Winning Texas (28 page)

“
The German Texans loved their state, but desperately wanted to keep their old-country traditions alive
–
their German hunting and singing clubs, German churches, and German-language instruction,
”
Wurzbach said.
“
They were very successful at keeping their culture flourishing until World War I.
”

One well-publicized incident showed how the hysteria affected Texans of German ancestry, he said. On Feb. 12, 1918, a young clerk for the Germania Club in Fayetteville, near Houston, raised the German flag to notify members of a social event that evening. It was an established way to communicate with club members, but on that day, led to unanticipated trouble.

“
Law enforcement officers arrested eleven men and charged them with the federal crime of espionage
–
simply because they displayed the flag,
”
Wurzbach said.
“
Charges were later dropped, but the incident terrified German Texans.
”

By the end of the war, few vestiges of the vibrant German culture remained.

“
German language instruction had been outlawed in most high schools, German street and town names had been changed, citizens were afraid to speak German, cultural clubs had been disbanded and virtually all German-language newspapers closed,
”
he said.

“
It was a major blow to the German traditions in Texas that continued after the war
–
with the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan and other groups that detested
‘
foreign
’
influences,
”
he added.
“
German Texans have vowed never to let these prejudices spring up again.
”

“
That was a long time ago,
”
Travis said.
“
Why would that be a concern now?
”

“
The modern-day secessionist movement shocked us all,
”
Wurzbach said.
“
Four years ago, your paper published stories about the Nation of Texas and their ruthless quest to force our state to break away from the United States.
”

“
But they
’
ve failed miserably,
”
Travis said.

“
It
’
s a threat that
’
s rising again,
”
Wurzbach said.
“
We see signs they
’
re regrouping, so we want to make sure our German culture and traditions are protected.
”

He showed Travis on a map the ten counties that still contain a significant population of Texans descended from German immigrants. Those counties -- Austin, Comal, DeWitt, Fayette, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Kendall, Lee, Medina and Washington
–
could easily revive German traditions.

“
We want the legislature to designate these counties as the enclave of German Texas,
”
he said.
“
Those counties would offer German-language instruction in schools, put up German signs and give German-oriented businesses incentives to locate there.
”

“
But aren
’
t we all Texans?
”
Travis said.
“
What about the border counties? The predominant language is Spanish and the majority population is of Mexican descent. Should that area be called Mexican Texas?
”

“
No, we fought and prevailed in the Texas Revolution against Santa Anna,
”
Wurzbach said.
“
He butchered our brave men at the Alamo in 1836, but a few months later we won the Battle of San Jacinto. The Mexicans forfeited their rights to Texas forever.
”

“
I don
’
t see much difference,
”
Travis said.

“
We
’
re not asking for the whole state
–
just a slice, where German Texans could be assured of maintaining and building on their culture,
”
Wurzbach said.

“
Do you have the support of the counties to create your enclave?
”

“
Definitely,
”
he said.
“
People living there think it would be a great economic and marketing tool.
”

He looked at his watch, saying they needed to leave for his first major German-Texas fundraiser. He
’
d invited Travis to join him, so the two left the Capitol to drive to a restaurant in the countryside.

CHAPTER 30

“
Mr. Satterfield should be available in ten minutes, Ms. Price,
”
the middle-aged secretary told her. Annie nodded and shivered in her lightweight summer jacket. Why did Texas government officials always keep their offices so cold? You came in sweating from the summer heat and encountered a blast of frigid air that practically blew you out of the room.

She also felt chilled because she was nervous, and who wouldn
’
t be? She hadn
’
t laid eyes on her former boyfriend in three years, since he
’
d confessed weeks before his divorce was final that he
’
d gotten his estranged wife pregnant. Annie had been joyfully planning their wedding. She knew that Jake loved women and had a wandering eye. But the last thing she
’
d expected was for him to sleep with the wife he
’
d said he detested after her affair with one of his law partners.

Lately, after not dating anyone who interested her for a long dry spell, she
’
d begun to hope again. She was enjoying dating Matt Sharpe, though she couldn
’
t visualize a long-term future with him. Tom Marr fell into a different category. The night he
’
d appeared on her doorstep a few weeks ago had seemed significant. Four years ago, he
’
d almost succeeded in wooing her away from Jake. But she couldn
’
t go along with his secessionist philosophy. When Marr said on her front porch that he was finished with the Nation of Texas, she
’
d cautiously acceded to his request to call her.

They
’
d talked on the phone a few times and she
’
d enjoyed their wide-ranging conversations. But he seemed to be rationing the calls, moving slowly and deliberately to keep things on an even keel. He still was following leads on Betsy
’
s whereabouts and believed that his daughter soon would return to the ranch of her own accord.

Annie didn
’
t know when or if she
’
d she see Marr again. She had so much going on with her work that she couldn
’
t worry about it right now. But somehow, just knowing that Marr was interested had given her the courage to see Jake, to try to put that disastrous experience into some kind of perspective. Of course, the meeting also had an official purpose. She wanted to assess how Jake, as the state
’
s most powerful state senator, perceived the German-Texas cause.

The inner door burst open and she heard a familiar high-pitched female voice. It sounded like Maggie Mahaffey, but surely it couldn
’
t be her former
Times
colleague. She listened a few seconds longer. Of course it was Maggie. That
’
s the kind of thing that happened in her crazy love life.

She stood up as Jake followed Maggie into the waiting area. He undoubtedly knew that Annie would be coming for their scheduled appointment, but Maggie looked shocked, and none too happy to see her. At least there was that small satisfaction, Annie thought. The petite blonde as usual was decked out in pink. Maggie wore a pale pink knit dress with a hot pink bolero jacket and enough rosy lipstick and blusher to supply a department store cosmetics counter.

“
Hi, Maggie. Hello, Jake,
”
she said with what she hoped was reasonable poise.
“
How
’
s the new job?
”

“
Annie, what
’
re you doing here?
”
Maggie said.
“
Uh, the job
’
s fine so far. Just finished my first week. Jake, shall I call you later?
”

“
Why don
’
t I call you?
”
he said, steering her towards the door. Annie heard them talking in low voices in the hall. She couldn
’
t make out what they were saying, but Maggie sounded angry. He seemed to be trying to calm her.

He came back in, moving with the confident, Elvis-like swagger that she
’
d always loved. He slowly looked her up and down, his smoky blue eyes crinkling, apparently happy with what he saw. He pulled her into a hug and before she could break away, kissed her lightly on the lips.

“
Annie, you look gorgeous,
”
he said.
“
Let
’
s go into the conference room and catch up.
”

He seated her at a glass-topped square table and plopped down across from her. He leaned forward slightly, just the way she remembered he always did. He had a politician
’
s knack of convincing the person before him that he or she was the most important person in the building.

He grinned and said,
“
What can I get you, a large chardonnay?
”

Despite her vow not to depart from a businesslike demeanor, she laughed. The first time she
’
d talked to him was in an Austin bar during a crowded happy hour. She had too many glasses of Chardonnay after several days of intense reporting on state budget hearings. They
’
d tumbled into bed that same night. Separated from his wife, he
’
d visited her as often as they could manage during the heady days of their courtship. But hectic weekends between Austin and Houston coupled with his family obligations in Kerrville had taken a toll, even before the pregnancy had ended the relationship.

“
I
’
ll have a Diet Coke, please,
”
she said.

“
I
’
ve heard that before,
”
he said with a wink. He spent time asking about her work, her parents, her social life and even her two cats. She touched gingerly on the subject of his children, the two daughters and three-year-old son.

“
You knew Jeannie and I had split up again?
”
he said.
“
This time it
’
s for good. I
’
m living alone in a condo I bought downtown.
”

“
Maggie told me when she left the
Times
recently that she was dating you,
”
Annie said.
“
To be honest, she kind of rubbed it in my face.
”

“
I
’
ve gone out with her some, but believe me, it
’
s not serious,
”
Jake said.

“
She seems to think it is.
”

“
She was just trying to get to you. I sense she
’
s a little jealous. She
’
d like to be Annie Price when she grows up.
”

She knew she should disapprove of his cavalier attitude toward Maggie, but instead, her heart beat faster. She hoped her face wasn
’
t flushed and her hands weren
’
t noticeably trembling. She folded them behind her, willing them to be still. He
’
d always stirred up reactions that embarrassed her.

“
You shouldn
’
t lead Maggie on if you
’
re not serious,
”
Annie said, failing to sound stern.

“
She
’
s been around the block more than a few times,
”
Jake said.
“
She flirts with anybody who has power and she
’
s definitely playing the field. Besides, what do you care? You broke my heart and stomped on it with your cowboy boots.
”