Chapter 15

Thursday morning Mr. Clifton opened the bank as usual. He went to his head teller and gave the man written instructions of withdrawals and deposits to be made as Tom had told him to do. Mr. Clifton counted out the money on the counter as the teller watched.

Tom had spoken to Mr. Clifton before the races started and asked him to cover bets of one hundred dollars each for three people other than himself. Tom had bet five hundred of his money on his stud. Then he had bet one hundred each for Jr., Runt, and Ol’ Langley. Tom made another five hundred dollar bet in the name of the Widow Croom.

Mr. Clifton had handled all the money for Tom, plus the money Mr. Canady had split with him for winning the races. Tom was ahead by fifteen hundred just on the races. He felt good that he was able to help these people that had become special friends to him.

Mr. Clifton had his teller to open accounts for Runt and Jr. The rest of the winners had the money deposited directly in their accounts. Mr. Clifton smiled as he thought of the easy money he and the others had made. He alone made six hundred and the sheriff, Mayor Dean, Mr. Miller and Bud had all made five hundred each.

Yes Sir, a good day it was at the races.

Friday before the bank closed for the day, Tom withdrew seven hundred dollars and put in his saddle bags. He told Mr. Clifton to keep the rest put up for him, “I’ll be back this way one day and I hope you’ll still have my money for me.”

“Tom you can count on it, I’ll keep it as safe as my own, it sure was good meeting you and getting to know you son, you take care.”

Friday and Saturday was quiet, with no ruckus to speak of. Most of the talk was good talk about the races out at the Canady spread. Those that didn’t go, were wishing they had. Those that did were glad they did.

Doc Caster took the bandage off Sheriff Keyes right shoulder and told him to start using it to loosen up the muscles some.

Saturday as the sheriff and Tom were making their rounds together, Tom was thanking him for the friendship and the lessons he had learned while he was here.

“Tom the whole town is gonna hate to see you go and I’m gonna miss you too. I done got attached to you and look forward every morning to seein’ your smiling face.”

“I’ll be back one day Sheriff, I got a reason to come back. I’ll look you up.”

“You better look me up Tom, I’m thinkin’ of getting’ outta’ the peace keeping business and maybe start up a small spread of my own. I been saving all I could for years and with what I got the other day off your horse, I just about got enough to make a go of it.”

“Sheriff, did you ever go out to the Croom place? She’s a right handsome woman now that she’s got her self back to her wits again. She has two good kids and Jr. is gonna make them prosperous again. I ain’t trying to fix you up or anything, but you ought not to let that pass you by.”

“Tom you just won’t do will you? I guess I’m gonna have to go out there and see for myself just how much that family has changed.”

“Sheriff, you ought to ride out there tomorrow morning early they always have some good cookin’ on Sunday’s. The kids and Jr. would be glad to see you and you and the Missus Croom could have a visit.”

“Dammit Tom, just hush up about it will you? I’ll go out there when I feel the notion the time is right.”

Saturday night in Newton was a peaceful event, there were a few that drank and whooped it up some, but for the most part it was a quiet time in town.

Tom was up at daylight, had his horse saddled and ready, he had all his clothes rolled up in his bedroll, his Henry stuck down in his scabbard and was looking up and down the street when Ol’ Langley came out.

“Deputy I sure hate to see you go. I wanna thank you for what you did fer me at the bank. You’ll always be remembered good here in this town.”

“I’ll be back one day Langley, take care of your self,” Tom said as he shook his hand and swung into the saddle.

Tom rode south as the sun was coming up, he went past the road to the Canady place and on out to the Croom spread.

Millie, Danny and Jr. all came runnin’ out of the barn when they heard his horse.

“Tom,” They all seemed to say at once.

“Well folks I just wanted to come out and tell you goodbye, I’ll leaving about noon today or shortly after.”

“Aww Tom we don’t want you to go, we all was talking the other day how much we liked having you as a friend,” Millie said with tears in her eyes.

“I’ll be back one day, you’ll see. I have a lot of things that need doin’ and some trails that need ridin’ before I settle down.”

“Will you come in and have some breakfast with us Tom.” Missus Croom was standing at the porch wiping her hands on her apron.

“I’d be proud to Missus Croom,” Tom said as he slid from the saddle.

“I’m gonna go over and get Miss Beth Canady in a while and we’re goin’ to church, wish all of you would hitch up the wagon and come on into town and go too.”

“Tom, I been wanting to go, but after the mess I made of myself, I was thinking that they may not let me in church again,” Missus Croom said.

“Let’s all get some breakfast and then you get yourselves ready for church, we’ll make a farewell meeting of it,” Tom told all of them.

They were just about to sit down at the table when they heard a horse and rider outside.

“You better set another plate Missus Croom. Sheriff Keyes has just come calling, sure wish you could talk him into going to church with all of you this morning.”

Sheriff Keyes was ushered into the kitchen. He was red faced and was about to tear his hat up twisting and turning it in his hands.

“Morning sheriff, good to see you again,” Tom said as the sheriff sat down at the end of the table and Missus Croom sat at the corner next to him so she could get up to bring more food. They all ate til they filled their bellies and Tom made his way to the door.

“I got to go if I’m gonna make it out to the Canady’s place and get Miss Beth Canady to church on time,” Tom said with a smile.

Tom left the Croom’s place and nudged his horse to a good fast pace. They were near the creek where Tom and Beth had met that day, Tom smiled as he thought of that day, then he laughed out loud. When Tom got to the Canady spread Runt had the fancy buggy hitched up with the fast trottin’ buggy horse all groomed as well.

Tom slid the saddle off his horse and laid the Henry on the floor boards of the buggy and fixed the saddle so it wouldn’t bounce out. He knew his horse wasn’t gonna wait on him, he was going to church too.

Runt stood there by the buggy as Miss Beth came out. She was dressed in the finest clothes Tom had seen pictures of in the newspapers the freight drivers brought to him at the trading post.

Elizabeth was a picture to behold, Tom felt a big lump jump up in his throat and he wasn’t sure he could even speak as she came to the buggy.

Tom saw her sisters on the porch and her mother and daddy were waving from the bottom step of the porch.

Beth held her arm out for Tom to help her into the buggy instead of bouncing up in the seat as she usually would. She raised her long skirts and lifted her foot as Tom held her arm steady. Runt walked up to Tom and stuck out his hand, the two shook, Runt had tears running down his weathered face as he looked up at the tall injun.

“Reckon I’ll see ya another time Injun,” Runt said and stood back with a wide grin that would hold a bucket of water, as the two rode off down the dusty road to church. Runt still had tears in his eyes still as he hobbled back to the barn with his head down. He knew Injun Tom wouldn’t be back this way for a while yet, he was gonna miss him.

When Tom drove the fancy buggy up in front of the church there were horses and wagons and carriages coming from all directions. He reached a hand up to help Beth to the ground and she felt the urge to just jump into his arms but she shook it off as she looked at all the families and lone riders all around them. Tom wasn’t known well by most of the folks at church but when he stood there with his long braids, he placed his black hat in the buggy, then untied his gun from his leg and placed it in the buggy too, it didn’t take long for his name to cross the lips of nearly everyone there.

The kids, especially the boys stood staring at him in awe that they got to see Tom Cooper at church with them. The girls all looked at Miss Beth and smiled as she walked by and smiled at them. Then the girls looked up at the tall injun and their knees went weak. Pastor Early McClain stood at the front door of the church welcoming all the folks as they came up the steps. He would nod and say hello to the women folk and shake hands with the men. He was talking to a man and his wife as they went by and noticed a tall man coming up the steps with the prettiest young woman he’d ever seen. He recognized the man as the one that had been here the Sunday before and sat in the back.

“Early McClain,” he said as he stuck out his hand to Tom and nodded to the young woman with a smile.

“Tom Cooper and this is Elizabeth Canady, Sir,” Tom said curtly.

“Good to see you again, you were here last Sunday,” the pastor stated rather than asked.

“Yes Sir.”

“If you have a few minutes after the service I’d like to visit with you.”

“Yes Sir, I’d like that too.”

The couple moved on into the church, the back pews were filled and they had to sit toward the front. The school desks were being moved over some to make room for more pews from the back now. The men of the church would set them in place and they would fill up. The pastor saw the last of the people come in and pulled the door to behind him. The windows were up all along both side walls and the cool spring breeze was blowing through.

The pastor walked up to the front and asked them to sing some hymns to start the service. The people picked up the worn hymn books and turned to the page he called out. The woman at the old piano started to bang out a tune on the keys. There were some keys missing on the keyboard and some strings broken inside the old piano, but she could make do and the music was good, as the people sang the hymns.

The first hymn was over and just as the pastor asked for everyone to bow their heads, the back door swung open and everyone looked up to see Sheriff Keyes and the Widder Croom walk in with her two kids and the hired hand. The newcomers looked for a place to sit down, feeling as if they had interrupted the service.