A Man for Temperance (Wagon Wheel) by Gilbert Morris Read Free Book Online Page A

of hers. It felt frail; the bones were like fragile bird bones. “I promise I’ll take Timmy to Kate.”
    For a time they sat there as Martha thanked her and then finally she heard a horse. “That’s Brennan coming with things from the store,” she said.
    She left the sick woman’s room and opened the door, but instead of Brennan it was the Reverend Cyrus Blevins. He took his hat off and stepped inside, saying, “How’s Mrs. Dutton?”
    “Not well at all. I think you’d better pray with her, Reverend.”
    The two went back to the room, and Blevins laid his hand on the sick woman’s head and prayed a fervent prayer. When he ended, Temperance said, “She’s asleep. Come along. I’ll fix you something to eat.”
    The two left, but Blevins said, “I don’t have time. This cholera is getting worse. I don’t think Martha’s going to live.”
    “She may.”
    “Of course, God could work a miracle. That’s what it would take, I think.” He ran his hand through his thinning hair and said, “Did you hear about the Abbotts?”
    “No, what about them?”
    “Same old story,” Blevins said wearily. “But it happened so quick. Cholera got both of them.”
    “Oh, Pastor, how terrible!”
    “It is terrible. Vance was a deacon in the church. Virginia was one of the finest women I ever knew. Always cared for everybody.”
    “When did it happen?”
    “Yesterday. They got sick three days ago, and it took them like a whirlwind. They died within six hours of each other.”
    “And the children. Where are they?”
    “The Johnsons have taken them in for now.”
    “How old are they?”
    “Billy’s two and Rose is six. Billy doesn’t really understand but Rose does, I think. It’s hard to tell children about things like this.”
    “What will happen to them?”
    “Virginia’s parents live in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They left a note begging for someone to take the children there. I don’t know how in the world we’d get them there, Temperance.”
    For a moment Temperance hesitated, then she said, “I promised Martha that I’d take Timothy to her sister. They live in St. Joe, Missouri.”
    Blevins was startled. “Why, Temperance, how are you going to do that?”
    “I don’t know, but I’ll have to. We’ll have to find a way. I gave my word.”
    “Well, that’s three, all babies really. If they were older, itmight be possible to get them with a freighter, but no freighter’s going to take three babies like that.”
    The two talked earnestly about a way when suddenly Blevins lifted his head. “Somebody’s coming.”
    “Probably Brennan.”
    The two stepped out on the porch, and Brennan pulled his horse up. He dropped the sack on the ground and said, “There’s your groceries. The stuff from the store.”
    “Brennan, I need to talk to you.”
    “I ain’t coming in that house.”
    “Well, go home then, but I want you to feed the stock, gather the eggs, milk the cows. Do all the chores. I’m going to stay here.”
    “If you want to be a crazy woman, that’s fine with me,” Brennan shouted. He turned Judas around and galloped off.
    “He’s drunk, isn’t he?”
    “I expect he is, Pastor.”
    “How do you put up with him?”
    “I try to talk with him about God and he curses me. But he’s all I’ve got. ” Temperance shrugged her shoulders helplessly. “I’ll have to stay here with Martha and take care of Timothy.”
    “We’ll have to pray about a way to get these children where they can be taken care of. I’ll have my wife come out and help you with Martha.”
    “She’s got plenty to do with two children. I’ll make it fine.”
    * * *
     
    BRENNAN WAS PLOWING WHEN he looked up to see Temperance pull up in front of the house with the wagon. He tied the mules off, walked over, and saw that she was takingsomething out of the seat beside her. When he got closer, he saw an infant.
    “What’s that?” he demanded.
    Temperance turned and he saw that she was disturbed. “It’s a baby.