Another month without Manny passed by, and Imogen’s heart was still broken. She was hopeful, but it didn’t feel like she was ever going to see him again. She tried not to think that way.
The atmosphere in Bryantsville was still tense. Every day brought new challenges as the miners were confronted whenever they went for supplies in town. Or for any reason they chose to come into town.
They weren’t in the saloon anymore, which was probably a good thing. But Daniel was the only liquor supplier available, so Imogen had recruited Jack, who was sympathetic to the immigrants and bought their liquor on the sly. She traveled with it to Tent City in her wagon and distributed it once she was there. She charged the people of Tent City only half the liquor cost because she could afford it.
One bright sunny afternoon in the middle of June, Imogen was sitting on the porch at the sheriff’s place, which she now considered home, talking to Josie.
“I am perfectly willing to find a place of my own, Josie,” she was saying.
Josie shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. Why should you pay for a new place when it’s fine for you to stay here? You never know. Maybe you will one day want to return to your father’s house.”
Imogen chuckled. “If I return to my father’s house, it’s not going to be that one.” She pointed and looked up.
Josie grinned. “At least you know you have a room there waiting for you.”
The words brought Imogen some comfort.
“We’ll be ready for another trip to Tent City tomorrow. Are you coming?”
Josie nodded. “Yes, there’s a family there that enjoys my company. I want to visit them. Plus, I told Sein Lu I would bring him some candy.”
“He’s such a nice little boy, isn’t he?”
“He is. Actually, there are several nice children there.”
Imogen nodded.
She was scanning the street in front of her as she spoke. “I enjoy going there more than I ever thought I would now that Manny is gone. At first, it was so hard. So hard to go down that main street between all the tents and seeing Manny’s, always having to pass by his tent.” She sighed, tapping the edge of the coffee cup she’d just picked up. “I miss him very much,” she said before taking a sip.
“I know you do, Imogen. I’m so sorry.”
“I really do hope he comes back. I hope he’s not …” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Don’t you think like that,” Josie responded quickly. “You know he’s fine. He’s got Tito and Jimmy and Jack and so many more people helping him out. Andy said even Mr. McClintock, who owns the mine and all that land out there, has been talking about making it a better place for them to live. He says he has enough money to build permanent homes on that land if that’s what the migrant workers want.”
Imogen was terribly pleased to hear that. “That’s wonderful. What a nice thing for him to do.”
Josie nodded. “As a matter of fact, Andy says he’s been helping them out with land and other valuables for some time now.”
Imogen looked at her friend curiously. “Valuables?”
Again, Josie gave her a nod. “Yes. Tools, supplies, clothes, food. He provides for those people.” She suddenly laughed, taking Imogen off guard. “I won’t be surprised if he establishes his own little town right there. If he builds houses and shops and things like that, I bet he could.”
The more she thought about it, the more she believed that. Imogen wanted to speak to Mr. McClintock. He was turning out to be the guardian angel of the Tent City.
Maybe he knew where Manny was.
“Imogen!”
She jumped at the sound of her name being belted out from the main street. It was her father, drunker than usual.
“I’m so disappointed,” Imogen said, glancing at her friend. “He’d been drinking less in the first two weeks of this month. I really almost thought about going home, if I’m honest. But now he’s right back where he started. I just don’t understand it.”
She stood up and went to the edge of the porch, resting her hands on the railing. “What do you want, Pa?” she asked in a gentle voice. She’d gotten over her anger at him. Now all she felt was sorrow. She felt sorry for the old man. How could she punish him any more than he was punishing himself with alcohol and brawling?
“Have you been to Tent City today?” he asked, stumbling as he approached the porch.
Embarrassed by him, Imogen went off the porch to where he stood, just a few yards from the house. She took hold of his arm and steered him back toward the gate. They went through, and she latched it behind her.
“Come with me, and we’ll talk, Pa.”
She led him to a bench sitting along the side of the road and set him down on it. She sat next to him and gave him a sympathetic look.
“Are you angry about something?” she asked. “Because you look like you are.”
“I thought we were going to buy up some land,” he replied after a moment’s hesitation. “There’s a fresh mine out in the south by the mountain. It is very lucrative, I’m sure. I only wanted a fraction of it. A portion I can work and get the profits from.”
Imogen had a hard time believing her father wanted to work in the mine. He didn’t seem to want to work hard at anything as far as she was concerned.
“Did the land you wanted go to someone else?” Imogen asked.
“Yes. And it was sold to Mexicans!” He said the words with about as much venom as a snake. Imogen was once again disappointed by him. “I cannot believe McClintock did that!”
Imogen’s eyebrows shot up. “Mr. McClintock sold the land?”
“Yes!” her father was outraged, which only made her more curious.
“When did that happen?”
“Yesterday. He didn’t say who bought it. Just that they were planning to build a house and work the mine. That should work out since there’s always a million people in a Mexican family.”
“Stop it, Pa,” Imogen said, frowning and hushing him. “You don’t want to talk like that.”
“I’ll say whatever I want!” her father roared. “Those Mexicans are trying to take over this country! They need to be stopped!”
He jumped to his feet, sending a streak of fear through Imogen. “Where are you going, Pa?” she asked anxiously.
“I’m gonna go see McClintock. I’ve got to convince him not to go through with the sale. I’ll buy it from him for twice as much.”
If Imogen knew McClintock at all – and she knew him fairly well – he wasn’t going to sell it to her father instead of the Mexicans. It was likely a man like him would sympathize with the underdog. He’d seemed that type to her.
Her father stomped away without so much as a goodbye. She watched him go, murmuring, “Bye, Pa.”
Imogen returned to the porch and told Josie what her father had told her.
Josie looked excited. “Do you really think Mr. McClintock sold the land to the Mexicans?”
Imogen nodded. “Yes. I believe it. Pa wouldn’t come here to convince me if it wasn’t true. I’m glad. The people in that Tent City deserve a lot better than what they’re getting. Even though I know McClintock has been taking good care of those people. Paying them good wages, giving them bonuses, things like that. Things my father would never do in a million years.”
“I’m sorry, Imogen.”
Imogen shrugged. “All I can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst, right?”
“Yes. I do believe that’s true.”