The Chapel Car Bride

by Judith Miller

  The moment they arrived in town, Nellie leapt from the truck, hollered good-bye, and scurried to the hillside. Hope scooted across the seat toward the open door, but Kirby lightly grasped her wrist before she could step out of the truck.

  “Wait just a minute, Hope. I want to tell you that I’m truly sorry about the way I spoke to Nellie and I plan to tell her so. I got a lot on my mind right now.” He lowered his head. “That’s why I said I needed to talk to you.” He glanced about. “There’s nobody around, but if it’d make you feel better, I’ll get out of the truck and you can stay inside while I talk. I don’t want to hurt your reputation, but I can’t wait until tonight to get this off my chest.”

  His distraught tone tugged at her heart and she couldn’t refuse. “You stay inside the truck and I’ll step outside.” She stepped down, closed the door, and leaned her forearms against the open window frame of the truck. She gave a nod. “Go ahead. Tell me what has you so worked up.”

  He cleared his throat. “There’s talk of a strike at the mine. Could happen soon.”

  Relief washed over her, only to be replaced by a fresh, even deeper worry. She frowned. “I thought all the whispers of a possible strike or formation of a union died down once things were set to rights when the inspectors were in town.”

  “Well, talk has picked up again. Mr. Daniels caught wind of it earlier this week. He’s sure some of the UMWA men have been sneaking into town. I’ve been keeping a close watch, but I haven’t seen any strangers.”

  “Then maybe Mr. Daniels is mistaken about what he heard. If he wasn’t privy to the entire conversation, the comments he heard could have been misinterpreted. When that occurs, falsehoods and gossip can spread like wildfire.” She straightened her shoulders and peered down the street. If Luke saw her leaning too close to the open truck window, he’d likely be unhappy. “I wouldn’t worry too much, Kirby.”

  He beckoned for her to remain. “Wait. Don’t go just yet. The truth is, things have been stirred up ever since the inspectors paid their visit. Seems some of the men think I paid them off, and we didn’t fix the ventilation the way it should be. Not true, of course, but those thick-skulled miners wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up and punched them in the face.” He gritted his teeth. “Which is exactly what I’d like to do to some of them.”

  She took a backward step. “Is this why you wanted to talk to me? You felt I needed to know you want to hit some of your employees?”

  “No, of course not. I just get discouraged when the men won’t believe the truth.” He hesitated, then added, “And when they go behind my back trying to stir things up by going on strike.”

  Rather than discouraged, he seemed angry. She supposed talk of a strike could create a little of both, especially when Kirby’s father would likely hold his son accountable if there were a strike.

  The afternoon sun slanted through the window, and she tilted her head to block the glare. “I’m not sure why you wanted to talk to me about a possible strike. None of the men who work in the mines share that sort of talk with me.”

  He arched his brows. “Don’t they?”

  His question stunned her. “What does that mean?”

  “Don’t get all upset with me, but I’ve heard Luke is involved in the movement and is encouraging other men to join in.” His jaw twitched. “There’s talk that they’ve been meeting out near the Hughes cornfield. I don’t know that to be a fact just yet, but I do know the Bible instructs workers to be loyal to their employers. What these men are doing goes against the Bible’s teachings, and that’s why I’m asking you to help me find out as much as you can.”

  She clasped a hand to her throat. “You want me to spy on folks living up on the hill?”

  “No, no.” He shook his head. “That’s not what I said. I said I’d be grateful if you’d find out what you can about a possible strike. You and Luke are good friends. I’m sure he confides in you from time to time. All you need to do is ask how things are going at the mine. If he doesn’t say much, you can push him with a few more questions. Maybe tell him you heard one of the wives up on the hill say she’s worried there might be a strike and see if he tells you more.”

  She glared at him and said, “I won’t do that, Kirby. I could never betray Luke or any of the folks who have talked to me, whether in confidence or otherwise. I don’t share that sort of thing and I’m surprised you would even ask me.”

  He gave a crooked smile and wagged his index finger. “Don’t get too uppity with me, Hope. You need to remember I’ve done a lot to help your ministry in these parts. You’ve been happy to ride in this truck owned by the mining company, and you encouraged me to use company money to purchase food and other supplies for the folks living in those towns we visit. If it weren’t for Finch Mining and Company, you wouldn’t have been able to help any of those folks.”

  She pressed her lips together. “That’s true, but when I accepted your help, I didn’t know it came with strings attached. I didn’t expect you’d ask me to spy on your behalf.”

  “You need to look at this from my position.” His tone softened. “It’s true I want to prevent a strike, but I’m doing it for good reason. Not just to help the mine, but to help the miners and their families. The UMWA gets them all stirred up by saying things are going to be better if they go on strike. Well, that’s not what will happen. The mine doesn’t make enough money to pay the wages the UMWA will demand. That means a long strike, and do you know what that will mean for the miners and their families, Hope?”

  She lowered her gaze. “They can’t pay their rent or buy food for their families.”

  “Right. It also means the mine will close down. This operation doesn’t make enough money for my father to get into a long battle with the UMWA. He may be able to sell it, but if that fails, he’ll just close it down and count it as a business loss. I know my father. He won’t give in to the UMWA and their outrageous demands. He simply can’t do it. The mine won’t support higher wages right now.” He inhaled a deep breath and slid closer to the door. “I know I sound harsh, but I’m doing this only because those folks on the hill will end up without anything except hungry young’uns and no place to go. Help me before things get out of hand. Please, Hope.”

  His final words wrenched her heart. She couldn’t bear the thought of folks being forced out of their homes or children crying from hunger, yet the idea of disloyalty to Luke weighed heavily on her. Would she be helping or hurting the residents of Finch if she heard talk of a strike and passed it along to Kirby? There was no way to be certain, but one thing was sure. If she didn’t agree, Kirby would withhold any future trips to the outlying towns, and she didn’t want that to happen.

  “Fine. If I hear anything, I’ll tell you about it. But don’t get your hopes up. After all, you’ve already heard rumblings, yet I’ve heard nothing. I doubt I’ll learn anything you don’t already know.”

  At least that was her hope, and would soon be her prayer, because she wasn’t sure she could betray Luke’s trust—even if it meant keeping food on the table for the children of Finch.

  Two days later, Luke tromped down the hillside with his coonhound Blue sniffing and trotting along on one side of him and Nellie keeping pace on the other. He shouldered his shotgun and called to the dog when it picked up a scent and started to wander off. When Luke called after him, the dog whined and loped back to his side. Luke reached down and gave the dog a pat on the head. “Good dog.” They continued on a short distance farther before Luke stopped and turned to Nellie. “You might as well quit your pouting. I’m not about to change my mind.”

  She frowned and said, “I don’t want you tagging along, and I bet Kirby ain’t gonna be none too happy to see you, neither.” She pointed at the dog. “Or Blue. There ain’t gonna be room for either of ya in the truck.” Then after a brief pause, she asked, “Does Hope know ’bout this?”

  “No. I didn’t say a word. Thought it would be a nice surprise.” He’d been careful not to say anything to anyo
ne except the preacher. He might not have told him either, but since they had their Bible time together each morning, Luke didn’t want to cause undue concern.

  Both Hope and Kirby were waiting near the truck when Nellie and Luke appeared. Kirby nodded when they approached. He glanced at the shotgun and then looked at the dog. “Taking that coonhound with you for a Bible lesson, or you going hunting?” He chuckled and leaned against the truck.

  Luke shook his head. “Won’t be having any Bible study this morning. I’m gonna ride along with the three of you. I heard talk there’s been some revenuers around these parts. Thought I’d ride shotgun for you.”

  Kirby perked to attention. “I haven’t heard anything about revenuers, but I did hear tell there’s been a few strangers around town. That what you’re talking about?” He cast a quick glance at Hope.

  “I ain’t seen any strangers in Finch,” Luke replied. “Like I said, there’s talk of revenuers in the area looking for bootleggers carrying shine. I don’t want the three of you to get caught in any crossfire between moonshiners and revenuers, especially since you don’t even tote a gun.” He gestured down the road. “Anything could happen out there.”

  Kirby appeared unconvinced, yet he could see a flicker of worry in Hope’s eyes. Moments later, Kirby pushed away from the truck and told the ladies to get in. “Sorry, Luke, but there’s only room for the three of us in the truck. There’s no way for you to ride along with us.”

  “Sure there is.” Luke placed his foot on the running board and jumped onto the bed of the truck. He slapped his hand on his thigh and let out a whistle. “Come on, Blue, get on up here.” The dog bounded in front of Kirby, nearly knocking him to the ground. Luke scooted to a corner of the truck bed and smiled. “See? No problem at all. I can keep a good lookout from back here.”

  “Too bad you didn’t get here early enough to help load the truck.” Kirby’s mouth became a thin line. “I thought you were scheduled to work at the mine today.”

  “I was, but I switched with one of the other men.”

  Kirby bristled. “Since when do we let the men change the work schedule?”

  “Been doing it ever since I can remember. Long as there’s a man who knows how to do the work, it’s never been a problem.” He directed a hard stare at Kirby. “I don’t think you’d want to mess with trying to put a stop to what’s been allowed by the supervisors for years. Could stir the fellas up, if you know what I mean.”

  His remark was a bit of a stretch. The supervisors had allowed the men to switch out if they had an emergency of some sort, but mostly they didn’t like the schedules changed—said it made for too much trouble in the office. Luke viewed this as an emergency, so he figured he hadn’t told an outright lie. Besides, he wasn’t so thickheaded that he hadn’t checked and found the schedules were being manipulated so that he was working at the mine each time Kirby left town with Hope and Nellie.

  Kirby climbed into the truck and shut the door rather hard. He started the ignition and steered them out of town. Soon the sounds of chattering from inside the cab carried on the warm breeze, and Luke shifted his position to gain a better look through the small rear window. Kirby’s arm was stretched across the back of the seat, his hand occasionally dropping to Hope’s shoulder. She would shrug, he would grin, and then he’d lift it from her shoulder. The boorish conduct seemed a game to Kirby, but Luke’s anger escalated as he observed Kirby continue the unseemly diversion. Luke clutched the stock of his shotgun as he looked on. When he could stand it no longer, he knocked on the cab’s rear window.

  Kirby glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward the door and shouted out his window, “Got a problem back there, Luke?”

  Luke slid across the truck bed closer to Kirby’s window. “It would be best if you kept both hands on the steering wheel.”

  Kirby laughed. “You’d better sit down or I’m liable to hit a pothole and throw you from the truck.”

  “And I’d sure hate for this shotgun to go off while it’s pointed at your head, Kirby. Best be real careful of those potholes.”

  Hope looked at him, her eyes wide. Maybe that threat was a little too much. He flashed a smile to let her know he had no intention of shooting Kirby—at least not yet.

  Kirby didn’t say anything more, but he kept his hands on the steering wheel until they arrived in Muskrat Creek. After driving down a lane leading to a ramshackle church building, he stopped and got out. Nellie and Hope followed suit, and when his sister waved for him to get down, Luke jumped from the back of the truck. Blue followed his master and remained close at his side.

  Kirby strode to the rear of the truck. “Since you’re along, Luke, you can help unload and carry the supplies into the church.”

  Luke lifted a crate of Bibles. “Glad to be of help wherever I’m needed.”

  “And wherever you’re not wanted.”

  Luke stopped short. “What’d you say?”

  Kirby shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s get this stuff inside before folks start gathering.”

  They’d barely uncrated and arranged the supplies when folks began to arrive. One or two wagons appeared, their beds filled with children of various ages. A few swayback horses plodded into the churchyard, each bearing several children who held tight to the horses’ manes or to each other, and the remainder arrived on foot. Mothers and older daughters carrying infants and toddlers on their hips, and others toting the youngest in slings tied around their shoulders.

  Luke tied Blue to an oak near the rear of the church and walked inside. “I didn’t know there were so many folks living in Muskrat Creek. Where’d they all come from?”

  Hope peeked out the front door. “I’m not sure. This is the third time we’ve been here. Each time there’s more folks. They seem to be spreading the word.” She looked at Luke. “There are a lot of boys out there. Maybe you could take over teaching them? It sure would help since we’ve got such a large crowd, and Nellie will need to spend time handing out the extras to the womenfolk.”

  “I wondered what was in all those bags and boxes. Didn’t figure you’d need that many Bibles and papers. What kind of extras you got?”

  Hope glanced at the far corner of the building. “Kirby gets end pieces of cloth and a few other things from the general store in town. The rest he ordered the last time a requisition was sent to supply the company store.”

  Luke crossed the short distance to the other side of the room and peered into the crates. “You telling me the mining company is buying coffee and beans and piece goods in each of these towns?”

  Hope nodded. “Nobody gets much, but they’re thankful for anything we give them.”

  Luke scratched his head. Why would the mining company give handouts to folks in outlying areas when they’d never done the same for the miners when they were in need? It didn’t make sense, especially when Kirby was always talking about how the company was in such bad shape and couldn’t afford to pay the miners a living wage. He didn’t begrudge these folks a few meager supplies, but there had to be something more to this. Kirby’s pa wasn’t the generous sort.

  And even if Hope thought differently, neither was Kirby.

  CHAPTER

  19

  Luke caught sight of Hope pointing to a group of boys. “Why don’t you take the boys over to that corner for their lesson?” she asked. She held a stack of papers in her hand and thrust them toward him as he drew near. “There are Bibles for those who can read. They can pick them up at the table.” She leaned closer. “If they say they don’t have a Bible and haven’t received one at a previous visit, be sure they get one to take home. I’ve asked them to bring their Bibles when they attend, but sometimes they forget.”

  He glanced at the papers she’d handed him. “Joseph and his coat of many colors. There are lots of lessons to be learned from this Bible story. If I know boys, as soon as they hear that Joseph’s brothers left him to die in a well, they’ll tell me they’d like to toss their younger brothers into a well, too.”r />
  “Let’s hope none of them actually try it.” Her laughter swept through him like a summer breeze.

  “When they hear the entire story, I’m sure they’ll change their minds.” He hesitated a moment. Although Kirby had expressed his dissatisfaction when Luke jumped into the truck and joined them, Hope had said very little. “I hope you aren’t feeling cross toward me for coming along. What I told Kirby is true. With all the bootlegging goin’ on, traveling these back roads isn’t for the faint of heart. Betwixt the moonshiners and the revenuers, there are men out here meaner than a passel of striped snakes.”

  “I’m glad you came along, but mostly because we need your help with the children, not because you’re carrying that shotgun.” She pointed toward the boys, who’d begun taunting one of the younger children. “Better get over there before that little one ends up down in the well.”

  He laughed and tucked the stack of papers under one arm. “You still hand out candy if they sit still and listen?”

  “I do.” She turned to a small box and removed a paper sack. “Most of them know about the candy, so if they get loud or become unruly, just wave the sack in the air.”

  “I’ll do that.” He grinned. “And do the teachers get a piece of candy if they’re on their best behavior?”

  She nodded. “They do. Especially if they’ve been teaching the boys.”

  “And what if the teacher would like something even sweeter than candy?”

  “Such as?” She arched her brows.

  “A kiss from the sweetest girl a teacher ever met.”

  “It might be arranged if the teacher does an exceptional job.”

  “Hmmm. I’m feeling quite inspired.” Luke gave a salute and made his way to where the boys had congregated.

  The boys, though louder than the girls, had listened and were quick to answer questions after he’d told them the Bible story. When Hope signaled it was time to finish, he lifted the sack of candy in the air and glanced at Hope. Her bright smile and the twinkle in her eyes warmed his heart.