Measure of Grace (16 page)

“Good morning, Mr. Pearsall,” said Dan, rising from his desk. “Knight is in Mr. Hayward’s office at the moment. They are going over some important matters in connection with the sale. Mr. Hayward said if you arrived before they were through, to seat you and give you a cup of coffee.”

Pearsall grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

Erline went to the small potbellied stove where the coffeepot was
giving off gurgling sounds and poured a cupful of the steaming liquid.

Dan sat the attorney down in the chair in front of his desk. Erline placed the cup before him, and sat down in the twin chair beside him. Dan eased back onto his desk chair.

“Well!” said Pearsall. “You two have been in Elkton about a month, haven’t you?”

“A month and a week, sir,” said Dan. “And we love it here.”

“I’m glad,” said Pearsall. “And let me tell you, Pastor Steele is plenty glad you came. He was really needing someone to take those two Sunday school classes since the Berrys left. He has commented to me on two or three occasions about what a wonderful job you are doing.”

“We’re delighted to each have a class,” said Erline. “We both had classes at the church in Boise, but we never dreamed it would work out so well here. Dan loves his boys, and I love my girls.”

“The Lord always has things well-planned in our lives,” said Dan. “Better than we could ever plan them ourselves.”

Gage Pearsall swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “For sure. Since He is already in our tomorrows, He can work things out perfectly for us if we will just follow Him as He says, rather than running ahead of Him.”

“Right,” said Dan. “Like when Erline and I were feeling that we were supposed to leave the newspaper in Boise. We almost got ahead of the Lord and took a job at the
Pocatello Free Press
. I’m sure glad we didn’t. As you probably know, the paper went out of business just last week.”

“Yes,” said Pearsall.

“We would have been without jobs, and no place to go,” said Erline.

“I’m sure glad we let the Lord lead us here.”

“So your being hired by Claude Hayward five weeks ago was all because of the big transaction that’s taking place today.”

“Right,” said Dan. “My becoming Knight’s assistant as he becomes owner of the
Sentinel
is really a step up from what I had in Boise.”

“And my being made secretary and bookkeeper is a step up for me, too, Mr. Pearsall,” said Erline. “We’re very happy to be a part
of it. There is no doubt in our minds that Knight is going to make an even greater success of the paper as time goes on. And it’s wonderful to know we’ll have a born-again boss.”

At that moment, the door to Claude Hayward’s office came open, and both men came out.

“Ah, Gage!” said Hayward. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

Pearsall chuckled. “Only about three hours.”

Hayward laughed. “Oh, well, that’s the way it is, sometimes.”

Twenty-four-year-old Knight Colburn grinned and said, “More like fifteen minutes, Mr. Lawyer. I heard you come in.”

Pearsall shrugged, chuckled again. “Oh, well. So you caught me giving false information.”

“Just so you don’t have any false information in those papers you’ve drawn up!” said Hayward. “Come on into my office, and we’ll get this transaction done.”

The Tylers watched the three men enter Hayward’s office and close the door.

“Well, honey,” said Dan, “in a few minutes, Knight will be our boss.”

“Oh, dear,” said Erline. “We’ll have to start calling him Mr. Colburn, won’t we?”

Dan laughed. “I doubt he will want us to do that. After all, he’s only a year older than me, and two years older than you.”

“Well, we’d better ask him, anyway.”

Inside the office, Gage Pearsall guided the two men as papers were signed, which closed the sale of the
Elkton Sentinel
to Knight Colburn.

When the transaction was done, Knight grasped Hayward’s hand and shook it. “Of course I’m glad to be the new owner of the paper, sir, but I sure am going to miss you. And I’m going to miss Mrs. Hayward, too.”

“Well, Beatrice and I will miss you, and all of our friends in Elkton,” said the man, “but we are really excited about moving back to Indiana where we can live close to our children and grandchildren.”

“So you’re leaving right away?” asked Pearsall.

“On this afternoon’s train from Ketcham,” said Hayward. “We’ll be in Indianapolis before nightfall day after tomorrow. All I have to do is pack up my things in the office, put them in a box, and pick up Beatrice at the hotel, where we’ve been staying since we sold the house last week. Then we’ll be off to Ketcham.”

“Well, Claude,” said the attorney, “I want to commend you for the way you’ve trained Knight in the newspaper business, and for selling the
Sentinel
to him for such a reasonable price.”

Hayward looked at Knight, smiled, and said, “Well, Gage, there isn’t another man in the world that I would want to have the paper. Knight is going to do well, I know.”

Knight smiled back at him.

“And Knight,” said Pearsall, “I want to commend you for the way you have worked and saved your money so you could buy the
Sentinel.
”

“It’s been my big dream for a long time, sir,” said Knight. “I’m really happy to see it come true.”

Pearsall placed some of the papers in his briefcase and closed the lid. “Well, gentlemen, I’ll be on my way.”

Colburn, Hayward, and Pearsall shook hands, and moved toward the door.

As they stepped into the outer office, Dan and Erline both stood up at their desks, and Dan asked, “Is everything set?”

“All set,” said the attorney. “You and Erline now have a new boss.”

Dan’s face tinted slightly as he looked at his new boss and said, “Erline and I were just discussing this. Should we call you Mr. Colburn now?”

Knight chuckled, shaking his head. “Please, no! You just go on calling me by my first name.”

“Good!” said Dan. “I told Erline if you told us to call you Mr. Colburn, we’d just pack up and leave.”

“Oh, sure!” Knight laughed. “You call me by my first name. All right?”

“All right!” said Dan, a broad smile on his face.

Knight looked at Erline. “All right?”

“Yes, sir!” she said. “I’ll call you Knight.”

“Now that we’ve settled that, there’s something else.”

Dan and Erline exhanged quizzical glances.

Knight put a deep authoritative sound in his voice and said, “Starting today, you will both have to work eighteen-hour shifts from now on.”

Everyone had a good laugh.

Gage Pearsall shook hands with Claude Hayward, told him good-bye, and left. Hayward said a few words of congratulations to Knight, then returned to his office to finish packing up his possessions.

Just as Hayward closed his office door, the front door opened, and Annie Colburn came in off the boardwalk, smiling. She greeted the Tylers, then looked at her son. “Has the sale been made? I saw Gage Pearsall come out and head in the direction of his office a few seconds ago.”

Folding his mother in his arms, Knight kissed her forehead. “It sure has, Mom. Your son is now the owner of the
Elkton Sentinel!”

“Wonderful!” said Annie, rising on tiptoes to kiss his cheek.

Erline moved close to Annie and said, “Are you enjoying the new house Knight built for the two of you here in town, Mrs. Colburn?”

“Oh, I sure am,” she replied, her eyes sparkling. “It’s a beautiful house.”

“Do you miss cooking for the ranch hands at the Bar-S, ma’am?” queried Dan.

“I miss it in some ways,” said Annie, “but in other ways it is nice to get some rest. And I really enjoy the new house. Now, of course, I hasten to say that my son and I have an agreement about the house. When the Lord brings the right young woman into his life, and marriage is in the offing … he will buy me a small house here in town to live in.”

“And if there isn’t one available for sale,” put in Knight, “I’ll build her a little house of her own.”

Dan chuckled. “Well, Knight, as handsome and dashing as you are, it won’t be long till some beautiful young Christian gal will come into your life, and the two of you will fall head-over-heels in love.”

Knight laughed. “I sure hope the Lord has that beautiful gal about ready!”

At that moment, Annie noticed a rider haul up in front of the office and dismount. “Knight, it’s Jordan.”

Knight and the Tylers turned to look out the window. Jordan was coming across the boardwalk.

“Sure enough,” said Knight. “He’s wanting to know if the sale has been closed.”

Jordan opened the door, stepped in, and greeted the Tylers and Annie, then moved up to Knight with a sly grin on his face. “Well, ol’ pal, is it done?”

“It sure is!” said Knight. “As of this day, Thursday, October 10, 1872, yours truly is the owner of the
Elkton Sentinel!”

Chuckling, Jordan shook Knight’s hand. “Congratulations! How about a job?”

Knight laughed. “Are you kidding? I couldn’t pay you those humongous wages your father is paying you at the Bar-S.” The others laughed, then Knight said, “Seriously, Jordan, how are the plans coming toward having your own ranch?”

“Well, it’s probably a year or so away. My father is going to give me the money to buy a good spread when he feels the time is just right.”

“Do you have some particular parcel of land in mind?” asked Dan.

“I have several,” said Jordan. “There are some choice pieces, anywhere from ten- to twenty-thousand acres south, east, and west of here.”

“I hope you get the very best parcel of land,” said Dan.

“Thanks,” Jordan said with a smile, then turned to his friend. “Knight, are you and I still set to go hunting together next Monday and Tuesday?”

“I’m sure planning on it. With Dan here to watch over the
Sentinel
for me, I can get away for those two days without a problem.”

“Good! Well, I have to keep moving. See all of you later.”

They watched through the window as Jordan Shaw mounted his horse and rode away, then Dan said, “Knight, are you getting
anywhere witnessing to Jordan? You told me when we first came that he was still resisting the gospel.”

“He still is,” said Knight with a sad tone in his voice. “Just like he has for so many years. I talk to him about his need to be saved quite often, as I told you, but he keeps saying he just isn’t ready to do anything about facing God.”

“What a difference the Lord could make in his life,” said Erline.

“Yes,” said Knight. “At least Jordan hasn’t been in trouble with the law since those two scrapes I told you about that happened eight years ago, but he still has a bit of a wild streak, and often gets himself into one kind of trouble or another because of his fiery temper.”

“Mm-hmm,” said Erline. “I’ve heard some people in town say they are wary of Jordan because of that wild streak.”

“Jordan just needs to mature and to settle himself down,” said Knight. “I think you’ve met his sister and brother-in-law, Lorene and Mark Hedren.”

Both Tylers nodded.

“Mark and Lorene are not Christians, so they don’t have the full picture. But Mark has taken genuine interest in helping Jordan to grow up and become more responsible, but so far, with little or no effect. Mark and Lorene have him in their home for a meal quite often in an attempt to spend time with him. William Shaw has been trying for years to make something of his son, but is also finding it difficult, no matter how old Jordan grows physically. There is still this immaturity and irresponsibility to be reckoned with.”

“Jordan just won’t grow up,” said Annie. “It’s like he wants to stay a little boy the rest of his life.”

“That’s about it, Mom,” said Knight. “The reason William keeps putting off giving the money to Jordan so he can buy himself a ranch is because William knows he is too immature to make a success of it.”

“Both William and Sylvia are hoping Jordan will fall in love with some solid young woman who can marry him and help mature him,” said Annie. “There’s a girl named Belinda Ashworth,
and they’re attempting to get Jordan interested in her. They like Belinda very much, and feel if Jordan would marry her, Belinda could help ripen him.”

“So who is Belinda?” asked Erline.

“The Hyman Ashworth family are relatively new neighbors on an adjacent ranch to the Bar-S,” said Knight. “They are very wealthy. They have two daughters: Belinda, who is twenty-one, and Jean, who is sixteen. Both Hyman and his wife, Dorothy, have taken a liking to Jordan. And no question, Belinda is quite attracted to him. Hyman and Dorothy are quite concerned that Belinda is almost twenty-two and not married. They would like for her to marry Jordan, which would keep her on the proper social scale, since the Shaws are equally as wealthy.”

“Jordan hasn’t shown any romantic interest in Belinda,” said Annie. “I think he likes her as a friend. I’m told that he treats her kindly, but that’s as far as it goes. He doesn’t want her as a sweetheart. His parents are doing everything they can to cause romance to blossom between them. This past summer, they often encouraged the two of them to go riding together and on picnics. But Jordan is too interested in hunting in the Sawtooth Mountains and fishing in the Salmon River up there in the high country. He simply doesn’t want to be with Belinda.”

“He is quite a hunter,” said Knight. “He has deer head and elk head trophies hanging on the walls in his room, and talks a lot about a certain big male black bear in the mountains he is determined to bag one day. He wants to have it stuffed full-body so it can stand in the corner of his room.”

“So his interests all run toward hunting and fishing, eh?” said Dan.

“That’s it,” said Knight. “In itself, there’s nothing wrong with that, but my main concern for Jordan is his lost state before God.”

Annie patted Knight’s arm. “Well, you just keep working on him, son. Once Jordan gets saved, everything in his life will change for the better.”

“That’s for sure, Mom,” said Knight.

The door to Claude Hayward’s office opened, and the former owner of the newspaper came out, carrying a box. “Well, it’s time
to say good-bye,” he said with a somber note in his voice.