index finger. “Ah, yaw,” he said and tapped the spot with his finger before looking up at Mary. “You have a problem.”

  “What is the problem?” Mary asked.

  “Somebody has already filed a claim on this here land.”

  “But this is a legal document I’ve had a lawyer look it over,” Mary insisted, and then added, “What can I do?”

  “I’d go see Marshal Stanley. Maybe he can straighten this out for you.”

  Billy stepped forward. “Where do we find the marshal?”

  The clerk pointed. “Two doors down on the right.”

  “Do you know the name of the other owner?” Billy asked.

  “Let’s see,” the clerk looked down. “Oh dear, it’s Big Jim McCoy. He’s an Irishman with a mean temper.”

  “Great! ” Mary rolled her eyes. “Just what I need. ”

  They took their horses and pack mules with them and tied them outside the marshal’s office.

  Upon explaining to Marshal Stanley the problem and showing him the deed, he sent a deputy to get Big Jim.

  Fifteen minutes later Big Jim McCoy strode into the office shouting, “Who the hell is trying to steal my claim!”

  The man made two of Billy. McCoy was broad shouldered and wore faded overalls with a blue flannel shirt, and had a gun and a bowie knife tucked into his work belt He wasn’t a young man, but a weathered veteran.

  As soon as he saw Mary, he removed his wide- brimmed hat displaying his black hair streaked with gray. “Ma’am,” he said with a nod.

  Turning his attention back to the marshal he said. “Now who is this cussed sidewinder?”

  “I am,” Mary said and stepped in front of him. “My mother sent me the deed.” She handed him the papers. “As you can see, it’s legal. It says nothing about me having a partner.”

  Big Jim snatched the deed from her.

  Billy was proud of his sister not backing down from Big Jim. As a matter of fact, she looked more like an angry cat with its fur standing straight up. Big Jim would scare most men with his thick black beard and long black hair that was streaked with gray.

  After Jim read the deed, he threw it on the marshal’s desk. Then he pulled his deed out from a pocket and tossed it beside hers.

  “That deed used to belong to Toothless Tom. When he left he told me I could have his part ’cause he was through with mining,” Big Jim told the marshal.

  “Do you have any paperwork to prove that, Big Jim?”

  Big Jim frowned. “A man’s word ought to be good enough.”

  “Not when it comes to property. As you well know, many have been killed over property disputes,” Marshal Stanley told him. “The way I see it, you have a new partner.”

  “But she’s a female,” Big Jim pointed out the obvious.

  “What’s wrong with that?” Mary snapped.

  “Plenty,” Big Jim said and looked directly at her. “Mining is damn hard work and you’re puny. ’Sides every man would be after you once he saw you, and I don’t have time for such.”

  “I’ve already thought about that,” Mary informed him. “I’m going to dress as a man and keep my hair under a cap so everyone will think I’m a boy. As for work, I intend to work just as hard as you. What I lack in muscle, I’ll make up with brains.”

  “I doubt that,” Jim shot back.

  Mary stepped closer to the man. “Well, Big Jim, you don’t have a choice.”

  He glared at her. “You’re a mouthy little thing.”

  “So I’ve been told,” Mary said.

  With that comment, Big Jim started laughing and all the tension in the room eased. “All right. I give you two months before you’re running back home.” He looked at Billy. “Who’s he?”

  Billy pushed away from the wall where he had thoroughly enjoyed the exchange between these two. It seemed Big Jim had a wild cat by the tail and didn’t know quite how to handle her.

  “I’m her brother, Billy West.”

  “Good. You can help her.”

  “I’m not staying,” Billy told him.

  The Irishman appeared as if his patience was all but gone. “Is she plumb loco? Life ain’t easy up here.”

  “So I’ve tried to tell her,” Billy said. “But as you can see, she has a mind of her own.”

  “I can also speak for myself,” Mary informed both of them.

  “See,” Billy said with a shrug.

  The marshal cleared his throat. “Then it’s set- tied. You both have equal ownership in the mine. If one of you dies, then the other inherits full ownership. Is that agreeable?”

  They both nodded.

  “Good,” Marshal Stanley said. Then he scribbled the agreement on both deeds. “Sign here that you agree. Myself and Mr. West will witness the signatures.” When the signatures were obtained, the marshal said, “Good. Now get out of my office. I have
work to do.”

  Once they were outside, Big Jim asked. “Where are you staying?”

  “I don’t have a place yet,” Mary said.

  “Well, there ain’t no empty cabins around here.”

  “Oh,” Mary said as she stopped by the three pack mules loaded with supplies.”

  “These yours?” Big Jim asked.

  Mary nodded.

  “How about if I make you a deal?” Jim said with a smile. “Seeing as I can’t get rid of you, why don’t you throw your supplies in with mine, and you can stay with me.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Billy said.

  “Don’t go getting your dander up. I have the biggest cabin up here with two bedrooms. It’s a little ways up the hill. She’d have her own sleeping quarters. ’Sides which, I’m old enough to be your Da. I have a daughter your age back home.”

  So an agreement was made.

  Billy stayed another month to make sure Mary was settled in and could handle everything. Then he decided he needed to worry more about Big Jim than Mary. She already had the man eating out of her hand.

  When it was time to go, Billy did have a talk with Jim and told him if he ever made the mistake of hurting his sister that Billy would return with a vengeance.

  Big Jim nodded.

  Billy gave Mary a hug. “You take care of yourself.”

  “I will,” she said in a soft voice. “You take care of yourself and my future sister-in-law.”

  Billy smiled. “I will.”

  He rode off with a peaceful mind about Mary. She was going to make it on her own. As he started down the mountain heading for home, he realized that he’d been gone much longer than he’d expected. He wasn’t sure of the day but it must be two months since he’d left. He did know that he was more than ready to see Claire. God, he’d missed her.

  During the days he’d stayed pretty busy, but at night when all was quiet, his thoughts were always of Claire. She made him happy. She gave him a sense of purpose.

  He felt that most of his life he’d had no direction. He’d been wandering, never sure Exactly what he wanted to do.

  Now he knew.

  He wanted Claire. Together they would start their own horse farm. With her knowledge, he knew that they would raise the best horseflesh around these parts.