A Man for Temperance (Wagon Wheel) (21 page)

“You talk foolishness, woman! Get me some more coffee.”

* * *

FOR TWO DAYS THAD endured the jolting of the wagon. He was too weak to walk and knew he was unable to contend with Judas, so he had suffered the indignity of riding in the wagon. Most of the time Rena and Bent were obviously idolizing him. He was unaccustomed to children and found himself amazed
at Bent’s imagination. The young boy could make up stories one right after the other, and finally Thad asked, “Bent, how do you think of all those things?”

The boy stared at him with amazement. “Don’t you think of stuff like that?”

“Nobody does,” Rena said. She was sitting on the wagon seat next to Thad and said, “I think he’s going to write stories for a living.”

“I could do that,” Bent said eagerly.

Rose was also in the wagon holding Billy. “It won’t be too long before we get to Fort Smith,” she said. “That’s when I’ll get to meet my grandma and grandpa.”

“Well, I’ll bet they’ll like you and Billy,” Thad said.

“What are you going to do after you get us all delivered?” Rena asked.

Rena’s question brought only a silence from Thaddeus Brennan. Ever since his experience with God, he had been quieter than usual, and as he sat there with the children, he realized his only immediate destiny was to get them delivered. He had no plans after that. He finally shrugged his shoulders, which brought a twinge to his wounds, and said, “I don’t know. Just have to wait and see.”

* * *

THE TEMPERATURE WAS CHANGING as they moved farther southeast. The flat plains of the Platte Basin had given way to hillier country. There were sections now of trees worthy of the name, and it was beneath a grove of these that Quaid pulled the wagon that night. As soon as the oxen stopped, Thad climbed painfully down. He started toward the oxen,
but he was intercepted by Temperance. “Where are you going, Thaddeus?”

“Going to help unyoke the oxen.”

“No, you’ll pull those stitches out. You go sit down.”

“A man can’t sit the rest of his life, woman, for crying out loud!”

Temperance took him by the arm and led him to one side. “You sit right there. I’m going to dress those wounds of yours after supper.”

“I don’t need it.”

Temperance shook her head. “You are just like a child,” she said with exasperation. “Quaid will take care of the oxen.”

Brennan glared at her resentfully, but she ignored him. “You’re getting to be downright bossy,” he muttered.

He sat there, all the time noticing again how Quaid never missed a chance to move closer to Temperance and say a word to her. He was an efficient sort of fellow and had the oxen unyoked and staked out for the night in plenty of time to chat with Temperance and Belle as they fixed the evening meal.

The supper was good, for Quaid had shot a fat doe, and the meat was almost as tender as home-grown beef. As they sat around the fire, eating the evening meal, Quaid, as usual, was lively. He tried to draw Brennan into the conversation by asking him, “You remember that time we run into that bunch of Kiowas? Tell them about how you saved our scalps that time.”

“I disremember.”

“Did he really save your life, Quaid?” Temperance asked.

“Oh, we took turns saving each other’s lives. I forget which one of us is up on the other one. But old Thaddeus there, he’s a good man to have on your side.”

Finally the children went to bed, and Belle sat beside Quaid, listening as he told more of his story. Temperance came to Brennan and said, “I’m going to change that dressing now.”

“It don’t need it, woman!”

“Yes, you do.” Without further argument, she unbuttoned his shirt and helped him take it off. “I’ll have to wash this shirt,” she said. She removed the bandages, which still showed bloodstains, and said, “I’ll wash these in the creek. I’ve got some fresh ones.” She once again applied whiskey to the wounds and saw that he didn’t flinch. “That doesn’t hurt anymore?”

“Not much.” Reluctantly he said, “You’re a good doctor, Temperance.”

Temperance had been dabbing at his wounds, but she stared at him, open-eyed. It was one of the few times he had ever called her anything except Peabody. She looked up quickly and saw that he was watching her. She could not understand his expression. She didn’t comment on the use of her name, but she hoped he would use it again. “I wish you’d tell me how you feel, Thaddeus.”

“Feel about what?”

“Well, your life’s going to be different now that you’re a believer.”

Thad glanced at the fire thoughtfully. “I’ve been thinking about that some. I don’t know how to start.”

“You mind if we talk about it?”

“I guess it’s all right.”

“Well, every new believer needs to be baptized.”

“There’s nobody here to do that.”

“There will be in Independence. We’ll look up a church and a preacher. I’ll be so proud to see you baptized.”

“Why is that so important?”

“Because Jesus commanded us to be baptized. It’s kind of a sign.”

“What do you mean ‘a sign’?”

“Well, when a person begins a new business, they put a sign out in front of it: ‘Mary Smith—Dressmaker.’ People know what she does, what she stands for. When a man or a woman or a child is baptized, it’s like they’re hanging out a sign. Yours would say, ‘Thaddeus Brennan—a Christian.’”

“Never thought of it like that.”

“The next thing you need to do is read your Bible. Have you read the Bible much, Thaddeus?”

“No, I tried it a few times, but I didn’t get much sense out of it.”

“Well, it’s God’s letter to you. If you got a letter from me, you’d read it, wouldn’t you?”

“I reckon so.”

“Well, this letter’s from God. You need to read the Bible and seek God’s way.”

“It’s hard to understand.”

Temperance had finished dabbing the wounds with alcohol, and now she took the sheet she had washed the day before. She placed the end of it under his left arm and leaning forward she passed the rest of it around him. In order to do this, she had to press herself close against him. Brennan looked down at her but made no comment.

When she had finally fastened the bandage, she said, “It’s not all hard. For instance there are verses that say this: ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.’ Now, that’s not hard, is it?”

“Well, I guess I’d better memorize that one. I’m pretty sure to fall.”

“Maybe not. Daniel is the man I admire most in the Bible. Most of the men in the Bible failed God, even David. He was a man after God’s own heart, but he committed adultery and murder. But he had God’s promise that He wouldn’t abandon him. So, if you do fall, you have to get up and ask God’s forgiveness.”

Brennan watched her face as the flickering of the fire cast highs and lows on her features. He had discovered long ago, although he had kept it carefully hidden, that this woman had a power to stir his hungers and deepen his sense of loneliness. Watching her now, he saw something soft and gentle and appealing, qualities he had not sought in a woman before. It seemed to cling to his mind, disturbing him somehow. It was as if a warmth rose from her and touched him. Earlier he’d resented it. But now, somehow, her softness, gentleness, and goodness drew him like a magnet.

He put his shirt on carefully and then asked abruptly, “What are you going to do after we deliver these kids?”

“I don’t know.” She seemed to be hesitant, as if she were concealing something from him.

“Will you go back to Walla Walla?”

“I guess so. It’s a good farm.”

She seemed unhappy, and Thad spoke up without intending to. “I’d like to go back and help you at that place if it wasn’t for Marshal Meek.”

“Why, Thaddeus, you hated that place!”

“Oh, I didn’t hate it that bad. I reckon it was good for me in a way, but I guess I’m pretty confused right now. You know, Temperance, sometimes a fellow bends over to pick
something up, and when he straightens up, the whole danged world has changed. That’s kind of the way it is with me right now.”

She reached over and put her hand over his. “It’s all right. It’ll clear up. You’re on the Lord’s side now. He’s not going to let you fall, Thaddeus.”

* * *

FORT KEARNY WAS NO better than any of the other forts Temperance had seen. It was a busy place teeming with soldiers and Indians, many of them the worse for drink. They had pulled in late in the afternoon, and she had said at once, “Thaddeus, we need to get you to a doctor.”

“No sense in that. I’m all healed up.”

“You’d argue with a stump!”

“Well, you got his measurement at last. Stubbornest fellow I’ve ever seen,” Quaid grinned. “Tell you what. I’m going to take you all to the restaurant for a meal. It’s all on me. Eat until you pop.”

All of them were excited about this. Belle had to squeeze herself into one of Temperance’s dresses. She seemed to be bursting out of it, but that didn’t bother her.

Quaid led the way to the restaurant and ordered the best in the house for everyone. Temperance enjoyed the meal, but she saw that Thaddeus said nearly nothing.

“What do you think is wrong with him, Belle?” she whispered.

“He feels left out. Quaid’s got the money and buying all the things for us and taking care of us. Thad was the big man until Quaid came along.”

“He’s in a new world, Belle,” Temperance said. “He doesn’t know how to handle the one he’s in now.”

Thad suddenly got up and said, “Thanks for the meal, Quaid. I’m going to go look around a little bit.”

Quaid watched him go and shook his head. “Thaddeus isn’t happy. I thought he would be once he found the Lord.”

“It’s hard to move out of an old life into a new one,” Temperance murmured. “We think we want to, but suddenly we have to learn a whole new set of rules.”

“I’d like to live in a world where there weren’t any rules,” Belle grinned. “That’d be my kind of world.”

“Well, you’re going to New Orleans. That’s about as close to a place without rules I know of,” Quaid grinned.

“I hope he’s not going to get drunk,” Rena whispered to Bent.

“He won’t,” Bent said. “Don’t you go to doubting him now, Rena.”

* * *

THEY HAD REACHED THE wagon, all except Thad, and all of them had the same question in mind. Belle gave words to what the rest were thinking. “I hope he’s not drinking. Hard for a man to quit cold turkey like that, but he wouldn’t be the first man to fall.”

“He won’t drink,” Bent spoke up confidently. “I know he won’t.”

Ten minutes after this proclamation Thad walked into camp. He said nothing, but he had a small brown paper bag in his hand. “Pretty busy town,” he said. It was obvious he had not been drinking.

Rena said, “I wonder if he’s got a bottle of whiskey in that sack.”

“No, he don’t,” Bent whispered. “You got to start trusting him, Rena.”

“I want to, but . . .” She did not finish her words but watched Thaddeus carefully. He put the brown sack away with the rest of his things beside his blanket. She was determined to find out what he was hiding. It took a long time after everyone else was asleep. Rena was still awake, watching Thaddeus. He had not moved, but suddenly she saw the blue spurt of a lighted match and then a candle was lit, throwing its faint glow over Thad’s face. Getting out of her blanket, she moved stealthily toward where Thad was. He had pulled himself upright and was leaning against one of the wagon wheels. He pulled the sack out and started when Rena said, “What’s in the sack?”

“Rena!” he whispered, “don’t creep up on a fellow that way!”

“What you got in there, Thad?”

“You’re nosy as a coon.”

“It’s not whiskey, is it?”

“Here, look at it.”

Rena took the sack he handed her and knew at once it was not a whiskey bottle. It was something flat and rectangular. She pulled it out and held it up to the dim light of the candle. “Why, it’s a book.” She looked at the spine and read the title: “Holy Bible. This is what you got?”

“Yes.”

“Everyone thought you had whiskey in this sack. Why are you hiding it?”

“Don’t ask questions, and you don’t have to blab about this to anyone.”

Rena felt a sudden glow of happiness. “I’m glad it wasn’t whiskey and I’m sorry for doubting you, Thad, but I don’t know why you’re so ashamed of it. It’s only a Bible.” She flipped through the pages, and then a thought struck her. She had a vulnerable look, this young girl, despite the hard things life had dealt her. “What’ll you give me if I don’t tell what you’re reading?”

Thad reached over and took the Bible. “Well, when you grow up, I’ll sort through all the young fellows who come courting you. I’ll throw all of them away but one, the best one.”

Rena giggled. “That’ll be fun. Now read me some of the Bible, Thad.”

“Why do you call Quaid ‘mister,’ but you never call me by that?”