CHAPTER 12

Libby totaled the order for Annie Harper. Coffee, sugar, saleratus, and a length of dress goods.

“Let’s see, now. I believe that with the eggs and milk you’ve been supplying me, you haven’t used all your credit, Annie.”

“That’s wonderful. Zack’s been a little short on cash lately. Say, did you hear about the dustup at Bitsy’s place last night?”

“No. What happened?” Libby reached under the counter for a roll of brown paper. “Let me wrap your material for you.”

“Thank you. Seems Sheriff Chapman and Hiram Dooley stood off a half dozen gunfighters.”

Libby let the roll of paper thump onto the counter. “They what?

“My husband saw the whole thing. He said a bunch of strangers rode in and were drinking too hard. They started tearing up the saloon. Ethan marched in there and shot the leader dead, and Hiram got into fisticuffs with one of the others. Laid him out cold on the floor.”

Aware that her lower jaw was hanging, Libby snapped it shut. She could scarcely credit what she was hearing, but still … Zack Harper wouldn’t lie about something like that. Though he might exaggerate.

“I thought I heard a gunshot or two, but when I opened my window, I didn’t hear anything more,” she said. “Is … is the sheriff all right?”

“I expect so. Zachary said he was right as rain when he left the saloon last night, and I haven’t heard otherwise.”

Libby finished wrapping the parcel, and Annie went on her way. Only a few customers had come early to the emporium. Libby took off her apron and beckoned Florence to the counter.

“I need to step over to Trudy’s for a minute. Will you be all right?”

“Yes ma’am.” Florence, at nineteen, was one of the beauties of Fergus. Her red hair and green eyes drew all the young men’s attention, and she sometimes had to choose whom to allow to sit beside her at church. She was a good girl and a steady worker, and Libby had trained her well over the past two years.

“Say, did your father mention anything this morning about some unpleasantness at the Spur & Saddle last night?”

“No, but Mr. Harper and Mr. Bane came to see him as I was leaving to come to work. Papa was still at breakfast.”

So, the council members were making sure Peter Nash, the mayor, knew about the latest doings. “I won’t be long.” Libby grabbed her bonnet and shawl and hustled out the door. She dashed across Main Street and down the boardwalk to the path beside the Dooleys’ house. When she knocked, Rose opened the back door.

“Oh, Mrs. Caplinger.” Libby paused to catch her breath and consider how to word her inquiry. “Is Trudy about this morning?”

Rose’s pretty nose wrinkled. “She’s feeding the livestock. Mr. Dooley injured his hand, and his sister felt obliged to do the chores for him.”

“Oh my. It’s not serious, I hope.”

Rose lowered her thick, dark eyelashes and sighed. “The doctor examined him, and he assured Mr. Dooley that he would recover in a few weeks.”

“Weeks?” Libby caught herself. She’d save the questions for Trudy. “Well, I hope this won’t keep him from his work. I’ll just step over and …” She turned as a door creaked across the barnyard. Trudy was just coming from the barn, carrying a basin of chicken feed.

“Hello, Libby! What are you doing here?” she called.

Libby gathered her skirts. “Thank you, Mrs. Caplinger.” She turned and hurried toward Trudy. “I came to ask you a question.” She lowered her voice and looked back toward the kitchen, but Rose had already withdrawn and closed the door. “Is … is the sheriff all right? I just heard about the brawl at Bitsy’s.”

Trudy gave a rueful smile. “Ethan’s fine. He’s taking it hard that he killed a man. But I wish I’d been there to see it when he stood up to those fellows. Hiram, too.”

“Yes. Your sister-in-law said Hiram was injured.”

Trudy shrugged and opened the gate to the poultry yard. “He’ll be all right. But next time I expect he’ll think a little longer before he lambastes a tough cowpoke.”

Libby gasped. “His hand …?”

“Bruised pretty good. All colors of the rainbow this morning.”

“Will he be able to work?”

“It may be a few days before he does fine work. I’m tending the horses this morning only because Rose insisted he shouldn’t carry a pail of water from the pump to the trough. As if he couldn’t lug it with his left hand. But I don’t mind. Hiram’s done a lot of chores for me.” Trudy flung handfuls of cracked corn to the dozen chickens in the yard, and they scrambled about her feet to get it.

Libby noted that Rose’s mothering of Hiram stopped short of offering to do the work herself. “Well. I’m glad he’s all right. If you need anything …”

“Doc Kincaid said to soak it in Epsom salts, and we did that last night. I may need another package, though.”

“I’ll bring it over this afternoon. No charge.”

Trudy’s eyes widened. “Why, thank you, but there’s no need to bankrupt yourself on our account.”

“You said your brother may be unable to do close work for a while, so he’ll lose some income. Besides, a man who defends our town ought to be treated special, don’t you think?”

Trudy lowered her empty basin and grasped Libby’s sleeve, her eyes gleaming. “Libby, you know Hiram wouldn’t want anyone to fuss over him—he’d be so embarrassed—but I’ve got to tell you, from what Ethan says, Hi is a real hero. He jumped right into the fray to support Ethan. Those men would have ruined Bitsy’s place and maybe killed some innocent people if Ethan and Hi hadn’t stepped in.” Her grave expression smoothed out, and she gave a conspiratorial smile. “Rose asked Hiram whatever ailed him to walk into danger like that. Know what he said?”

Libby shook her head, amazed at how eager she was to hear the answer.

“He said he’d heard Miss Bitsy had a great big mirror and lots of pretty furniture in there, and when he saw it was true, he couldn’t bear to let those rowdies stave it up.”

Libby blinked at her. “That doesn’t sound like Hiram.”

Trudy laughed. “I think he was trying to get Rose to ease up. She practically swooned when she saw what he did to his hand. I think he was afraid Ethan was going to get himself killed. He went in there for his friend’s sake. Well, and maybe a little for Bitsy, too, since she was so good about helping defend the town when we needed it. Hiram and I pray every day that she’ll come to know the Lord.”

“So do I.” Libby felt tears spring into her eyes. She’d known Hiram was a praying man, but it touched her deeply to hear of his faithful pleas for the saloon owner. “Do you and Hiram pray together? He’s so quiet.”

“Usually I pray, and he just says, ‘amen.’ But I know he prays inside.” Trudy frowned. “Since Rose came, we’ve quit reading scripture together. Used to do it after breakfast every morning, but now …” Trudy sighed. “Rose being here sort of puts us off kilter. She makes Hi nervous as a cat.”

“I’m sorry about that. Any indication of how long her visit will last?”

“Not yet.” Trudy fastened the gate to the chicken yard. “She made gingerbread yesterday because she remembered he used to like it, and she’s talking about piecing a wedding ring quilt, of all things.”

It was a bit blatant, but Libby couldn’t bring herself to comment on Rose’s choice of quilt patterns.

“Now that she sees my brother as a wounded hero, who knows?” Trudy asked. “If she had her way, I think she’d make mollycoddling him her life’s mission, if you know what I mean.”

Libby knew all too well what she meant.