31
Clayton looked out his living room window at the neat front yard and then to the schoolhouse beyond and felt a thrill run through him. His school. He was going to be Mr. Taggart. School was not scheduled to start until September, and this was only mid-July, but the board had had no problem with his arriving early and getting settled in. In fact, they were thrilled at his eagerness.
And he was eager. Never had he dreamed that the schoolhouse would be so new or the teacher’s house so large. He’d been told that the first schoolteacher they’d hired had been a married man with six children. They’d built a house that would fit his needs. Clayton knew he would never fill these rooms with a wife and children, but he would still do everything in his power to make it a home. It was very exciting to him that his family could come and visit anytime they wanted, and he would have no problem putting them up indefinitely.
Clayton reached for the list in his front pocket. He’d written out the things he would need. He was going to have to be careful until his regular paychecks started. Although it would have been cheaper to remain at his grandmother’s, once he’d graduated and been accepted as a teacher, he couldn’t stand to stay in Denver. He let himself out the front door and moved around back to the stable behind the house.
Inside was the horse his parents had given him the funds to purchase. The man at the livery had been very helpful. He’d said her name was Sally, and Clayton had found her a gentle old mare. He saddled her and moved her to the front of the house to pull himself onto her back. From the saddle he took another long look at the schoolhouse. A moment later he turned and started Sally toward town, his heart thanking God for all that had come to pass.
“And don’t let me forget the salt.”
“But you have the list, Eddie,” Jackie told her. “If it’s on your list, how can you forget it?”
“Oh, right. Well, anyway, head to the buggy, Jackie. It’s out front.”
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven—the count was immediately on in her mind. From the bottom of the stairs, to the front door, now across the porch. There was the first step. Eleven down, moving carefully. It was the same routine. Jackie told herself that someday she wouldn’t have to count, but right now she would only add bruises if she tried it another way.
“Okay.” Eddie sounded breathless as she climbed aboard.
“Eddie, what are you so upset about?”
“I’m not upset,” came the genuine reply. “I just think I should have eaten a little more breakfast, and now I don’t feel I have time.”
“What’s our hurry?”
Eddie came to a complete stop, the reins in her hand. “Well, come to think of it, there isn’t one.” She began to chuckle, but other than a slight smile, Jackie didn’t join her. She wasn’t angry, but nothing ever struck her as funny these days.
“Well, I’ll eat a big lunch,” Eddie said. “Shall we go to the hotel?”
“That’s fine,” Jackie replied apathetically. As usual Eddie prayed for strength.
She thanked God for how well Jackie was doing. She was getting along very well on her own, but her lack of interest was completely disheartening to her sister. The two women made the ride into town in near silence and started their errands at the bank. They were there longer than they expected to be, and because Eddie claimed she was starving, they ate next. The general store was the last stop.
Jackie was finally comfortable there. She now understood the lay of the things and took a slight interest. The bolts of fabric were all down one wall, but sewing notions were in the third aisle.
“Did you put lace on your list, Eddie?”
“Lace?”
“Yes. Didn’t you say I’d torn some on my blouse and it would have to be replaced?”
“Oh, you’re right. Let’s go look.”
It was after they’d stopped and Eddie had handed some lace to Jackie that she spotted him. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight of Clayton Taggart. Looking like a man in a dream, he was moving toward them. Jackie was intent on what she was feeling, and for the moment she required no assistance from her sister.
Eddie couldn’t utter a word. She watched Clayton approach, his eyes fastened on Jackie. She also watched and knew that he was just finding out the truth. He had snapped out of his earlier trance and now wore a look of defiant protection. Eddie assumed it was for his own heart, but Jackie’s movements changed his face yet again. Thankful that no one else was in the aisle, Eddie stood completely frozen as Clayton stepped up to within two feet of them. He stared at Jackie, and Jackie stared right through him.
“I think this one feels nice, Eddie. What does it look like?” The sounds of the store moved in and out of Jackie’s mind, but nothing else.
“Eddie,” she said uncertainly. “Did you leave me, Eddie?”
The slightly alarmed tone in her voice got through.
“No, no,” Eddie assured her swiftly. “I’m right here. I don’t know where my head is today.”
“Eddie, is something wrong?” Her sister’s voice frightened her.
“No, of course not. Now which one did you like?”
“This one.”
“Oh, yes.” Eddie was amazed at how normal she sounded with Clayton at her elbow. “This is very simple but elegant. It has large holes to the bottom, but at the top they’re very tiny. Can you tell what I mean?”
“Yes. Is it very much?”
“I don’t think so.” In truth, she hadn’t even looked. “Why don’t we take some up to be measured. What would you say, a yard?”
“That should do it.”
Eddie forced herself to concentrate on her sister and just get home. She moved Jackie on her way without ever looking at Clayton. They went to the front and paid for their purchases, Eddie needing three tries before the correct coins were offered and they could finally make their way toward the buggy. Eddie couldn’t stand it anymore. She looked back at the front of the store to see that Clayton had come to the door to watch them. He looked utterly devastated. Eddie thought fast.
“Jackie, will you take the reins a moment? I need to run back for something.”
“Oh, Eddie, what if the horse moves?”
“Here,” she took the reins back. “I’ll tie the lines back again, and he’ll just sit here.”
“All right. Will you be long?”
“No. Just sit tight.”
She climbed down from the buggy with the help of a passing gentleman and moved back to where Clayton stood transfixed. He didn’t look at her at first. His eyes were still glued to Jackie. When he did look at Eddie, his gaze was tortured.
“When, Eddie?” He could barely manage the words.
“Months ago. Last September.”
There is no other man, Clayton now realized. She stopped writing because of the blindness. There is no other man. His mind raced on.
“Is it permanent?” he asked, his eyes drilling into Eddie’s. She could only nod.
It was awful. Experiencing the news with Clayton was almost as bad as learning about it all over again for herself.
“I’ve got to speak to her.”
Eddie shook her head.
“Tag,” she said in a low voice, “please wait. Come to the house tonight. Come late when Jackie will be in bed. Robert and I will wait up for you.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but Eddie shook her head.
“It won’t work, Tag, not like this on the streets of town. She wouldn’t be able to deal with the surprise, and I won’t do that to her. Please come tonight,” she pleaded, praying that Clayton would understand.
Clayton looked once again at the back of Jackie’s head. The buggy was parked a little way up the street. He had to force his eyes away.
“What time?”
“After nine. Do you know where we live?”
“I’ll find it.”
With that Eddie turned and moved away. She forced herself to respond normally to her sister, but it was an effort. She was glad that Jackie wanted to sew that afternoon. Had she wanted anything more demanding, Eddie would not have survived.
Robert took one look at his wife’s face and knew that her day had been rough. He also knew that she didn’t want to talk about it in Jackie’s presence. Her voice was just a little too cheerful as they ate and did the dishes, so as soon as Jackie went into the other room, Robert speared her with his eyes.
Eddie wouldn’t look at him. She was not afraid, but she knew she was going to cry and that Jackie would hear her.
“Talk to me, Eddie,” he said softly, his eyes on her profile.
“Later.”
“No. If you’re this upset, I need to know what’s going on.”
Eddie took a deep breath and shook her head.
Robert gently took her arm and moved her out the back door. It was private out on the rear porch, and Robert could still hear if Jackie called to them.
“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’ll be forced to ask Jackie directly. What has she done?”
Eddie shook her head, and could no longer hold the tears. “Clayton Taggart is here,” she whispered.
Robert looked thunderstruck. “You saw him?”
“And talked to him.”
He let this sink in for a moment, and then asked, “What did Jackie say?”
More tears choked her voice for a moment. “She doesn’t know. He wanted to talk to her, but I discouraged him. He’s coming by later, after she’s retired. In all this time she’s never said a word about him. Why is he here, Robert?”
“Maybe he wanted to see her and tell her how sorry he was about the accident.”
Again Eddie shook her head. “He didn’t know. When he saw her he was so shocked he could barely function. Why is he here?”
Light dawned very swiftly. “You never wrote to him about the accident, did you?”
“No, and I think my family has lost all touch with his.”
“The school.”
“What?”
Robert took her hands in his. “I’ll bet he’s been hired on to teach school. I’m not involved, of course, but I know the board was looking for a new teacher.”
“Oh, Robert, what does this all mean?”
He now took her in his arms. “I don’t know exactly, but if he’s graduated and is now able to teach, then he might be the answer to our prayers.”
“Eddie,” Jackie’s voice preceded her as she moved slowly into the kitchen, something clutched in her hand. “Are you in the pantry, Eddie?”
“No,” Robert answered and stood back so his wife could enter. “We were just on the back porch.”
“Oh. Well, I can’t get this knot out of my thread. Will you help me?”
“Sure,” Robert offered, giving Eddie a chance to compose herself. “I’ll have to remove the needle, I think.”
Jackie stood silently and waited. She heard Eddie move then and spoke to her.
“Is that you, Eddie?”
“Yes.”
“I think this is my last one. I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow with nothing to sew or mend.”
Robert’s eyes met Eddie’s for just an instant.
“We’ll think of something,” Eddie assured her.
The thread now adjusted and the needle back in place, Eddie offered Jackie her arm. It wasn’t often that they led her around or waited on her, but Eddie felt a desperate need to touch her sister. She didn’t know how she could act normally until Jackie went to bed and Clayton arrived, but Robert came to the rescue. He’d picked up a letter from Morgan when he left the bank. The women sat across the living room from him while he read.
Dear Robert, Ed, and Jack, business is booming and it seems that new strikes are found almost daily. As usual, we sell more mining supplies than food. One of the mine owners stopped his team of mules in front of the store recently and left a huge mess for me to clean, but as I said, business is good.
New houses are being built as well, and the latest is a bright yellow one almost next door to us. A young couple has moved into Uncle Mitch’s apartment. They have a small baby, and your mother frets that the little guy will fall down the stairs. You were all raised around stairs; she’s starting to sound like a grandmother.
We miss you, Jack, very much, but are thrilled you’re getting out. I would enjoy seeing the general store there in Boulder. It never hurts to check out the competition. Miss Bradley has left us, but the new schoolteacher has already been installed. A man this time, and he has two boys and a girl who match the ages of Sam, Dan, and Alex. They’ve gotten to know each other some, and your mother has met his wife at church. His name escapes me right now, but I’ll think of it later.
Your mother and Ora are making a quilt together, and she is there now because Ora has a large quilting frame. I’m supposed to be helping Sam with her math, but she fell asleep and I carried her to bed. Oh, I think I hear your mother coming in now. I’ll close and let her write more to you later.
Love to each of you,
Father
Robert set the letter aside and smiled at his wife. Jackie did not comment, and not long after she took herself upstairs for the night.
Clayton had never experienced anything like this. His heart felt as if it had been torn in two. One half rejoiced that Jackie was not in love with someone else, but the other half could hardly bear the pain of what had happened to her. He wasn’t angry; indeed, he thought he understood. If it had been him, would he have assumed that Jackie wanted a blind husband? The question took some real soul-searching.
His stomach growled as the house came into view. He hadn’t wanted anything to eat after he talked to Eddie, and even now his stomach felt a mite queasy. Not with revulsion but with pain.
He was at the house now. Clayton tied Sally’s lead to a bush and climbed the front-porch stairs to the door. Darkness was falling fast, but he could see his way. He knocked and waited. How could he get this close and not see her? Eddie said she would be in bed, but Clayton hoped she would be wrong. Eddie opened the door, and without words she stepped back and let him enter. A large fireplace sat against the right wall of the entryway and to the left was the double-doorway to the living room.
“I’ll take your hat, Clay.” Eddie spoke softly, bringing Clayton’s eyes to hers just briefly. If he was here out of pity for her sister, she’d tell him to leave. Eddie herself didn’t know where this fierce, protective attitude came from, but Clayton could see that his hostess was ill-at-ease.
“Robert is in the study. If you’ll just—” Eddie stopped, and her head twisted around.
Slowly descending the stairs was Jackie. She was moving with deliberate care, her hand on the railing. Eddie shot a swift glance at Clayton, but he had eyes for Jackie alone. Eddie nearly panicked, thinking he would speak and ruin everything. They were both watching the blind girl when she missed the last step and fell into a heap.
Clayton moved so quickly to help her that Eddie had to step in front of him, arms outstretched. She spoke swiftly to cover the noise.
“Are you all right, Jackie?”
“Yes.” She sounded more angry than hurt.
“Do you want some help?”
“No.” Her answer was clipped.
A moment of silence passed, and Jackie turned her head slightly. “Are you alone, Eddie?”
“No.” Again she tried to sound normal.
“Male or female?”
“Male.”
“Are my legs covered?”
“Yes.”
Jackie came to her feet then, feeling her way carefully. Eddie said, “I thought you were going to bed.”
“I am, but I forgot my water glass.”
“I’ll get it for you.”
Eddie moved off quickly, but not before she gave Clayton a look that told him he had better stay quiet. She was back very swiftly, an empty glass in her hand.
“Here you go.”
“Good-night, Jackie.”
“Good-night.”
Once again they watched, only this time Jackie eventually moved from view. The look on Clayton’s face broke Eddie’s heart. With nothing but compassion she took his arm and led him to the study.