curl. She knew they felt the color was garish and that it stirred too much comment, because they encouraged her to conceal its unusual color as much as possible and to confine it tightly to control the curl. Knowing in her heart that her dear aunts had her best interests at heart, she had eventually put aside her childish pride and accepted their counseling.
''Are you ready for some more hot water, dearie?"
Chastity looked up with a start to see Sally Greenwood standing beside the tub, holding a steaming pot in her hand. The older woman's features were brightly painted, her hair color enhanced to a startling gold, and her matronly figure clothed in a dress obviously styled for a younger woman. It occurred to Chastity that Aunt Harriet's spontaneous comment would be that the woman's appearance was appalling, while Aunt Penelope would most likely disapprove of her outspokenness while silently agreeing with her sister. But Chastity had looked into Sally's heavily kohled eyes and seen only kindness.
She replied, "Yes, that would be nice, Sally."
Sally poured the water slowly. "Doc Carr told me that the parson was real sick. I just took a tray up to him, but Doc took it at the door, so I didn't get to see the parson at all. I hope he's feelin' better."
Chastity avoided the woman's gaze. She lathered the cloth again and rubbed it against her shoulder. "He's a little better. The infection will take a while to clear up."
Sally shook her head. "Doc says the reverend kept mumblin' about the mission and his delay in meetin' somebody. He says he seemed real worried. They're waitin' for him out there, you know."
Chastity looked up with surprise. "Oh… yes, I suppose they are."
"I know, because I worked for a while with the old parson when he went out convertin'."
Chastity could not hide her surprise.
Sally laughed. "I don't look much like the type to go out convertin', do I? Well, the truth is that I wasn't always." Sally settled back against the nearby stand, continuing, "I spent a good part of my life workin' in a saloon just like the Roundup across the street. I wasn't never as pretty as you are, but there was a time when the fellas really took to me. Of course, them days are long gone."
Chastity felt obliged to counter, "No, that's not completely true."
"Don't worry. It don't make me feel bad to speak the truth."
Sally smiled. "But the time came when I started feelin' empty inside. With you bein' a preacher's wife, you know the way I mean."
Chastity's conscience nagged at her, but she said nothing.
"That was when I took all the money I had saved up and bought this hotel. I made a good livin' at it, too, but I was still feelin' empty. Then I met old Reverend Stiles. Hell, he was so old that he needed somebody to take care of him or he never would've made it back from the wild country alive. So I put my hotel in the hands of a friend, and I started travelin' with the reverend. He died a year ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"The mission he started out in Injun Territory ain't had a preacher since. They heard a preacher was comin', though. A preacher and his wife, they said. But they're goin' to be real surprised to see a preacher with such a young wife."
"Oh, I'm not that young!"
Why had she said that?
"Anyways, I suppose it's my good fortune that the parson got sick and had to get off in Sedalia before goin' all the way to Baxter Springs, or I wouldn't have had the chance to meet you both."
"Reverend FarrellI mean Reed didn't intend going to Baxter Springs. Sedalia was his destination, and he was determined to get here at any cost."
"Really?" Sally shrugged. "I can't rightly understand that. Baxter Springs is right on the edge of the Injun Territory, but I guess a man has a right to make his way on the road he knows best."
Growing
''Are you ready for some more hot water, dearie?"
Chastity looked up with a start to see Sally Greenwood standing beside the tub, holding a steaming pot in her hand. The older woman's features were brightly painted, her hair color enhanced to a startling gold, and her matronly figure clothed in a dress obviously styled for a younger woman. It occurred to Chastity that Aunt Harriet's spontaneous comment would be that the woman's appearance was appalling, while Aunt Penelope would most likely disapprove of her outspokenness while silently agreeing with her sister. But Chastity had looked into Sally's heavily kohled eyes and seen only kindness.
She replied, "Yes, that would be nice, Sally."
Sally poured the water slowly. "Doc Carr told me that the parson was real sick. I just took a tray up to him, but Doc took it at the door, so I didn't get to see the parson at all. I hope he's feelin' better."
Chastity avoided the woman's gaze. She lathered the cloth again and rubbed it against her shoulder. "He's a little better. The infection will take a while to clear up."
Sally shook her head. "Doc says the reverend kept mumblin' about the mission and his delay in meetin' somebody. He says he seemed real worried. They're waitin' for him out there, you know."
Chastity looked up with surprise. "Oh… yes, I suppose they are."
"I know, because I worked for a while with the old parson when he went out convertin'."
Chastity could not hide her surprise.
Sally laughed. "I don't look much like the type to go out convertin', do I? Well, the truth is that I wasn't always." Sally settled back against the nearby stand, continuing, "I spent a good part of my life workin' in a saloon just like the Roundup across the street. I wasn't never as pretty as you are, but there was a time when the fellas really took to me. Of course, them days are long gone."
Chastity felt obliged to counter, "No, that's not completely true."
"Don't worry. It don't make me feel bad to speak the truth."
Sally smiled. "But the time came when I started feelin' empty inside. With you bein' a preacher's wife, you know the way I mean."
Chastity's conscience nagged at her, but she said nothing.
"That was when I took all the money I had saved up and bought this hotel. I made a good livin' at it, too, but I was still feelin' empty. Then I met old Reverend Stiles. Hell, he was so old that he needed somebody to take care of him or he never would've made it back from the wild country alive. So I put my hotel in the hands of a friend, and I started travelin' with the reverend. He died a year ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry!"
"The mission he started out in Injun Territory ain't had a preacher since. They heard a preacher was comin', though. A preacher and his wife, they said. But they're goin' to be real surprised to see a preacher with such a young wife."
"Oh, I'm not that young!"
Why had she said that?
"Anyways, I suppose it's my good fortune that the parson got sick and had to get off in Sedalia before goin' all the way to Baxter Springs, or I wouldn't have had the chance to meet you both."
"Reverend FarrellI mean Reed didn't intend going to Baxter Springs. Sedalia was his destination, and he was determined to get here at any cost."
"Really?" Sally shrugged. "I can't rightly understand that. Baxter Springs is right on the edge of the Injun Territory, but I guess a man has a right to make his way on the road he knows best."
Growing
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