hen the Brockman family buggy pulled onto the grounds at First Baptist Church, Annabeth Cooper could see immediately that the Brockmans were loved by the people of the church simply by the way everyone spoke to them so warmly.
As they alighted from the buggy, both John and Breanna introduced Annabeth around. She was pleasantly amazed at the way people welcomed her. She let her eyes drift to the beautiful church building. It was a large white-frame structure with plenty of windows and an eye-catching steeple at the front with a cross on top. When Annabeth focused on the cross, she thought of how the Lord Jesus had died for her on Calvary's cross, and she breathed a prayer of thanks for her salvation.
Moments later, when the Brockmans and their guest entered the church's vestibule, Pastor Bayless and his wife came up to greet them. John shook hands with the pastor while Breanna and Mary hugged. Then as the pastor shook hands with Paul, Mary hugged Ginny.
Breanna took Annabeth by the hand and introduced her to the pastor and his wife. “Pastor and Mrs. Bayless, I want you to meet Annabeth Cooper. She is a born-again child of God and the newest nurse hired at Mile High Hospital by my brother-in-law.”
Pastor and Mary both shook hands with Annabeth, welcoming her to the church. Then Breanna told them the story of Annabeth becoming a widow, making sure they knew that her husband was also a genuine Christian.
“Mrs. Cooper,” Pastor Bayless said, “I want to introduce you to the congregation during offering and announcement time. Is it all right if I share about your husband's death and ask the congregation to pray for you?”
Deeply touched, Annabeth smiled. “You certainly may, Pastor Bayless.”
The Brockmans and their guest moved farther into the church building. Paul and Ginny went down the long hall to their Sunday school classes, and John and Breanna led Annabeth into the auditorium, where the main adult Sunday school class met. In the few minutes before class began, the Brockmans introduced Annabeth to several people, including Fred and Sofie Ryerson, and Wayne and Lucille Ryerson. Again, she was pleased at the welcome she was given.
When John and Breanna led Annabeth down the aisle toward their favorite pew, they saw Dr. Matthew and Dottie Carroll already sitting there. The doctor and his wife stood and greeted Annabeth enthusiastically. Dottie hugged her, and the doctor shook her hand.
When they all sat down, John told Annabeth that the teacher of their class was a man in his fifties named Vincent Rylander. He went on to explain that Rylander was one of the leading men in the church and also a teacher at the Bible institute the church had started two years earlier.
Soon the teacher appeared, and after leading his class in a rousing gospel song, he called on John to stand and lead them in prayer. When this was done, Rylander opened his Bible and taught a lesson on how Christians should love one another.
Annabeth thoroughly enjoyed the lesson, and after the class was dismissed, the teacher and his wife made their way to the Brockmans and their guest. They sincerely welcomed Annabeth.
Others in the class gathered around to meet their guest, and while doing so some talked to John about trailing and capturing the infamous outlaw Whipley Langford. John advised them of the light prison sentence placed on Langford by Judge Dexter and why. He then told them that he personally would be taking Langford to the prison in Cañon City.
Soon they were in the morning service, and Annabeth delighted in the congregational singing led by the music director Ken Gilden. She also felt blessed by the great music of the choir and a ladies' trio that sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Annabeth was deeply touched when, at offering and announcement time, the pastor had her stand and introduced her as the newest nurse at Mile High Hospital. He told the group about her husband's death and asked everyone to pray for her.
There was another congregational song, with the crowd standing. Once they had been seated, the choir stood and sang “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story.”
As the choir was being seated, the pastor went to the pulpit and told the crowd that he had asked Ken Gilden to sing Isaac Watts's great gospel song “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” just before the sermon.
Many tears were shed as Ken sang the song. Afterward, the group was excited when the pastor stepped back to the pulpit, Bible in hand, and announced that the title of his sermon was “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
Along with the rest of the crowd, Annabeth Cooper enjoyed the pastor's preaching. When Pastor Bayless gave the invitation at the close of the sermon, several adults and young people walked the aisle to receive Christ as Saviour. Many Christians also went to the altar to give praise to God for the cross of Calvary and the dear Saviour who had died to provide salvation for them.
During the invitation, Annabeth surprised the Brockmans and Carrolls by moving toward the aisle. When Annabeth approached the pastor at the altar and told him she wanted to join the church, he took her aside for a moment and asked for her testimony of salvation. Upon hearing it, Pastor Bayless knew that Annabeth was genuinely saved. He also learned that she had had scriptural baptism. He presented Annabeth to the church, explaining both facts, and she was voted in as a member.
The Brockmans were superbly happy, and after the service they told Annabeth so. Even as they were talking with her, other members of the church stepped up to welcome the young widow into the church. Among these were the four Ryersons, who told Annabeth that they were sorry for her husband's death and that they wanted her to know they would be praying for her.
John Brockman then told Annabeth—without giving any details—that he had met Fred and Sofie in Kansas many years ago and how glad he was they had moved to Denver recently to live with Fred's brother and sister-in-law, Wayne and Lucille. Annabeth expressed her appreciation to the Ryersons for promising to pray for her.
Among the many church members who came by to welcome Annabeth as a member of the church were Dr. Matthew and Dottie Carroll. Annabeth showed her deep appreciation by patting the doctor's cheek and embracing Dottie.
That evening Annabeth went to the preaching service at First Baptist Church with the Brockmans and once again benefited from every part of it. After the service, the Brockmans dropped Annabeth off at her apartment and told her they wanted her to come and stay with them often. Annabeth thanked them for being so kind to her. She leaned into the buggy, hugged Breanna, and said, “I'll see you at the hospital on Tuesday morning, my sweet friend.”
“You sure will,” Breanna said.
“We love you, Mrs. Cooper,” said Ginny.
“Yes, we do,” Paul said.
Holding the reins, John smiled at her. “You're just part of this family now, little lady. We all love you.”
Letting a smile play over her lips, Annabeth said, “And I love all of you so very much.”
The Brockman buggy pulled away and headed for home.
Annabeth entered the apartment building, walked down the hall, and stepped into her dark, quiet apartment while warm tears pressed against her eyelids. She closed the door, leaned against it, and gave in to the tears.
After a few minutes, she sniffed and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks. “All right, Annabeth, enough crying.” Making her way in the dark to a nearby table, she took a wooden match from a small box, struck it, and put the flame to the lantern on the table. Light quickly overtook the room.
“That's better.”
While getting ready for bed, Annabeth thought of the events of the last few days. “Thank You, Lord, that You gave me such wonderful Christian friends in the Brockmans. They have not only opened their home to me, but they have opened their hearts also.”
Annabeth hung up her dress in the nearby closet. Then, in her nightgown, she walked to the dresser and looked at herself in the mirror. Taking the pins from her dark brown hair, she shook it loose, and it fell almost to her waist. Picking up the hairbrush from the top of the dresser, she gave her hair the customary number of strokes and braided it in a single braid that hung down her back. Looking at herself in the mirror again, she said in a low voice, “Steve always loved to watch me brush and braid my hair.” She swallowed hard. “Memories are wonderful, but one cannot live on memories alone. Life goes on, and so do I.”
Soon Annabeth was curled up in her cozy bed, thinking over the church services and the welcome everyone had given her. She fell asleep thanking God for His blessings.
At the Brockman home, when the family had their prayer time together before bed, Paul prayed especially hard for his father, that the Lord would keep him safe while he took Whip Langford to the state prison at Cañon City. Both his mother and his little sister “amened” as he prayed.
Early the next morning, after breakfast was over, John hugged his children and kissed Breanna, holding her tightly in his arms. Finally he swung into his saddle on Blackie. His saddlebags carried food and water for the trip as well as his Bible and a change of clothes. Behind the saddle was his bedroll. As he trotted Blackie onto the road, John looked back and saw his precious wife and children waving at him. He smiled, waved in return, then galloped toward Denver.
John arrived at his office, told his deputies he would be back by Friday evening, and swung back in the saddle. When he pulled rein in front of the county jail, John found Sheriff Carter standing beside a saddled and bridled horse with Whip Langford next to him, his hands cuffed in front of his body. The sheriff had rented the horse Langford would ride from one of the local stables, as he always did when the chief or any of the federal deputies escorted prisoners to Cañon City.
“Sheriff, have you been waiting long?”
Carter shook his head, smiling. “Not at all, Chief. You're right on time as always. Mr. Langford and I just came out the door. His saddlebags have food and water.”
John smiled back at him, then looked down at Langford. “You ready to go, Whip?”
The convicted outlaw looked up and met his gaze but did not reply.
“He's ready, Chief,” said the sheriff. “Get in the saddle, Langford.”
Whip moved to the left side of the horse, put his left foot in the stirrup, swung into the saddle, and took hold of the reins with both cuffed hands.
Brockman drew his horse up beside him. “Okay, Whip. Let's ride.”
Langford's face was stiff as he nodded, and he put the horse in motion, staying beside the chief and Blackie.
Carter watched them ride away and then went back into his office.
Breanna Brockman delivered her children to their school in Denver. Then she steered back out of town to the west and drove the buggy along the road that led toward home. Soon the Morrison farm came into view.
After a half mile, Breanna slowed Daisy to a casual walk and guided her off the road into the lane that led to the cabin where Meggie lived with her alcoholic father.
Inside the cabin, little blond, blue-eyed Meggie Morrison happened to look out the kitchen window and spotted the Brockman buggy coming down the lane. She smiled and dashed toward the front door. She was always excited when Mrs. Brockman came to visit.
As Breanna was nearing the cabin, she saw the front door swing open and was pleased to see sweet Meggie come out to the porch, lift a hand of welcome, and smile at her. As she bounded off the porch, the child's prominent dimples lit up her pretty face.
After Breanna drew the buggy to a halt, she hopped off the driver's seat and opened her arms as Meggie ran toward her. They hugged, and Meggie helped carry into the kitchen the food Breanna had brought. It bothered Breanna to see the child in a dirty, ragged dress that was seemingly held together by all the dirt on it. Breanna started to say something about getting the dress washed when she heard George snoring in his bedroom, across the hall from the kitchen.
When Breanna looked that direction, Meggie was embarrassed. She looked up into Breanna's eyes. “Papa was very drunk last night when he collapsed into his bed, Mrs. Brockman. I have no idea when he might wake up.”
Breanna touched the girl's cheek lovingly. “I understand, honey. Uh…do you have a clean dress?”
Meggie's face flushed as she touched the front of the dirty dress she was wearing. “Yes ma'am.”
“Do you have some other dresses and underclothes that need washing?”
“Yes.”
“Well, while I'm heating up some water on the stove, please go change into your clean dress and bring me this one and the other clothes that need washing.”
“Yes ma'am.”
While Meggie was changing, Breanna used kindling and a couple lengths of firewood to start a fire in the cookstove. When the flames were crackling, she picked up a bucket on the floor near the stove, went to the well pump at the counter, and filled the bucket with water. Just as she was setting the bucket on the stove to heat the water, Meggie returned carrying a small load of washing.
Looking around the room, Breanna asked, “Honey, where's the washtub?”
“It's on the back porch.” She placed the clothing on the cupboard. “I'll go get it.”
Breanna checked the fire while Meggie dashed out the door and returned quickly, dragging the metal washtub behind her. Breanna thanked her for bringing it in, then picked it up and set it on a bench near the stove. “We'll have to wait for the water to get hot.”
Meggie nodded and smiled, which flashed her dimples.
“Tell you what, honey,” Breanna said, “since we're going to do the washing, let's go to your room and strip your bed. We'll wash your sheets and blankets too.”
Meggie smiled. “Okay.”
“Then while we're hanging the wash on the clothesline behind the cabin, I can get some more water heating. While the wash is drying, you can have a nice bath, and I'll wash your hair.”
Meggie looked up at Breanna, her blue eyes seemingly as big as saucers. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Mrs. Brockman, that would be mighty wonderful. I—I don't get to take baths very often. Papa doesn't want much wood being used to heat water around here, so it's kinda hard for me to do washing and take baths.”
Breanna felt extremely sorry for the sweet child. “Well, today we're going to do both! Your papa will just have to get out of that bed sometime and chop some more wood.”
Meggie giggled. “Yes ma'am!”
Breanna put an arm around Meggie's shoulders. “Let's go get your bedding.”
The child's brow furrowed, and tears filmed her eyes. “This is wonderful, Mrs. Brockman. Thank you for your kindness.”
Breanna bent down and kissed Meggie's forehead. “It's my pleasure, sweetheart.”
Out on the trail to Cañon City, as the sun arched higher and higher in the sky, John Brockman preached the gospel to Whip once more, but he politely told John he didn't want to hear it. So they rode along side by side, mostly in silence.
At noon they came to a halt in a shady stand of tall evergreen trees and took time to eat lunch. As they rode on after lunch, John brought up several Scriptures on the subject of salvation and expounded on them. Whip stared off into the distance, trying not to listen, but most everything the chief said found its way into his ears. He tried desperately to shrug it off.
That evening at dusk, they were riding in high country. Through the twilight, the winding trail climbed the side of a long ridge. To their left was a deep canyon.
Whip looked down into the canyon and wished there was some way the horse he was riding could sprout wings, jump over the edge, and fly him away from the man with the badge on his chest. But there would be no escape from chief U.S. marshal John Brockman. Whip was going to prison, and that was that.
When they descended the winding trail at the bottom of the ridge, a small brook ran alongside a level spot beneath a circle of cottonwood trees. The stars cast their silvery light all around the two men.
“Let's camp here, Whip, like I've done so many times when taking prisoners to Cañon City. The brook will sing you to sleep.”
“Sounds good to me. Let's do it.”
With his prisoner still in handcuffs, John built a fire, and they had hot coffee with their previously prepared food. When the meal was over, John watered both horses and staked them by starlight on a patch of grass, where they could take their fill during the night.
Later, as John sat by the fire reading his Bible, Whip slid into his bedroll.
When John had finished reading and put his Bible back in his saddlebag, he slid into his bedroll next to Whip, noticing that his prisoner was still awake.
Looking up at the stars, John said, “Whip, your life will never be right unless you make Jesus your Saviour.”
Whip did not reply.
“You can continue to ignore me and what I'm telling you, but you won't be able to ignore those flames that engulf you forever in hell.”
There were a few seconds of silence. Then Whip said, “Chief, I mean no offense, but I've told you again and again that I'm not interested in your Bible stuff.”
During the day on Tuesday and when they camped that night, John continued to warn Whip against going on without Jesus as his Saviour and dying in his sins. Whip was polite but still would not heed the warning.
It was just past noon on Wednesday when they arrived at the prison in Cañon City. The guards recognized the chief U.S. marshal and had been made aware by the warden that he would be arriving that day with Whipley Langford.
One of the guards accompanied Brockman and his prisoner to the warden's office, where Sam Guthrie welcomed John, congratulating him right in front of Whip for capturing the outlaw.
The warden told the guard to take Langford to his cell and to give him lunch from the prison kitchen. Warden Guthrie then told Chief Brockman that he would order lunch for both of them to be brought to his office.
After they had eaten, John visited Whip at his cell and tried once again to talk to him about salvation. Whip showed no interest.
John left the prison and swung into his saddle. As he rode away, he looked toward heaven. “Dear Lord, Whip is so heavy on my heart. By the power of Your own hand, please do whatever it takes to bring him to Yourself.”