Wolf Creek (3 page)

Maudie grasped her tea glass in an effort to
hide her quivering hands. Jules, missing nothing, took a sip of
rye.

“
Well,
”
Maudie spoke at last,
“
I should be going.
It
’
s been a long
day. Good evening to you, Mr. Traynor.
”

“
Of course, I understand,
”
said Jules.
“
May I walk you to your street?
It
’
s rather
late.
”

She was about to
accept when Childress interjected,
“
That won
’
t be necessary. I am happy to walk
Maudie home. Good evening to you, sir.
”
He pulled out her chair and helped
her to her feet. Maudie did not protest. She only wanted to get
away from the Eldorado as soon as possible
…
before Childress could say more
than he already had.

Jules watched
them walk away, making note of Childress
’
s tight grip on
Maudie
’
s
arm.

* * *

“
Well, well, Maude Cherise. I thought I
might never catch up with you,
”
said Lyle Childress, as he guided her along the
darkened boardwalk. She glanced through the lamplit window of the
marshal
’
s office
to see deputies Quint Croy and Seamus O
’
Connor seated across the desk from
Marshal Sam Gardner. Childress quickly pushed her forward, staying
to the outside of the walk to avoid passersby.

“
I thought you might have realized by now
that I don
’
t want
you to catch up with me,
”
Maudie snapped.

“
You sound so
…
peeved, Maudie,
”
Childress crooned, with little
sincerity.
“
Whatever have I done to deserve that?
”

They walked
alongside Isabella
’
s Restaurant. Maudie so wished she could call for the help
Antonio had offered her earlier, but the restaurant windows were
dark. Once they turned the next corner, it would be only a short
distance to her little house by the creek. Now that they had left
the main business district, there were no boardwalks and no one
could be seen out walking. A three quarter moon gently illuminated
the quiet residential end of Lincoln Street.

Childress and Maudie reached the picket gate
in front of her rented cottage.

“
This is far enough,
Lyle,
”
said
Maudie.
“
You are
not welcome here.
”

He feigned
shock.
“
Oh,
really? I don
’
t
believe you
’
ll be
able to deny my entrance, sweet Maudie. After all, you are
still
…
my
wife
.
”

Maudie turned
her head away from him.
“
Only because I made the most
ill-informed decision of my life. You know the truth, that the war
was over and I had no money.
”

“
Ha!
”
answered Childress.
“
And little Maudie could be bought
for a price. So I gather you have not shared the small fact that
you are a married woman with your new acquaintances. By the way,
why in God
’
s name
did you take off to
Kansas
? Is there possibly a more
desolate, hopeless place you could have chosen? Why Kansas,
Maudie?
”

“
That
’
s none of your business. Nothing I
do is any business of yours anymore.
”
Maudie
’
s voice was edged with
hate.

“
And I suppose you think
you
’
ll find a
better husband out here in this wasteland. Hmph.
I
’
ll bet there
are plenty of other details you
’
ve neglected to tell your new
friends.
”

Childress
gripped a handful of Maudie
’
s black ringlets and pulled her
face close to his. She smelled the sourness of whiskey on his
breath.
“
Do they
know about your
noble
upbringing back in New Orleans? Do they, Maudie? That your
father was a well-born ne
’
er-do-well who became a riverboat
gambler? That he met your mother at a
quadroon ball
? I
’
ll bet you
wouldn
’
t be
sitting with the town
’
s dignitaries if they knew that bit of
information.
”

Maudie struggled
to get free from Childress
’
s hold.
“
And what are you, Lyle?
You
’
re a
ne
’
er-do-well
gambler who isn
’
t
even the
least
well-born! If you think so little of my pedigree, why did you
marry me?
”

Childress let go
of her hair and, instead, locked both her wrists in one
hand.
“
It
’
s the
only way I could have you, Maude Cherise. You were being such an
impudent little snob.
”
Maudie stepped back and tried to twist free. Childress
slapped her cheek with his free hand.

Blood trickled
from the side of Maudie
’
s mouth.
“
I
…
I
’
m divorcing you, Lyle
Childress.
That
’
s
why I am
in Kansas!
”

“
You can
’
t divorce me, you black
wench,
”
Childress
hissed.

“
Forgive my intrusion,
but
…
yes, she
can.
”

Childress jerked
his head around. Jules Traynor stood with arms crossed in the
middle of the street, flanked by a flint-faced Quint Croy and
Seamus O
’
Connor,
who looked freakishly tall in his top hat. The deputy marshals were
slowly advancing toward Childress and Maudie.

Jules cleared
his throat.
“
According to the General Statutes of the State of Kansas,
Article Fifteen, Section Six Thirty-nine and
Forty
…”
Jules
Traynor smiled affably,
“
the district court may grant a
divorce to a husband
or wife
based on multiple grounds, including abandonment
for one year, extreme cruelty
…”

Childress
released Maudie
’
s
wrists and turned toward the trio of men. The deputies continued
inching in his direction.

“…
habitual drunkenness, gross neglect of
duty
…
just to name
a few,
”
recited
Jules.
“
I left
out adultery, impotence and imprisonment, but Miss LeJeune is
welcome to provide any such details as she desires. She must reside
within the state for one year before filing; sufficient time to
spur her memory, I am sure.
”

Maudie wondered
how much of Childress
’
s rant Jules and the deputies had overheard. Somehow, she
felt her secrets were safe, no matter how long they had been
standing nearby.

Childress,
glancing from Quint to Seamus, finally found his voice.
“
Gentlemen,
there
’
s no need
for force. I have lodging at the Imperial and, if
you
’
ll allow me,
I
’
ll be on my
way. I can continue this
…
this dispute with my wife at
another, more convenient time.
”

Seamus, who was
a head a half taller even without the macabre top hat, stepped
within a few feet of Childress and leaned down to peer into the
newcomer
’
s eyes.
He dusted off the shoulders of Childress
’
s fine suit with his big freckled
paws, then backed up to rejoin Quint and Jules.

“
Oh, it appears to me that the dispute is
settled, Mr. Childress,
“
said Jules.
“
Deputy O
’
Connor here, the officer of this
impromptu court, will drop by tomorrow to escort you to the train
station.
”

Seizing the opportunity to absent himself,
Childress nodded to the men, and then to Maudie. He struck out west
on Lincoln Street, with long strides, toward the Imperial
Hotel.

Maudie took a few tentative steps, and then
ran to old Jules Traynor. He wrapped his big Arkansas farm boy arms
around her and comforted her like she was his own.

* * *

At two
o
’
clock the next
afternoon, Antonio poured two cups of steaming chicory-laced
coffee. He could hardly wait to share the town gossip with Maudie
when she stopped by. Franco and Vittore had witnessed Deputy
Marshal Seamus O
’
Connor urging a well-dressed, albeit rumpled, man into a
freight car on this morning
’
s eastbound train. According to the
boys, the stranger boarded the train willingly, in spite of the
hindrance of having a deep oozing cut over one cheek and both his
eyes blacked.

Seamus
O
’
Connor was
heard to say,
“
Damn fool should have folded before he played that last hand
of his.
”

NEVER BET ON ANOTHER MAN’S HORSE

By James J. Griffin

1

“Mr. Huntington, you’ve taken more than
enough time. Either show your cards, ask for different ones, or
fold. However, we cannot wait much longer for you to decide. Other
players are waiting in the wings.”

Sam Jones, house gambler at the Lucky Break,
was losing patience with the snail-like play of the man at the
table opposite him. Shelton Huntington was one of the slowest card
players he’d ever come across.

“I just have to consider every possibility,
Mr. Jones,” Huntington answered. “Surely you aren’t trying to push
me into a rash move, are you?”

“No, but I would like to finish this game
sometime before next week,” Sam said. Huntington had to be the most
exasperating man he’d ever faced over a deck of cards. “I don’t
know how folks in Wichita play cards, but we’re a mite faster here
in Wolf Creek.”

“All right, all right.” Huntington threw his
cards on the table – three queens and two jacks. “Queens over
jacks. I reckon my luck’s finally turned.” He started to rake in
the pot.

“Not quite so fast, Mr. Huntington.” Sam
threw down his own cards – three aces and two jacks. “I believe
aces over jacks beats queens over jacks, every time.”

Huntington fell back in his chair, stunned.
Sweat popped out on his forehead.

“That, that can’t be possible. I’m busted.
You’ve taken my last dollar. I don’t even have train fare to get
back to Wichita. The tourney’s just begun, and I’m already
eliminated?”

“I’m afraid you are,” Sam said, as he pulled
the chips to his side of the table. “Better luck next year. As for
your not having the cash to return home, quite frankly, that’s not
my problem. You should have enough intelligence to know to always
keep a bit of your funds out of the pot. Now, if you’ll make room
for Mr. Horton, he’s ready to play.”

Huntington’s expression turned to one of
anger. His dark eyes glittered like a cobra’s.

“You cheated, Jones. I don’t know how, but
you cheated.” He started to reach inside his jacket, but Sam’s
Hopkins and Allen .32 appeared in his hand as if by magic. He
pointed it straight at Huntington’s chest.

“I assure you there was no cheating
involved, sir,” he said, his voice frosty. “And if there’s one
thing I can’t abide, it’s a sore loser. Please, depart these
premises. And don’t bother to return to Wolf Creek in the future.
You’re not welcome here. Croy, if you would.”