by Sarah Pawley
"What are you looking at?" he asked, and he slid into the seat beside her.
"Sears and Roebuck," she replied, moving closer to him. She pointed to the page before her. "Look at these tractors. If my Daddy had one of these, he'd never have to hitch up a mule to a plow again. And these washing machines. If Mama had a washing machine, she'd never make her fingers bleed on a washboard ever again."
"They sell generators too, for hooking up all of those newfangled gadgets," he said, pointing to another page. "But do you think your folks would even take such things? Don't you think they might look at it as charity?"
She closed the catalog, thinking about what he had said. "I didn't think about that.” She folded her hands on top of the book, sighing. "I suppose it doesn't matter anyway right now. It would take me a long time to save up the money for all these things. I suppose I'll just have to be patient."
He reached out to touch her hand, gently toying with her fingers.
"What about you? I'm sure you can afford to treat yourself to something in this book."
She shook her head. "I don't need anything for myself. I've got everything I need right now. Everything I want." She leaned against him, resting her head against his side to emphasize her words. He smiled.
"You think you have everything, do you?"
She sat up, looking at him curiously. She saw the little smile that had formed on his face. "What are you up to?" she asked.
He withdrew from her hold. "You'll have to wait and see.” Standing up, he turned to her and told her to close her eyes.
“I don’t like surprises,” she said.
To her protest, he gave her a stern look.
"For once in your life, will you please just humor me? Why must you always make everything a contest?"
Taking up a couch pillow he hit her over the head with it. Laughing, she hit him back as a tussle ensued. But it was brief, and in a moment he demanded that she be still and close her eyes as he had asked. She sighed, and finally relented. A long minute passed, and she felt something warm and soft put into her hands…something that moved and squeaked, and a smile came across her face before she had even seen what she held. She knew the feel, the smell, of a dog.
"Open your eyes," he said.
She did, and sitting in her lap was a grey and white little thing that wiggled and leaned its head against her in a plea for attention.
"Oh my goodness," she replied. It was all she could think to say at the moment, she was so overwhelmed.
"The salesman called him a little greyhound. He's a lapdog, so won't get nearly as big as the farm dogs you're used to. But I thought you would like him all the same."
She looked up at him, her eyes radiant, and she wondered how she could love anyone more than she loved him. "How did I ever find such a good man?" His grin was typical of him. So was the reply.
"Luck. Pure luck."
Chapter 21
“Truth and Consequences”
She felt her hands tremble as she stood at the side of the stage, listening to the music from the band, and from where she stood she could see the people dancing out on the floor. The sound of a crowded house had become so familiar to her, and now every noise reminded her that in a few short moments, she would be standing out there in front of them. She started pacing back and forth, but she didn’t get to pace for long. Toby reached out and put a hand on her arm, and she smiled nervously.
"Are you going to make it?" he asked.
Her voice trembled. “I hope so.”
"Just breathe deep," he reminded her. "And remember, I'm there with you. You'll be just fine."
She nodded, hoping against hope that she didn't pass out on the stage.
As she resumed pacing, Jack and Alice appeared in the hall, and they came towards her with smiling faces. She felt a certain weight lift from her shoulders, knowing that she had such love and support around her. The only downside was that Henry was not there. He did not always mingle around the backstage, as it was not his place. He was out there, among his guests. But she knew that he was watching, from wherever he was, and that was comfort enough.
Jack and Alice both embraced her, and Alice reached into her purse to take out a little wrapped package.
"We got you something for good luck," she said, opening the box. It was a braided gold bracelet, which she put on Grace's wrist. "It's not exactly a brass ring, but we thought it could serve the same purpose."
She wanted to cry, and she felt the tears well in her eyes as Alice kissed her cheek. But Jack, in his usual way, had the antidote to any bouts of weepiness, even while he was kind about it.
"Lord, you women and your tears,” he said. “Now’s not the time to fall apart. Wait until afterwards, and then you can cry and blubber like a baby."
Standing near them and watching with a smile was Toby, and the three at last seemed to notice him there. Alice went over to give him a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you for being there with her.”
Jack reached his hand out, and they shook.
"Take care of her out on that stage. Don't let her fall on her face."
Toby grinned. "I'll try not to.”
A moment later, they heard Thomas on the microphone, announcing Grace's name. She felt her breath leave her body, and a wave of dizziness came over her. But then, she felt the warmth of Toby's hand on hers. He smiled at her for a moment, and suddenly she felt a kind of peace steal over her entire being. He went out on the stage and a moment later she followed. The backlights went down as she stood before the microphone, enveloping her in darkness. The curtain rose, and she cast her eyes on the floor as the music began. Then the spotlight came on her. She lifted her head, seeing the audience shadowed in the dimness, waiting. With a little glance over at Toby, she smiled. And she began to sing…
Pack up all my care and woe,
Here I go, Singing low,
Bye-bye blackbird,
Where somebody waits for me,
Sugar's sweet, so is he,
Bye-bye Blackbird!
No one here can love or understand me,
Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me,
Make my bed and light the light,
I'll be home late tonight,
Blackbird bye-bye…
The words of the song flowed out of her with such smoothness that she hardly knew the sound of her own voice, and when it was over, the room erupted in applause, and she took in breath after cleansing breath as relief flooded her body and soul. She looked at Toby, who stood smiling and applauding. She looked over at Jack and Alice as they clapped and smiled as well. And out in the audience, at the back of the room, was Henry. He stood with arms folded, and she could not see if he was smiling. But a moment later she saw him bring his hand to his lips, and he sent her a kiss across the room as the curtain came down.
Behind the curtain, she hardly had time to recover before Bill, the stage manager, was at her side demanding that she give an encore.
Her eyes grew wide with fear and confusion. "An encore? What's that mean?"
"It means they love you, and they want to hear more.”
"What do I do?" she asked. "What will I sing? It took everything I had to learn that one song. I don't know any others that they like."
"Sing anything," Bill declared, looking a little afraid himself. There was a long moment as they looked at each other, unsure what to do. They looked to Toby, who just shrugged his shoulders. Then, from the side of the stage came Henry.
"You have to get out there before they rush the stage.”
"But I don't have any other songs," she replied.
"Sure you do. Sing the ‘Wabash Cannonball.’ That’s a great song.”
She looked mortified at the idea. "They don't want to hear an old country song like that. That's not what they listen to."
"Everyone knows that song. They play it on the radio all the time. Believe me, they'll be putty in your hands. Now get out there and do your thing.” He took her by the shoulders, turned her around,
and gave her a little push towards the stage.
Bill went out on the stage to make another introduction as the curtain went up again, and the applause rose a little. A moment later she was before the microphone again. Still a little nervous, she spoke in a soft and unsteady voice as the audience calmed down. When she asked them if they wanted to hear more, a round of cheer went up, and she smiled shyly, encouraged and delighted that they wanted to hear her.
As the song spilled out of her, the audience responded with spontaneous applause. As she played the last notes, she felt an urge to jump up and down with excitement, thrilled by the love she was feeling from the whole room of strangers. And almost before she struck the last note, the place went wild and rose to their feet, cheering and yelling their approval of her. She took her bow, feeling as if she were floating on air, and then she turned to Pete and threw her arms around him in a hug of appreciation, and then looked at the audience and smiled, nodding her head in thanks. The curtain came down, and she rushed off the stage in a wild leap of joy.
"I did it!" she cried, throwing her arms around Henry's neck and laughing at the same time, not caring who might be watching. Only the slightest bit of mental strength kept her from kissing him full on the lips, as she wanted to do in a most ardent expression of joy. Instead, she went to Pete and hugged him again, then to Toby, who was standing nearby with a proud smile, and then to Jack and Alice. It was the greatest night of her life, and she wanted the whole world to know just how happy she was.
In the hall, she walked along surrounded by the people she loved, and her step had a certain kind of spring to it. Everyone seemed to be speaking at once, but Henry's voice soon carried over all the others. He took her by the hand.
"There are some people I would like you to meet." She started to go, and then looked back at Jack and Alice. Jack waved her away.
"Go on, sis, go meet your public. We'll see you later at home."
"But you're not leaving now, are you?"
"We really should," Alice replied. "I'm not feeling so well. I think I need to go home and lie down. But you stay and mingle. I'm sure someone will see that you get home safe." She looked pointedly at Henry…and Jack narrowed his eyes, though the corner of his mouth threatened to turn up.
"He better make sure.”
Henry nodded. "I promise, she will be home safe and sound, and very soon. Now come on.” He took her gently by the arm. "There are people waiting."
She managed to give Jack and Alice each a small kiss before she was whisked away to the main floor, where person after person waited to speak to her and shake her hand. The praise was all very thrilling, but quite overwhelming as well. Most of the names she knew she would not remember, but she still managed a polite word or two and genuine smiles to all who were so kind to her. One couple stood out from the rest…an elderly couple, dressed in much finery, who seemed to know Henry quite well. She learned they were his Great Aunt Melinda and Great Uncle Andrew, who were proprietors of a bed and breakfast in Florida. They gave her a card, declaring that if she ever wanted to escape a frigid Chicago winter, she could make herself welcome as their guest. She was certain she might never use the invite, but she took the card all the same, thanking them for their kindness.
After all the commotion had died down, she was glad to escape to the peace and quiet of the little dressing room she’d been given. Henry was busy tending to some last minute things before closing up for the night, so she waited there for him, trying to gather her wits after all the night had brought. She had just put her head down on the dressing table when there was a knock on the door. She expected Henry, but it was as pleasant to her to see it was Toby who had come instead, and she smiled at him as he entered.
“I just wanted to check on you before I go home for the night,” he said. “How do you feel about all of this?”
She sighed, but smiled at the same time. “I’m tired. I’m happy. I’m stunned. I can’t believe I got through the whole thing without making a fool of myself.”
He grinned and chuckled. “Well you did, and you were wonderful. You should be very proud of yourself.”
“I owe you everything,” she declared. “If it wasn’t for you, I would never have been able to do it.” She came to his side, kissing him on the cheek. “You’re the best friend I ever had, and I mean that.”
He seemed overwhelmed, and she was sure she saw a blush on his face, which made her smile. “Good night, Grace,” he said quickly, turning to go.
But as he turned, the door opened. And Grace gasped as she saw Charlie appear before her.
“Charlie, what are you doing here? Get out now, before Henry sees you and skins you alive.”
“Who is this?” Toby asked her.
“Nobody to worry about,” she replied. “Charlie is someone I used to know, but not anymore.”
She looked at Charlie, who was standing with his eyes on the floor, shaking his head. There was something eerie about the way he was doing that, but she told herself it was nothing. All she had to do was get him out of the room, and everything would be fine. “Go, Charlie, or I’ll call someone. The police, if I have to.”
At last he looked up at her, and his eyes shined with a strange, frightening light. “I loved you so much, Gracie. When we were kids, you were the only one who didn’t laugh at me or call me names. When I left, I told myself I would come back someday and marry you. But you didn’t want to marry me. You didn’t want me. Nobody has ever wanted me.” His words became mumbled as he began to cry a little, and he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pistol, which he raised to his head.
Toby gasped, backing up. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph.” He stood in front of Grace, who had her hand covering her mouth.
In a wild voice, Charlie cried out. “With righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth! And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked!”
Two shots rang out, piercing the quiet of the room…and an eerie quiet fell.
* * * * *
As his last associate left his office, Henry sat back in his chair with a little sigh. He reached into his pocket, and smiling at himself, he opened the little box he’d been keeping hidden all day. There was the little ring he had purchased. Through Jack, he had discovered the right size of her finger. He looked at the shining little object…a gold band with a small diamond and sapphire setting, not too large as to be ridiculous, but not so little as to go unnoticed. For a moment he imagined her reaction to it, wondering if she might cry, as most women would when accepting a proposal. But then, he knew she hardly acted as other women did…so her reaction would probably be something delightfully unusual. It made him grin just thinking about it, and he rose from his chair in anticipation of meeting her downstairs.
He would take her to Union Station, in the great hall, where they had first met. What more perfect setting could there be than where it all began for them? He flipped off the office lights, and just as he closed the door, he heard a distant sound of two loud popping noises, almost like the sounds of firecrackers…or the sound of gunfire.
Instinct made him rush down the stairs towards the source of the noise. As he rounded the banister, he suddenly heard screaming and shouting. He saw people rushing towards the back hallway behind the stage…and a sick feeling began to come over him. He moved faster, seeing the little crowd that had gathered. He looked for Grace, searching the crowd for her face…and a cold sweat broke on him as he realized she was not there. Then a voice, shrill and feminine, cried out from near the dressing room door.
"My God, they're dead! They're both dead!"
He shoved standing bodies aside, muscling his way into the little room…where he found Grace and Toby lying near each other on the floor. Both were still and pale…white as death, lying in pools of blood. Pete was next to them, moving from one to the other, saying their names and giving them a shake in a futile attempt to stir them. He
nry went forward just a few steps before he fell to his knees beside her.
“Jesus, God Almighty!”
The blood was all over, her entire midsection soaked with it. He put his fingers to her neck, trying to find a pulse. It was there, but faint.
Pete was beside Toby, looking for the same sign of life, his voice trembling. “I can’t feel anything! Boss, I think he’s dead!”
Henry looked up, seeing the people staring with terrified looks, and his anger and panic exploded.
"Why are you just standing there like dumb sheep! They‘re bleeding to death, for Christ‘s sake! Somebody call an ambulance!”
He looked down at Grace, terrified at the thought that she might be dead before help could arrive. Her still, silent body made it all the more frightening, and where he had been afraid to touch her a moment before, now he found himself lifting and holding her, hoping to feel some movement.
Oh God, she’s going cold!
Each passing second was draining the life out of her…and he knew it. But he refused to give in to death.
“Get me something to cover them with!”
Someone rushed out and came back with two blankets. He snatched one up and wrapped her in it…and he heard a little moan come from her lips. It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. Her eyes opened slightly.
But then he saw the blankness. The lifeless stare. He shook her, breathing fast…verging on madness.
“No, don’t do this. Don’t go.”
Another little gasp. A flicker of hope…and he clung fiercely to it.
Finally he could hear the sound of sirens, but he took no moment to relax. He lifted her fully in his arms, her weight so incredibly slight. “We have to get them out of here. Somebody help him, quickly.”
He nodded towards Pete, and Thomas rushed forward to help lift Toby from the floor. Together they hurried to the stairs and down them, where ambulance workers and policemen were just coming through the doors. With Pete and Thomas right behind him, Henry rushed to place Grace on the stretcher. Feeling her weight slip from his arms, he felt a cruel pain at the sudden empty sensation. Now the feeling of helplessness began to set in. He followed along as they carried her out the door to the waiting ambulance. The other stretcher carrying Toby was loaded already and on its way to the hospital. A moment later Grace was put in the other ambulance.
