she let herself stop and really think she would be overcome by a disappointment she couldn’t quite comprehend.
Chapter 8
Amazing how hairy a man could get when there wasn’t a woman around to impress. Joe looked up from the hair on the wooden floor and smiled at his image in the mirror, admiring the barber’s work. “Do ya like the mustache, Bill? Or do ya think I should just get rid of it all?”
Bill took a step back and grabbed his chin with a finger and thumb, thinking deeply. “I think the mustache suits you.” A slow smile crept up his dry and weathered face. “Besides, yer already shocking enough as it is with so much hair gone.”
Joe grinned broadly. “And really, I look almost—what’s that word?—uh, debonair, right? Like a gentleman.” It was tempting to purchase new clothes to match his new look, but he didn’t have that much money to be tossing about to the wind. The shave and haircut would have to do. His blond eyebrows fell over his eyes as he wondered what Elizabeth would think.
“You’ll be impressin’ every woman in town with the new Joe. They’ll wonder where the handsome stranger came from.”
“Just what I wanted to hear.” Placing some money in Bill’s hand, he added, “I’m headin’ out to show the town of Virginia City the cleaned-up me.”
“Have a good time, son.” Bill waved as Joe stepped out the door and glanced up and down C Street. The middle of the street was crowded with people milling about and horses and buggies trying to weave through the herd. The saloons were open, but he knew the small groups of people inside would grow as soon as the sun began to set. Joe had never really had much desire to enter the Bucket of Blood, the Delta, or any of those establishments, but he knew that they were frequented by many of the citizens of this town. His ma’s teachings still held sway in his life, and he was accountable to his brother, so he did his best to stay out of mischief. Too bad he couldn’t say the same for Elizabeth’s brother.
Stepping off the wooden sidewalk and out into the dusty street, Joe was startled to see Elizabeth wandering around, glancing into shops and practically running past the saloons. What was she doing out here all alone? Nervousness twisted through him, and his pulse picked up speed. He couldn’t recall feeling such concern for someone else before, besides his ma, and he wasn’t sure he liked the feeling. Like it or not, though, he was going to catch up to that girl before she got herself into a heap of trouble—and before she found herself on the wrong street.
***
It was the last job in the world David wanted, but it seemed like the last job in the world available to him. At least the pay was good. Actually, it was more than good. But then, was it really a wonder miners had to be paid so much to go into the depths of the earth and suffer all day?
As he headed out the office door, a fellow miner came up and started walking with him toward the mine’s entrance. The man appeared to be Irish, and David was reminded again of how many different countries the miners represented. It was as if people from all over the earth had come to dig some sort of future out of the heart of the West.
“Where ye stayin’?”
It was the question that had been on his mind ever since he had left Elizabeth with her brother’s wife. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“I’d rather die with a friend than an enemy, if it comes to that when we’re down below. Jest wanted to do a good turn for the newcomer and tell ye to stay with me Cornish friends. Up near the top of Sun Mountain.” The man shrugged. “They’re not the fanciest or cleanest, mind ye, but ye go where there’s cheap room, right?”
David paused and stared curiously at the man. “They live at the top of the mountain?”
“The highest streets.” The man pointed upwards.
“Ah, I see.” The higher levels of the city. “Must be some view from up there.”
“Yes, indeed.
Chapter 8
Amazing how hairy a man could get when there wasn’t a woman around to impress. Joe looked up from the hair on the wooden floor and smiled at his image in the mirror, admiring the barber’s work. “Do ya like the mustache, Bill? Or do ya think I should just get rid of it all?”
Bill took a step back and grabbed his chin with a finger and thumb, thinking deeply. “I think the mustache suits you.” A slow smile crept up his dry and weathered face. “Besides, yer already shocking enough as it is with so much hair gone.”
Joe grinned broadly. “And really, I look almost—what’s that word?—uh, debonair, right? Like a gentleman.” It was tempting to purchase new clothes to match his new look, but he didn’t have that much money to be tossing about to the wind. The shave and haircut would have to do. His blond eyebrows fell over his eyes as he wondered what Elizabeth would think.
“You’ll be impressin’ every woman in town with the new Joe. They’ll wonder where the handsome stranger came from.”
“Just what I wanted to hear.” Placing some money in Bill’s hand, he added, “I’m headin’ out to show the town of Virginia City the cleaned-up me.”
“Have a good time, son.” Bill waved as Joe stepped out the door and glanced up and down C Street. The middle of the street was crowded with people milling about and horses and buggies trying to weave through the herd. The saloons were open, but he knew the small groups of people inside would grow as soon as the sun began to set. Joe had never really had much desire to enter the Bucket of Blood, the Delta, or any of those establishments, but he knew that they were frequented by many of the citizens of this town. His ma’s teachings still held sway in his life, and he was accountable to his brother, so he did his best to stay out of mischief. Too bad he couldn’t say the same for Elizabeth’s brother.
Stepping off the wooden sidewalk and out into the dusty street, Joe was startled to see Elizabeth wandering around, glancing into shops and practically running past the saloons. What was she doing out here all alone? Nervousness twisted through him, and his pulse picked up speed. He couldn’t recall feeling such concern for someone else before, besides his ma, and he wasn’t sure he liked the feeling. Like it or not, though, he was going to catch up to that girl before she got herself into a heap of trouble—and before she found herself on the wrong street.
***
It was the last job in the world David wanted, but it seemed like the last job in the world available to him. At least the pay was good. Actually, it was more than good. But then, was it really a wonder miners had to be paid so much to go into the depths of the earth and suffer all day?
As he headed out the office door, a fellow miner came up and started walking with him toward the mine’s entrance. The man appeared to be Irish, and David was reminded again of how many different countries the miners represented. It was as if people from all over the earth had come to dig some sort of future out of the heart of the West.
“Where ye stayin’?”
It was the question that had been on his mind ever since he had left Elizabeth with her brother’s wife. “I don’t know. Why do you ask?”
“I’d rather die with a friend than an enemy, if it comes to that when we’re down below. Jest wanted to do a good turn for the newcomer and tell ye to stay with me Cornish friends. Up near the top of Sun Mountain.” The man shrugged. “They’re not the fanciest or cleanest, mind ye, but ye go where there’s cheap room, right?”
David paused and stared curiously at the man. “They live at the top of the mountain?”
“The highest streets.” The man pointed upwards.
“Ah, I see.” The higher levels of the city. “Must be some view from up there.”
“Yes, indeed.
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