Rattler's Law, Volume One

by James Reasoner

  "That's right. It used to be the parsonage, but it was too big for Joshua to live in alone."

  "Your brother isn't married?"

  Cully shook his head. "No, ma'am, he's not. I suppose the right girl hasn't come along." He glanced at Augusta out of the corner of his eye and saw a tiny smile on her rosy-cheeked face.

  "How did he come to establish an orphanage?"

  "That was mostly Sister Lorraine's doing," answered Cully as he swung the wagon into the circular drive that led up to the church. "She and the children were on their way to Wichita to establish an orphanage there. They ran into trouble on the trail, were sidetracked, and stopped here. Joshua had the room they needed in the parsonage, so Sister Lorraine decided there wasn't any point in going on. It's worked out real well so far."

  As he brought the wagon to a stop in front of the church, he saw three small children playing in the yard between the church and the stable on the other side of the orphanage. Most of the orphans were of school age and, at this time of day, would be at the school run by Emery Thornbury and Leslie Garrison, Abilene's two teachers. As Cully climbed out of the wagon and went to assist Augusta, he heard the front door of the church open behind him.

  A tall, slender man with brown hair and intense, penetrating eyes behind rimless spectacles stepped up to the wagon. He was dressed in a sober dark suit, white shirt, and string tie.

  "Hello, Cully," he said. "Nice to see you out here for a change. And who might this charming young lady be?"

  Cully turned and looked at his older brother. Although Joshua was vastly different from Cully, he at times expressed some of the same reckless charm, especially when he smiled. This was one of those times, Cully saw as he introduced Augusta.

  "Miss Augusta Hall," he said, "this is Reverend Joshua Markham, the pastor of this church. Joshua, this is Miss Hall. She's just come to Abilene."

  Augusta eagerly thrust out her gloved hand, just as she had when she met Cully. "Reverend Markham, it's such a pleasure to meet you!" she said enthusiastically. "Your brother has been telling me wonderful stories about the way you took in the poor homeless waifs who came to you for succor."

  She had her back to Cully, so he was able to raise his eyebrows and shake his head slightly as Joshua glanced quizzically at him. Cully didn’t know what to make of Miss Augusta Hall, and he wished Joshua better luck in figuring her out than he’d had.

  "Miss Hall wanted to meet the town's religious leaders, so I figured you and Sister Lorraine would be the best place to start," Cully told Joshua. "Is the sister around?"

  "I believe so," Joshua replied and, turning toward the children playing in the nearby yard, called to one of them. "Would you go tell Sister Lorraine that I'd like to see her out here, please?" The little boy nodded eagerly and scurried off.

  Augusta still held Joshua's hand, a fact that didn’t escape Cully's notice. She said to the minister, "You must tell me sometime what it's like running an orphanage. I would imagine it can be a very fulfilling task."

  "Sometimes," Joshua agreed. "Sometimes it's just sad. What brings you to Abilene, Miss Hall?"

  "I'd prefer to wait until Sister Lorraine is here, so that I can tell both of you at the same time. Would that be all right?"

  Joshua assured her it would. A few moments later, the child Joshua had sent to look for the nun appeared at the orphanage door. Behind him came a stern-faced figure dressed in the flowing black and white habit of a member of the Dominican order. As Sister Lorraine drew closer, she looked less forbidding. Her compassion, as well as her strength and determination, radiated from her sympathetic blue eyes. "Hello," she said to Augusta, and then she smiled warmly at Cully. "How are you, Cully?"

  "I'm fine, Sister," he replied. "This is Miss Augusta Hall, and she wants to talk to you and Joshua about something."

  Sister Lorraine turned toward the newcomer. "How can we be of service to you, my dear?"

  Augusta returned her smile. "I've come to Abilene on a mission, Sister," she declared. "A mission from the highest possible authority. I'm sure you know what I mean."

  "Indeed, I do," Sister Lorraine agreed.

  Joshua asked, "I don't doubt your sincerity, Miss Hall, but why are you telling us this?"

  "Because I want to enlist you as allies in my cause," Augusta replied. "I can assure you that it is just and that you will want to join my crusade."

  For such a little slip of a girl, she sure can string words together, Cully thought. And she sounded absolutely convinced of everything she said.

  "You see," Augusta went on, "I've been sent here by the Christian Ladies Temperance Society. I'm bringing their message to Abilene."

  Joshua and Sister Lorraine stared in surprise. "Temperance Society?" Cully muttered.

  "Of course, Deputy," Augusta said, smiling serenely at him. "Simply put, I've come to wipe out the scourge of demon rum in Abilene. And this is only the first stop." Her voice rang with conviction. "Before I'm through, I'll see liquor and all of its evils driven completely out of Kansas!"

  2

  Cully, Joshua, and Sister Lorraine were speechless for a long moment, so unexpected was Augusta's proclamation. Finally, the deputy exploded, "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!"

  Augusta spun toward him, her eyes flashing. "Perhaps you think so, Deputy, but I assure you I'm completely sane! Sane enough to realize how imperative it is that all the saloons and taverns in Abilene be closed down."

  Joshua, lifting a hand, stepped between Cully and Augusta. "Ah...Miss Hall, I believe my brother means that such a goal, while certainly admirable, will be very difficult to achieve."

  Augusta lifted her pert, determined chin. "That doesn't matter, Reverend," she declared. "No matter how long the struggle takes, we shall win in the end, especially with the help of fine, upstanding citizens such as yourself and Sister Lorraine."

  "No one is questioning your sincerity, Miss Hall," the nun assured her. "We're just trying to make sure that you know how much opposition you'll face if you try to do away with drinking here in Abilene."

  "I shall be fighting the good fight, Sister. I know I will prevail."

  Ever since Cully had met her at the train station, he sensed something was strange about Augusta Hall. Now he was sure of it. He glanced at Joshua and saw that his brother looked equally perplexed.

  "Uh...Abilene has always had a certain, uh, reputation," Joshua began. "During the summers, the Texas cowboys would come in with the trail herds—"

  "Deputy Markham told me that Abilene is no longer a trail town," Augusta remarked, cutting him off.

  "Not as much as it used to be," Cully put in quickly. "I also said that there were still quite a few cowboys around and that things could get a little wild sometimes. There're more saloons in Abilene than anything else!"

  "I don't know about that," Joshua said, "but there are still a great many saloons. People around here are accustomed to drinking, Miss Hall. You can't change habits like that overnight."

  Cully noticed how Joshua had paled the moment Augusta began talking about alcohol. Sister Lorraine also cast concerned glances at the minister. Both of them knew something that Augusta Hall didn’t.

  Reverend Joshua Markham had been a drinking man. In fact, when Sister Lorraine first saw him, he was lying unconscious in the parsonage, drunk—a disgrace to his calling.

  The corruption Joshua had seen around him and the murder of his and Cully's father, Judge Lloyd Markham, by that lawless element drove him to a state of mental degradation. As the corrupt organization solidified its control over Abilene, he turned more heavily to drink in his rage and frustration.

  Then Sister Lorraine arrived, bringing the wagon train filled with orphaned children with her. Lucas Flint, who had intervened when an outlaw band attacked them on the plains, accompanied her into Abilene, and his arrival marked the beginning of a turnaround in the town. The former marshal of Wichita couldn’t walk away from the troubles he found in Abilene, and Cully joined him. When they were done, A
bilene had been cleaned up—for the time being.

  During that time Joshua Markham fought his own battle, one that saw him defeating the demons that ravaged him. Since then, he hadn’t taken a drink.

  But Cully and Sister Lorraine, the two people closest to Joshua, knew how he had struggled. They also knew it was an ongoing battle that would continue for as long as Joshua lived.

  Augusta Hall, however, was aware of none of this. She smiled at Joshua and said with a confidence that bordered on smugness, "You'll see, Reverend. I won't allow myself or my cause to be defeated. Now, can I count on your support, yours, and Sister Lorraine's?"

  Noticing Joshua's hesitation, Sister Lorraine replied smoothly, "I agree with the principles that guide you, Miss Hall. You are indeed fighting the good fight. But I fear that it will be a losing battle in this part of the country."

  "I agree," Joshua said at last, nervously licking his lips. "We have a small temperance society in Abilene, but the group hasn’t been able to accomplish very much."

  "Surely they try to educate the townspeople about the evils of drink?" Augusta demanded.

  "Yes, of course. But lectures don't mean much to thirsty cowhands."

  "Well then, the members will simply have to work harder to spread their message, as I shall do," Augusta declared.

  "You're not intending to visit the saloons, are you?" Cully asked sharply.

  She turned her charming smile on him. "What better place to reach the very people who need so desperately to hear what I have to say?"

  Cully shook his head. "If a gal like you sashays into some of those places, there'll be trouble for sure— both for you and for the customers. Some of those men are liable to start shooting."

  Augusta's eyes widened. "You mean they would shoot at me just because I implore them to turn away from alcohol?"

  "No, they'd probably swap lead trying to see who'd get to dance with you first," Cully told her in all seriousness. "Most cowboys don't get to see a lady as pretty as you very often. They can get rambunctious when one shows up."

  Augusta huffed and lifted her chin in determination. "If you're trying to sway me from my destined role, Deputy, you're going to be disappointed. I won't allow fear or personal danger to outweigh my commitment to an ideal."

  "Those are lofty sentiments," Joshua said. He had recovered from the initial shock, and some of the color was returning to his face. "I can almost believe that you'll be capable of doing what you say you're going to, Miss Hall. After all, a good deal of Kansas is dry already. If you can get rid of the liquor in the cattle towns, you will have accomplished a great deal."

  "I will, Reverend. I promise you that."

  Joshua smiled slightly. "In that case, Miss Hall, given your attitude, I'm sure you'll be quite an inspiration to Abilene's temperance group. I've recently become a member, and it just so happens that we're having a meeting tonight. Would you be willing to come and let me introduce you to the other members?"

  Augusta gave him a brilliant smile in return. "Would I be willing? Why, Reverend, I'd love to attend!"

  Cully saw the dubious look on Sister Lorraine's face, but Joshua seemed to have been won over completely by Augusta's charm and conviction. The idea of getting rid of booze in Abilene was about the most unlikely thing Cully had ever heard, but obviously Augusta wasn’t going to be steered from her chosen path.

  Then Lucas Flint and I will have to clean up any mess she leaves, Cully thought.

  "Well, since you're determined to see this through," he said to Augusta, "we'd better take you back downtown and see about finding you a place to stay while you're here."

  Before she could reply, Joshua said, "I'd be happy to accompany you to the hotel and make sure that you're able to find a room, Miss Hall."

  She moved closer to him and slipped her arm through his. "Why, that's so thoughtful of you, Reverend," she purred. "I know my stay in Abilene will be productive with you looking after me and lending your assistance to my crusade."

  Flushing slightly, Joshua cleared his throat somewhat sheepishly. "Ah, of course. Shall we go?"

  Augusta smiled at him again. Joshua helped her onto the wagon seat and then swung up beside her. Cully noticed that she didn’t edge away from Joshua, just as he had noticed the casual way she had linked arms with him. With Joshua she wasn’t at all reticent the way she had been with him. For the first time in his life, Cully was jealous of his older brother.

  Joshua picked up the lines and flicked them to urge the team into motion. As the wagon lurched and rolled away, Cully stared after it.

  "Well, don't that beat all!" he exclaimed. "She had Joshua eating out of her hand like he was a little speckled pup!"

  Sister Lorraine smiled. "Does that bother you, Cully?"

  "Why shouldn't it?" he demanded. "They drove off and left me out here to walk back to town!"

  Trying not to laugh, Sister Lorraine watched as Cully stalked angrily away. Her expression became more serious as she thought about what Augusta Hall's arrival might mean, not just to the town but to the Markham brothers as well. She suspected that there was more to Cully's anger than having to walk back to town.

  During the conversation with Augusta, Joshua had shaken off his initial nervousness about alcohol. She appeared to have won him over with her fervor. But if she intended to carry her crusade into the town's saloons, Sister Lorraine foresaw nothing but trouble, just as Cully had. If Joshua tried to accompany her—

  Sister Lorraine shook her head. She didn’t know what would happen in that case. She would hate to see what effect being around liquor might have on Joshua. He had struggled so mightily to throw off its grip the first time. If he were to succumb to its temptation again...

  The nun sighed and turned to go back into the orphanage. At the moment, she could do nothing about the situation—nothing but worry that Miss Augusta Hall would have as disruptive an influence on the whole town as she had already had on Cully and Joshua Markham.

  Joshua peered at his reflection in the mirror that hung on the wall of his room in the parsonage. He ran his fingers over his freshly shaven jaw and nodded, satisfied that he hadn’t missed any spots. Then he lifted his chin and reached for the button at his throat to close the collar of his fresh white shirt. Picking up the string tie that lay on the dresser in front of him, he slipped it around his neck and tied it with practiced ease. He stepped back and slid a hand over his brown hair. Sometimes it stuck up in the most unlikely places, making him look like the gawky adolescent he had once been.

  Even then, Cully had been the handsome, athletic one—the one with the quick, easy grin and the multitude of friends. The girls always liked Cully, and he returned their admiration.

  Joshua knew he was taking more care with his appearance than he normally did. He wondered if that was because he would soon be seeing Augusta Hall again.

  There had been no trouble securing a room for her at the Grand Palace Hotel. Augusta had cast a disapproving glance at Angus's Tavern, located two doors away, as she and Joshua entered the hotel, but she hadn’t commented on the proximity of the tavern. She seemed satisfied with Joshua's choice. The Grand Palace had seen better days and wasn’t a fancy place, but that was exactly what she wanted, she told him.

  "We have to stop being concerned with surface appearances," she proclaimed as he carried her bags up to the small, tidy room on the second floor. "That's one of the main things wrong with the world as far as I'm concerned."

  "I couldn't agree more," he told her.

  And yet here he was, a few hours later, slicking himself up just because he was going to take her to the temperance meeting. His wide mouth twisted in a wry grin at that thought.

  Joshua wouldn’t deny, even to himself, that he felt his heart begin to pound faster when Augusta smiled at him. He had been disturbed at first by all her talk about liquor, but somehow, she knew how to put him at ease. He could still feel her warmth as she linked her arm with his. He was a preacher, a messenger of God's Word, but he was also
a man.

  A woman like Augusta would make a fine minister's wife, he found himself thinking as he shrugged into his coat and went down the stairs.

  Sister Lorraine came out of the dining room as Joshua entered the foyer. She smiled at him and said, "My, don't you look handsome this evening, Joshua!"

  "Thank you," he said, blushing slightly. "I'll be going now, if everything is under control here."

  Sister Lorraine nodded. "The older children are studying, and Alice has already put the younger ones to bed. Don't worry about anything, just enjoy your meeting."

  "I'm not going for enjoyment, Sister. The Temperance Society hopes to make some great changes in Abilene."

  "And so does Miss Augusta Hall," Sister Lorraine commented. "She's a very charming young lady."

  "Yes. She certainly is." Joshua suppressed an impulse to tug nervously at his collar. The knowing smile on Sister Lorraine's face, the scrutiny in her intelligent gaze, made him uneasy. Was he so transparent that she could read his every thought?

  "Well, good night," the nun said, turning to leave the foyer. Joshua tried not to heave a sigh of relief as he bid her good night.

  In only a few minutes Joshua had saddled his horse and was riding out of the carriage house next to the parsonage. He turned the animal toward downtown Abilene. The sun had set a couple of hours earlier, taking the warmth of the day with it, and a chilly breeze blew in his face. Joshua buttoned his coat and pulled his hat down tighter.

  As he walked his horse down the well-trodden drive, he thought about the local temperance society. He had only been a member for a short time, had in fact attended only a single meeting before this one tonight. The group had been founded almost a year earlier by Mrs. Beulah Grantham, the well-to-do widow of one of Abilene's leading merchants and a very influential figure in the town's social doings. From the first, Mrs. Grantham tried to enlist him, but Joshua resisted. He knew quite well that he had been a drunkard; being around members of the society and listening to lectures on the evils of drink would only be painful.