Grace's Dream

by Agnes Alexander

  He quickly buttoned his shirt. “No, I don’t Hal, but let me get my hat and I’ll go with you to look for her.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  As they went down the steps, Lance asked, “Do you think she could’ve taken a room at the hotel?”

  “She might have. She was sure mad enough at me and her mama to do so.”

  Lance didn’t ask why Juliette was mad at her parents. “Why don’t you go check the hotel? I’ll look up and down the street. We’ll meet back in front of Brown’s in fifteen minutes.”

  Hal nodded and hurried toward the hotel.

  Lance couldn’t help being a little concerned. He knew how unpredictable Juliette was, but he agreed with Hal. No woman should be out on the streets alone this time of the evening. The only people out were usually at the saloon or sitting on their porches if they hadn’t gone to bed. He wondered if his being so rough with Juliette had made her do something foolish.

  On impulse, he went into the Wildcat Saloon. The bar tender nodded to him. “What can I get for you, Sheriff?”

  “Just have a question tonight, Ned.” The bartender nodded and Lance went on, “It seems Juliette Cramer has disappeared. Wouldn’t happen to have seen her, would you?”

  Ned shook his head. “Do you really think somebody as stuck-up as that Cramer dame would dare come into an establishment like this?”

  “Not really, but she has to be somewhere.”

  “Hey, Sheriff,” a man’s voice called to him.

  Lance turned and recognized Ward Kyler, the foreman at the Circle 2 ranch. He worked both the section that Curt Allison ran and the larger portion that Jed Wainwright was over. Kyler was sitting with a couple of other hands that looked familiar. He also noticed Nelson Parnell was at another table with four other men.

  The gambler listened, but offered no help. Lance turned back to Kyler’s table. “Yeah, Ward.”

  “Elton here might know something about that Cramer gal.”

  Lance walked over to the table where the men were playing cards and nursing beers. “I’d appreciate anything you can tell me.”

  “I’m not shore if it’ll help or not, but I seen a young woman running down the street about supper time.”

  “Which way did she go?”

  “She run around the corner past the hotel.”

  “Did you happen to see what color of dress she was wearing?” Lance remembered distinctly Juliette had on a green dress when she came to his office. He remembered thinking at the time that it would look much better on Grace.

  “I weren’t payin’ much attention, but I do remember it flying out behind her. It could’ve been blue or green. I know it weren’t red or yeller. I would’ve remembered that.”

  Lance nodded. “Well men, I may be getting a posse ready in a little while, if anyone is interested.”

  Ward threw down his cards. “Count me in. I don’t like the idea of some woman disappearing unless she wants to.”

  “I can’t see prissy Juliette Cramer going anywhere she don’t want to,” Andy Brown spoke for the first time. He also dropped his cards. “I’ll go with you, too.”

  “Good. You boys hold tight. I’m going to meet up with Hal Cramer in front of the mercantile. He was checking to see if Juliette decided to stay at the hotel. If she didn’t, we’ll try to check anywhere else in town she might be.”

  Ward stood and adjusted his hat. “We might as well go with you and see what Cramer found out. We can always come back and finish the game.”

  Hal looked surprised when Lance walked up in front of Brown’s Mercantile followed by three men. “What’s going on?”

  Lance ignored his question and asked, “Was she at the hotel?”

  He shook his head. “Frank said she hadn’t been there. He even went and asked Grace and his family if they’d seen her, but none of them had.”

  “Then, Hal, we’re going to split up and check some places she could be.” He turned back to the posse. “Eldon, why don’t you go see if she hid herself in the church. Andy can see if she’s staying with Wilma Lawson in her apartment above the Mercantile.”

  “Why don’t I go check with Doc Wagner? He might know something.” Ward Kyler suggested.

  “That’s a good idea. Hal and I’ll go check Mrs. Witherspoon’s Boarding House. There’s a chance she went out there.”

  Hal looked at the men. “Thank you for your help.”

  “Glad to do it, Mr. Cramer,” Ward said. “Okay, boys let’s get going.”

  When Lance and Hal got to the boarding house, the lights were still on in the lobby. The door was locked, but they could see Mrs. Witherspoon behind the desk. Lance knocked on the door.

  Mrs. Witherspoon opened it and grinned. “I bet you’ve come for your daughter, haven’t you Mr. Cramer?”

  “Then she’s here?” Hal said.

  “She is. She was hoping you and the sheriff would come looking for her. I told her I’d get her if you showed up.”

  In a matter of minutes Juliette came into the lobby smiling. “I knew you didn’t mean those awful things you said to me today, Lance.”

  “I meant every work, Juliette.”

  She batted her eyes at him. “He doesn’t mean it, does he, Daddy?”

  “Well, whether he means it or not, I’m taking you home. Your mother is all upset and I have to let her see you’re all right.”

  “Couldn’t Lance take me home?”

  “You’re going with your father, Juliette. I have other things to do besides put up with your foolishness.” He tuned to Hal. “I’ll let the others know she’s all right.”

  “Thank you, Lance.”

  Lance didn’t answer. He was too furious. Apparently the things he’d told her earlier hadn’t sunk in after all.

  Chapter 14

  After dinner the next day Grace replaced the soiled green tablecloths with clean blue ones in the hotel dining room. For some reason the dinner crowd had been messier than usual. Well, not all of them. When Reverend Ellsworth and his mother left, their table was in the pristine condition in which they’d found it when they first sat down to eat. Mr. Danforth’s place was also neat and clean. That sure wasn’t the case where the group of cowboys who had come in from one of the neighboring ranches had gobbled down their dinner. She wondered if the stains would ever come out of the material from their table.

  Though it didn’t really matter if the tablecloths were dirty or clean, Henrietta Olsen insisted all customers’ tables be changed after each meal. And when they had to change colors of the cloths, even the unused tables were reset. Grace had never asked her why they didn’t use the same color all the time. Maybe she’d ask her one day.

  Grace had just put the last cloth on the table near the entrance and stepped back to see if the dining room looked ready for the late afternoon and supper crowd. The door opened and Juliette came breezing in. Grace must have frowned, because Juliette said, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to eat. I know the dining room is open, but doesn’t start serving supper this early in the day.”

  Then why are you here, Grace wanted to ask her, but didn’t. She knew Juliette would tell her soon enough.

  “I just came by to let you know I’m fine.”

  Grace raised an eyebrow and looked confused. “Why did you suppose I wouldn’t think you were all right?”

  “After my harrowing experience of last night, of course.”

  “Oh, you mean when you ran away?”

  She stuck her nose in the air. “How did you know I ran away?”

  “Everybody was talking about it today.” She couldn’t help adding. “Most people thought it was a stupid thing for you to do.”

  Juliette stuck her nose in the air. “Well, I was upset.”

  Though she wanted to shout at the woman, Grace kept her voice even. “We all get upset at times, Juliette, but we don’t all have the luxury of running away when it happens.”

  “For your information, I know Lance was upset because I was gone, but he found me. Did you
know that?”

  “I heard your father came to Mrs. Witherspoon’s Boarding House and took you home.”

  Juliette ignored her and said, “Lance was such a hero. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to me.”

  “Oh course not. That’s his job. He’s hired to make sure nobody in this town is harmed if it’s in his power to stop it. You were no different than any other person.”

  “You’re wrong. I’m sure since it was me, he was especially determined to find me. I know he only said those things about not wanting to marry me yesterday to keep you from being upset. I’m sure he would’ve agreed to marry me if you hadn’t been there. He didn’t want to hurt your feelings since you’re crippled.”

  Grace shook her head. “Nothing he said to you yesterday sank in, did it?”

  Juliette flipped her head back. “I just told you, he only said it because you were there.”

  “That’s not so and you know it.”

  “It is, too, so. You think he’s in love with you, Grace Hunter, but he’s not. He only feels sorry for you just like every other man in Settlers Ridge does. I know you use your crippled foot to gain their sympathy.” She put her hands on her hips and glared at Grace. “Well, next time Lance says something nice to you, you’ve got to realize he’d never say it if he didn’t pity you. He’s the kind of man that feels sorry for the people who are not normal and you’re certainly not. Therefore, he’d never fall in love with you.”

  It crossed Grace’s mind that Juliette was probably right, but she wouldn’t let the woman see that she agreed with her. She stood with her back straight and looked the woman in the eye. “Juliette, the dining room isn’t serving supper, but if you want to order something from the dinner leftovers, I’ll serve you. Or if you choose, you can come back later and order off the supper menu. Feel free to do either. Otherwise, get out of here. I don’t want to see your face or hear your silly remarks any longer.”

  Juliette looked at Grace as if she could hit her, but as she often did, she stuck her nose in the air, flipped around and slammed the glass door as she marched out.

  Grace shook her head and wondered if this girl would ever give up her pursuit of Lance. Not that Grace could have him, but she sure didn’t want to see the man she’d always cared about end up with a woman like Juliette. She sighed and turned toward the kitchen, then stopped abruptly.

  Lance stood in the kitchen door watching her. He had a big grin on his face. “You handled that well.”

  She couldn’t help smiling at him. “With no help from you, I must say.”

  “I was afraid to butt in. That woman scares me. If I thought all women were like her, I’d swear off the female race forever.”

  She walked toward him. “Well, it’s fortunate for you that they’re not all that bad, so you don’t have to give up women.”

  He dropped his arm around her shoulder when she reached him. “I know for sure, you’re not that way. So we don’t have to stop being friends.”

  “Are you saying that because you feel sorry for me?”

  “Why should I feel sorry for you? You’re not the only one in Settlers Ridge who has had to put up with the foolish things Juliette says.”

  She punched him gently in the stomach. “At least you could’ve come out and helped me defend your good name.”

  “Why? You didn’t help me yesterday. Besides you were doing just fine. Anyway, I’m afraid she might have done or said something so bizarre that I’d have to jail her. Then I’d be the one to have to listen to her foolishness until I let her out.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Now, that’s enough about Miss Cramer, let me tell you why I’m here.”

  “I hope it wasn’t because you wanted something to eat. It’s too late for dinner and I think we almost sold out. Of course knowing Effie, she’d feed you anyway. I think she wants to adopt you.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Adopting me wouldn’t be a bad idea. I could have all the good food I want if she was my new mama.”

  Grace laughed. “You silly man. Do you want something to eat?”

  “I didn’t come to eat. I came to get you.”

  She gave him a puzzled look. “To get me?”

  “Yep. I need to go out to the Circle 2 to discuss something with Jed Wainwright. I know you have Wednesday afternoon off and I thought you’d like to come with me.”

  “I’m not sure…”

  “Come on, Grace. I’d like the company, and I know you’d enjoy visiting with Amelia.”

  She didn’t hesitate long. “All right, I’ll go with you, but I have to change into my riding clothes.”

  “Then go get changed, and I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  “The kitchen?”

  “Sure. Effie promised me a cup of coffee while I wait for you, and I couldn’t turn that down.”

  “So, you expected me to accept your invitation?”

  “Of course. Now, scoot and get ready.”

  She hurried down the hall. I should have refused his invitation. I haven’t had any dinner yet, and I’m a little hungry. I was going to get something when I went to the kitchen, but I won’t stave. I’m sure Amelia will serve something when I get to the ranch. She grinned. Why am I lying to myself? Being with Lance is much more important to me than eating.

  Dropping her uniform skirt and shirt on the bed in her room, she pulled on her buckskin riding skirt and a white blouse. She decided to forgo the corset because it wasn’t comfortable riding. Besides, Lance probably wouldn’t notice. She laced up her boots, got her gloves and a bandana out of the drawer and her hat from the peg where she kept it. Giving a quick touch up to her hair and biting her lips to give them a little color she stepped into the hall. She couldn’t help thinking about Juliette. I wonder what she’d say if she knew I was heading out of town with Lance. Of course, I don’t care. I know he and I are just friends, and I don’t expect we’ll ever be anything else. Besides he’s right about one thing. I’ll enjoy visiting with Amelia and playing with that precious baby of hers.

  Going back into the kitchen, she saw Lance at the worktable drinking coffee. “When you finish, I’m ready.”

  He put his cup down and stood. “And I must say you look pretty.”

  Effie shook her head. “That boy is so full of blarney I’m beginning to think he has some Irish in him.”

  “I think you’re right, Effie.”

  “All right, you two. It’s not fair if you both get on to me at one time.” He took Grace’s arm. “Let’s get out of here before Miss Effie runs us both off.”

  “You two go on and have a good time.”

  “I always have a good time when I visit Amelia, Effie.”

  Effie ignored her and turned back to the big pot on the stove.

  “I’ll need to go to the livery and get a horse.”

  “I’ve already got you a horse.”

  Outside, Lance ushered her to the rented horse and helped her mount. In a few minutes, they rode away side by side.

  * * * *

  The bell over Brown’s rang and Wilma looked up surprised to see a stranger dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and derby hat walk in. Usually in the middle of the week only locals came into the mercantile unless the stage had stopped and an easterner walked in for a snack or just to look around. The stage hadn’t arrived today. “Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

  “Are you Miss Wilma Lawson?”

  “I am.”

  “I’m Virgil Danforth, Miss Lawson. The sheriff told me to come see you or Stanley Brown. He said either of you could fit me up in clothes that wouldn’t brand me as a tenderfoot.”

  Wilma smiled. “Stanley Brown is not here at the moment, but I’ll be glad to help you. What exactly are you looking for?”

  “Lance suggested I dress like a working cowboy. I leave it to you as to what that means.”

  She came out from behind the counter. “Well, we can sure do that. We dress most of the cowboys around here. That is, when what they have wears so thin they can’t add any more patches to c
over their hides.”

  Virgil laughed. “I don’t think I’ll wear my clothes that long.”

  “That sounds good. Come this way.”

  He followed her to a table where she pointed out stacks of folded shirts. “There is quite a selection.”

  “We have to keep several sizes because cowboys come in all shapes and sizes.” She picked up a green checked shirt. “This would look nice on you if we have it in your size. Looks like you’ll take a large.”

  There wasn’t a large in the green checked, but she found a solid light green chambray and he nodded his approval. She then selected a pair of denims and added a bandana. “Would you want a hat?”

  He smiled. “I don’t think this derby will go with those clothes, do you?”

  She laughed because his smile was infectious. “Not at all. How about a nice tan Stetson? I think that will look good.”

  “Fine. I guess I should get boots, too.”

  By the time they finished, he had added two more shirts an extra pair of denims and several odds and ends Wilma suggested.

  * * * *

  When Grace and Lance reached the creek that ran across the Circle 2 property, Lance reined his horse in under a small grove of cottonwood trees. “I guess this is a good a place as any to have our picnic.”

  Pulling her horse up beside his she frowned at him. “What picnic?”

  “While you were changing clothes I asked Effie to pack us some food since neither of us had any dinner.”

  “How did you know I hadn’t eaten?”

  He dismounted and came around his horse to her. “Effie told me.”

  “Why?”

  He reached up to help her off the horse. “You sure ask a lot of questions, little lady.”

  “I like to know what’s going on.”

  After she was on the ground, he turned back to his horse and took a blanket from behind the saddle. “Effie told me she was getting ready to fix your plate when I came to the back door to see if I could scrounge a meal from her since I knew the dining room wasn’t serving supper. I’d asked Wilma earlier if she thought you’d like to go on a picnic, and she said all women liked picnics. I saw today as the perfect opportunity for us to have one. Effie agreed and went to packing the food.”