Part 41 (1/2)
”She's at the farm,” William Henry blurted out. ”Her house got busted up, and Uncle Madison gave her a new one.”
”She went out to check on things,” Rose explained hastily, angry enough at William Henry to tie a knot in his tongue. ”She felt uneasy about leaving everything unattended. If you want to talk with her, you could come by Mrs. Abbott's some evening after supper.” When George and Madison would be there to make certain Fern was safe.
”Thank you, ma'am. I'll do that.”
Rose was relieved when the buggy pulled up in front of the land office. She wasted no time in hustling William Henry and herself into it. She didn't want to have to answer any more questions for Sam Belton.
”You take care of yourself,” Belton said to Rose. ”I would hate for anything to happen to you while Mr. Randolph is away. And when Miss Sproull comes back, you tell her I'd like to take a look at her farm sometime.”
”I will,” Rose said as the buggy pulled away.
Once they got home, Rose gave William Henry a stern lecture on talking unbidden to strangers, then put him down for his nap. She went to her own room and lay down, but she couldn't close her eyes. She couldn't stop thinking about Sam Belton. If he really had murdered Troy and tried to rape Fern, he was an extremely dangerous man. Rose ought to do something. But what?
She told herself she might be jumping to conclusions. She had no more proof than Fern. Besides, his business was selling land. It was natural for him to want to see Fern about her farm.
George and Madison were due back tonight. She would tell them and let them decide what to do.
But the more Rose thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Belton had said he was in a hurry to get back to Topeka, so he might come to the house tonight. But wouldn't he want to see the land before he talked to Fern about buying it? That meant he might go to the farm this afternoon. Of course Fern could be wrong, it was all speculation, but Rose wasn't worried about Fern's being wrong. It was the possibility that she might be right that frightened her.
Fern wouldn't be expecting him and might betray herself. Rose couldn't wait for George to get home. Even now Belton might be riding toward the Sproull farm.
Rose's first impulse was to ask Mrs. Abbott to help her, but she decided against that almost at once. Mrs. Abbott would never let her leave the house unless she knew exactly what she intended to do. She couldn't be trusted to keep a confidence. Within an hour, half the town of Abilene would know Rose suspected Sam Belton of killing Troy and trying to rape Fern and that he must be headed out to the Sproull farm right now.
Rose went in search of William Henry. She found him playing rancher with Ed. William Henry was the owner and Ed the ranch hand. Just like his father, Rose thought as she brought the boy back to her room. ”Now listen very carefully to what I'm going to say,” she told him after she had made certain Mrs. Abbott was occupied in the kitchen. ”Mommy has a very important task for you to do. Do you remember where the livery stable is?”
The boy nodded.
”Do you think you can go there by yourself?”
He nodded again.
”Okay, but you can't take Ed with you. You must go by yourself, and you must not tell Ed or Mrs. Abbott where you're going or what you're doing. Understand?”
He nodded.
”Now, I want you to ask for Tom Everett. You're not to talk to anybody except Tom. Tell him to hitch up a buggy and bring it to the corner of Second and Buckeye. Can you remember that?”
He nodded again.
”Tell me what you're going to do.”
”Tell Mr. Tom to bring you a buggy.”
”Where?”
”Down the corner so Mrs. Abbott can't see.”
Rose hugged her son. ”Now hurry. It's very important. And when your father comes home, you tell him exactly what I've done.”
”I want to go with you.”
”Fern may be in danger. I may have to stay with her. You have to stay here so you can tell your father where to find us. Tell him we know who killed Troy Sproull. Can you do that?”
He nodded.
”One more thing. Tell Mr. Tom it's a secret. He's not to tell anyone.”
Rose tried to relax on the front porch while she waited, but she was too nervous to remain seated. Maybe she shouldn't have sent William Henry. He was so young he might not remember what he was supposed to do. But she couldn't have gone herself. After this morning, she knew she would never have made it across town to the livery stable.
”There you are,” Mrs. Abbott said, coming out on the porch. ”Ed says he can't find William Henry. I thought he was with you.”
Rose wasn't one to curse, even silently, but she felt like it now. Mrs. Abbott was a goodhearted soul, a conscientious woman. At any other time Rose would have been grateful she had noticed William Henry's absence so quickly. Today she wasn't glad.
”I sent him to the hotel with a message for his uncle.”
”You should have sent Ed with him. A little boy like him shouldn't be wandering about town by himself.”
”He's not wandering about,” Rose said, ”and if he doesn't come back in a few minutes, I'll send Ed after him.”
”I'll send Ed to sit with you,” Mrs. Abbott offered. ”Then he'll be handy in case you need him.”
”I'd rather be alone,” Rose said. ”My nerves are a little thin today.”
”It's because your time is so close,” Mrs. Abbott said sympathetically. ”I'd come sit with you myself, but I've got a cake in the oven and some bread rising.”
”I'm fine. I don't mind being alone. The day is so peaceful.”
”Well, holler if you need me. I can have Ed here in two shakes of a lamb's tail.”
”I will,” said Rose, hoping Mrs. Abbott wouldn't linger. She had caught sight of the buggy down the street. She didn't want Mrs. Abbott to see it as well.
She waited until Mrs. Abbott had been inside for a couple of minutes, then she hurried down the steps, across the yard, and down the street.
”You shouldn't be out driving in your condition,” Tom Everett said when she reached the buggy.
I know, but I don't have any choice. Now you make sure you don't tell anybody about this except my husband or his brothers.”
”Is there some trouble, Mrs. Randolph? 'Cause if there is, I'll be happy to be of use.”
”No trouble, I just don't want everybody in town knowing my business. And the same goes for you, William Henry. When Mrs. Abbott asks where I've gone, you tell her you don't know.”
Rose hadn't been more than five minutes on the road when she felt the first pain. She was going into labor.
Chapter Twenty-Seven.
''And you make sure they don't go anywhere near Claxton's place,” Fern told Pike. ”I don't want that man on my back just now.”