“Want Steve and me to drive towards Hollister and see if he’s broken down beside the road?” Rich offered.
“Oh, let’s give him a while,” Garth said. “The engine needs a few things fixed, though. Maybe I’d better take care of them tonight so we won’t be slow getting up steam in the morning.”
“Please let me help. I like the engine!” Luke’s green eyes shone in his dark face. The young beauty of the graceful Cherokee was firming into maturity. No wonder Meg watched him as if she were thirsty and he were cool, clean water.
“Won’t hurt you to learn how to take care of hand holes and flues.” Garth smiled at Luke’s cousin. “Dan, you want to hold a lantern for us?”
Dan was as eager as Luke. Their enthusiasm—such a change from Rory’s grudging attention to details—seemed to put spring into Garth’s step as he rose from the table. “Well, lads, let’s get after it, then!”
Since the crew would set up cots or spread bedrolls on the porch or in the yard or shed, except for morning and afternoon lunch, they would have meals at the house and use the flivvers to go back and forth from the more distant fields. Shaft, once more in charge of the kitchen, planned the next day’s menu while Hallie washed dishes and Meg dried.
“Say, Hallie, girl, you’ve baked bread for tomorrow, and that’s a mighty good row of pies on the shelf, not to mention that crock of oatmeal cookies! Gets us off to a good start.”
“Mary Donnelly sent eggs and butter and some wonderful new potatoes and peas,” said Hallie, resolving that when she had a home, she would certainly grow vegetables. “And radishes, tomatoes, green onions, and gorgeous yellow summer squash.”
“That kind of garden stuff is larrupin’ good,” Shaft approved. “We’ll eat it while it’s fresh. No pinto beans tomorrow! Bake a ham, and we’re all set.”
Shaft fussed around, though, discovering and rearranging things like any cook assuming command of a kitchen after someone else has used it. When Meg was having her soak in the front room, Shaft frowned at Hallie.
“I saw Rory stomp out of here after dinner, honey. He yelled at Garth that he was goin’ to town, and Garth hollered that he’d better do the engine repairs first. Rory just went foggin’ off.” Shaft cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to nose into your business, but did that young hothead say anything to make you think he might not be back?”
The notion dumbfounded Hallie. She gazed at Shaft in dismay.
“We—we had kind of a falling out, but he didn’t say he was leaving for good. Oh, Shaft, do you think—”
“I don’t know what to think. Some ways, it might be better for Garth and Rory both if they split up till Rory learns what it’s like not to be the boss’s kid brother and Garth quits treating him that way.” Shaft looked at her with sad wisdom. “And until you decide which one you want and t’other’s got used to it.”
Hallie flushed. “As far as Garth’s concerned, what I decide doesn’t seem to matter, except to me.”
Shaft heaved a sigh. “Honey, Rory kind of hinted to Garth that there was something between you. Never said it right out but kind of bore down on a word here and there or put on a cat-ate-the-cream smile.”
“How could Garth believe that? And when could it happen, for heaven’s sake?”
“When a man’s in love, ’specially when he’s scared to be, he’s seldom noted for good judgment and horse sense.”
Hallie caught her breath. “You do think he loves me, Shaft?”
“I’d stake my head on it, includin’ my beard. But whether he’ll ever risk lettin’ you in on the secret”—Shaft’s tufted brows pulled together—“I don’t know, Hallie, even if you waited till Meg’s grown up.”
“Meg may always have to live at home now.”
“Yeah. There’s that, too. Hark! There’s some kind of vehicle comin’ down the lane.”
Hallie listened intently. “It doesn’t sound like the truck. And it’s not Donnelly’s flivver.”
They looked at each other uneasily. With Raford up the road and Cotton Harris a few miles farther, the sound of an unfamiliar motor could be a warning. “Maybe the truck broke down and someone’s givin’ Rory a lift. Let’s go see.”
Out by the shed, Dan held a lantern while Garth and Luke worked on the engine. A gleaming automobile pulled up beside them. Shaft whistled. “That’s a new Lincoln V-8!”
“But the same Sophie Brockett,” Hallie breathed. “What does she want?”
Sophie’s bobbed blond hair caught the lantern light as she got out of the swank bottle-green Lincoln. Raford must be pleased with her to supply such a luxury auto. Her shrill nasal voice carried to Hallie and Shaft as they stood on the shadowed porch.
“I came to tell you, Garth MacLeod, that your kid brother’s going to be engineer for Quent Raford’s threshing crew. I’ve come to get his clothes.”
“Why didn’t he come?” Garth’s tone was quiet, but it sounded like a cry of pain.
The woman lifted her bare plump shoulders in a shrug. The beaded fringes on her black dress glittered above her knees. “He smashed up your truck.”
“Is he hurt?”
“Bruised and cut a little. Doctor says nothing’s broke. The hangover he’ll have tomorrow’s probably going to be worse than anything he got when he turned the truck over in a ditch.”
Garth strode toward the gloating woman. She shrank away and he halted. “Did you sell him the bootleg, Sophie?”
“What if I did?”
“The law—”
“The sheriff’s paid off,” she jeered. “Call in the feds if you want, but it could wind up with your curly-headed brother in the pen. I let him sell a couple of pints of booze just to make things cozy.”
“You got him drunk. You set him up to bootleg. You got him to hire on with Quent Raford. What else did you do, Sophie?”
She laughed and moved her body suggestively. “Can’t you guess?”
“Where is he?”
“In my suite at the hotel, of course.”
“I’m coming to see him.”
“He doesn’t want to see you.”
“Maybe not, but he’s going to.”
“His things—”
“I’ll bring them. You just head for town, Sophie. I want the door to that suite unlocked when I get there, and you out of the way. Understand?”
“All right, you big fool, you can hear it from him! Just don’t break the furniture or kick up a row. I manage a high-class hotel.”
“Sounds more like something else.”
Garth stood as if dazed and blind while Sophie got into her Lincoln and spun away. Slowly, with visible effort, he turned to Dan and Luke. “Let’s finish with the engine, lads.”
Rich came out of the shed where he had set up his cot. “I’ll drive you in, Garth.”
“I’d be obliged.”
Leaving the porch, Hallie came up to Garth who was already working on a flue. “Shall I pack Rory’s clothes?”
“Guess you’d better.”
“I’ll come with you. I might be able to talk to him—”
Garth looked around as if stung. “I have a notion you’ve already talked to him too much.”
“Garth, please—”
“You had a fuss after dinner, didn’t you, and that’s why he drove off like the devil was chasing him. You’ll stay here and leave my brother to me.”
Hurt and offended, Hallie went inside. She helped Meg from the tub, upstairs to bed, and then entered the brothers’ room. Open on chairs, their suitcases were already nearly packed for the summer run. Feeling almost as bad as if he were dead, Hallie collected Rory’s toothbrush, comb, shaving things, and the few unpacked clothes.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what had happened. Rory had gone looking for a woman. Sophie, taking advantage of the chance to wound Garth and ingratiate herself with Raford, doubtless beguiled the young man with both her body and whiskey.
Perhaps by asking him to do her a favor and deliver a few packages, she had made him a
bootlegger. It was even possible that someone had tinkered with the truck so that a crash was almost assured.
Neither Sophie nor Raford would care if Rory were killed or seriously injured. Even drunk, he would be so ashamed of wrecking the truck that it wouldn’t be hard to persuade him to work for Raford. And what a triumph that was for the banker; what a defeat for Garth!
“It’s a mess!” Shaft lamented. “If Rory won’t come back, Garth’s going to take this durned near as hard as he did his wife’s runnin’ out on him and Meg. On top of that, it leaves us without an engineer.”
“Garth can run the engine, can’t he?”
“Sure. But no one else can run the separator. That takes a heap of practice and know-how.”
Hallie scarcely knew she was going to say it till she heard herself. “I can run the engine.”
Shaft blinked. Then a smile turned up the corners of the mouth half-hidden in his beard. “By grannies, you can! Baldy can do the firin’ up and help you keep the fire and boiler goin’ right. Garth can help you check the flues and valves and take care of what you can’t.” He stared at her in sudden dismay. “But who’s gonna help me feed this bunch?”
“Meg can do a lot. And maybe we can find a girl in town—”
Shaft stroked Smoky, who had jumped to his shoulder when Shaft bent for the suitcase. “Jackie likes to set and clear the table and likes to fetch stuff for me. Reckon we can manage. And some of the farmers we thresh have girls of an age to like to earn some money. If we find out I need more help, we can prob’ly hire one of them for the rest of the run.”
“I’ll miss helping you, Shaft.”
He grinned. “Maybe I’ll get you back next summer. Young Luke’s crazy about the engine.” The grin faded. “If Rory don’t come back by then, I’ll bet Garth trains Luke on the engine.”
“That’ll be fine with me,” Hallie said. “I’m glad I can run the engine and make a set and all, but I’d really rather cook.” She winced to remember Garth’s stinging words and made a decision that emerged painfully but firmly from months of yearning in which hope alternated with frustrated disappointment. “I’m not going to work for Garth after the run, Shaft. Not if he blames me for Rory’s leaving. Not if he’s always going to find some reason to shut me out.”
“But Meg—”
“I know. And I really do care about her, even though she shuts me out, too.” Hallie swallowed and brushed her sleeve across her eyes so she could see to go down the stairs. “I hate to take Jackie away, but I can’t—and won’t—put up with Garth’s blaming me for everything that’s gone wrong in his life! I hope he finds someone who’ll suit him and Meg better, but I really can’t worry about that.”
“If you and Jack go, I’m goin’ with you. If you’ll have me.”
“Oh, Shaft! Of course we will! You’re our family.” A pang of regret tainted her relief that Jackie—and she—wouldn’t lose this gruff, kind man who was like a grandfather or special uncle. “But Meg and Garth will miss you.”
“Well, let’s not worry about it now.” Shaft paused before he went outside with the suitcase. “Lots can happen before the run’s over.” He shrugged away future worries and chuckled. “Say, now, won’t you be a picture up there on the engine with your bright red bonnet? Don’t see how any young fella could keep from fallin’ deep in love with you!”
“I know one who doesn’t seem to find it hard!”
“Bought you the bonnet, didn’t he?” Shaft went out fast to keep the host of winged insects on the screen from flying in. Hallie picked up her prayer book and sat down by the lamp.
The beautiful, timeless words of the Morning Prayer gradually calmed her, helped her believe there was peace, power, and love immutable beyond this human strife and pain, that her father and mother and Rusty were in that peace. “O ye Winds of God, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever … O ye Lightnings and Clouds … O all ye Green Things upon the Earth … O ye Whales, and all that move in the Waters … O all ye Fowls of the Air … O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever … As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end …”
Rapt in the calming, joyful words, she heard no sound till a deep voice invaded her ears. “Why is it, Hallie, that I always find you praying?”
XXII
He had come through the front door—had probably left his car parked up the lane after Garth and Rich drove out. After her first rush of dread, she remembered she wasn’t alone, that Shaft and the others were out back. All the same, the solid menace of his body, the taut expectancy in his hazel eyes, made her feel trapped by a huge cat. Instinctively, Hallie shielded herself with the prayer book.
“You give me plenty of reason to pray, Mr. Raford. This trick you’ve pulled with Rory—”
“The young fool did it himself.”
“You made the most of it. I’ll bet you hired someone to tamper with the truck.”
“It doesn’t matter. Rory MacLeod’s going to be my engineer.” Raford’s white teeth flashed. “Garth will have a hard time finding one.”
“I’m going to run his engine.”
The dark pupils of Raford’s eyes swelled to cover all but a thin rim of the golden green. “You?”
“Rory taught me last summer. We’ll manage.”
“I doubt that.” Raford regained his composure. “Quite a few people around here don’t like Garth’s hiring Indians, draft dodgers, Wobblies, and Bolsheviks.”
“Bolsheviks?”
“That atheist college professor and the pup he brought along this summer.”
“It’s none of your business—or anybody else’s—whom Garth hires.”
“Cotton Harris doesn’t agree with you.”
A chill shot down Hallie’s spine. “Are you saying the Ku Klux Klan may get mixed up in this?”
“Just a neighborly warning.” He came a step closer. “Hallie—”
“Isn’t stealing Rory enough for you?”
“Not by any means. I want two things.”
“Heaven and earth!”
He laughed. “Hell, too, maybe. No, seriously, my dear, I want to break Garth MacLeod. Almost above all things, I’d like to watch him bow his head to me and plow that strip of old prairie.” Raford paused, then spoke softly and deliberately, “Above all things, I want you.”
“Why?” she asked in baffled amazement.
“Why, indeed?” The irony in his voice changed to exasperation. “You can’t guess how often I’ve asked myself that over this past year, especially after I got a house in Topeka and could—amuse myself. Is it because you’re like the women I loved and lost, my mother and grandmother? Because you wave that prayer book at me? Or is it because you’re Garth’s?”
“I’m not!”
His eyes searched her. Blood surged to her face. Raford’s jaw hardened. “I didn’t mean anything so crude as that he’d been in your bed, Hallie. Knowing you, I wouldn’t believe that could happen without a wedding ring.”
“Then—”
“I mean,” he said relentlessly, “that you want him in spite of all the reasons why you shouldn’t. You belong to him sure as that stretch of prairie does.”
“And you’re bound to take over anything of Garth’s. You want to destroy him.”
“I’d rather not have him dead. Much more gratifying to have him beg me for work, beg me not to put him off his land.”
“You can’t do that as long as he meets his mortgage payments.”
“How long can he do that if bad things happen to his crews and men get scared to work for him?”
Hallie despaired. Becoming a legislator hadn’t lessened Raford’s obsession with defeating Garth, or, apparently, possessing her. She’d never be Raford’s woman. But she couldn’t doubt that, with his power and money, he could eventually ruin Garth’s business.
“You may take everything Garth has,” she said. “You’ve taken his brother, and last year you stole a lot of his customer
s. But he’ll never beg you for anything. He’ll never plow that strip of the Old Prairie.”
“He will. For his daughter’s sake.”
That was true. To care for Meg, especially now that she was crippled and needed certain comforts, Garth would sacrifice his pride and even the cherished land along the creek.
“So, my very dear,” said Raford, smiling, “Do you love Garth MacLeod enough to spare him all of that?”
She stared, unable to speak. “You and your brother would be very comfortable in my Topeka mansion,” Raford went on. “You’ll be my hostess and confidential secretary with a generous salary.”
“You’re crazy!”
“No, I’m utterly sane. We’ll have a contract. If your feelings don’t change after a reasonable time, you’ll be free to go, with enough cash to buy a house or set up a little business. Try it for a year, Hallie.” His gaze roamed over her like a physical caress. She flinched, and he laughed beneath his breath. “If you don’t want me by then as much as I want you, I wouldn’t keep you for worlds.”
But she would have served his purpose, if he was right about Garth’s caring for her. Anyway, she couldn’t go with Raford, couldn’t endure his touch. Not if he held a gun to her head.
“You must know I can’t do it.”
Languorous warmth vanished from his eyes, leaving them hard. “Then, Hallie love, I’ll grind MacLeod until he crawls. And you’ll suffer, won’t you, because you’ll know you could have saved him.”
With a mocking nod, he was gone. Hallie began to shake. Grateful that at least she hadn’t trembled while Raford could see, she sank into the chair and lay her head on the table to stop its swimming.
What would Raford do? Garth—any farmer—was vulnerable in so many ways. A match tossed in the stacks, machinery that could be wrecked or tampered with … And there was Raford’s threat to the crew.
With a sense of shock, when she considered them as strangers might, applying labels, instead of thinking of them as the individuals and friends they were, Hallie realized that, except for Baldy, they could all be targets for hate-blinded men like Cotton. Buford Redding was a Wobbly; Dan and Luke were indisputably Indians; Henry was a German-speaking Mennonite conscientious objector; Rich had hopes for the Russian Revolution, and Steve was his admiring pupil. Even Shaft could be called a bohunk bootlegger who had escaped the law.
The Unplowed Sky Page 32
