CHAPTER 20

Tidying up the emporium and inventorying the merchandise proved time consuming, especially with constant interruptions from horrified patrons. News of Libby’s misfortune had spread throughout the town, and it seemed everyone had to come in person to inquire about Mrs. Adams and see the damage. Most seemed disappointed that the industrious friends had helped Libby clean it all up and even replaced the burnt floorboards before the news got about.

“My oh my,” Mrs. Walker wailed, surveying the clean new rectangle on the floor. “Why, Mrs. Adams might have burned to death if she hadn’t woken up.”

“That’s right.” Laura Storrey looked over the rearranged shelves. “Did she lose much merchandise? I hope that darling lavender silk I had my eye on didn’t get burned.”

“Let me help you look for it.” Gert steered the woman toward the yard goods. Mrs. Storrey bought six yards of the expensive material, which seemed none the worse for the smoke.

At the end of the day, Libby swayed on her feet as she closed up shop, and Gert determined that her friend must get some rest. That evening and the next morning, she gathered names of women from the shooting club who volunteered to give Libby a couple hours of help. Gert labored over her list the next morning, arranging it into a schedule. Myra helped her get the timetable to all the women.

Hiram presented the mayor’s repaired rifle when she returned to fix lunch.

“Can you test this for me?” he asked. “I need to get it back to the mayor and then get over to the Bentons’.”

Gert was more curious than annoyed at the interruption in her busy morning. Hiram rarely visited other homes. “What are you going over there for?”

“I told the parson I’d build him a stand to use until we get a proper pulpit made.”

Gert put cotton in her ears, took the Winchester rifle out behind the house, and fired a half dozen rounds. When she finished, she saw Apphia coming up the path. “Here,” she told her brother as she handed him the rifle. “Tell the mayor it shoots a little right of center. I expect he knows. Otherwise, it’s fine. Now, I’m going over to help Libby. Mrs. Benton’s going with me.”

Hiram blinked at her. “No dinner?”

“On the back of the stove.” She picked up the basket she’d packed to take with her and met Apphia at the back door. Together they stormed the emporium. Gert marched straight to Libby.

“You come upstairs with me for something to eat. Mrs. Benton will help Florence man the store for the next half hour. After that, we’ll send Florence home for her dinner, and you shall have an hour’s rest.”

“Rest during the day?” Libby stared at her. “I can’t do that.”

“You can, and you will. We’ve got other ladies from the club coming in later, and we’ll all take turnabout to help you mind the store and do any more cleaning and counting you need to do for the next couple of days. Annie Harper is bringing your supper over this evening at closing time.”

Libby burst into tears. “Gert, I don’t know what to say. You’ve been so good.”

Startled, Gert patted her back awkwardly. “There now. Come on upstairs. You’re worn to a stub.”

Libby submitted after that, and Gert set out the stew and sourdough bread she’d brought over. For the first time, she sat down at Libby’s kitchen table and ate lunch with her. She made sure Libby ate a full portion then tucked her into bed under the loveliest wedding ring quilt she’d ever seen. Libby’s rooms above the emporium might have stood in a mansion. Had she brought the beautiful furnishings with her when she married Isaac, or had they ordered them one piece at a time over the years? Sometime when Libby wasn’t exhausted, she’d ask.

Downstairs, Florence had shown Mrs. Benton the rudiments of adding a purchase to a customer’s account, and Gert sent the girl home for her noon hour. She and Apphia did a brisk business.

After waiting on several townspeople and a couple of ranchers in succession, Gert caught her breath and looked around. They’d done all right, she and Apphia, though they were slow at locating some items people asked for. She’d gone to the right woman in time of crisis. The minister’s slender, dark-haired wife carried on with stamina and dignity. At the moment, Apphia was talking to Milzie Peart over in the staples section. They appeared to be having a pleasant conversation.

Mr. Dyer came in just then.

“Well, Miss Dooley. I don’t usually see you here. Is Mrs. Adams all right? I heard she had some excitement yesterday.”

“That she did, sir. She’s fine, but she’s taking a short rest. May I help you with something?”

“Maybe so. Miss Shepard needs sugar and potatoes. She says I’m not to bring home any punky ones.”

Gert shrugged. “We’ll do our best. You know how hard it is to get firm potatoes this time of year.”

“I allow you’re right. Just two or three months till we have a new crop though. I can hardly wait.”

Gert smiled and took his basket from his hands. “This way, sir, and you can choose your own spuds if you wish.”

While she and Ezra picked over the sprouting potatoes and chose the best for Bitsy’s Sunday dinner crowd, Gert overheard a bit of Apphia’s talk with Milzie.

“I do wish you’d come Monday after the shooting practice,” she said. “We’ll have tea, and you can tell me about your ranch.”

“‘T’ain’t much of a ranch,” Milzie mumbled. “Since Frank died, ‘t’ain’t much of anything. I put in a few vegetables though.”

“Ah, you enjoy gardening. So do I.”

Gert figured it was more a matter of survival than a hobby for Milzie, but she said nothing. She silently applauded Apphia’s courage in inviting the filthy old woman into her home. Maybe if all the women of the shooting club followed her example, they could influence Milzie to take better care of herself.

A few minutes later she took a broken candy stick from a jar on the counter and slipped it to Milzie. She was sure Libby wouldn’t mind. Milzie shuffled out of the store with a gap-toothed smile.

On Monday the ladies gathered at Bert Thalen’s ranch as usual. Milzie looked different when she arrived, and at first Gert couldn’t figure out why. Then she realized the old woman had washed her tattered clothes. Her arms and face looked less dirt-encrusted, too, and Gert almost thought her hair was a shade lighter than she’d seen it before.

Of course. Today Milzie was invited to Apphia’s for tea. Mrs. Benton had confided to Gert and Libby that she hoped she could convince Milzie to accept a gift of some new clothing. Gert wasn’t sure the old woman would take new things outright and had suggested used items. After a moment’s thought, Apphia had decided to offer her a blouse she’d had for two years. Still serviceable, it showed a little fraying about the cuffs. Libby had gleefully added a shawl that had snagged on the wooden shelves, so that it now had an imperfection. She’d entrusted it to Apphia earlier.

“Tell Milzie I don’t want to try to sell it, since it’s got that snag.”

They’d decided that was enough for one day. If things went well, the club members could see that Milzie had a new skirt, shoes, stockings, and underthings before fall. And here she was, ready to go meekly home with the impeccably groomed Mrs. Benton for tea.

“I don’t know how she lives all alone in that cabin,” Gert said, shaking her head. She rummaged in Crinkles’s saddlebag for the three bullets she’d brought for Milzie. She’d long since stopped expecting to be repaid for them.

When their hour of practice ended, she called the women all around her and praised their orderliness and the improvement she’d noted in their aims.

“I’d like to thank you all for your help over the last few days,” Libby said. “Things are back to normal now, though we’ll be short of a few items in the store until Mr. Runnels brings my next shipment from Boise.”

Gert looked around at the sober faces. “Ladies, I’ve one more bit of business. As you know, there’s been a rash of crimes in Fergus. Serious crimes. Murder, assault, arson. We’ve shown how we can support one another. I propose that we endeavor, as an entity, to help the sheriff foil the criminal who has been making mischief and striking in violence.”

“What could we do?” asked Vashti. She looked almost wholesome today, without any cosmetics. The skirt she wore came down nearly to the tops of her smart tan boots.

“I’m thinking the biggest thing we can do is stay alert,” Gert said. “Watch out for anything suspicious. And we could help prevent more crimes just by being watchful. We can look out for each other. Those in town can check in on one another during the day and the evening. Those outside town can call on each other more often to be sure no one’s been attacked.”

“And if something does happen, we can fetch the sheriff, like you did for Mrs. Adams the other day,” Florence said.

“That’s exactly what I mean. Let us help one another, especially the women who live alone or whose men are away a lot. Let’s help each other stay safe.”

Annie Harper began clapping, and the other women picked up the applause. Gert felt her face flush with the thrill of having an idea accepted and approved.

“Let’s make a list then. Anyone willing to help out in ensuring safety for others, tell me and I will put down your name.” The women crowded around, and Gert listed all their names but Milzie’s. The old woman hung back, looking anxiously toward the westering sun now and then.

“We need to take this list to the sheriff and see if he can make use of our abilities,” Gert said when she’d finished it.

“Would the sheriff be over to his house today, do you think?” Emmaline Landry asked.

“I passed him on the road on my way out here,” said Bitsy, who had arrived a few minutes late.

“Then he’s likely in town,” Gert said. “Shall we go to him as a group? Those who live in town, I mean. I’m sure some of you ranch ladies need to get back home.”

Milzie’s frown grew more pronounced as they talked. Gert caught Mrs. Benton’s eye.

“You’ll excuse Mrs. Peart and me, won’t you?” Apphia said. “We had made other plans for this afternoon, though we’re more than willing to serve.”

“Of course,” Gert said, and Milzie perked up immediately. “And if you wish to ride back into town in the wagon with Mrs. Harper, she can drop you off right in front of your house.”

Six of the fifteen women left for their scattered homes, and the rest rode their horses or the wagon back to town. Milzie smiled nearly all the way, swinging her legs off the back of the Harpers’ wagon. At the new parsonage, Annie halted the horse, and Apphia hopped down.

“Here we are, Mrs. Peart.” She reached up to help Milzie clamber down.

Gert waved to them. “Have a nice afternoon, ladies. We’ll let you know what the sheriff says.”

Annie flipped the reins, and the horse plodded on to the hitching rail in front of the jail. Gert jumped down and waited until Annie, Myra, Libby, Bitsy, Vashti, and Florence joined her. They were missing Goldie, who reportedly had taken to her bed with a catarrh, but otherwise, all the women who regularly attended had come to shoot today.

Gert smiled. “Ready?”

“Ready,” they chorused.

She turned and led them up the boardwalk. If Ethan wasn’t at the jail, she would feel pretty silly. They’d have to track him down. What if he was at the Nugget? Maybe Vashti or Bitsy would peek through the door to see. But he was more likely chewing the fat with Hiram.

Before they even reached the stoop in front of the jail, the door swung open. Ethan stood, tall, rugged, and flustered, in the doorway.

“Ladies! To what do I owe the honor?”

Gert cleared her throat. “Sheriff, we represent the Ladies’ Shooting Club of Fergus, and we’re here to offer our services in helping you catch the miscreant who is terrorizing our town and prevent further violence.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Well, now.” He looked them all over for a long moment then shifted his gaze back to Gert’s face. “And what services does that entail?”

Gert gulped and took a step toward him. “We have some ideas. We also have a list of fourteen able-bodied women who can help in any capacity you see fit.” She fished her list from her pocket and held it out to him.

Ethan leaned forward and took the paper from her. He perused it for a moment then looked up. “Would you like to come in, ladies? I don’t have many chairs, but this seems like an idea worth discussing.”

Gert couldn’t hold back her grin as she glanced at the other women. Florence and Myra were grinning, too. Even Libby wore a restrained smile.

“I can see the sense of this,” Ethan said a few minutes later. He’d let Annie Harper, as the eldest, have his chair and brought a stool and a short bench from somewhere in the shadows of the jail so four more women had seats. Vashti and Gert stood near the desk, and Gert had outlined her vague ideas of how the ladies could help.

“Thank you, Sheriff,” she said. “We appreciate that you’re taking us seriously.”

“I can see that I’d be foolish not to.” Ethan smiled. “Now, ladies, I know some of you have jobs, but if you’re serious about this, your enthusiasm and energy can be assets to the town. I’ve noticed that several of the women on the list live a few miles outside town.”

Gert nodded. “They couldn’t do a lot, but they’re willing to give a few hours a week.”

“Good. Let’s say Starr Tinen and her mother-in-law could check a couple of times a week on Mrs. Peart and the Robinsons—they’re the last two places out the Mountain Road. That would be extremely helpful. I’ve pondered on how we’d know if one of the outlying ranches was attacked. I’d hate to think someone had trouble and no one knew about it.”

“I’ve got an idea, Sheriff,” Annie Harper said. “What if the Robinsons and Miz Peart had something like a flagpole where they could run up a signal? If the nearest neighbors could see their signal in the morning, they’d know the other folks were all right. But if there wasn’t any flag flying, why then they’d know they needed to go and check on their neighbors.”

“I like that idea,” Libby said. “In fact, since the Paragon Emporium was attacked last week, I’ve wondered how I could get word out if I needed help again. I could hang a white towel out my bedchamber window each morning when I rose. Florence or Annie ought to be able to see it from their backyards.”

“That’s true,” Florence said. “And if one morning I didn’t see it, I’d run over to the store early to make sure you were all right.”

Ethan nodded. “Good thinking, ladies. Let’s set up pairs of women who can check on businesses in town. Look to see if windows or doors have been broken, for instance.”

“Like my back door was broken in,” Libby said ruefully.

“Exactly. They could check in on the elderly folks in town, too, to be sure they were all right,” Ethan said. “And since the fire at the emporium, I’ve worried that someone is lurking about, waiting for a moment to do more harm where least expected. He might bother the school children on their way to and from the schoolhouse, for instance. If he wants to make mischief, there are plenty of opportunities.”

Annie nodded. “It’s a long walk to school for some. We could send two ladies in the morning to walk the children to school and have two more meet them when school’s out. I’m sure their mothers would appreciate that.”

“That’s right. Of course, school will soon be out for the summer, but we could put this plan in motion until the term ends.” Ethan looked at Gert and held up her list. “Would you help me work out the details, Miss Dooley? We can match up the pairs for their assignments, according to where the ladies live and the best times for them to carry out their duties.”

“I’d be happy to.” Gert felt her face flame, but none of the others seemed to notice. All were murmuring their approval and telling each other when their own most convenient hours to be on watch would fall. Gert met Ethan’s gaze. His dark eyes glittered, and his left eye twitched—almost a wink. His smile widened, and she found herself looking forward to working on the list with him. Perhaps over a piece of mince pie.