James smiled and reached for Mary’s hand, he was proud of Maizie, so proud.
Chapter 100
Firelight Conversation
The rain had moved on, and under a starry sky the Glidewell caravan, led by the Packard, drove back to the ranch. The moon cast shadows on the road, creating a sense of romance and mystery.
Mary was full of the joy a mother feels when her child has done well. She graciously accepted compliments from everyone, forgetting that Maizie wasn’t her biological daughter. Mary had long ago begun to openly show her affection for Maizie. Not as many knew, however, how deeply James loved Maizie. He was more reserved, but his fatherly defenses had been profoundly kindled by the conversation he had had with Dr. Charing. Things had changed. Now being her guardian had more meaning. He would go to war for her.
Everyone ended the evening with a nightcap in the ranch’s grand hall. Leon had quickly lit a fire. Phillipe poured glasses of brandy as Claire and Ruby served. Josie stayed in the kitchen and completed a few tasks that Philippe had given her. At the stroke of midnight, they began to retire to their various rooms, cabins and bunkhouses. Capp, however, remained in the house standing by the fire.
“Capp, when do you leave to go back?” asked Mary.
“Soon. Got to get back. I loved seeing Maizie perform tonight. The crowd sure loved her. Thanks for letting me come.”
“You know I didn’t approve.”
“I know.”
“You do understand how I feel about you and Maizie?”
“Yep, I do.”
“I don’t want her hurt, Capp,” Mary said firmly and turned to go.
“Mrs. Glidewell, wait. May I sit up with Maizie for a while? Here in front of the fire?”
“You’d ask me that after what I just said?”
“We are just friends. I know the rules,” Capp answered.
“I’m hesitant.”
“Please, I want to talk with my friend.”
Mary took a minute to think it through. Then looking straight at Capp, she said, “I’ll go ask Maizie. She’s removing her makeup. She said it had started to itch.” Mary walked down the hall of the Glidewell wing of the house leaving Capp standing there. She found Maizie seated at her dresser. “Maizie, Capp is waiting for you by the fire. He wants to sit with you for a while.” Maizie was silent as she stared into her mirror.
“Mary,” said Maizie quietly, “I’m so happy tonight.”
“I’m glad, Maizie.”
“When I saw all of you out there in the audience, and Capp smiling at me, I nearly cried.”
“It was James’s idea to have Capp come. I did not encourage it.”
Maizie stood and gave Mary a warm embrace. “I know you worry about me and Capp. But we are friends is all. It’s been so long since we talked.”
“I fear you have feelings for each other.”
“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Mary could hear the sincerity in Maizie’s voice. “You are a wonder, Maizie. You bring so much enjoyment and recognition to my life. I was so proud of you tonight. Please know that I just want the best for you.”
Maizie was quiet for a moment. “I know. You are my mentor, my guardian angel. You helped me weave new dreams. You educated me. I love what you’ve done for me, but please, Mary, you must learn to trust me.”
Mary held back tears as Maizie took her hand. “You are my protector. I know that.”
“Even if I don’t approve of Capp?”
“Yes Mary, but please let me grow up.”
Mary was rocked with emotion. She grabbed Maizie’s arm to steady herself. After a moment she remarked quietly, “You know, I loved you from the first day I saw you, so alone. I fear I selfishly thought of you as my own. Perhaps that was wrong.”
“I needed a mother,” Maizie said softly. “Thank you for that, but I’m nearly a woman now. I’m not that little girl anymore.”
Mary smiled, nodded, and hugged Maizie back.
“Thank you for everything,” Maizie said and put her head on Mary’s shoulder as Mary held her tightly.
When Maizie entered the great hall, she found Capp on the couch in front of the fireplace. He was drinking a brandy and appeared deep in thought, his blond curly hair catching bits of light from the fire. When he sensed Maizie was near, he looked up and motioned for her to sit beside him.
Maizie sat down and then scooted close so there was no distance between them. “Want a brandy?” asked Capp. “Leon left a tray.”
“No thank you.”
“Maizie, that was some performance tonight. I’ll never forget it. You had that crowd. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
“Thank you. I loved doing it. Being in a show sure is something.”
“I’m wondering if life on a horse ranch would even be a life you’d be interested in now. Seems you might want to be on the road, performing all the time. Maybe you’d want to move from here.”
“I love to sing, but no, I could never leave Glidewell. Maybe I’d leave for a few months like Meadowlark does, like you do with the horses, but this is home.”
“So you have thought about being a professional performer?”
“A little. But Capp, I never had a home or felt safe until I came here. I had no future either. I realize that now. I’ll never throw that away.”
“I guess we both consider Glidewell our home.”
“Yes.”
“You know I’ve been thinking a lot about you,” said Capp putting down his glass of brandy.
Maizie grabbed Capp’s callused, hardworking hand. “I’ve been thinking about you too. When I looked into the crowd and saw you there, I wanted to run to you. Right then.”
“It was worth the long train ride to surprise you.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“After the Derby, I’ll be headed to Maryland for the Preakness, then on to New York for the Belmont. We are certain Glory Be will qualify. But after that I’ll be back here. I want to talk to you about the future when I get back.”
“By then, I’ll be through with school. We can talk about how we want our lives to be?”
Capp looked back into the fading fire. His brow set with sadness. “Yeah, about how our lives will be. I’ll be working with horses. Who knows what you’ll do?”
“Mary is talking about taking a trip to Europe. She wants me to come with her.”
“Do you want to go?”
“I’m not sure. It depends.”
“Maizie, if I hadn’t met you, I probably would have settled on another type of girl. But I’ve gotten older. I think, you’re like a woman my dad would have wanted but never found.”
“That’s nice. That you like me.”
Capp smiled and watched the dying flames flicker.
“I like you a lot, Maizie.”
“Capp?”
“Yes.”
“I have liked you since the day I tripped on the rug and fell with that tray of cheese and crackers. There was something about you that made me feel safe. Everything was so new and unfamiliar. You helped me.”
“I’ll always protect you, Maizie. You’re precious to me.”
“Like a sister?”
“Yeah, maybe like a sister.”
“Are you sure? Like a sister?” Maizie removed her hand from Capp’s.
Capp held his breath as he looked into her eyes. “That’s not exactly true. I want to be more than friends. I do care for you, Maizie. A whole lot.” Capp waited a moment and slowly put his arm around her. “Maizie, I can’t believe I’m sounding like this. Sentimental-like.” The two laughed softly as Maizie grabbed his hand again and put her head on his shoulder, her heart pounding.
Chapter 101
The Meeting
February 1935
The following Wednesday Leo
n drove James into Springfield for a prearranged appointment at Drury College with Dr. Charing, Mr. Thomas Washington, and James’s attorney, Thaddeus Wells. It was a chilly and blustery February day and James was fired up and ready for battle. He was confident that he and Thad made a formidable team.
“Wait here for me, Leon. I won’t be longer than I have to be to make a point.”
James found Thad waiting for him outside Charing’s office. “Thad, do you have the paperwork done?”
“I do, James. We’re ready.”
Dr. Charing’s assistant showed the two into the office. Seated next to Charing was a pale, balding man wearing a grim expression. James immediately smiled broadly and extended his hand, “I’m James Glidewell and this is my attorney, Thaddeus Wells. And you must be Mr. Washington?”
“Forgive me Mr. Glidewell, where are my manners?” said Charing. “Yes, this is Mr. Washington, one of our board members. He has come here to explain his position. And Mr. Wells, I’m Dr. Charing.” The men all exchanged handshakes and then sat down. “Gentlemen, should we begin?” asked Dr. Charing.
“If I may, my attorney and I have business elsewhere and have little time,” said James. “We have discussed at length your feelings, Mr. Washington. Have you decided that Maizie Freedman may continue her studies and be granted her diploma?”
“No, we haven’t met with the rest of the board yet,” said Thomas Washington.
“We aren’t interested in hearing your arguments that Maizie finish her studies elsewhere. So we will save ourselves from such a discourse. Here is our offer. You will formally apologize to me and my family for destroying our confidence and admiration for Drury College. We thought from the beginning our Maizie would be treated fairly. Now we know we were wrong. I have paid her fees for instruction and made many philanthropic gestures. I have offered funds to support a Glidewell scholarship to be given to worthy students who, like Maizie, were orphaned and have musical talent. And I will add that, should you find a worthy student of color, I will pay his or her tuition and fees as well. Of course that fact is contingent upon Drury’s decision to be a college of racial equality. But Maizie will stay here and receive her earned diploma, as is her right.”
“Mr. Glidewell, we can’t do that! There are laws. Coloreds aren’t allowed here,” said Mr. Washington.
“This is a Christian school, founded on Christian principles. Do I have to explain the hypocrisy in your thinking?” asked James.
“No sir. You certainly do not need to explain to me Christian principles. I’m well studied in my beliefs and believe they are founded in the Bible.”
“To me, sir, you are a heartless and callous man. You say Maizie is colored because you have a feeling about these things. You say she is colored because of her last name and it is your duty to expose her? Sir, may I ask, did you see her performance?”
“Yes, I did. She and the entire cast were quite good.”
“Did you see her as a colored person? A white person?”
“I was surprised that she didn’t look particularly colored. I thought she probably had a lot of makeup on. She’s hiding her true self. She’s been deceptive. If she’d been honest when she entered, she wouldn’t have been allowed into this college.”
“Truth is, Mr. Washington, no one in admissions asked her about her race. Do you realize your conclusion is based purely on assumptions that may or may not be true? If they had asked Maizie about her race, she would have told them the little she knows of her heritage. We entered into an implied agreement on that day that if Maizie met the mark, she could stay and earn a diploma. And she has met that mark and many more.”
Thad Wells placed copies of a document in front of both Dr. Charing and Mr. Washington. He explained, “You will notice that this simply states that in compliance with the implied agreement made in your admissions office, you will allow Maizie Sunday Freedman to complete her studies. You will adhere to an expectation that you will not discuss this matter in the board meeting tomorrow, nor will you make issue of the matter with Maizie. If we get word that you have not complied with our request for this matter to remain private, we will withdraw all of Mr. Glidewell’s generous support from your institution, as well as sue you for breach of contract,” explained Thad.
Mr. Washington and Dr. Charing exchanged glances. Dr. Charing asked if they might discuss the matter privately. James said, “Certainly, but we have little time remaining. Thad and I will be in the reception area.”
After fifteen minutes of heated discussion sounding through the door, Dr. Charing invited James and Thad back in.
James and his lawyer took their seats. “Mr. Washington and I have considered your position and proposal and we are ready to sign your document,” said Charing.
“We will certainly be more careful in the future not to allow coloreds in our school,” said Mr. Washington, his voice tinged with anger. As Charing and Washington signed the agreement, James and Thad waited.
When all four men were finished and their pens were placed in the provided ink wells, James slid to the front of his chair and leaned toward the hostile board member: “So, Mr. Washington, of the two things you considered in determining that Maizie was not eligible to attend classes here, which was the most persuasive in your decision, your feelings or her name?”
“It’s her last name, of course. Everyone looks out for a Freeman or a Freedman. The name is a dead giveaway.”
James raised an eyebrow and continued: “So, Mr. Washington, if her name had been say, Glidewell or Washington, as an example, you wouldn’t have had that feeling?”
“Well, I suppose not. I wouldn’t have been tipped off.”
“I see. Thad, my attorney here, did a little poking around before we came today. You see, he had a feeling, too.”
“About what?”
“About your name,” commented James.
“My name?”
“Yes, your name. Based on your logic we have concluded that you must be colored, and not eligible to be on the Drury college board.”
“What? Why, that’s laughable! Look at me! I’m white! My ancestors are from England.”
“Thad, you tell him,” smirked James.
“The surname Washington is the most common of all surnames chosen by freed slaves after the Civil War, more common even than Freedman. So we ask you, sir, are you of colored heritage?” Thomas Washington, his face no longer white but now bright red, stood to leave, tripped on the edge of the rug, regained his composure and walked out the door.
Dr. Charing sat at his desk with his head down while nervously twiddling his thumbs, “Drury College apologizes, Mr. Glidewell. I’m going to recommend that Mr. Washington be removed from our board,” said Dr. Charing.
“Because he’s colored?” James laughed.
“No, because he’s a narrow-minded fool.”
“That seems appropriate to me.”
“This is difficult, Mr. Glidewell.” Charing lowered his head, feigning interest in the paperwork on his desk.
“This is difficult. That apology?”
“Yes.”
“Put it in writing and make sure Mr. Washington signs it, and I will consider this matter concluded.”
“Yes, I will. Mr. Glidewell. I just have to ask, is Maizie colored? I never for a minute thought…”
“She is. Her mother was white. And as far as we can figure, her father was one-quarter African American. He had a beautiful voice, like Maizie.”
“So Maizie is one-eighth colored?”
“Yes. Your math is quite keen. Does it really matter, Dr. Charing?”
“I wish it didn’t, Mr. Glidewell,” said Dr. Charing. “Why doesn’t she just change her name? Pass as white. Wouldn’t that make sense?”
James hesitated for a minute. He knew the answer and he hoped that Dr. Charing would understand. “If she did that, she would be de
nying her heritage. Maizie is proud of who she is, and she should be. And so are we. She is Maizie. We love her. If her skin were darker, we would feel the same.”
Chapter 102
The Glidewell Team
End of April 1935
A week before the running of the Kentucky Derby, the city of Louisville was ramping up. Staffs of hotels, restaurants, and other venues were preparing for the economic boom that the Derby brought every year. Bars, jazz clubs, and street corners were alive with energetic crowds and music.
The Glidewell team was hard at work, all systems go. Having done very well in the stake races in Arkansas, the team had an air of confidence. James had arrived a few days earlier to help with the team’s management, meet connected horse breeders, and take in the excitement of having a contender in the mix. This was what he had been dreaming about for decades: a horse and jockey who could compete in this premiere event.
James was staying at the Brown Hotel awaiting the arrival of Mary and Maizie. The hotel met James with some fanfare. A horseshoe-shaped spray of red roses right by the registration desk wished the Glidewell team good luck in the Kentucky Derby. In his room was a box of chocolates and a bottle of champagne “courtesy of the management.” James heard “Glidewell’s Glory Be” falling from the lips of other hotel guests. His pride swelled in those moments.
Glory Be was running well on the Churchill Downs dirt track, the stallion appearing strong and capable. He had turned into a well-developed racer with a knack for finding the finish line before the rest of the field. He rarely threw his head at the start; the stallion knew what to expect. He didn’t like strangers telling him what to do, but Tommy had no problem handling the beautiful thoroughbred. Glory Be had a willful nature but was accepting of a master who understood him and exerted control. Tommy did. Glory was a hell of a horse, and he was Tommy’s. There was something else about Glory Be that set him apart from the others this spring—the horse wanted to win and knew how to do it.
Capp had been working hard all spring. He was Glory Be’s other workout rider. Like Tommy, Capp knew how to handle him. He took him easy around the track, gradually building up speed. Capp’s workouts were for endurance building. Glory Be’s endurance was good, and all that needed to be done was maintain it. So every day Tommy and Capp worked with the horse, making sure there were no errors in training that could result in an injury. Corky, Ernesto, and Fritz, a third Glidewell stable hand, worked three other Glidewell horses brought to Churchill Downs for development. They served as grooms in Hench’s barn; the entire Glidewell team was on the job.
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