A Man for Glory. Carolyn Davidson

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СКАЧАТЬ Sheriff. Can’t say I envy a lawman his job when it comes to such stuff, but my job now is to try locating the gold.”

      Joe Lawson chuckled. “More power to you, McAllister. There’s been a dozen men digging around on the Clark farm in the last couple of weeks and no one’s had any success yet. My guess is, it’s in the house somewhere, but I’ve made it my business to take that place apart since the hanging and couldn’t find hide nor hair of it. The cellar’s an open book, the pantry the same. I went over the bedrooms with Mrs. Clark’s permission. I think she’d like to have the gold located same as me. It’d save her a lot of frustration, should it come to light, for she fears the chance of strangers coming by and giving her a hassle over it.”

      “Well, I’m the next best fella for the job, it seems. The insurance company doesn’t want Mrs. Clark to know who I am. They’ve given me a cover as a man looking for a farm to buy, with a nice nest egg in my pocket.”

      “Mrs. Clark isn’t interested in selling her place, McAllister. Nor in getting married and giving the title to a husband. And that’s what will happen should she marry again. The law don’t do much for women, you know.”

      Cade grinned. “I know all about that. My mother was left a ranch when Pa died, and when she remarried, it all went to her new husband. Fortunately, he was a man of honor and he took care of her and raised me and my brothers the way my pa would have wanted.”

      Joe Clark nodded knowingly. “She’s a lucky woman, then. Lots of men are looking to freeload. Glory Clark’s been stung a couple times, had to use her shotgun to chase off a fella or two when they came courting. She’s a good woman, McAllister, and I won’t put up with any shenanigans where she’s concerned. You’ll be honest with her so far as you can.”

      “I won’t tell her who I represent, Sheriff. My job is to find the gold that Harvey Clark hid somewhere. I’ll get a reward for it, and keep my hands clean. I’m not a thief, nor a man to harm a woman in any way.”

      The sheriff placed the sheaf of paperwork on his desk with a flurry of pages scattering hither and yon. He gathered them up into a pile and opened his desk drawer, placing them inside. “Your job is your own business, McAllister. I’ll introduce you to the widow lady as a man looking to buy a place in this area. I’ll show her the stuff the bank sent that covers you, the letters from your minister in your hometown, and give you my recommendation as an honest man.”

      “How do we go about meeting this lady, Sheriff?” Cade asked, already looking ahead to the task he’d assumed. One way or another he’d find the gold, and in the process, leave the lady a bit to help her along in her struggles.

      “Let’s take a ride out there right now, McAllister. She’s always at home, what with two youngsters to take care of.”

      And without further ado, the men rode west from Green River to where a holding sat several miles out of town. A sign over the lane leading to the house read, The Clark Farm, and near the unpainted house, a woman stood in the midst of a garden.

      “That’s Mrs. Clark, McAllister. She’s young, but capable. Been raising those two young’uns by herself and running this farm alone. I won’t stand for anyone giving her a hassle.”

      “I read you right, Sheriff,” Cade said, taking in the small figure ahead of them. She was dark-haired and slender, a woman who appeared too small to be saddled with a farm and two children to raise. “There won’t be any shenanigans on my part.”

      “If I didn’t feel you were a man to be trusted, I wouldn’t have brought you here, mister. Now let’s introduce you and I’ll leave you to it.” The sheriff raised a hand in greeting and they halted their mounts near Glory Clark.

      “Mrs. Clark,” the sheriff said in greeting. “This here is a fella who’s on the lookout for a piece of property to buy and run. I told him about your farm and he’s mighty interested in making a deal with you.”

      “I’m not giving up my farm, Sheriff. I thought you were aware of that,” Glory said firmly.

      “Ma’am, I’d like a chance to talk to you and meet your children. This place looks to be a fine setting for a horse-breeding and training ranch. I’d like to give you my credentials and introduce you to my thoughts for your place,” Cade said with assurance.

      “How would you know all that just from riding up my lane and taking a gander at the place, mister? I’m willing to sit down on the back porch and talk to you, but I’ll tell you right now, I’m not willing to sell out to anyone.”

      The man nodded. “My name’s Cade McAllister, from Oklahoma. I’m good with horses and know all the ins and outs of running a farm. I can put in a good day’s work with the best of them, ma’am. Perhaps I can be of some use to you here. Anyway, can we sit and talk?”

      There was about the man a look of honesty, Glory thought. He was sturdy, a man of strength, if she was any judge. Besides, the sheriff seemed to think he was to be trusted. His clothing was clean and a bit worn, but his saddle was well oiled and the horse he rode was a good one, a stallion of perhaps sixteen hands, held under control by the man’s easy grip on the reins.

      It wouldn’t hurt to hear him out, she decided. She led the way to the porch and called into the screen door as she climbed the steps. “Essie, please bring out some lemonade, and a plate of the cookies we baked this morning.”

      Within minutes, a small child, pretty as a picture, appeared in the doorway, sidling past the threshold with a tray in her hands. “Here you go, Glory. I didn’t know how many glasses you wanted, so I brought four.” Small and delicate in stature, the child was fair-haired with eyes as blue as a summer sky, with a ready smile for the visitor.

      Glory touched the girl on the shoulder and took the tray from her hands. “Thanks, Essie. Now, go find Buddy, then both of you come back here and sit with us.”

      “Yes, ma’am,” she answered, and ran off across the yard to the barn.

      “Won’t you sit down, sir?” Glory asked the visitor.

      “Yes, ma’am. I surely will. My name is Cade, ma’am. The sheriff said yours is Glory Clark.”

      She looked down the lane toward the town road, where the sheriff rode his horse at a steady trot. “Guess he’s heading back to town. You know, I had a bad time with him, what with him robbing my young’uns of their pa the way he did. But he’s been kind to us since then. He’s a pretty sharp man, to tell the truth. If he trusts you, guess there isn’t any reason for me not to do the same,” Glory said. “Now, what are you wanting to offer me?”

      Cade handed her a sheaf of papers and sat back on a rocker near the back door. “I’m a man of sufficient means, Mrs. Clark. I have a decent nest egg in the bank and a good knowledge of horses and such. I’ve been looking for a place to buy and I’m mighty interested in this one.” His gaze rested for a moment on her face, then slid to encompass her entire body as he spoke again. “I’m an honest man and if you’ll read the paperwork I gave you, I think you’ll see that I’m on the up-and-up.”

      Glory nodded, admiring the man before her. And that in itself was a strange happening, for she had been made offers aplenty, both for her property and her hand in marriage, by a number of men from the surrounding countryside, and none of them had earned more than a wave of her shotgun for their trouble. Cade McAllister was different. He was tall and well-built, with eyes that looked at her squarely, and documents that might support his claims. He appealed to a part of her that had long been СКАЧАТЬ