“You will,” I said, doin’ my best to hide my smile.
She looked at me.
“I meet many new people today, Roo-bin. One lady stayed at the store talking with Miz Darlene an’ Miz Nora for long time. She spoke with me and was nice and kind. She wants very much to meet you.”
“She wants to meet me?” I asked her.
“Very yes,” Miss Lotus said. “She would like for you to visit her house tomorrow morning at ten o’crock. She would also like for Ma-re-on and Ho-ma to visit with her, too.”
What she tolt me made me some confused, I reckon.
“What’s she want to talk to us for, do ya know?”
“Miz Darlene talk to her for long time. Tell her what you marshals have done for me, an’ where I come from. She got very angry after she hear the story and want me to give you her words.”
She pulled a piece a paper outa her sleeve an’ handed it to me. It was thick an’ of heavy stock. I unfolded it, took a peek, an’ read it out loud.
“My Dear Marshal Beeler,
I find this young woman to be exceptional. I also find that what you and Marshal Poteet and Marshal Daniels have done for her to be equally exceptional. After speaking with her, I know a bit of her history and what she has been through. I have been told that this is not an uncommon happening for young Chinese women. This is a deplorable situation, sir. More than that, it is disgusting. If it is convenient for you, and perhaps the other marshals also, I would be pleased if you could come by my home at about ten o’clock tomorrow morning for brunch so that we might discuss the situation that has brought Miss Lotus into our lives. My residence is known as the Jervis House. Almost anyone can give you directions on how to get here. I hope to see you tomorrow in the morning.
Sincerely,
Fannie Marie Hopeshell Jervis.”
After I finished readin’ the note, I just sorta set there with nothin’ to say. I was kindly took aback, to tell the truth. Homer spoke up.
“The Jervis House?” he said.
“That’s what she wrote,” I tolt him.
“Well hell, Boy,” he said. “That’s the place we was at today with that terrible big Nigra feller. You gonna be able to control yer fear if we go back out that way?”
“I doan know,” I tolt him. “I’m kindly startin’ to shiver quite a bit just thinkin’ about it.”
Marion chuckled some. “Boys,” he said, “I ain’t terrible sure what we’re gittin’ ourselves into here, but it oughta be some interestin’.
“You are going to see this lady?” Miss Lotus asked.
“Yes we are,” I tolt her. “We’re some curious about what she’s got on her mind an’ why she wants to talk to us.”
Miss Lotus smiled real big.
“I get you fresh coffee,” she said.
“Not right now,” Homer said, standin’ up. “I’m fixin’ to git to that barber shop for a cut, a shave, an’ a bath. I speck Marion an’ Ruben’ll wanna come along.”
Me an’ Marion both got to our feet an’ headed into the house to git some clean clothes. Miss Lotus come along beside me an’ give me a little hug around my arm.
We all gathered up our necessaries an’ headed on down the way for about a eight block hike. We was near halfway there when Homer spoke up.
“Glad we’re all gittin’ cleaned up,” he said.
“Now why is that, Marshal Poteet?” Marion asked him.
“I wanna look my best for the undertaker in case ol’ Rube pisses that Carlton monster off.”
Marion laughed but I didn’t say nothin’. My mouth was kindly dry.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
I didn’t sleep over well that night. That message sent to us by the lady in that big ol’ house had me some et up with curiosity, I reckon. It just seemed strange to me that a woman with four names like she had an’ that was livin’ in that big ol’ house with a bodyguard that made Marshal Marion Daniels look some puny, had sent Miss Lotus back with a note sayin’ she wanted to talk to us about somethin’. Lookin’ at her place an’ all, that lady had to be rich. I never had nothin’ to do with no rich folks except for that Treadstone fella we done for over in Calico County, an’ that was not what anybody could call enjoyable. Plus, we warn’t gonna have no breakfast or dinner. We was gonna eat some brunch.
I got dressed in clean clothes an’ was settin’ in a rockin’ chair about a hour after daybreak lookin’ at a cloudy sky when Marion come out on the porch carryin’ two cups a coffee an’ took a set. He put a cup on the little table by my chair an’ studied on me a mite.
“Ruben,” he said, “are ya alright?”
“I’m fine,” I tolt him.
He shook his head.
“No ya ain’t, boy. What’s goin’ on in yer mind?”
I set for a minute, kindly thinkin’ things over.
“You worried about our meetin’ with that Fannie Marie woman this mornin’ or somethin’, Ruben?”
“I ain’t exactly worried about it,” I tolt him. “I just doan know nothin’ about rich folks, except that Treadstone fella.”
Marion smiled.
“This ain’t him,” he said.
“Well, I know that,” I said.
“No ya don’t, and that’s what’s eatin’ atcha. This lady ain’t Treadstone, Ruben. Probably ain’t nothin’ like him. I know some folks in the guvment that are wealthy. True, they is concerned about money because a who they are and the way they have come up through life, but that don’t mean they is evil folks. They just live in a little different world that the rest of us. That kinda life don’t make ‘em bad, and it don’t make ‘em good. It just makes ‘em.”
I took a drink a my coffee.
“I speck yer right,” I said. “I just kindly feel like my cinch is loose or somethin.”
The door opened then an’ Homer come out on the porch carryin’ a cup a coffee. He was limpin’ more than was usual for him. Marion took notice.
“You alright are ya Homer?” he said.
“You a doctor or somethin’, ya ol’ cob?”
“Walk a little too much yesterday, did ya? You look like yer in some pain.”
“I’m gittin a Marion Daniels pain in my ass,” Homer said. “You wanna take a peek an’ come up with a more accurate diagnosis?”
Marion grinned.
“I doan know about no diagnosis, but I do have a treatment. In a little while, me and Ruben will hike over to the livery, saddle up our three horses, and come back here to git ya afore we go over to visit with the rich lady. That’ll keep you offa your feet some an’ git you in a better mood. You seem a little grouchy today.”
“I can make the walk,” Homer said.
“I know ya can, Honey,” Marion said, “but today ya doan have to. Me and Ruben will save ya from yerself.”
Homer studied on the street for a minute afore he spoke up.
“’Preciate it,” he said.
“Born to do it,” Marion tolt him, an’ walked off around the house to git to the privy, I guess.
I set there grinnin’ quite a bit, but I didn’t say nothin’. A couple a minutes later, Miss Lotus come out with some fresh coffee for us. She was wearin’ that new pink dress an’ the real shoes them ladies had give her an’ looked some smart.
“Doan you look nice in yer new clothes,” I said. She blushed a little an’ smiled.
“Thank you Roo-bin,” she said. “They are going to have more for me today. You go to meet Miss Jervis this morning?”
“We do in two or three hours,” I tolt her. “That alright with you, is it?”
“Very yes,” she said, an’ topped off my coffee. “She is a very nice lady, even when she is angry.” After she poured some for Homer, he smiled at her.
“A peek at you,” he said, “is about like lookin’ at a cloudless sunrise. I’m some proud of ya, Lotus.”
She give him a little bow, an’ went back inside. Homer smiled an’ then shook his head.
“We’re likely to be steppin’ in s
omethin’ purty deep here, Marshal Beeler,” he tolt me.
I give him a nod, but I didn’t have nothin’ to say.
Marion come back in a few minutes lookin’ a little restless.
“We’re burnin’ daylight, Ruben,’ he said. “Let’s throw our feet and go git them horses.”
I stood up, stretched a bit, an’ the two of us struck off walkin’ toward the livery. I was some glad I had took Willie out the day afore. He wodden have so many feathers in his feet.
The clouds was fair thick by the time we got over to the stable. Mister Milner was there with one a his helpers. They was cleanin’ out stalls an’ scatterin’ some new sawdust around.
“Two days in a row for you, Marshal Beeler,” he said, “an’ I see ya brung Marshal Daniels with ya this time.”
“Me an’ Homer try to let him out as much as we can,” I said, “but never without some adult company to keep him under control as much as possible.”
That kindly tickled both him an’ Marion.
“We need all three horses this mornin’,” Marion said. “Have they been fed?”
“Right at daybreak,” Mister Milner replied. “A nice mash a oats an’ molasses an’ a couple a forks a alfalfa. They’s three horses an’ three a us. Let’s git ‘em out boys, an’ put ‘em under leather.”
Homer was still settin’ on the porch when we got back, jawin’ with Mister Rafferty. We pulled up out front. Marion looked at his pocket watch an’ spoke up.
“Near eight-thirty,” he said. “Let’s git these nags throwin’ their feet. Either one a you two know how to git where we’re goin’?”
“I reckon between me an’ Homer we can figger it out,” I said.
Homer come down the steps then an’ commenced to adjustin’ the set of his saddle an’ tightened the cinch some.
“Glad to see you boys brung the slickers with ya,” Homer said, lookin’ up at the sky.
“Figgerd we should,” Marion tolt him. “Might rain.”
“Might not,” Homer said, then took to his saddle an’ turned his horse away.
Marion an’ me fell in behind him, grinnin’ at each other. Even if we was in a town, it felt some good to be back on a trail.
CHAPTER THIRTY
We found that big ol’ house agin’ with little trouble, but it warn’t more than half-past nine o’clock when we seen it a little ways in the distance. We went ahead on an’ kilt some time, ridin’ around the area an’ lookin’ things over for a spell so we wodden be too early. At just a little afore ten, we come back to it, rode up the lane, an’ tied off the horses at a rail on the west side of the house. The clouds had lossened up quite a bit an’ the sun was pokin’ through when we clumb the steps up to the porch. I was some nervous, to tell ya the truth. Marion knocked on the door. In just a second or two, it opened up an’ that big black fella by the name a Carlton stood there lookin’ down at us. After he noticed Homer an’ me, he smiled.
“Good morning, gentlemen,” he said. “Welcome to the Jervis House. Please come in. Miz Jervis is happy you could come by. Just follow me.”
He led the three of us, hats in hand, past the livin’ space an’ down a hall a ways ‘til we come to a room on the southwest corner of the house that was near all windas on both them outside walls. They was a fair size table made a maple settin’ in the middle of the space, an’ a lady around fifty, or a little more,
in a black dress with a white an’ kindly floppy collar on it. She was settin’ in a chair an’ stood up once we come in.
“I see Lotus delivered my message,” she said, smilin’ a little an’ lookin’ at Marion. “You would be Marshal Marion Daniels,” she went on. “Next to you is Marshal Homer Poteet, and finally we have Marshal Ruben Beeler. You men were well described to me by Miss Lotus. She holds all of you in very high esteem. Please sit. I am Fannie Marie Hopeshell Jervis. I sincerely thank you men for dropping by this morning.”
“It’s our pleasure Miz Jervis,” Marion said. “Miss Lotus was impressed by you quite a bit. She tolt us that the talk you and she had got you some upset.”
It was then that Carlton come back in totin’ a big tray with a bowl a scrambled eggs, a plate of thin cut an’ fried pork loin, a stack a pancakes, an’ a pitcher a maple syrup.
“Please call me Marie,” she said, “and let’s eat before we talk about serious things.”
I’ll tell you what. Them eggs had tiny pieces a fried potaters mixed up in ‘em along with a little bit a dried an’ chopped dill. Them thin slices a pork loin had been fried in lard ‘til they was some crisp around the edges, an’ them pancakes had cinnamon in the batter an’ was terrible good with that maple syrup. Not only that, but the coffee was of the same batch that I had in the notions shop. It was as good a breakfast as I had ever run across. The three of us kindly tore into it with some enthusiasm. Miz Marie smiled quite a bit over her eggs an’ pancakes. Eventually, we was near cast in our stalls from it, an’ eatin’ slowed down to just drinkin’ some more a that wonderful coffee.
“M’am,” Marion said, “that was as fine a meal as I have ever et.”
Me an’ Homer jumped in an’ agreed with him just as Carlton come in an’ took our plates an’ what little food what was left away.
“There are four of us living in this house,” Miz Marie said. “Carlton is my Majordomo, his wife, Sally, is the cook, and Carlton’s younger sister, Cindy, is my housekeeper. They are wonderful people and have been with me for about ten years.”
“This is a purty impressive place you got here, M’am,” Marion tolt her.
Miz Marie smiled.
“This place is a monstrosity,” she said. “It has two living rooms, a library, this sun room, a kitchen and a dining room on this level, and a total of nine bedrooms on the second floor, each quite spacious and six of which are not in use, plus four finished and unused rooms in the attic. My husband, Wilson Carl Jervis, built it shortly after we came here. He passed over ten years ago and left me with this castle. It is much more than any reasonable person would ever need, but I hesitate to leave it.”
“If ya don’t mind me askin’, M’am,” Homer said, “what brung ya to Sioux Falls?”
“Wilson was a businessman; a construction contractor to be more precise, and a genius when it came to creating new concepts. We met in Chicago back when the city first started putting in streetlights. Wilson had the contract for about forty percent of that work. He also was vital when the first telephone system was installed there. He made a large sum of money during those years. But Chicago got too big for both of us, so Wilson brought us out here for work on the gaslight installation and the telephone system, and then even the electrical project out by the falls. He was amazing in finding new ways to build and outstanding at creating simple solutions for complicated problems. He was a brilliant man with incredible energy.”
“I’m sorry for yer loss, M’am,” I tolt her.
She smiled at me.
“Thank you, Marshal Beeler, but it was not an unexpected event. Wilson was twenty-two years older than I. To tell you men the truth, I have been feeling a little useless for the past few years. Meeting Miss Lotus has possibly brought some usefulness back into my life.” ”
“Miss Lotus shore seems to have took a shine to ya,” Homer said.
She smiled.
“That, Marshall Poteet, works both ways; and it is what has brought us together this morning. What Lotus has gone through is a disgrace, gentlemen. From what she has told me, hundreds and hundreds of young Chinese females have been imported into this country and sold as if they were not even human, only to be sold again into slavery and prostitution. Many of them die from misuse while still very young. Gentlemen, I am aware of the futility of attempting to totally stop this terrible situation as it currently is, but I must do what I can for whom I can. And that is why I have called you men to the Jervis House today.”
Marion spoke up then.
“What is it we can do for you, M’am?”
“Yo
u can find out where Lotus was purchased before she came here and then escort me to that location where I can buy whatever young women who are still being held there. Lotus says there may be as many as ten girls imprisoned in that terrible place.”
“That’s what she has told us, M’am,” Marion said. “Suppose we manage to do that. What are you going to do with a mess a young girls that can’t even speak English?”
“Teach them, sir,” she said. “I have plenty of room for several of the poor girls, and I have sent a telegram to my old cook in Chicago. I have no doubt she will gladly relocate to Sioux Falls. She would have come here with us when Wilson and I made the move, but she stayed to help her father who was in bad health. She will be a full-time cook for the young women and live here in the house. Lotus has also agreed to come live in my home to help in soothing these children, teaching them English and such, and helping them find their way in a different country and civilization. For that, she will be nicely compensated in addition to free room and board. She can even continue her employment at the notions shop should she care to and if she has time. Last evening, I spoke with some of the staff at Sioux Falls University; and they are interested in assisting my venture as the girls adjust and come to grow in their new location. These young women need some kindness in their lives, gentlemen. Some kindness and understanding. From what Lotus has told me, these girls are treated in a manner not suitable for cheap livestock. I know I cannot correct the entire problem, but with help from you men I can at least bring relief to some of the victims.”
“That’s terrible good of ya, M’am,” I tolt her. She smiled.
“My motives are not without personal greed, Marshal Beeler,” she said. “At this point in time my life lacks purpose. These young women can repair that. I have no illusions. This is as much for me as it is for them. Do you know where Lotus was purchased by the man who brought her here?”
Dakota Trail Page 13
