Sabrina's Man (5 page)

Alice looked up and saw that there was a sadness in his face that he could not hide. “You should keep this for the woman you marry.”

Will Barton seldom showed his emotions, but there was some sort of grief in him. “I doubt if that will ever happen.”

They continued on their way, and Alice glanced at Will several times. When they reached the store and went inside, she said, “Tell me what's the matter.”

“I can't hide my feelings very well. I guess that's the reason I'm not a good poker player.”

“What's wrong, Will?”

“I guess I feel left out somehow.”

“Left out of what?”

“I don't know. I had a partner. Now I don't.”

“Why, you'll still have Waco.”

“No, I won't. You'll have him, Alice.” Will turned, picked up her hand, held it, and looked at it for a moment. “You have beautiful hands.” Then he said with a note of gloom, “The way marriage is, at least as I understand it, one man, one woman. They make some sort of group.”

“Don't feel that way.” Her hand tightened on his. When he looked at her, she reached up and put her hand on his cheek. “Don't be sad, Will. You know we both love you.”

Will Barton stiffened and seemed to find something in her words that he needed to hear. “That's good to know,” he said softly. “Now we'll have to find you something blue and something new.”

Waco sat in the parlor of Reverend James Stoneman's house next door to the framed Methodist church. Stoneman was a middle aged man with iron-gray hair and smooth cheeks. He wore a black suit, the typical uniform for a Methodist pastor of the day, and he had been speaking for some time about the general arrangements for the wedding. Finally he said, “I wish Alice were here.”

“Why is that, Pastor?”

“Well, I like to have meetings with the bride and groom together before the wedding.”

“Meeting for what?”

Stoneman leaned back and ran his hand over his gray hair. “I want to warn 'em that things won't be easy. Usually when a couple come in and want to get married, they have stars in their eyes. They see nothing but a long road filled with only good things and joyous days passing as they grow older.”

His words troubled Waco, who leaned forward in his chair and asked, “Isn't it like that?”

“Well, no. There are difficulties.”

“I don't think Alice and I will ever have any.”

Stoneman suddenly laughed. He had perfect teeth, and they showed against his tanned complexion. “Even Adam and Eve had problems. Every couple I know has some.”

“You and your wife, you have problems?”

The question seemed to disturb James Stoneman. He half turned away and looked out the window. “The birds have been building a nest out there,” he commented. “You see it? I've told my wife to leave it there. The mother bird comes every day and sits on those eggs. I'm looking forward to the time when she brings their supper to them.”

Waco did not speak for a while. Finally he said, “You're not telling me about the trouble you had.”

“All right,” Reverend Stoneman said heavily, and a sober look chased away the good cheer that seemed to be habitual with him. “Well, my wife and I were deeply in love when we married, but we separated.”

“I never knew that, Reverend.”

“Not many people do. It was a long time ago in another town.”

“What happened? I don't mean to be nosy, but—”

“It's all right, Waco. Maybe you need to hear this. My wife left me.”

“Well, why did she leave you?”

“My fault. I became infatuated with another woman. Ran off with her.”

The news was somehow shocking. He had never thought of a preacher having that kind of a problem. “I can't believe it. You're still a minister.”

“It wasn't easy. I soon found out I had made a terrible, terrible mistake. I had to go back and beg my wife's forgiveness, and she forgave me, and I had to go before the church to confess what I had done. I was out of the ministry for five years. I was too ashamed to even speak to God. My wife helped me though. I got her forgiveness, she stayed with me, and the church members were kind. None of that was easy.” He turned and said, “There are a great many ways for a marriage to go wrong, and only one for it to go right.”

“What's that one way?”

“When you both love each other so much that nothing else matters.”

As Waco entered the store, he found Will and Alice putting up stock. Will said, “Well, about time you got back. You deliver the goods?”

“Sure. What have you two been doing?”

“Oh, Waco,” Alice said, her eyes shining. “I found a wedding dress.” She began to describe it.

Will shushed her, saying, “Don't tell him a thing. When you walk down that aisle, let it be the first glimpse of it.” Will had been sitting on the counter chewing on crackers. He was a cracker addict and kept the barrel pretty well filled, but now he slid off and shook his head. “You know you have everything, Waco. You got a good business, and now a fine wife.”

Waco did not know exactly how to answer that and was troubled by it.

Will said, “I've got to go to the bank. You two watch the store.”

After his friend left, Waco turned to Alice and said, “You know, I feel bad about Will.”

“I know. He was telling me how he would be all alone.”

“Well, he'll have us.”

“He said a marriage was sort of a closed corporation, a man and a woman, and nobody could really get inside.”

“Why, that's foolish! They could have friends. They should have. I'll tell you what. Maybe we could find a young woman for Will to court and marry.”

Alice suddenly laughed. “It's not like buying groceries, Waco, or a loaf of bread.”

“No, I guess not. You know I've never been a Christian man, Alice, but I can't help but believe that God put us together, you and me.”

Alice smiled and put her hand on his chest. “You are a romantic, Waco. I never knew that before. I'll bet you like stories with happy endings.”

Waco reached out and drew her to him, holding her tightly. “Don't you?”

Alice suddenly grew serious. She bit her lower lip and then said quietly, “I don't think that happens very often.”

“Look, Alice, horses could be your friends.”

“I've always been afraid of them, Waco.”

The two had come out to the livery stable. Waco had determined to teach Alice to ride. He had been shocked when he discovered she had never ridden, and now as they stood before the chestnut he had saddled for her, he said, “You shouldn't be afraid of horses. They're really nice.” He patted the horse and said, “Aren't you nice?”

The horse threw its head up and drew its lips back.

“Haven't you ever been hurt by a horse?” Alice asked.

“Well, a few times, but I always thought it was my fault. Horses are good until somebody hurts them.”

“Well, I'm sorry to give you your first disappointment in marriage. I know you love horses, but I'm going to be too busy being a wife. You'll have to get a buggy for the honeymoon.”

Waco grinned, shoved his hat back, and said, “I'll make you a fine rider, Alice.”

Alice shook her head. “You know, I noticed something about you. You think you can change people, but I don't think so.”

“Why, sure you can. Haven't you ever changed?”

An odd look crossed Alice's face. “I don't think so. I always knew I needed to change, but I never could.” She turned abruptly, saying, “Let's go back to the store.”

They made their way back to the store, and when they walked in, Will showed them a new line of boots that he had managed to get. “Our men are walking around in worn-out boots falling to pieces. Some of them they had in the army.”

“Well, what's happening to General Lee?” Alice asked.

Will shook his head. “The Confederate Army is whittling down. I'm afraid it's only a matter of time until the South is forced to give up.”

They discussed the war until Alice insisted they turn the conversation to lighter topics. The talk turned again to the wedding and who they were going to invite.

Waco finally said, “Invite whoever you want. I will just be happy when we are married.”

Alice replied, “Don't let yourself get too happy, Waco. Nobody should. Usually when a person does, something bad happens.”

“Never happen to us.” Waco grinned.

He had no sooner spoken than a man entered. He was a sullen-looking man with one pant leg pinned up and a crutch. He hobbled in.

Waco said, “Hello, Jake.”

Waco knew Jake Callahan resented the fact that Waco and Will did not serve in the Confederate Army. He knew that Waco had served as a soldier for a year at the very beginning, but to Callahan that did not count. Confederate men served until they died or were injured so badly they could no longer fight, and he always let his feelings be known. Callahan had a thin face with a pair of muddy brown eyes. “Gettin' hitched, I hear, Smith.”

“That's right.”

“This your little woman here?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I guess you ain't been by the post office today, have you?”

“No, I haven't.”

Callahan grinned. “You won't like it.”

“What is it, Jake?” Will asked.

“You don't know either? Well, the notice just went up, and I talked to Colonel Johnson in charge of the troops here in Little Rock. It's a new law.”

“What kind of new law?” Waco asked cautiously. “What's it all about?”

“It's called the Conscription Law.”

“Conscription? What does that mean?”

“It means that the Confederate Army's got to have men, and at least one of you is headed that way. Conscription Law says every able-bodied man's got to serve in the army. I guess that means you.”

Waco could not answer for a moment. There was a triumphant look in Jake's eyes as he said, “You will be gone pretty soon. You'll catch up with General Lee somewhere in Virginia. Let me know how you make out.”

As he turned and left, the three were quiet for a time.

“Look, there's Micah. He'll know about this,” Will finally said. He went to the door and hollered, “Sheriff, come over here, will you?”

Micah Satterfield came in and looked at the three. “How're the bride and groom?”

“Never mind that,” Waco said. “What's this about a Conscription Law?”

“Well, that just came out. The notice is on the post office wall.”

“Is there any way to get out of it?” Will asked.

“Sure. Run. I guess if you make it to the North, you won't have to serve.”

“It won't be too bad,” Waco said.

“I knew something like this would happen,” Alice said, her voice tight and a tense look in her eyes.

“It ain't as bad as it sounds,” Micah said. “This war can't last too much longer. You fellas just go on and stay out of the way of any bullets.”