Dance with the Deacon

"I am sure I could. The church however has ordered me to California. It is my duty. As God is my witness, if I had the choice I would stay with you my friends." Hell, if I could have pulled off the masquerade with the new preacher in town I might well have stayed. It would be only a matter of time. Hell, he might even recognize that I was not the real deacon at the train. That is if I was stupid enough to meet the train.

Everyone finally left about an hour after the service ended. Deville surprised me by having come to the meeting and having stayed until everyone else had gone. "I never did apologize for my whelp."

"One man can never apologize for another. He either learns to do it himself or somebody kills him. It is a harsh land out here."

"I hope you are wrong Deacon."

"For what it is worth, I usually am." I smiled as I offered Deville my hand.

"Deacon, this town is going to miss you. Hell, worst of all I am going to miss you."

"Well it is nice to hear but it will take the new preacher about a month to win the town over. You will probably forget me tomorrow." I was smiling broadly when I said it.

"I doubt it Deacon. I figure a week at least." he smiled again. Then he turned showing me his back. Deville was gone in just a few seconds leaving me alone in the courtyard. I closed all the doors to the church. Then I made sure the fires were all out. I lingered for a long last look at the inside of the church. It had been a great deal of hard work but the place was very clean and bright. I hoped the preacher, who at that moment would be doing his last minute packing, could turn it back into a real church.

The old gray was not tied up outside my house. The horse was younger and stronger than my old nag. The wagon was larger to accommodate the new preachers belongings. My bedroll and camp equipment took up no room at all. I considered putting a torch to the tent house but decided to make it my donation to the new preacher. He could use it until he and his wife found a home of their own.

Even as I climbed aboard the wagon I looked for Edith. She was nowhere to be seen. I headed the young horse with the large wagon north toward the railroad line. The road to the rail town lead past the Wilson ranch. It was my hope that Edith would meet me there.

The entrance to the Wilson ranch came and went without Edith. I was tempted to pull into the ranch entrance then down the road to the house. If I had any idea that I could have handled a meeting with her in front of anyone else, I would have done it. A scene like that in front of her family could only harm her. I felt venomous. Still I could not hurt her.

When I camped that night several miles past the Wilson ranch, I still expected to see her. She did not come. Sleep eluded me almost all night. When I awoke cold and hungry the next morning I realized not only had I not eaten the night before. I had not eaten at all that day.

I glanced up at every sound the wind made in the trees while I gathered wood. Every time the fire crackled I looked back toward the town. When I ate the parting gift bacon, on the parting gift bread I did so looking back.

Sheba sat beside me on the wagon seat most of that second day. She seemed to realize that I was feeling miserable. I drove the horse and wagon late into the evening. It was almost dark when I found a spot I liked.

When I built the fire, I built it twice as large as needed. I supposed it was to make a beacon for Edith. I couldn't face any more of the cold fried chicken so I gave it to Sheba. I ate beans warmed over the fire. I did open a jar of apple sauce given me by the widow, who worked for Deville. I ate about half of it before I replaced the lid.

I felt much better about Edith by that time. I spent only a few minutes searching the road for Edith before I rolled into the blankets and canvas for a hard night's sleep by the fire. I awoke cold a couple of times. The fire got smaller each time. By morning it was no more than a small cook fire.

I remembered enough about the rail town to find the boarding house outside of town. It was late when I arrived. Probably too late for dinner but the owner might be able to find me a biscuit laying about. At least that was my thinking when I pulled into her yard about seven P.M. It was dark but not so late as to make me appear dangerous.

I knocked on the door with Sheba standing beside me. I waited patiently as first one boarder then another looked at me from down the hall. Finally a woman I did not recognize came to the door. I had never met the woman of the house. I had passed the house on my journey from the train to buy the horse. Jarve had pointed it out to me.

"I am full up stranger." The woman informed me. She wore the full apron as a mark her position since she would have been finished in the kitchen by that time.

"Not gonna be here that long ma'am. I just rode in from Sadie's Gulch. I could use some food, if you got any to spare."

"You need to go to the dry good store if you are outfitting. If you are begging come to the rear door and I will find you something."

I wondered if she couldn't see my clerical collar. I was offended by the begging remark. I looked down then realized I was wearing a miner's coat over my suit. The coat was made from a wool blanket. It was full length to protect the poor miner from the winter wind.

"Ma'am I am hungry but I can pay. I would like to come in out of the cold to eat." I opened the over coat to show my clerical collar.

"Dear God, you are the Deacon from Sadie's Gulch. Come in Deacon and please forgive me. We heard you was cominbut I had no idea you would stop here."

"Thank you Ma'am, but you know I think I will just ride on into town after all." I turned without another word to remount the wagon. As I drove away I wondered what she would be saying about the rude Deacon from Sadie's Gulch. I doubted that she realized what she had said and done. I hoped when the story was spread, and it would be, that someone would point it out to her.

The second thought I had was that word of my arrival had proceeded me. I wonder how and why that had happened. I supposed that gossip traveled fast even without newspapers. The freight wagons would have made their rounds a couple of times since the news was made public. The driver probably spread the word. I wondered how much he knew. That thought brought a smile to my lips even with the cold wind still blowing in my face.

The Cafe was my first stop. Food is almost as important as water on the trail. I had put off dinner hoping to find a decent meal in the town. As far west as the town was located there were not enough trains yet to build large restaurants. There were train passengers only a couple of times a day so I was surprised to find the cafe still open.

The cafe was not warm by any means but it was a great improvement over the outside. I chose a seat by the metal stove. That stove put out more heat than any I had seen since my arrival in Nevada.

"What can I get for you?" It was a man of at least my own age who asked. He had the rough looks of a cowboy. I figured he had wintered down working for the cafe.

"How about a steak and four eggs?" I wasn't sure exactly what they had but steak and eggs was a pretty good bet.

I was still chilled. I had the miners blanket coat wrapped around me tightly.

"That will be four bits Mister," he said. It suddenly dawned on me why the rough cut cowboy was waiting tables. He needed to work through the winter and the owner needed somebody to make sure he got paid. The railroad must have made some real changes in the place.

"You want me to pay before you bring the food?" I asked it more than a little amused.

"It is the way we do things here Mister." He wasn't backing away a bit.

I reached into my pocket to remove the four bits. I placed it on the table. He reached for it. I grabbed his hand. "Now you seen my money cowboy, I want to see your food."

"It ain't the way we do things." He gave me his best bad man look. Then I gave him mine. "Okay, just leave the money on the table. I expect it will be all right."

"I expect it will too." I said it as I turned my chair to make sure he couldn't get behind me.

It took several minutes before I got warm enough to remove the miners coat. When he returned I was in the clerical suit complete with the dog collar. I watched as the recognition lit his eyes. It seemed the rumor had been spread pretty wide. He put the food on the table without a word. He made no move to pick up the money. It was a good thing. For some reason, known only to God, I was ready to kill him over the damn steak.

It wasn't a very good steak and certainly not worth four bits but I left without killing anyone. It might have been because they stayed out of the empty dining room while I ate. I put the remains of the steak into the cloth napkin. No one saw me but I doubted anyone would have objected.

Sheba waited outside the door. I found her huddled in a corner of the building. She had found a spot out of the wind. I gave her the steak then walked away leaving the wagon beside the cafe. Sheba must have understood her role in life as she stayed with the wagon.

The two block walk to the train station seemed even colder after the warmth of the Cafe. "What time is the morning train from the east due in?" I asked it of the sleepy looking station master. If he was sleepy looking at 9 P.M. the place must close early.

"Station opens at 7 A.M. and the train will be here about 10 A.M.."

"Well go ahead and give me a ticket for the first stop in California." I said it with the coat open. He obviously recognized me.

"Yes sir Deacon, er that is what they call you?" He had noticed my look of surprise.

"Yes it is. If there was a message for me where would I find it."

"You mean like a telegram. I have those and there ain't been none for you."

"Give me a piece of paper please." It was more of an order than a request. I had no idea what had come over me. I knew only that I was in a terrible mood. Life was of very little value to me that day.

"Dear Reverend, I find it necessary to leave you the wagon for your trip to Sadie's Gulch. I have been ordered to California and decided to get on with it. You will find a dog with the wagon. The wagon is outside the station and the dog's name is Sheba. She is a good watch dog. Take care of her and she will take care of you. Just stay on the road and you will find Sadie's Gulch just fine. I am leaving you some money with the station master. You should buy some food for the trip with it. There are some blankets and some canvas for the ground in the wagon. If you are concerned about going it alone, hire a driver with the money and let him take care of everything. The station master will help. The wagon belongs to John Wilson. I signed it Deacon Burke."

"Now I want you to give this note and this money to the Reverend when he gets off the morning train. I am going to get his wagon now. I want you to point it out to him when he gets here."

"Very well," The station master was struggling with how to address me. I didn't give him any help.

I parked the wagon beside the station out of the wind. I removed the harness from the animal, then fed him. I found a fire pit where cowboys had built scores of fires since the station's appearance on the scene. I stole wood from the station's pile to build yet another one. I didn't think anyone would object. Sheba slept inside the covers with me something she had done seldom. It wasn't any colder than usual. I felt that she knew I was leaving and wanted to be close one last time.

In the morning I ate again at the cafe. There was a different cowboy. He did not use the same tactic. It might have been because it was daylight and he wouldn't have to chase me into the dark, or maybe the word had spread. Either way I was glad not to have a repeat of the scene.

I returned to the station to nap in the sunshine. An hour before the train was to arrive I hitched up the horse to the wagon. I went to the platform with my meager belongings several minutes before the train arrived. When I stepped onto the platform I saw her sitting on a bench. I instinctively looked for Jessie. I was hoping for a clue from her presence or lack of presence. I saw neither Jessie nor a bag of any kind. Still both could be inside the station out of the cold.

I walked slowly toward Edith. The sound of my boots on the wooden platform seemed to grow louder as I got closer to her. She did not look up as I approached. How she could have missed that sounds I had no guess. She must have been lost in thought.

"Edith?" we both knew it was a question.

"Oh Deke," She said it as she stood to hold me.

I wrapped her in my arms and felt her body racked with sobs. "What is it Edith?" I said the words in a whisper because I knew.

Edith stepped back before she answered. "Oh Deke, I thought I could do it. I was all packed and even had Jessie a little bag. I couldn't do it. I just can't leave."

"Why not? You don't love John and he doesn't love you. Your sister isn't exactly your best friend."

"My sister hates me. She thinks I tried to take John from her. I didn't you know. I thought I loved him. He was kind to me. Much kinder than my own father."

"Well then, why can't you come with me?"

"Because doing so would destroy us both. I could never work past the guilt of leaving my husband. In my church it is one of the great sins."

"You are supposed to make your life miserable so that you can make John's life just as miserable and this pleases your God?" I looked at her questioningly.

"I know it sounds foolish. I knew when you said it that it would. The truth is Deacon I believe what you just said. I also believe for me it is impossible to disobey the teachings of my church."

"Even though the church has cast you out?" I asked it shaking my head in disbelief.

"Yes Deacon, I see it as my duty to stay with my family. It is your duty to move on both for your church and to remove temptation from my life."

"A better man will come along to tempt you Edith, then what will you do?" I asked it angrily.

"Deacon, if I could resist you there is no man I can not resist. You are the love that comes but once in a woman's life. It is sad that most of the time when she recognizes it, she is already lost."

I turned to look out over the platform. "So you are sure?" I could see the line of black smoke on the horizon. The smoke reached upward from the black headed snake.

"Yes Deacon," There were tears in her voice.

"Then please see to it that the new preacher gets to Sadie's Gulch."

"I will. Where will you go?"

"California, there is a town there in need of a church. That is the word from Saint Louis."

We stood in silence for a few minutes while the train closed the distance. I didn't know what to say. It seemed that Edith didn't either. She did walk across the platform to stand near me and hold my hand. I could not force myself to look at her. I supposed that I was hurt. I could have just been angry. Either way it was not a good day for a man to give me trouble.

"You Deacon Burke?" The voice asked from down the platform.

"Yes, and who might you be?"

"Jessup, have the lady step away. You do have a gun?"

"I do. Go inside Edith. This will only take a minute."

"No Deacon, I will not let you do this."

"I don't seem to have a choice Edith. Now go inside so I don't have you as a distraction."

Edith moved away to the door but did not enter the station. She blocked it to prevent any innocent people from coming out.

"Well Burke, I hope you know why you are about to die?"

"Don't matter none does it. One of us is going to die no matter what you say."

"Gonna be you." His eyes danced as his hand went to the leather. There was only one shot that rang out. The stranger named Jessup fell onto the tracks in front of the train. The train was stopping but not fast enough. It didn't matter Jessup was already dead.

Edith ran over to hold me. She was again sobbing. I let it all flow through my mind for a while before I asked. "Did he know you were leaving?"

"Who John? He could never have sent a killer for you."

"No Edith, did Deville know?" The sound of the train dumping steam prevented her from answering. I walked down the train until I found a set of steps. I climbed onto the passenger car in time to see the preacher and his wife step into my line of sight to Edith. She was gone when the preacher walked toward the station doorway.

Epilog:

Several weeks later a rented wagon was found upside down in a rushing stream several miles from the railroad town where the deacon had left the train. They never found the body but everyone was sure he drowned in the stream trying to reach the small town in need of a church.

A few months later a man calling himself Deacon Burke purchased an abandoned farm in Virginia. The farm became the beginning of a dynasty.... the end.