Vegas rich

by Michaels, Fern

  Sallie looked around. Where was the baby nurse? And then she saw her husband, asleep on the floor, on the opposite side of the cradle. Father and son. She knew instinctively that Philip had discharged the woman she'd hired weeks ago. Philip was going to take over the care of their son. School was out for the summer and he had all the time in the world to be the father he always wanted to be. Again, guilt washed over her. She could change all that. All she had to do was bend over, pick up the child and walk over to where Philip was sleeping, nudge him with her toe. He'd wake instandy, a smile on his face. Her hands gripped the side of the cradle. She would not end up like her mother, she absolutely would not. "Oh, why weren't you a girl," Sallie whispered. "I so wanted a daughter."

  The moment the door closed softly behind her, Philip was on his feet, his eyes full of pain. He bent over to pick up the sleeping baby. "I hoped, I prayed, that she would come in here to see you. I was so certain her arms would ache to hold you. I thought she just needed a few days to recover from her long labor. I don't think it's ever going to happen, son. I don't even pretend to understand, and I worry about how I'm going to explain all of this to you as you grow older."

  Philip settled himself in the rocking chair, the baby secure against his heart. He rocked contentedly as the child sucked on his tiny fist. In ten minutes Su Li would arrive with the bottle of warm milk. "And now I'm going to tell you a story until your botde gets here." His voice tender and soothing, Philip began. "Once upon a time there was a fairy princess named Sallie. . . ."

  In her room down the hall Sallie curled herself into a ball on the window seat to watch the new day begin. She cried silendy, her heart sore and bruised. She needed to be strong. There was no way in hell she was going to allow herself to turn into a broodmare whose only ftmction was to deliver boy babies. She clenched her teeth so hard she thought her jaw would crack. When she couldn't stand the pain a moment longer, she made her way to the bathroom and, against the doctor's orders, drew a bath. She was going to wash her hair, lather up and soak. Then she was going to find a dress that fit and go dovmstairs for breakfast. After that, she was going to get on with her life. She would take her third cup of coffee out to the garden and study the recent stock market report. If she felt strong enough in the afternoon she would walk over to the bingo palace to check on things. If she felt too weak to walk, she'd call the livery to send a car for her. She might even do some shopping on the way back.

  Bearing a son didn't mean the world stopped. At least for her. Life was going to go on and she was going right along with it. Regardless of what PhiHp thought or said.

  "SaUie, how wonderful that you're having dinner downstairs." Philip's voice was cheerful, but his eyes were wary. "Ash is being such an angel. He sleeps so soundly. I remember when my brother was born. I seem to remember that all he did was cry. Ash is a good baby."

  "Why didn't you tell me you discharged the baby nurse?"

  "I didn't want to bother you. You needed your rest. If you recall, Sallie, you slept almost around the clock for several days. I wanted to take care of him. Believe it or not, we have a routine. Ash put himself on a schedule so Su Li can actually anticipate his waking. She has his bottle ready the moment he whimpers. I haven't actually heard him cry."

  "He doesn't cry!" There was alarm in Sallie's voice.

  "Of course he cries. I guess I should have said he doesn't wail the way most babies do. He's fine, SaUie. I do have a concern, though. It's so dry and dusty here in town. His room is fiill of grit no matter how often Su Li wipes it down. Would you object if I took him to Sunrise for the summer? The air is so much cleaner, and the garden will be full of flowers."

  Did she care? Of course she did, but what Philip said made sense. "We'll be out from underfoot and you can get on with your business at hand," he said. "I'd like to take Su Li, but the decision is yours, Sallie."

  "I think it's a good idea. It will be better for Ash. Are you going to spoil him, Philip?"

  "Absolutely."

  Sallie laughed. "That's what I thought. Of course you can take Su Li. I think she'll be much happier at Sunrise. After all, Chue is still there."

  "Will you miss us? Will you come up to visit?"

  "Of course."

  "How often?"

  "I don't know, Philip. As often as I can."

  "What did you do today, Sallie?"

  "Everything I wasn't supposed to do. I feel fine for all my efForts. I hate it when doctors tell you not to do things because that's the

  way it is. Each person is different. I felt like I was able to go to the palace, so I did. I'm none the worse off. I sat in the garden. Now, that was a mistake. Everything is dry and burnt, the leaves of the plants are yellow. I think I'll ask Chue to come down to town temporarily and plant a garden indoors for me in the sunroom. We can put some shades on the windows to block out the noonday sun."

  "What about the sand and grit?"

  "It's a way of life, Phihp, if you live in tov^m. One of these days someone will figure out a way to prevent it fi-om coming indoors. I can't live year round at Sunrise, Philip. I need to see people, I need to be where things are going on. Didn't you tell me no man is an island unto himself?"

  "Yes, I did say that, but it was before I fell in love with you. I don't need anyone else but you and our son."

  "I wish I could say that. I can't. If you want to move permanendy to Sunrise, it's all right with me. We have enough money that you don't have to teach. You can take over Ash's education. That will be a job in itself. This might be a good time for you to write the book you've always wanted to do. It's a thought, Philip, and it doesn't require an instant decision."

  "If I were to decide to do that, would you continue to live here in town?"

  "Yes. I have some ideas for this town, and I have the money to put those ideas to good use. I'm going to schedule a meeting with the town council to see if any of it is feasible. I'd like to build a new school and the hospital, such as it is, could be expanded, and a library would be wonderful. I'm actually making money in the stock market. I want to turn those profits to good use. I also plan to build two more bingo palaces. The money I'm making on the first one is unbelievable. Anytime you want to give up teaching and become my partner, I would be quite pleased."

  "That's not my forte, Sallie, but thanks for the offer. If you do build a new school, I'll be on hand for the dedication. Give some thought to building a college, too."

  "That's a wonderful idea, Philip. I'll do it!"

  "Just like that, you'll do it!"

  "Yes. I have the money, so why not? You just said I should give some thought to building a college. I'll be . . . what's the word, Philip, a phil—"

  "Philanthropist."

  "Yes. That's going to be me. Isn't it wonderful?"

  "Yes, wonderful," Philip said, his voice sour and cool. "It's almost time for Ash's bottle. Have a nice evening, Sallie."

  Sallie sat alone at the table for a long time, her thoughts whirling chaotically. When she finally got up fi-om the table, she muttered, "Tomorrow is another day. If I don't do what I want, it will be just a day like today. I don't want another today. I want each day to be newer than the one that came before." Her footsteps were heavy on the stairs as she made her way to her room.

  Fourteen days later SaUie waved good-bye to her husband and son. "Take care of them, Su Li!"

  "Very much good care," Su Li shouted in return.

  A single tear trickled from Philip Thornton's eye to drop on his son's plump cheek. Had he seen his wife's moist eyes, he might have felt better, but young Ash chose that moment to squeal his displeasure a spHt second before he burped louder than a three-week-old baby should.

  The Thorntons, at that precise moment, became a family divided.

  With her family gone, SaUie spent every waking moment of the day doing business. She committed to building a hospital, a grammar school, and a college. In return for her generosity she would sit on all the boards, and have the final say when problems surface
d. The Nevada Sentinel r2in pictures of SaUie on a daily basis, extolling her virtues and praising her generosity. On little more than a whim and a stomach full of gut instinct, she bought up a freight company that had seen better days during the gold and silver strikes. She went with her gut instinct a second time and purchased fifty thousand shares of the Union Pacific Railroad because it was going to be part of the transcontinental run. The boom-and-bust cycle of Las Vegas would boom again. She crossed her fingers when she put the shares into the town house safe. The moment she twirled the knob, she forgot about them.

  Weeks later Sallie bought a ramshackle building that at one time had been an icehouse, amd contracted to have it restored and opened for business. She swooned when she calculated the profit the icehouse would give her in a year's time. Three days later she signed her name to a construction bill that guaranteed a modem laundry

  and dry cleaning plant. She knew the moment she signed the bUl that all the Chinese laundries would be put out of business. She sent out the word to the owners of the smaller laundries, explaining what she had done, and offering them jobs and a percentage of the business. All six Chinese made their mark on the individual contracts.

  On a quiet evening at her bingo palace, Sallie sat down at one of the round tables to play a hand of poker with some of Cotton Easter's old friends. Her mind wasn't on the game at first so she almost missed part of a strange conversation between two of the men.

  "I'm telling you, if I knew how to get hold of Snowball Meiken, I'd go out there myself and buy that land he's holding. The man's older than God with no kin. If they go ahead and build that dam they be talking about, we could all retire and Uve in lux-youry."

  "Are you telling me Snowball is still alive?" SaUie asked.

  "Fer sure. Miss Sallie. Iff n he dies before they build that there dam, his property goes to the state. Ain't fair, I can tell you that."

  "Is it definite that they're going to build the dam?"

  "Pretty definite. Miss SaUie. But first they have to buy up all the land. Snowball owns most of it. Ain't nobody who can fmd him. We tried. He's such an ornery cuss; he could be anywhere."

  "Somebody must know where he is," Sallie said, her eyes alight with interest. "He came to Cotton's fimeral. He was Ughting out right after. He told me where he was going, but I can't remember where. Maybe it will come to me if I think on it hard enough."

  "Think hard, Miss SaUie. He's sitting on a gold mine and don't even know it."

  Sallie stared across the table at the grizzly old miners who still hoped one day to strike it rich. She knew none of them had ever had more than fifty dollars to his name at one time.

  "If I remember, what do you want me to do?"

  "Hell's bells. Miss SaUie, sweet-talk him and buy aU his land. Then you seU it to the government and make a fortune."

  "That wouldn't be very nice. I'd be cheating him. I can't do that."

  "Why not? We told you, he's old as God. Old SnowbaU, he don't care. If you remember where he is, make sure you take a buggy fuU of whiskey and some good food. Some warm clothes would be good. He looked real raggedy at Cotton's wake. Did shave, though, out of respect. You gonna look for him, Miss Sallie?"

  "I'U think on it. How about some food?"

  "Have to be on credit, Miss Sallie. I'm plumb cleaned out," one of the miners mumbled.

  "My treat. I think I can rustle up some ham sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, and a pot of coffee." She slid some money across the table to the three miners. "That's for a hotel room and bath."

  "Much obhged, Miss SaUie. We'll be paying you back someday. Don't know when, though." Sallie smiled. These old men, like Cotton, were dear to her heart. Like Cotton, they refused to give up hope of finding the big strike. Everyone knew the mines were dry now, all the tent cities gone, but if it was their dream, who was she to ruin it? When they left in the morning she'd make sure their wagons were full of provisions the way she always had in the past. Cotton would want it this way.

  An hour or so before closing, with only a few patrons left in the palace, Sallie sat down alone at her private table in the back of the room, a cup of strong tea in front of her. She looked up, startled, when she saw the front door swing open. Red Ruby. She was walking straight for her.

  "I didn't know the hour was so late. I see you're about to close. What's that you're drinking, honey?"

  "Tea. Would you like some?"

  "Tea! Honest-to-God tea! No thanks. I felt lucky tonight, so I thought I'd just come over and play a litde bingo or faro."

  Red Ruby, so named for her wild mane of fire red hair, was a voluptuous, blowsy woman who reeked of stale perfume. She wore outrageous theatrical eyelashes, and brushed her eyebrows upward until they stood up in little peaks. Round silver doUars of rouge colored her cheeks. Her thick, heavy lips were colored with a greasy lipstick that was also on her teeth. SaUie found herself wincing.

  "It's been slow this evening. I was just about to close. If you really want to play faro, I can have Madison stay on for a litde while." Red was, after all, a frequent customer, and regardless of whether Sallie liked her or not, business demanded she accommodate her.

  "Now that you mention the word tired, I think I am, too. I've been meaning to come by and congratulate you on your marriage. For some reason, Sallie, I didn't think you were the marrying kind. And you got a kid, too! I heard about that just the other day. Well, maybe I can understand it. That husband of yours is one wildrmin. My girls smiled for a week after his visit. I also heard that he went up to Sunrise with the kid and left you here. Now, why would you let him do a thing like that, Sallie? Did it go sour already? The rumor in town

  has it that you have all the money in the world, more than the government. They're saying you don't need a man. Is that why you sent him up there?"

  "I didn't send PhiHp anywhere. He wanted to go, not that it's any of your business or anyone else's business."

  "That's worse yet, the fact that he wanted to go. I've been around a lot longer than you have, SaUie, so I feel free to offer you some advice. I wouldn't let too much of that Sunrise grass sprout under his feet. I'd hate to see him become a regular customer, and he will if you stay here and he stays up there. The advice is free."

  "I think Philip learned his lesson that night. I can assure you he won't be back, so don't give it another moment's worry."

  "A long time ago, SaUie, I learned a hard lesson. Never assume and never presume. Just remember something—there was a time when you were no better than me and my girls. All your money ain't never going to change that. Don't be forgetting where you got all that money to begin with. These people in town ain't going to forget it."

  "I'll remember that. Red. You wouldn't happen to know where Snowball is, would you?"

  "I sure do. He's at my place. He's got five bucks of credit left, then he'll skedaddle. We made sure he got a bath and we've been feeding him real good. He's happier than a pig in a mudslide. Why do you ask?"

  "Jess Banes gave me ten dollars to hold for him. Said he owed it to him for a year," Sallie lied.

  "I'll send him over first thing in the morning. He's about ready to light out anyway. He'U need that ten dollars for provisions. You planning to add to that little stake, Sallie?"

  "If he needs it I will. Snowball is a proud man."

  "Good night, Sallie. Thanks for the offer of tea. Don't drink too much of that stuff". It makes your hair stand on end." She offered her hand, and Sallie shook it. "No hard feelings, Sallie."

  "None. Business is business."

  "Now you're getting it." Red laughed. "See you around."

  "Anytime. My doors open at four o'clock, seven days a week."

  "Time is money, Sallie. You need to stay open round the clock like I do."

  Sallie had the last word. "You forget, I don't need the money. You do."

  Red chuckled, the sound sad and a httle envious.

  It was an hour past midnight when Sallie walked home along the quiet street, savoring the scent of sagebrush
. She remembered how i^y the town had looked when she first arrived. She'd loved it on sight, even at its meanest, with the tent cities on every available patch of land. The helter-skelter of miners and those that fed off" them as they all waited for the big strike, the desire to make and spend money, had made her a part of that same frenzy, fighting to breathe in the hot, dusty air. It was a hundred, a thousand times better than what she'd left behind.

  The town had boomed and then busted wide-open. Then one day the tents were gone, and so were the people who'd inhabited them. She'd known fear then for the first time in her life as she scrambled to make a life for herself. This was the place she'd come to, believing there really was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And, by God, she'd found the pot, thanks to Cotton Easter. She'd make this town boom again, now that she had the money to do it. Cotton must be proud as punch, she thought as she climbed the steps to her fi-ont porch.

  Sallie's thoughts weren't of her husband and child as she prepared for bed. She fell asleep dreaming of the town of Las Vegas and how she could make it into what she wanted, knov^g she had the time, the energy, and the resources to do it

  By midmoming, Sallie was ready for whatever the new day would bring. She'd finished her hearty breakfast, read both newspapers firom cover to cover, and now it was time to go to her place of business.

  The day wasn't breathlessly hot yet. Overhead the sun was bright; the Cottonwood trees that she loved were greener than she remembered ft-om the day before. At the far end of the street she heard a bird chirp, and then another. She hoped somebody was putting water out for the litde creatures the way she did. "I could build a park and put in fountains," she murmured to herself as she walked past the shop owners sitting outside on their rattan chairs. She smiled or waved to each of them and received a smile and a wave in return. It was amazing, she thought, two years ago no one in town, not even Red Ruby, would give her the time of day.