Sarah's Surrender (8 page)

Eager for the drawing of names to begin, Sarah could hardly stand still. But moving around was nearly impossible with the large crush of thousands of people surrounding the drawing tent on the grounds of the Irving School. The large group had been standing there all morning, and not a single name had yet been drawn. She shifted her feet, trying to get some relief from their aching. What was the delay? Yes, the lottery was a massive undertaking, but things had seemed so organized.

She read in the newspaper that over 165,000 people had registered in both El Reno and Lawton. Her excitement dimmed whenever she thought of those numbers. With so many people, did she have any chance at all of getting land?

She stood on her tiptoes, peeking between hats worn by both the men and the few women present, hoping to get a view of the men in the open-sided tent. Jack, Luke, and she had walked around the thirty-two-square-foot tent on a raised platform.

Earlier that morning, envelopes containing the names of registered applicants had been placed in two rotating bins that were ten feet long and two and one-half feet wide and tall. All of the names of the people who registered in El Reno were in one bin, and the other rotating bin held the Lawton registrants. With the containers being so large to permit a thorough mixing of the envelopes, fairness was ensured. There would be no mad land rush with people getting hurt or killed this time.

Jack slipped in beside her after squeezing through the crowd to get lunch for them, but Sarah had little appetite. He rummaged through the small basket he held and passed sandwiches to her and Luke.

Both men gobbled theirs down, but Sarah barely ate a fourth of hers. She rarely had much hunger after being out in the summer heat, and today her stomach churned from anxiousness and concern over all that was at stake.

Luke nudged her. “You'd better eat or you'll never make it out here all day.”

She glanced at the thick ham and cheese sandwich she held. Sweat ran in rivulets down various parts of her body. If the summer heat and cloudless sky weren't bad enough, the crush of warm, often smelly bodies was more than enough to steal her appetite. Still, she forced another bite into her mouth. The last thing she wanted was to grow faint and have to leave.

She managed to get down half the sandwich before she wrapped it up in the paper it had come in and returned it to the basket. Jack offered her a canteen, and she gulped down the cool water. Wetting her handkerchief, she wiped her face and the back of her neck, enjoying the brief relief it brought.

“There are some apples, in case we get hungry later,” Jack said.

A man on the stage let out an ear-piercing whistle, and all eyes turned toward him. “All right, folks, we're ready to get this shindig started,” said Ben Heyler, the man chosen to draw the first name.

“‘Bout time,” a man behind her yelled. “It's already one thirty. You're burnin' daylight.”

Mr. Heyler ignored the comment as he moved to the El Reno bin, which another man had been turning for the past ten minutes, mixing up the envelopes. He opened one of the small doors and placed his hand inside, withdrawing an envelope. He handed it to Colonel Dyer, the commissioner, who passed it to Chief Clerk Macy. He stamped the envelope and wrote number one on it, making it official, and then handed it back to Colonel Dyer. An ear-numbing cheer rose up from the crowd.

He walked to the front of the platform and raised his hand for order, and an instant hush settled over the crowd. “Stephen A. Holcomb, Pauls Valley, Indian Territory, wins the first claim.”

A cheer unlike anything Sarah had ever heard rang out all around her. She covered her ears. Luke grinned and joined in, whooping. The winner was pushed to the front so everyone could see him, and the crowd yelled for several minutes. As delighted as they were acting, you'd think everyone's name had been drawn. Twenty-four more names were pulled from the El Reno bin, and then the men moved to the Lawton one. The second name drawn from it was Mattie Beal—the first woman whose name had been called.

Sarah looked at Jack and then Luke. “I'm so glad a woman finally won.”

Luke winked at her. “You've got as good a chance as anyone.” His smile dipped as if that fact bothered him.

She didn't like knowing he was unhappy with her decision to enter the lottery. It hurt to think he was displeased. But would he still feel that way if they both were fortunate to win?

Another name was drawn, and murmurs filtered through the crowd.

“Hey, that name was already drawn,” someone yelled.

The men on stage congregated together. The man in charge of the winners looked through the envelopes and pulled one out. After the men conferred for several more minutes, Colonel Dyer moved to the front again.

He raised his hands for quiet. “It appears we have a duplicate entry. Kermit Eldridge's name was the seventeenth name drawn from the El Reno wheel. We've compared all the info on the registration cards, and it appears he entered more than once, thus he is disqualified and his winning lot is forfeited. The next name drawn will replace him. Anyone else found with duplicate entries will also be disqualified.”

“That sure was a foolish thing to do.” Jack removed his hat and fanned his face. He shook his head. “Imagine winning land only to have to forfeit it because you cheated.”

Sarah tugged a fan from her reticule, snapped it open, and waved it in front of her face. Oh, for the shade of a cloud or two. “It's good that the officials are keeping things fair and honest.”

Luke gazed at her, concern on his handsome face. “If you want to go back to your room to rest, we'll let you know if they call your name.”

“Thank you, but I'm all right for now. It would be nice to walk around, but I don't want to lose my spot.”

Luke flashed a saucy grin. “If you need to rest, you could lay your head on my shoulder and take a nap.”

Jack chuckled.

Sarah gasped, glancing around to see if anyone had overheard him. “Luke McNeil, wipe that grin off your face.”

The afternoon hours dragged by at the speed of a turtle. More and more names were drawn, and with each one, Sarah saw her chance at getting land fade. There were only thirteen thousand homesteads—enough for only a fraction of the people who registered.

At six that evening, after one thousand names had been drawn, five hundred from each district, the drawings halted, and the sides of the tent were lowered. Disappointed people, many exhausted from not eating or drinking anything, dropped to the ground all around Sarah. She looked at them with concern then blew out a sigh.

“Well, that's that.” Jack rolled his shoulders and rubbed his neck. “Don't be too disappointed. I read that tomorrow they'll be drawing twenty-five hundred names. I reckon we oughta get some supper.”

“I want to wash and get off my feet.” Sarah limped along with Luke holding her arm as if to support her. She was too tired and disappointed to resist.

It took them fifteen minutes to weave through the thousands on the streets to their hotel, which was only a few blocks from the school. Finally, they stepped into the lobby.

“Would you like to go on upstairs?” Luke offered. “I can bring you a supper tray.”

His thoughtfulness for her comfort, even after he'd stood alongside her all day, touched a place deep within her.

Jack swatted his hand toward the dining hall. “I'll grab us a table before the place is packed out.”

“Good idea. Be there in a minute.” Luke turned his attention back to Sarah. He lifted his hand and ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. “Your face looks sunburned.”

She raised her hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth emanating from it. Even with her darker complexion due to the Indian blood, she'd gotten too much sun. Although she'd tried to keep her head down and out of the afternoon sun, she obviously failed. “After I wash the dust off, I'll put some facial cream on it.”

He smiled, his eyes conveying his affections. “Good idea, although I think the added color is becoming. Make sure to drink lots of water tonight.” He gestured toward the stairs. “C'mon, I'll walk you to your room.”

“That's not necessary.”

“I want to make sure you don't have any problems. This is a nice hotel, but there are a number of shady people in town.”

Knowing any argument she offered would be rejected, she started up the stairs. Her feet ached more now than she could remember. Finally, they reached her room on the third floor.

Luke leaned against the wall next to her door, as if he too were exhausted. “So, what would you like to eat?”

Sarah shrugged. “I don't even feel hungry—just tired. You know what I like. Why don't you surprise me?”

His lips twisted in an ornery grin. “I like surprises.”

Before she could react, he leaned down and placed his lips on hers, stealing her first kiss. Warm sensations she'd never experienced surged through her, but then anger took over. She pushed away. “What do you think you're doing?”

“Surprising you.” He winked then strutted away, whistling as he headed for the stairs.

“Why, the nerve of that man.” All manner of emotions raced through her, most disturbing was delight at having her first kiss. But then she thought how it had been stolen, and her temper soared.

Sarah turned to go into the room and gasped.

Nannette stood at the open door, her face white.

O
n the second day of the lottery, Sarah, Luke, and Nannette walked down the street toward the Irving School. Nannette had risen early to join them for breakfast and babbled on about the excitement of the first day of drawings. When Luke first met Sarah at her room to escort her to breakfast, he'd been surprised to find Nannette up so early and ready to leave. He'd hoped to enjoy a quiet breakfast with Sarah—longed to see if he could convince her that she needed him in her life. But Nannette had quickly lassoed his plans, hog-tying them into a boring conversation. She explained her long absence from the room she and Sarah shared the night before was because she'd been transcribing her father's notes so that he could send in his report of the day's activities.

Was that true? As he'd turned to leave Sarah last night, he'd caught a glimpse of Nannette's shocked expression at witnessing him kissing Sarah. He had no desire to hurt Nannette, but neither was he interested in a relationship with her, and it was important that she knew that Sarah had already stolen his heart. He hadn't flirted with Nannette or offered any encouragement of a relationship with her, but evidently she wasn't one to give up easily. In fact, she seemed even more determined to win his affections.

He guided the women to a cleaner path on the street, avoiding a pile of manure. Breakfast certainly hadn't gone as he'd planned, but dining with two beautiful women had made him the envy of some in the room. Nannette's pretty features turned many men's heads, but he only had eyes for a quiet, dark-haired beauty. He loved the way Sarah's black eyes sparked when she teased him or came up with a sudden idea. Her dark brown hair was lighter than the black hair most full-blooded Indians had, and not a single freckle marred her perfect skin. He slapped his hand against the stair railing. What a chump he was—being sweet on a woman who'd rejected him.

He tried to think of something—anything—other than his feelings for Sarah. It wasn't easy when she walked beside him. At least the weather was cooler this morning, although it wouldn't last long under the warm Oklahoma sun. Last night there'd been a brief downpour, but it would only make the day more humid.

He looked over the crowd already gathered around the lottery tent. “Jack was smart to head up to the site early.”

Sarah nodded. “I suppose if one was at the front of the crowd, the heat later in the day might not be as sweltering as it was in the midst of so many people.”

Luke noticed Jack waving his arm. “There he is, over on the left in front of that doctor's office.”

“Why is he so far from the tent? I was hoping we'd be up close today.” Disappointment laced Sarah's voice.

“You won't be able to see a thing from there.” Nannette flounced her head, lips curled.

“Hold your horses, ladies. Jack must have a good reason for choosing that spot.”

They climbed the steps to the boardwalk and squeezed through the crowd to get to Jack. His broad smile alerted Luke that he'd been successful in his mission.

“Morning, ladies.” Jack tipped his hat then bowed, holding his hand out toward a vacant spot on the bench.

Sarah gasped. “What a wonderful idea. And the roof overhead will block the afternoon sun. I'm sorry I questioned your choice.”

Nannette scowled at a man as she squeezed past him. “I'd still rather be up closer. You can probably hear from this spot, but I doubt you'll see much.”

“There ain't all that much to see. Just men pulling envelopes from the bins.” Luke grinned. “Have a seat, ladies, before someone else snags such a prime spot.”

Sarah smiled at him, gathering her skirts and claiming the place at the end of the bench. Nannette was left to squeeze in between Sarah and a well-dressed man, who looked pleased with the situation.

“This is nice. Thank you, Jack, for getting out so early and having the foresight to find a perfect observation spot like this. We can even see over the heads of the crowd to the men in the tent.” Sarah gazed at the clear view of the lottery tent. “I can see so much better than yesterday.”

“If we moved to the front, that wouldn't be an issue.” Nannette scooted closer to Sarah, eyeing the grinning man beside her.

“I doubt those men standing closest to the tent would be too happy if we butted in front of them.”

Nannette pulled her fan from her handbag and snapped it open, giving Sarah a snide look. “Obviously, you don't know how to handle a man. All you have to do is sweet-talk them and they quickly come around to your way of thinking.”