The Secret Saddle: Anna Troy's Emancipation (The Emancipation Series Book 2)

by Dani Larsen

  We ended our conversation laughing and talking about all of the funny things that happened at the saloon when she used to frequent the place. When she started coughing nonstop, I knew it was time to leave. I gave her a kiss on the forehead and said goodbye, and that I would pray for her. I only saw her for a few minutes the next day when I brought the blanket to her. I heard she passed away less than a week later.

  I hope that this information helps you in your search for Jude Burden. The man has done some horrible things and needs to get his justice. I have already informed the sheriff about my talk with Dolly and told him to be on the lookout for Jude, and I am telling everyone I know what he did, so if he shows up anywhere around here we will be ready for him. If you have found out anything about my brother's accident, please let me know. Good luck with your search.

  Best Regards,

  Anton Hempe

  "Well, I'll be darned. Jack Bane was his father!"

  Charlie was so surprised when he heard the name of Jude's father that he just sat there for a long time trying to digest the information he had just read. He slowly read the entire letter over again, wanting to make sure that he had understood everything correctly. Louise came in to find out what had been in the letter she had brought him.

  "This letter was the answer to many of the questions that I had about the man I've been chasing for so long. Now I think I can finally finish the book with this information. Once I get it the way I want it, I will send it to the publisher, and we can start talking more about a move to California."

  "I'm glad you found some answers, Charlie, I know this has been bothering you for a long time. Maybe with that information the law will finally catch the man."

  "I hope so. I thought about sending this information to the Pinkerton and Marshall's offices, but as the governor's murder was in 1905 and they have already put away the accused murderer, I don't think anyone would pay attention to my story about an additional killer. The case about the deaths of that couple in Cheyenne was way before that, and nobody is looking for a killer of Tilly and Frank Hempe in La Grande as they were both deemed accidents. Anton already informed the Sheriff of Union County, so they will be on the lookout for him there. I think the best thing I can do is finish this book about 'The One Who Got Away' and include my reasoning and all of the proof I now have, and then send a copy to those offices with a letter explaining how dangerous the man is. I think when this book comes out I can get more people looking out for Jude Burden through the sales of my book. I need to send a copy to John and Mary Troy in Pleasant Valley. I think they would be very interested in hearing this, as Mary was the one who ended Jack Bane's rampage."

  Siringo limped over to his new typewriter and started filling in the parts to the story that had been missing. He had high hopes that his book would help bring Jude Burden to justice.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  "Life in Sandy"

  1920 ~ 1924

  The move to Sandy, Oregon, was a good one for the Hempe family. They thrived in their small dairy farm in the Cottrell area on Orient Drive. There were larger dairies in the area which were very successful, but their small dairy did just what they wanted it to do. It supported their large family and left them enough extra to put away a little for a rainy day. They were able to sell a large quantity of milk, cream, butter, and eggs to the Kelso store and many of their neighbors became their regular customers. George used the car to make regular deliveries to the people that lived on Orient Drive and a few on Kelso Road, and the store purchased the rest of their production. George had built a chicken coop, and Anna and the younger children took care of feeding the chickens and gathering the eggs daily, and George, John, and Helen did the milking and caring for the cows. Anna churned the butter almost daily, and washed and sterilized the bottles that they picked back up from their customers, and the children poured the milk from the pails into the clean bottles. After they got into a good work routine, everything went smoothly for the family who loved their new home.

  John was eleven when they moved to the area, Helen was nine, and by the end of 1923 they were fourteen and twelve. Joe, eleven, and Mary, nine, were big enough to start sharing in the harder work. Bert turned seven on Christmas Eve of 1923, and George was five. The children got along well and all were attending school by the fall of that year. George Jr., Bert, and Mary fed the chickens and gathered the eggs in baskets before they went to school in the morning, and Joe carefully separated the daily eggs for the orders, and poured the milk into containers for the day's deliveries. John and Helen helped with the milking in the morning and before they did their homework in the evenings. All except John walked the short distance down Orient Drive to Kelso Road where they only had a few feet to walk to the school, which sat close behind the store. John walked with his brothers and sisters and waited for the school bus to take him to the high school with the other teenagers who stood on the corner of Kelso Road and Orient Drive.

  Anna was delighted that her children were all good students, as she had started their education for them from a young age, and insisted that they read to each other as often as possible. After Anna arrived at her new home, a big cloud seemed to lift from her and she quit having nightmares. She made friends with the neighbors on both sides, and made it a point to get to know her children's teachers. As the Kelso School was only a two room schoolhouse that meant she only had to get to know two teachers. Her children's education was very important to her, as her parents had instilled the importance of learning to her at a very young age. That was why she and her sisters had taken up the teaching profession.

  George worked hard on the dairy and was proud of the success it was. They would never get rich on their small farm, but they were making a living and enjoying life. Everything was going smoothly for them and life was good.

  In Eastern Oregon, John and Mary Troy wrote to their daughter and her family often, but missed hearing their laughing grandchildren and their oldest daughter. As they were aging, their daughters were taking over much of the running of the ranch. Steve had met a girl name Laura when her parents visited Durkee, and the family had attended a barbeque there. She lived in Portland, so he took the train once a month to visit her. John and Mary were seventy-one and sixty-five, and their daughters, Fan and Zee, were in their thirties and ready and able to take over. Neither of the women had found anyone that they were interested in marrying and both loved their life on the ranch.

  "Mama, Da, now that we have taken over much of the hard work on the ranch, we think it is time you two took some time off and went to visit Anna and George and the children. Zee and I can do anything that needs to be done, so why don't you take a trip and enjoy life. You have both worked hard all of your life, it is your turn to have some fun."

  "Fan, I don't know what I would do with me self if I wasn't working." Mary said.

  "Mama, you can still do your sewing, embroidering, and knitting. You don't need to churn the butter and do the hard chores that you've been doing for so long."

  "Yes, Mama, why don't you and Da take a few days off and take a trip over the mountains? I'm sure Anna and the children would love to see you. Isn't Helen graduating from the Eighth Grade in June? You two should go over for that."

  The Troys had just finished breakfast and were enjoying a cup of tea like they always did before they started their daily chores.

  "What do ye think about that, John? Do ye think ye could drive all the way over there and back?"

  "I do, Mary. I know the roads are much better than when Steve and I drove the family over when they made the big move, and I heard that Highway 30 has been improved so much that it is a much quicker drive these days. I imagine we could get there in about seven hours. Why don't ye write to Anna and see what they think about us coming over to visit for a few days?"

  "I think I might do that. Are ye sure ye girls can handle things while we are gone?"

  "Yes, Mama, I'm sure. We've been doing most everything these days anyway."

  Th
ey got a letter back right away from Anna, begging them to please come, saying that they would be so very happy to see them. George and Anna had come over once to see her parents since they had moved away, and had stayed only a week. Anna missed her family very much.

  Jude was still working at the hotel, but he didn't know how much longer he could stay there, without the owner finding out that he had been taking money out of the coffers at least once a week. He needed to save some money so that he could follow the Hempe's trail to Sandy, Oregon. Jude knew he would need some money to make the trip and to pay his way, until he figured out how to get a hold of the saddle.

  His pay at the hotel was barely enough to cover his meals and to pay for keeping his horse in the stable. He hadn't gotten a raise since he started. His room was free, but he thought he deserved more money. There was hardly enough extra to have a couple of beers once a week, and if he got into a poker game and lost some money he was lucky enough to have enough money to buy food. It was easy to just not write down in the ledger some of the money that he took in during the week. The owner never really looked in depths at the books. Usually, it was just money customers gave him for extras, like newspapers, or the candy and cigarettes they stocked behind the counter. The owner would just ask him to count the stock once in a while and never really paid much attention, so he would just put the inventory at what it should have been, not what it was. First he was taking a dollar a week, and now he was up to three dollars a week. It had been so easy he couldn't believe it. He just put the extra money in a sock in his drawer and didn't spend it. He had over a hundred dollars saved so far, as he knew he would need food and supplies for his horse until he got there. His plans were to bide his time finding the saddle, and to look for a job and to stay a while before pulling off the theft of the saddle.

  The money Jude had earned in his ventures into the cattle rustling business had gone quickly. He enjoyed playing poker and although he won at first, he eventually lost and he lost big. When he found Sam's savings in his room, he realized that Sam's money hadn't lasted long either. After his big loss at poker, Jude quit gambling and only spent his free time drinking. He tried to get others to buy his drinks for him so he could save some money. His plans were to head west by the beginning of 1924, or sooner, if the hotel owner started suspecting him of stealing money. Right now his boss thought he was very trustworthy as he was so good at hiding what he was doing. But he couldn't wait to get out of here and to find the Hempes and that saddle they were hiding.

  George, Anna, and their children were delighted to hear that the Troys were coming to see them. Everyone worked hard the week before their expected arrival. Anna cleaned the house and washed all of the family's clothes, so she wouldn't have to do that while they were visiting. She made more butter than usual, so she could spend more time with her parents. The children would still be going to school for a few days while they were there, but they would be out of school the last three days of the Troys' planned stay.

  When their grandparents arrived, all six of the children were standing out by the road watching for their truck to arrive. When they saw the vehicle they all jumped up and down with joy. Mary's last letter had told them they planned to be there by five o'clock in the evening. They didn't arrive until six but the children didn't mind waiting.

  "Grandma, Grandpa, we have been waiting all day for you to come."

  The children squealed, as they followed the truck down the long driveway to the house, and practically carried their grandparents into the house.

  "Mama, I'm so happy to see you!" Anna was at the stove checking on the fried chicken to make sure it was not too done. She put down the pot holder and hugged her mother and father.

  "Anna, ye look wonderful!" Mary said. "Ye look nice and healthy, with color in yer cheeks, and ye've put on a little weight."

  "Yes, and without any particular reason for it."

  They all laughed, as she gave her father a big hug.

  "It is wonderful to see ye, me beautiful daughter."

  George came in the back door drying his hands on an old towel.

  "Mary, John, I am so glad you could come and visit us. How was the drive over?"

  "Certainly better than the first drive I took here. The roads are much better, and there are more gas stations. We got started a little later than we planned, as a new colt arrived a little early."

  "That is always exciting. We only have four horses now and are not expecting any new ones, since they are three mares and a gelding."

  Anna said, "Dinner is ready, so everyone have a seat."

  George had spent a little of their savings at the new furniture store in Sandy, buying a nice big table with eight chairs that filled up their small dining area. As there were ten of them, they used two of the old chairs that they used at their kitchen table.

  "This looks delicious, Anna." John Troy licked his lips as he took a drumstick off of the plate of chicken and passed the plate to his right. Anna handed him the bowl of mashed potatoes, and he took a nice big spoonful and passed it on. He added the fresh green beans, chicken gravy, and a biscuit and his plate was full. Anna poured everyone a glass of lemonade and then sat down to eat.

  "Don't forget the blessing." Helen said.

  "Of course not, Helen, why don't you lead the prayer tonight?" Her father suggested.

  "Bless us oh Lord, in these thy gifts, which we are about to receive, from thy bounty through Christ, our Lord. Amen. And thank you, Jesus, for blessing us with a wonderful visit from our grandparents."

  "That was lovely, Helen. Thank you!" Mary Troy smiled at her oldest granddaughter.

  "We will take you to St. Michaels for mass with us on Sunday if that is okay. I would like to sit by you Grandma."

  "Of course, Helen, we planned on going with ye."

  "Father Phillips usually comes over in the afternoon for an early supper and a game of cards too. Hope you don't mind. He is a nice man."

  "I think that would be lovely. What kind of cards do ye play with him?"

  "We usually play cribbage or pinochle. Helen and I get to play with Pa and Father Phillips while Mama fixes supper. We are the only ones who can play cards really well. Maybe you and Grandpa can play with them this time." John answered his grandmother. "Sometimes we play poker, but not for money."

  "That's because we don't have any." Helen added.

  Everyone laughed, and the family enjoyed their meal and settled in for a lovely visit. Mary and John slept in Helen and Little Mary's beds and the two girls slept on the sofa while their grandparents were there. They had a wonderful time with Father Phillips on Sunday. On Saturday, the day before, the family had loaded up in the two vehicles and took a ride down to Roslyn Lake for the day. Everyone had a wonderful time as the children swam in the manmade shallow lake with the sandy bottom. Everyone had a great time as the weather was warm. They spent the entire day and ate the picnic lunch that Anna had prepared. They were exhausted and a little sun burned at the end of the day, but the family was laughing and giggling all the way home.

  The week went too fast for all of them, and they were sad to say goodbye when the week was over. The children wore out their grandparents, who were thrilled to be worn out. They stood in the driveway waving as their grandparents drove down the long driveway on their way back to their ranch in Eastern Oregon.

  Life in their new home had been so wonderful for so many years that when their luck turned the first part of 1924, the family could hardly deal with the circumstances.

  Christmas of 1923 was a great time for everyone. The children each had two presents under the five foot tree in their living room, and there were presents from the Troys there too. 1924 started off well, and it wasn't until the middle of February that everything started to go wrong.

  The kids were playing "Annie-Annie-Over", which was a game that the children loved and played often. They used an old tennis ball and threw it back and forth over the garage as it was the smallest building with the lowest roof on the proper
ty. They usually played with three of the children on one side of the garage, and the other three on the other side, and they would throw the ball from one side to the other, taking turns in catching the ball on each side. The only problem they had was that the ball would sometimes get stuck in the gutter and someone would have to climb on the roof to retrieve the ball. One day it kept getting caught up on the roof, so Bert offered to go up and swat it over. John, Mary, and George were on one side of the garage, and Helen and Joe were on the other, while Bert straddled the roof. The children were laughing and giggling and enjoying the game, when Bert reached over too far to hit the ball and lost his balance, tumbled off of the roof, and hit the hard ground with a loud crack.

  "Owwww!" Bert started crying after he landed, and Helen ran out to the barn to get her father, while Joe went into the house to get their mother. John, Mary, and Georgie stayed by their brother trying to comfort him.

  George came running from the barn and got there at the same time that Anna did. They both knew his leg was broken the minute they saw the way it was turned underneath him.

  "Oh no, Bert, what happened?" Anna asked.

  "We were playing 'Annie-Annie-Over'." Helen spoke first. "The ball kept getting stuck on the roof, so Bert was on top of the roof and hitting it over each time and retrieving it if it got stuck. He reached too far over to get the ball, and he fell off. I'm sorry, Mama." She started crying almost as loud as Bert was, and then all of them were crying.

  "I will take him to the hospital." George said. "You kids are going to have to milk the cows and feed them while I am gone."