(SEQUEL TO TEXAS) |
(2nd of
a series) |
BY LOREN MOORE AND CLARA WERSTERFER
MAE CAME OUT ON THE VERANDA AND SAT DOWN IN THE ROCKING CHAIR NEXT TO
LOREN. “I’M THROUGH IN THE KITCHEN FOR TONIGHT, LOREN. WHAT ARE YOU
THINKING ABOUT, SITTING OUT HERE ALL BY YOURSELF?”
“JUST THINKING ABOUT OLD TIMES, MAE. I’VE GOT TO GO INTO SAN ANTONIO TO
TAKE CARE OF SOME BUSINESS. I’LL BE LEAVING IN THE MORNING.”
“LOREN WOULD YOU STOP BY THE LAND OFFICE AND SEE IF MY 200 ACRES EVER
SOLD?”
“I SURE WILL MAE. I MIGHT EVEN GO BY YOUR OLD PLACE AND HAVE A LOOK
AROUND. I THINK I’LL GO TO BED NOW. I WANT TO GET AN EARLY START IN THE
MORNING. GOOD NIGHT MAE.”
LOREN WRITES;
WHEN LOREN GOT TO SAN ANTONIO, HE WENT TO THE LAND OFFICE AND ENQUIRED
AS TO WHETHER MAE’S 200 ACRES HAD SOLD. THE MAN AT THE LAND OFFICE WAS NEW
AND DIDN’T KNOW WHAT LOREN WAS TALKING ABOUT. SO LOREN WENT TO THE BANK
AND ASKED IF THEY HAD AN ACCOUNT FOR MAE BLACKWELDER. THE BANKER SAID HE
DID IN THE AMOUNT OF $200. WHILE LOREN WAS AT THE BANK HE WITHDREW $15,000
IN SMALL BILLS.
THEN LOREN WENT TO A BLACKSMITH SHOP AND ORDERED FOUR BRANDING IRONS.
HE HAD BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND FINALLY DECIDED ON A
ROCKING M DESIGN. WHILE THE SMITHY WAS MAKING HIS BRANDING IRONS, LOREN
HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO.
LOREN WENT BY A DRY GOODS STORE AND BOUGHT SEVERAL PAIR OF JEANS AND
SOME SHIRTS. HE ALSO BOUGHT MAE A NEW DRESS AND SOME RIBBON FOR HER HAIR.
WHILE HE WAS AT IT HE BOUGHT BOLTS OF COLORED CLOTH AND A LARGE AMOUNT OF
CANVAS. LOREN TOLD THE STORE OWNER TO SEND ALL THIS OVER TO THE HARDWARE
STORE THAT WOULD BE DELIVERING AN ORDER TO HIS RANCH.
WHILE LOREN WAS IN A BUYING MOOD HE WENT TO THE HARDWARE STORE AND
BOUGHT A NEW STOVE, 40 ROLLS OF THE NEW BARB WIRE, A KEG OF STAPLES AND
SIX HAMMERS. LOREN ALSO BOUGHT A LARGE SAFE FOR THE RANCH HOUSE. ALL THIS
WAS TO BE DELIVERED BY THE STORE TO HIS RANCH.
AS LOREN WAS RIDING UP THE LLANO RIVER TO GO BACK TO HIS RANCH, HE
DECIDED HE WOULD STOP AT MAE’S OLD HOME PLACE AND GET ACQUAINTED WITH WHO
EVER BOUGHT THE PLACE. HE HELLOED THE HOUSE AND THREE PEOPLE CAME OUT ON
THE PORCH. LOREN SAW THAT THE HOUSE HAD BEEN ADDED TO AND NOW WAS A MUCH
LARGER HOUSE THEN WHAT MAE AND JOSHUA HAD WHEN LOREN FIRST CAME HERE.
THERE WAS ALSO A BARN, A SMOKE HOUSE AND A CORRAL WITH SEVERAL HORSES.
LOREN ALSO NOTICED THAT ABOUT 60 ACRES HAD BEEN CLEARED AND PLANTED IN
CORN.
“COME ON IN STRANGER. LIGHT AND VISIT A SPELL. MY NAME IS WERSTERFER
AND THIS IS MY WIFE AND OUR DAUGHTER CLARA.”
“NICE TO MEET YOU MR. WERSTERFER, MA’AM, MISS. MY NAME IS MOORE AND I
GUESS I’M YOUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR. I LIVE ON UP THE RIVER A WAYS. I’VE JUST
BEEN TO SAN ANTONIO TO CONDUCT SOME BUSINESS AND WAS ON MY WAY HOME.”
“WELL NOW MR. MOORE, I’M GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO SAN ANTONIO SOMETIME
THIS WEEK MY SELF. I’M GOING TO TAKE A WAGON LOAD OF CORN IN TO SELL IT.
CLARA’S GOING WITH ME TO TRY TO FIND HER A JOB. I SELL MY CORN FOR
LIVESTOCK FEED AND SOME TO BE GROUND INTO MEAL.”
AN IDEA WAS BEGINNING TO FORM IN THE BACK OF LOREN’S MIND. HE ASKED
WHAT KIND OF WORK CLARA WAS LOOKING FOR, AND WAS TOLD SHE WAS A
SEAMSTRESS. THE WERSTERFER’S HAD BROUGHT LOREN INTO THE HOUSE BY THEN AND
THEY WERE ALL SITTING AT THE KITCHEN TABLE DRINKING COFFEE. LOREN MADE A
DEAL WITH MR. WERSTERFER TO BUY ALL THE CORN HE HAD IF HE WOULD DELIVER
IT TO HIS RANCH. HE ALSO TOLD THEM HE WAD WORK FOR CLARA AS A SEAMSTRESS
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS IF SHE WOULD STAY WITH HIS HOUSE KEEPER.
“JUST FOLLOW THE RIVER ON UP UNTIL YOU COME TO A LARGE CREEK. I CALL IT
SANDY CREEK. THEN FOLLOW SANDY CREEK UNTIL A SMALLER CREEK, CRAB APPLE
CREEK, RUNS INTO IT. THAT’S WHERE YOU WILL FIND MY RANCH HEADQUARTERS.”
CLARA WRITES;
LOREN WAS WELL PLEASED WITH HIS NEW NEIGHBORS. THEY SEEMED TO BE
FRIENDLY AND HONEST PEOPLE.
MAE WOULD BE HAPPY THE RANCH HAD FINALLY SOLD AND SOMEONE WAS TAKING CARE
OF IT THE WAY SHE AND JOSHUA WANTED TO BEFORE JOSHUA WAS KILLED BY THE
INDIANS. IT HAD FALLEN INTO ILL REPAIR SINCE NO ONE HAD LIVED THERE FOR
THE PAST TEN YEARS.
HE WANTED CLARA TO MAKE SOME DRAPES FOR THE HOUSE AND FANCY
PILLOWS, MAE WAS A GREAT COOK
AND VERY PARTICULAR HOUSE KEEPER, BUT SHE DIDN'T DO MUCH TO ADD COLOR AND
WARMTH TO THE HOUSE.
WHEN LOREN HAD BEEN SHOPPING IN SAN ANTONIO HE HAD PURCHASED A VICTROLA
AND SOME RECORDS. HE WANTED TO HEAR MUSIC WHEN HE SAT ON HIS PORCH.
SOMETHING BESIDES ONE OF THE HANDS PLUNKING ON A GUITAR.
GUESS I WANT TO BE CIVILIZED, HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF. LOREN HAD ALSO
ENJOYED THE ELECTRIC LIGHTS, IN SAN ANTONIO BUT IT WOULD BE YEARS BEFORE
THEY WOULD RUN THE POLES TO HIS PLACE, OR SO HE MUSED TO HIMSELF. IN THE MEANTIME, HE WANTED THINGS NICE. OH, WHAT IS THE
MATTER WITH ME AM I WANTING TO BUILD A NEST LIKE THE BIRDS AND RAISE SOME
BABIES?
HE WAS JUST AT THE CREST OF THE HILL AND HAD A VIEW OF THE HOUSE AND
OUTBUILDINGS. WELL, IF I DON'T FIND MYSELF A WIFE AND RAISE A
FAMILY, THEN WHO WILL TAKE CARE OF THIS WHEN I AM GONE? WILL ALL THE HARD
WORK BE LOST OR GIVEN OVER TO STRANGERS? LOREN'S PRIVATE
CONVERSATION WITH HIMSELF WAS SHATTERED WHEN HIS FOREMAN, JUAN. SAW HIM
AND CALLED HELLO.
”WE HAVE MISSED YOU, SENOR MOORE AND GLAD YOU ARE HOME. SENORA MAE HAS
BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU AND MADE FOOD FOR YOU.”
LOREN WRITES;
LOREN HAD SAVED HIS SURPRISES UNTIL AFTER SUPPER. AS HE AND MAE SAT OUT
ON THE VERANDA IN THEIR ROCKING CHAIRS HE STARTED TELLING MAE ABOUT HIS
TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO. “MAE YOUR LAND HAS SOLD TO A FAMILY NAMED WERSTERFER
AND YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT IN THE BANK OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS.”
“OH THANK HEAVEN, LOREN. I HOPE THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE. HAVE YOU MET
THEM?”
“MAE YOUR GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO SEE FOR YOURSELF. I BOUGHT SEVERAL
WAGON LOADS OF CORN FROM MR. WERSTERFER AND HIRED HIS DAUGHTER TO DO SOME
WORK HERE AT THE RANCH HOUSE. SHE IS A SEAMSTRESS AND I WANT HER TO MAKE
SOME THINGS FOR THE HOUSE.”
“MAE, THE WAGON FROM SAN ANTONIO WILL BE HERE IN A FEW DAYS, WITH ALL
THE THINGS I BOUGHT. I BOUGHT A NEW STOVE FOR THE KITCHEN AND A SAFE FOR
MY DEN. I FIGURED IT WAS TIME TO STOP HIDING MY MONEY IN THAT BOX UNDER
THE FLOOR BOARD IN MY BEDROOM. I HAVE TO KEEP ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE
HANDS EACH MONTH AND ANY THING ELSE THAT MIGHT COME UP.”
“I ALSO BOUGHT ENOUGH OF THAT NEW BARB WIRE TO START PUTTING UP A FENCE
AROUND MY RANCH. THAT WOULD KEEP MY CATTLE FROM STRAYING OFF MY LAND. ONE
OF THESE DAYS SOMEONE IS GOING TO BUY THAT LAND ON THE WEST SIDE OF ME.
JUAN CAN PUT FOUR OF THE HANDS TO BUILDING THE FENCE.”
LOREN DECIDED NOT TO TELL MAE ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS HE HAD BOUGHT. HE
WOULD LET THEM BE A SURPRISE WHEN THE WAGON GOT HERE.
TWO DAYS LATER THE WAGON DELIVERING HIS THINGS FROM SAN ANTONIO ARRIVED
LATE IN THE EVENING. LOREN AND MAE WERE SITTING IN THE ROCKING CHAIRS WHEN
THE WAGON PULLED INTO THE YARD.
CLARA WRITES;
MAE WAS LIKE A LITTLE GIRL, SHE WAS SO ANXIOUS TO SEE THE NEW THINGS
LOREN HAD BOUGHT. SHE WENT OUT TO THE WAGON TO WATCH THE UNLOADING.
LOREN CALLED FOR A COUPLE OF THE HANDS TO COME HELP WITH THE STOVE.
IT WAS A BEAUTY AND WOULD LOOK REAL GOOD IN THE BIG SPACIOUS KITCHEN.
THEN THE DELIVERY MAN HANDED LOREN A BOX WHICH HE IN TURN HANDED TO MAE.
"THIS IS FOR YOU, MAE"
LOREN
GRINNED. MAE ALMOST RAN TO THE VERANDA TO SIT DOWN SO SHE COULD OPEN
THE LARGE BOX. WHEN SHE SAW THE PRETTY DRESS AND ALL THE DIFFERENT
COLORED
RIBBONS SHE SQUEALED WITH DELIGHT. "LOREN, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE, BUT I
AM GLAD YOU DID."
THE MEN THEN TOOK THE VICTROLA OFF THE WAGON AND CARRIED IT TO THE HOUSE,
ASKING MAE WHERE SHE WANTED THIS MUSIC MACHINE. MAE WAS SO TAKEN ABACK SHE
COULD HARDLY SPEAK. WHAT OTHER SURPRISES DID HE HAVE? NEXT CAME THE
BOXES OF FABRIC AND THREAD.
MAE KEPT MUTTERING OH MY, OH MY TO HERSELF.
ONCE EVERYTHING WAS REMOVED FROM THE WAGON AND STOWED AWAY, LOREN INVITED
THE DELIVERY MAN IN TO HAVE A BITE OF SUPPER AND STAY THE NIGHT IN THE
BUNKHOUSE BEFORE RETURNING TO SAN ANTONIO. THE MAN GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED
LOREN'S GRACIOUS OFFER.
MAE HAD A HARD TIME SLEEPING THAT NIGHT. HER MIND WANDERED BACK TO THE
FIRST DAY SHE HAD SEEN LOREN AND HOW LUCKY IT WAS THAT HE CAME ALONG WHEN
HE DID. MAE FELT WARMTH IN HER HEART FOR THE KINDNESS HE HAD SHOWN
HER, KNOWING THAT IF HE HAD NOT COME ALONG, SHE WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD.
MAE
SAID A PRAYER FOR LOREN. SHE WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE NEW THINGS
AND COULDN'T WAIT TO WEAR THE
NEW DRESS.
THE NEXT MORNING AFTER MAE MADE BREAKFAST FOR
LOREN AND THE DELIVERY MAN, MAE WALKED TO THE YARD TO BID THE DELIVERY MAN
GOODBYE AND SPOTTED A WAGON COMING DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WAS A MAN
AND
TWO LADIES IN THE WAGON WHICH WAS MOVING SLOWLY AS IT WAS HEAVILY LOADED.
LOREN CAME UP BEHIND HER AND REMARKED THAT IT WAS THE WERSTERFER FAMILY
DELIVERING THE CORN, AND MAYBE BRINGING CLARA TO STAY A WHILE.
LOREN WRITES:
LOREN CALLED HIS FOREMAN JUAN AND HIS ASSISTANT FOREMAN RAMÓN TO COME
STAND WITH HIM AS THE WESTERFER WAGON ENTERED THE YARD. MAE WAS STANDING
BEHIND THE MEN.
WHEN THE WAGON CAME TO A STOP IN FRONT OF THEM, LOREN STEPPED FORWARD
AND HELPED CLARA AND HER MOTHER DOWN. THEN MR. WESTERFER STEPPED DOWN AND
LOREN INTRODUCED EVERY ONE. AFTER THAT LOREN TOLD JUAN AND RAMON TO DRIVE
THE WAGON DOWN TO THE BARN AND UNLOAD THE CORN INTO ONE OF THE STORAGE
ROOMS.
MAE INVITED THE WESTERFER’S TO COME SIT ON THE VERANDA WHILE SHE MADE A
FRESH POT OF COFFEE. LOREN PASSED THE TIME OF DAY WITH THEM UNTIL MAE CAME
BACK OUT WITH COFFEE FOR EVERY ONE.
“CLARA HAVE YOU DECIDED IF YOU’RE GOING TO STAY AND WORK FOR ME FOR A
FEW DAYS?” LOREN WANTED TO KNOW.
“YES MR. MOORE, I WILL STAY AS LONG AS YOU NEED ME.”
MAE WAS VERY PLEASED TO HEAR THIS BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE HER SOME FEMALE
COMPANIONSHIP. THAT IS SOMETHING SHE HAD BADLY MISSED.
WHEN JUAN AND RAMON BROUGHT THE WESTERFER WAGON BACK TO THE FRONT OF
THE HOUSE CLARA GOT HER CLOTH SATCHEL OUT FROM UNDER THE SEAT AND MR. AND
MRS. WESTERFER LEFT TO GO HOME.
MAE TOOK CLARA IN TOW AND THEY WENT INTO THE HOUSE. LOREN, JUAN AND
RAMON WALKED DOWN TO THE BUNK HOUSE. WHEN THEY ENTERED THE BUNK HOUSE,
LOREN SAW A YOUNG MEXICAN BOY OF MAYBE TWELVE YEARS, SWEEPING THE FLOOR.
‘WHO IS THIS?’ LOREN ASKED JUAN. JUAN JUST SHROUDED HIS SHOULDERS AND
LOOKED AT RAMON.
“HIS NAME IS PEPE. HE WONDERED IN HERE FOUR DAYS AGO HUNGRY AND SCARED.
HE GOT SEPARATED FROM HIS PARENTS IN THE DARK. THEY WERE ON THERE WAY
NORTH FROM MEXICO TO FIND A BETTER LIFE. I FED PEPE AND GAVE HIM A PLACE
TO SLEEP IN THE BUNK HOUSE. HE HAS BEEN HELPING THE COOK AND KEEPING THE
BUNK HOUSE CLEAN EVERY SINCE.”
PEPE STOOD IN FRONT OF THIS BIG HEFFE OF THIS RANCH, BUT HE WOULDN’T
LOOK AT HIM. PEPE THOUGHT THE HEFFE WAS GOING TO RUN HIM OFF THE RANCH AND
HE DIDN’T KNOW WHERE HE WOULD GO.
“RAMON YOU TELL MY NEW HAND THAT AS THE COOKS HELPER I WILL PAY HIM 50
CENTS A DAY FOR AS LONG AS HE WANTS TO STAY. BUT TELL HIM THAT HE MUST
LEARN TO SPEAK AMERICAN IF HE IS GOING TO WORK FOR ME.”
RAMON’S BIG PONCHO VIA MUSTACHE ALMOST HID HIS GRIN AS HE TOLD PEPE IN
SPANISH WHAT LOREN HAD SAID. FOR THE FIRST TIME PEPE LOOKED UP INTO
LOREN’S FACE AND ANSWERED. RAMON TOLD LOREN PEPE HAD SAID THAT HIS LIFE
WAS LOREN’S AND HE WOULD SERVE HIM AS LONG AS HE LIVED.
THAT EVENING AFTER SUPPER MAE, CLARA AND LOREN WERE SITTING OUT ON THE
VERANDA LISTENING TO SOME OF THE SONGS LOREN HAD FOR THE VICTROLA. LOREN
SAW RAMON WALKING TOWARD THE HOUSE CARRYING A GUITAR. RAMON WALKED DOWN
THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE OUT OF SIGHT. THEY WERE LISTENING TO BUFFALO GIRLS
AT THE TIME. WHEN IT WAS OVER LOREN PUT ON TURKEY IN THE STRAW.
AS TURKEY IN THE STRAW WAS PLAYING, LOREN KEPT THINKING HE HEARD AN
ECHO. HE GOT UP OUT OF HIS ROCKING CHAIR AND STARTED TURKEY IN THE STRAW
AGAIN. THEN HE WALKED TO THE END OF THE VERANDA AND LISTENED. HE HEARD
RAMON STRUMMING HIS GUITAR TO THE TUNE OF TURKEY IN THE STRAW.
THE NEXT MORNING RAMON WAS AT THE BACK DOOR PLAYING TURKEY IN THE STRAW
FOR MAE AS SHE COOKED BREAKFAST.
CLARA WRITES;
WHILE MAE, LOREN AND CLARA WERE EATING, CLARA BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF
WHAT LOREN NEEDED DONE AROUND THE RANCH.
"THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE IS CURTAINS AND DRAPES ON THE WINDOWS
THRU OUT THE HOUSE. WE NEED TO KEEP THIS HOT TEXAS SUN OUT. THEN I
WOULD LIKE SOME
CUSHIONS AND PILLOWS MADE FOR THE CHAIRS. WE ALSO NEED A NICE
TABLECLOTH FOR THE BIG DINING ROOM TABLE. I WANT MY HOUSE TO LOOK LIKE A
REAL HOME.
MAE CAN HELP YOU PICK OUT THE COLORS. I BROUGHT SEVERAL BOLTS OF
CLOTH OF DIFFERENT COLORS. WE HAVE PLENTY OF FEATHERS FOR STUFFING
OF PILLOWS. THINK YOU CAN HANDLE ALL THAT?" ASKED LOREN.
CLARA SMILED AND NODDED HER HEAD YES. SHE WAS A SMALL PERSON ABOUT
25 YEARS OLD WITH BROWN EYES AND HAIR TO MATCH. SHE TOLD LOREN SHE HAD
BROUGHT
EVERY THING SHE NEEDED TO SEW. "ONE THING, HOWEVER, MR. MOORE WHEN YOU
COME IN THE HOUSE, EXPECT TO FIND A MESS. I CAN'T WORK AND KEEP
THINGS NEAT AT THE SAME TIME. ONCE I AM FINISHED, MAE AND I WILL DO
A COMPLETE CLEANING JOB. SO DON'T GET OUT OF SORTS IF THINGS ARE
MESSY FOR A WHILE. IT MAY TAKE
ME TWO OR THREE WEEKS, MAYBE LONGER TO GET IT THE WAY YOU HAVE TOLD ME YOU
WANT IT. HOPE YOU CAN PUT UP WITH ME AND A MESS FOR THAT LONG. I'LL
TRY TO
DO ONE ROOM AT THE TIME SO THE WHOLE PLACE WON'T BE TORN UP."
LOREN GRINNED. “TAKE AS LONG AS YOU NEED TO. IT'S THE END
RESULT I'M INTERESTED IN. JUST MAKE SURE THERE'S ONE CHAIR EMPTY FOR ME TO
SIT IN WHEN I COME IN AT NIGHT.”
LOREN WRITES;
“OH HUSH LOREN, THE ONLY TWO CHAIRS YOU SIT IN WHEN YOU COME IN ARE THE
CHAIR AT MY KITCHEN TABLE AND THE ROCKING CHAIR OUT ON THE FRONT VERANDA.”
MAE CHALLENGED.
“RAMON,” CALLED LOREN, “HAVE YOU FINISHED MILKING MAE’S COW YET?’
“OH I DON’T DO THAT JOB ANY MORE LOREN. PEPE IS NOW THE OFFICIAL COW
MILKER” WAS RAMON’S ANSWER.
“I GUESS YOU HAVE TURNED OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GATHERING THE EGGS
EACH MORNING TO HIM ALSO?”
“SI, … ER YES I HAVE DONE SO” STAMMERED RAMON.
“WELL I GUESS I SHOULD PAY HIM 75 CENTS A DAY FOR THE ADDED WORK YOU
HAVE GIVEN HIM. NOW THAT YOU DON’T DO AS MUCH WORK AS YOU ONCE DID, I’LL
TAKE 25 CENTS A DAY FROM YOUR PAY AND GIVE IT TO PEPE.”
RAMON DIDN’T KNOW IF LOREN WAS SERIOUS OR NOT, BUT HE BEAT A HASTY
RETREAT TO THE BARN. MAE CHASTISED LOREN FOR TEASING RAMON. JUST THEN PEPE
CAME INTO THE KITCHEN CARRYING A BUCKET OF MILK. HE SET THE BUCKET OF MILK
ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER AND GRABBED ANOTHER BUCKET BY THE DOOR AND RAN BACK
OUT SIDE. IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE HE WAS BACK WITH A BUNCH OF EGGS IN THAT
BUCKET.
BEFORE PEPE COULD LEAVE THIS
TIME LOREN CALLED TO HIM AND ASKED HIM TO COME TO THE TABLE AND TALK TO
HIM. “PEPE I SEE THAT YOU HAVE TAKEN ON MORE WORK. YOU NOW MILK THE COW
TWICE A DAY FOR SENORA MAE AND GATHER THE
EGGS EACH MORNING. I THINK I SHOULD RAISE YOUR PAY TO 75 CENTS A DAY.”
PEPE WASN’T SURE HE UNDER STOOD ALL THAT THE HEFFE HAD SAID BUT HE DID
UNDER STAND 75 CENTS A DAY. HE GRINNED REAL BIG AND LOREN TOLD HIM TO
VAMOOSE, WITH THAT PEPE RAN BACK TO THE BUNK HOUSE.
HAVING FINISHED HIS BREAKFAST LOREN WENT TO THE BARN TO FIND RAMON AND
TELL HIM HE HAD BEEN KIDDING ABOUT CUTTING HIS PAY. THEN LOREN AND RAMON
RODE OUT TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE RANCH TO LOOK FOR A LOCATION TO BUILD
ANOTHER BARN, ONE THAT WOULD BE A LONG WAYS FROM THE RANCH HEADQUARTERS.
LOREN WANTED TO BUILD SLEEPING QUARTERS ON THE SIDE OF THE BARN SO WHEN
HIS HANDS WERE WORKING CATTLE ON THAT SIDE OF THE RANCH THEY WOULDN’T HAVE
TO MAKE THE LONG RIDE BACK TO THE BUNK HOUSE AFTER DARK.
CLARA WRITES;
AFTER THE MEN LEFT, MAE AND CLARA HAD ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE AND TALKED
A BIT. MAE WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE CHANGES ON THE RANCH. SHE WAS ALSO
VERY HAPPY FOR THE COMPANY OF ANOTHER FEMALE. "THE NEXT TIME
LOREN GOES TO SAN ANTONIO, MAYBE HE WILL TAKE US ALONG. I WOULD LOVE TO
SEE THE STORES AND HOUSES ALL LIT WITH ELECTRIC LIGHTS" SAID MAE. "LOREN
SAID
THAT THEY HAVE A HORSELESS BUGGY THAT IS RUN BY AN ENGINE" SAID CLARA. YOU
WOULDN'T HAVE TO FEED IT OATS SO THAT WOULD SAVE MONEY.
CHATTERING LIKE MAGPIES, THE WOMEN WENT TO THE LIVING ROOM WHERE CLARA GOT
OUT HER SEWING KIT AND BEGAN MEASURING. “NOW MAE, I WANT YOU TO DECIDE ON
WHICH OF THESE FABRICS YOU WANT IN THE LIVING ROOM. YOU ARE THE ONE
WHO WILL BE LOOKING
AT IT EVERY DAY SO I WANT YOU TO BE PLEASED.” CLARA GOT A CHAIR AND
STOOD ON IT TO HOLD THE FABRIC HIGH SO MAE COULD SEE HOW IT DRAPED.
”MAYBE I CAN GET ONE OF THE MEN TO COME AND HOLD THIS UP SO WE CAN DECIDE
TOGETHER” SAID CLARA. SHE STARTED FOR THE FRONT DOOR AND PEPE WAS ON
THE
PORCH. OH WELL, THOUGHT CLARA, MAYBE PEPE CAN HELP US, BUT HOW CAN I
MAKE HIM UNDERSTAND WHAT
I WANT DONE. SHE TOOK PEPE BY THE HAND AND LED HIM TO THE LIVING
ROOM. AFTER MAKING HAND MOTIONS, PEPE SEEMED TO KNOW WHAT CLARA AND MAE
WANTED. HE CLIMBED ON THE CHAIR, REACHING AS HIGH AS HE COULD WHILE
HOLDING THE DRAPERY MATERIAL. PEPE STEPPED BACK AND THE CHAIR TILTED.
HE FELL IN A HEAP ON THE FLOOR LETTING OUT A YELL OF PAIN. BOTH WOMEN
RUSHED TO HIM AND PICKED HIM UP, STANDING HIM ON HIS FEET, HE WAS HOLDING
HIS LEFT ARM AND CRYING. MAE LOOKED AT IT AND THERE WAS A LARGE BLUE
MARK ALREADY SWELLING. SHE RAN FOR A COLD CLOTH TO PUT ON IT. WHEN SHE
CAME BACK TO PEPE,
CLARA WENT TO THE PORCH TO SEE IF ANY OF THE HANDS WERE NEARBY.
LOREN WRITES;
TWO YEARS AFTER CLARA HAD COME TO LOREN’S RANCH LOREN WAS THINKING
ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN THOSE TWO YEARS. RAMON AND MAE, LOREN AND CLARA
WERE SITTING IN THEIR ROCKING CHAIRS ON THE FRONT VERANDA. PEPE WAS
SITTING ON THE STEPS LEANING BACK WITH HIS ELBOWS ON THE VERANDA FLOOR.
DURING THAT TWO YEARS, LOREN HAD BOUGHT SEVERAL BUSINESSES IN SAN
ANTONIO. HE HAD ALSO INVESTED IN THE NEW RAILROAD THAT RAN FROM SAN
ANTONIO UP THROUGH AUSTIN TO FORT WORTH. IT HAD JUST BEEN FINISHED LAST
MONTH. LOREN ALSO HAD BOUGHT THE BANK WHERE HE KEPT HIS MONEY. HE HAD KEPT
MR. GEOHAGAN ON AS MANAGER. MR. GEOHAGAN WAS ALSO AN ATTORNEY AND HAD
TAKEN CARE OF ALL LOREN’S LEGAL BUSINESS.
LOREN HAD BOUGHT A 25% SHARE OF THE ELECTRIC COMPANY THAT WAS SUPPLYING
THE ELECTRICITY TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. HE KNEW THAT ONE DAY THAT
COMPANY WOULD BE PLANTING POLES AND RUNNING WIRES UP THE LLANO RIVER. WHEN
THEY DID HE INTENDED TO HAVE ELECTRICITY ON HIS RANCH.
ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN HE CAME BACK FROM ONE OF HIS TRIPS TO SAN ANTONIO
HE HAD DRIVEN A FINE SPRING BUGGY WITH A MATCHING TEAM OF BLACK HORSES
PULLING IT. HE HAD ASSIGNED PEPE TO TAKE CARE OF THE BLACK HORSES AND THE
BUGGY AND MADE HIM THE OFFICIAL DRIVER. OF COURSE LOREN HAD TO RAISE
PEPE’S PAY AGAIN. PEPE WAS BEING PAID A REGULAR HANDS PAY NOW.
PEPE WAS SO PROUD HE STRUTTED AROUND LIKE A
BANTY ROOSTER FOR A WEEK.
HE EVEN HAD TO HAVE A NEW SET OF CLOTHES FOR WHEN HE DROVE THE BUGGY.
BUT THE BIGGEST THING THAT HAD HAPPENED WAS THAT RAMON HAD FINALLY
WORKED UP THE COURAGE TO ASK MAE TO MARRY HIM. I THINK IT WAS A REAL SHOCK
TO RAMON WHEN MAE ACCEPTED. CLARA HAD MADE MAE A WEDDING DRESS OUT OF SOME
LIGHT BLUE MATERIAL. LOREN HAD KILLED A BEEF AND HAD OLD HANKINS, THE
MEXICAN COOK BAR-BEE-QUE IT OVER A PIT OF COALS. LOREN HAD THROWN A BIG
SHINDIG TO CELEBRATE MAE AND RAMON’S WEDDING.
WHILE LOREN WAS REMEMBERING ALL THIS, HE WAS RESTLESS AND DIDN’T KNOW
HOW TO SCRATCH THAT ITCH. FINALLY HE GOT UP OUT OF HIS ROCKING CHAIR AND
WALKED TO THE EDGE OF THE VERANDA AND SAT DOWN ON THE RAIL FACING RAMON,
MAE AND CLARA.
“RAMON” LOREN STARTED, “I’M MAKING YOU FOREMAN OF THE RANCH.” RAMON
STARTED TO SPEAK BUT LOREN HELD HIS HAND UP TO STOP HIM. “JUAN AND I ARE
GOING INTO SAN ANTONIO AND RIDE THAT NEW TRAIN TO FORT WORTH. I WANT TO
SEE THOSE NEW CATTLE PENS AT FORT WORTH THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT BY THAT MEAT
PACKING PLANT. IF I CAN SHIP MY CATTLE TO FORT WORTH ON THIS NEW RAILROAD,
I CAN GET THREE TIMES THE PRICE I HAVE BEEN GETTING IN SAN ANTONIO.”
LOREN CONTINUED, “IF I SIGN A CONTRACT WITH THAT ‘SWIFT MEAT PACKING
COMPANY’, JUAN WILL STAY IN FORT WORTH AS MY AGENT.”
AFTER HESITATING A MINUTE LOREN TURNED TO CLARA AND ASKED, “CLARA DO
YOU WANT TO GO FOR A TRAIN RIDE?”
CLARA JUMPED UP OUT OF HER ROCKING CHAIR AND RAN OVER TO LOREN AND
HUGGED HIS NECK. “OH YES LOREN, I WANT TO GO SEE THE ELEPHANT!”