Touch The Heart
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It was still dark when the sheriff’s horseback patrol, led by John Montgomery and John Baxter, rode up to the corral. They dismounted in front of the stable and called for Susan who came out with a lantern.
“Good morning, ma’am,” said Sheriff Montgomery. “We’ve got an escaped prisoner who we think is hiding here.”
Susan looked at him curiously. “I don’t understand why you’re here so early in the morning.”
“The prisoner was seen getting on his horse last night,” explained the sheriff. “It would have been easy enough for him to ride away while everyone slept, but he didn’t. He left his horse here overnight.”
Susan nodded. She’d already thought of that possibility herself. “Why do you think it might be this man?”
“He was seen leaving town three days ago,” said the sheriff. “If anyone has any information as to where he went after that, I’m sure they’ll come forward now.”
John Baxter stepped closer to her. “Mrs. Larken, we need your help. This man may be dangerous, and if you could just give us some information about him…”
“Of course,” she replied calmly. “I can tell you what I know. But first, let me say that this is not my business. It’s only because I want to protect Tom.”
“We appreciate your cooperation,” said Sheriff Montgomery.
They walked toward the barn together, and Susan continued. “This man is very good-looking. Six feet tall, muscular build, light brown hair, blue eyes. He looks like a young version of Jack Morgan.”
Montgomery glanced at his partner. “Jack Morgan? That must be our escaped prisoner.”
Baxter nodded. “Yes, that would be him.”
“And what did he look like three days ago?” asked the sheriff.
Susan opened the barn door and gestured for them to enter. “You can see his saddle and other equipment right there. Everything’s fine. No sign of forced entry.”
Sheriff Montgomery and Baxter took their horses inside and carefully examined the stolen gear. Then they left the barn and walked back to the stable. “He’s gone,” said the sheriff. “There are no tracks leading out of here.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” said Susan. “A man can be anywhere in the world with a horse.”
The sheriff smiled. “Thanks for your help.”
Before the sheriff and his partner mounted their horses again, they stopped by the stable and touched the heart of their prized thoroughbred, a bay mare named Grace.
Then they rode off and disappeared into the darkness.
***
At exactly six o’clock the next morning, Jack woke up. His legs were stiff from sleeping on the floor of his room, but he had slept well despite having the bed all to himself. He climbed out of bed and stretched. He hadn’t even thought of Susan the entire night.
Well, maybe once or twice, but certainly not more than that. After all, she was probably asleep upstairs. In fact, it was possible that she was already awake.
He got dressed quickly. Breakfast was waiting for him downstairs, and it smelled delicious. He washed down some bacon with coffee and then headed out to the barn. Before leaving, he pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. He decided to go ahead and leave a little later than usual.
Tom was riding around the corral and talking to his favorite horse, a black stallion named Sarge. When Tom saw Jack approaching, he jumped off and ran over to him.
“Good morning, sir,” said Tom. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing better,” answered Jack. “But don’t expect me to race today.”
“No problem, sir,” said Tom. “I understand. We should make a good showing anyway. There aren’t many runners competing here.”
“Yeah, well, that’s a real shame,” said Jack. “We need to encourage more people to get involved in racing.”
“You won’t see much competition until you actually win one,” said Tom.
Jack laughed. “I’m winning plenty of races. I’m just not winning them against the best. You know, like the top ten in the country.”
“Well, maybe someday you will, sir,” said Tom.
Jack patted the boy on the shoulder. “I hope so. Now, let’s get you ready for today’s race.”
They walked to the stables where they saddled up the two horses. Both animals were magnificent and looked like they belonged in a show ring instead of on the racetrack. Their coats shone in the sun, and their hooves were perfectly shod.
Tom helped Jack mount the black horse, and they rode outside to take their places on the starting line.
Everyone who watched the race knew the outcome before it began. The horse was faster, but the rider wasn’t far behind. By the halfway point, Tom had reached the finish line first. All that remained now was for Jack to finish second. And he would—if he could get through the next half mile.
Suddenly, Jack felt his stomach churning. He tried to hold down breakfast, but he couldn’t. He had never experienced such an upset stomach before. But he was determined to ride the next half mile regardless.
With only thirty seconds to spare, Jack stepped forward onto the starting block and waved his arm for the crowd to start cheering. At last, the starter’s gun blasted, and Jack was off like a shot.
For about five minutes the horses raced side by side. They were neck and neck for miles, but suddenly the black horse broke away from the pack and was pulling ahead of the others. Jack tried to follow, but he couldn’t catch up. The black horse continued to pull farther and farther ahead.
Ten more seconds passed, and then fifty, and still Jack couldn’t close the gap. It was clear to everyone watching that the horse was going to win. So when the announcer shouted, “And the winner by a length is Black Sarge!” the crowd cheered and applauded.
When the race ended, Tom was so excited he didn’t notice that Jack had dropped off the black horse and was walking toward them. He was too busy congratulating the other riders.
As soon as the race was over, the track officials approached Jack and Tom. “Congratulations,” said the official. “You’ve made history.”
“Thank you,” said Jack. “Now if you’ll excuse us—”
The official held up a hand. “Wait, there’s something else we’d like to do.”
“What?” asked Tom.
“It turns out that both horses have broken shoes during the race,” said the official. “That’s why the black horse won. The shoe in front of the right rear foot was loose.”
“Lose a shoe?” said Jack. “Why didn’t anyone tell me this earlier?”
“Because you weren’t supposed to find out,” said the official. “But since you did, we’re going to give you a special prize.”
“A what?” asked Tom.
“A new pair of horseshoes,” explained the official. “Black ones, too.”
Jack smiled at Tom. “That makes up for it, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does,” replied Tom. “Now, let’s get back to the house and get cleaned up before dinner.”
***
Dinner was served early that night because the big race was scheduled for noon the following day. The family sat together, eating, drinking wine and telling stories. Jack listened intently to all the accounts of past races. Then he told his own story, and Tom repeated it word for word.
They were interrupted by Jane, who brought in a tray of small cookies. She placed them on the table and whispered, “I baked these special for you today. You look tired, and you deserve a little reward.”
She handed each of them a cookie and left the room with a wink and a smile.
Jack took a bite of the cookie and chewed thoughtfully. “Mmm, delicious.”
“Where are you going?” asked Tom.
“To the stable,” said Jack. “I want to check on my horses.”
He smiled and disappeared into the kitchen.
After dinner, Jack was eager to get some rest before tomorrow’s race. Before he left, he and Tom exchanged hugs and kisses, and then the men went their separate ways.
By the time Jack arrived at the stables, the animals were already asleep. With a sigh, he turned to leave. But just as he reached the door, he heard footsteps approaching. Turning around, he saw Mary standing in the doorway.
“Was there something wrong with your horse?” she asked.
“No, nothing wrong,” said Jack. “But I wanted to see how the other horses were doing.”
Mary led him to the barn and opened one of the stalls. Jack looked inside and was surprised to find three horses sleeping soundly in the stall. There were no other horses in sight. “Are these the horses you used for the race?” asked Jack.
“Oh, yes,” said Mary. “They’re all right and ready for another race.”
“How many horses did you bring along?” asked Jack.
“Just three,” said Mary. “It’s not that difficult to train the three.”
Jack walked over and brushed a strand of hair from her face. “But they’re the only ones here,” said Jack. “Didn’t you say that there would be ten horses?”
“Well, sure,” said Mary. “But I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”
“Leaving where?” asked Jack.
“Back to Chicago,” replied Mary. “I can’t stay much longer, now that Charlie has found out about our arrangement.”
“So you’ll be going back to Chicago alone,” said Jack.
“With my husband,” said Mary. “And it looks like you’ll be traveling back to New York without me.”
“Don’t worry,” said Jack. “I’ll find you again.”
“If you do, please don’t ask me any more questions,” said Mary. “Please just come to me. We’ll work things out.”
“Of course,” said Jack. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Mary kissed Jack and ran down the aisle. Jack watched her until she was gone, and then he closed the stall door. He returned to the house and sat with Tom and Jane. After dinner, they retired to their rooms.
“Is everything all right?” asked Tom.
“Sure,” said Jack. “We’ll make our plans tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” replied Tom. “Now, let me get some sleep.”
“Me, too,” said Jack. “Goodnight, sweetheart.”
They kissed and Jack entered his bedroom. As he locked the door behind him, he remembered Mary’s words: ‘Don’t ask me any more questions.’
***
The next morning, Jack awoke to a loud pounding on the front door. It sounded as if someone was trying to break through with a battering ram. Jack rushed downstairs, calling, “Who is it? Who’s there?”
“It’s me, Jack,” called Tom. “What happened?”
“Someone tried to break in last night,” said Jack. “Now, let’s go outside and investigate.”
Jack and Tom stepped out the front door, and there was a man lying dead on the ground. Jack knelt down and touched the body with his hand. “This poor guy was killed in a robbery,” he said. “I think he was shot.”
“That’s what it looks like,” said Tom. “But whoever did this must have been very quick.”
“Probably a professional,” said Jack. “I wonder why he didn’t take anything.”
Tom pulled a revolver from his pocket. “Let’s go inside and see if we can find any clues.”
As they were searching the house, Mary came running to them carrying a baby wrapped in a blanket. “Are you looking for these?” she asked.
“Yes,” said Jack. “Thank you.”
Mary handed him the baby and held onto the blanket. She looked like a young woman rather than a mother. Jack couldn’t help but admire her smooth legs and shapely hips. The girl was wearing a short dress with long sleeves, and she had tied the ends of the sleeves together at her waist. Her hair was combed neatly, and she wore a large pearl necklace.
“Where did you find these?” asked Jack.
“In the nursery,” said Mary. “They belong to my daughter.”
“You’ve got a little girl?” asked Jack.
“She’s almost two years old,” said Mary. “Her name is Annabelle.”
“A beautiful name,” said Jack. “And a very pretty child.”
Mary bent down and lifted the baby into Jack’s arms. “Annabelle likes to cuddle,” said Mary.
Jack looked down at the small bundle of joy nestled against his chest. “She seems like an angel,” said Jack.
“What’s your real name?” asked Mary.
“Jack,” replied Jack. “My friends call me Jack.”
“Mine are calling me Mary,” said Mary. “From now on, everyone will know me as Mary.”
“I wish I could be called Mary,” said Jack. “It sounds nice.”
“Thank you, Jack,” said Mary. “That means a lot to me.”
Jack brought the baby up to his chin and kissed her cheek. “I’ll be taking these to the undertaker,” said Jack. “You should get dressed and return to your room before you catch a cold.”
“Thanks, Jack,” said Mary. “You’re so kind.”
Mary left the baby with Jack and ran upstairs. Jack carried her precious cargo to the back porch and placed her inside one of the rocking chairs. Then he went in search of a shovel for the grave.
He opened his trunk and took out a black suit, white shirt, red tie, dark vest, and bow tie. He put it all on. The clothes fit him well enough, but they were quite plain. No one would ever mistake him for a wealthy rancher.
Jack returned to the front porch and picked up the little bundle wrapped in a blanket. He walked to the garden shed, where he found a shovel and a wheelbarrow. He loaded the baby inside the wheelbarrow and then dug a shallow hole by the side of the barn.
Next, he dragged the dirt over to the grave. Then he made a small mound around the bottom of the grave. Finally, he filled the rest of the space with dirt.
Jack looked up the street and saw a funeral procession approaching. In front were two horse-drawn carriages, followed by a group of mourners carrying flowers. One carriage was pulled by a team of six horses. The other was drawn by a single horse.
Jack watched as the mourners formed a circle around Mary’s house, with their backs toward the grave. They bowed their heads as one and prayed for Mary’s soul.
“Goodbye, Mary,” whispered Jack. “I hope you’re resting peacefully.”
***
When the funeral procession passed by Jack’s house, he closed the gate and locked it. He walked to the corner of the house and hung the keys from a nail on the wall. Then he sat down on the front step and waited for Mary to come home.
After Mary arrived home, she hurried upstairs and took off her mourning clothes. She removed the pearls and put them in a drawer. She stuffed the lace underpants into a dresser drawer and slipped into her nightgown. It was a simple gray cotton shift that fell to just below the knee.
Mary leaned over and retrieved a hand mirror from the dresser. She adjusted her hair and brushed her teeth. Then she stood up straight and turned around. She studied her reflection for a moment.
Mary realized how much weight she’d lost since she gave birth to Annabelle. But she felt fine now. She was strong again. And she was free.
Mary threw open the window and let in a blast of fresh air. With the wind blowing through the window, she could imagine she was back at her ranch. Yet she knew this wasn’t true. Mary was a slave no more. From here on out, she would be known as Mary.
Mary climbed into bed and lay awake for a while. She thought about her son, Andrew, who had been taken away from her. Mary wished that he were still alive and safe. All those years, all those nights spent weeping and wishing, hoping for some miracle to save him. But there were none.
Mary tossed and turned until she finally drifted off to sleep.
The next day Mary attended church services, and she met Jack after the service. Jack wore a black suit, white shirt, red tie, dark vest and bow tie. His hair was neatly combed and parted down the center. The only thing missing from his wardrobe was a hat.
“I wanted to thank you for helping us,” said Mary. “And for rescuing my daughter.”
“No thanks needed,” said Jack. “A woman needs protection when she gives birth.”
“I’ve never seen you wearing black before,” remarked Mary. “Is that new?”
“Yes,” said Jack. “It’s a tradition among the Irish. We wear black to honor our dead.”
“That’s very nice,” said Mary. “Everyone should have something like that.”
Jack smiled. “Me too, ma’am.”
Mary and Jack walked together to the undertaker’s office. They entered the front door and stepped inside. An elderly man sat behind a desk. He was reading the newspaper and drinking coffee.
“Good morning, sir,” said Jack.
“Morning, young sir,” the undertaker replied. “What can I do for you today?”
“I’m here to claim an infant buried yesterday,” explained Jack.
“Oh, yes,” said the undertaker. “One of Mrs. O’Connor’s babies died last night. You’re lucky we had another casket ready. Otherwise, you would have been waiting longer.”
The undertaker quickly shuffled through a stack of papers and placed them on his desk.
“This is the boy,” said the undertaker.
Jack took the bundle of blankets from the wheelbarrow and laid it on the counter. He unwrapped the blanket, revealing a tiny baby dressed in a white dress. Jack held the baby out to Mary, who looked down at him with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Mary gently touched the baby’s face. He had bright brown eyes and a full head of curly blond hair.
“He looks so peaceful,” whispered Mary.
“We’ll need to take some measurements,” said the undertaker. “Then we’ll wrap him in his burial clothes.”
The undertaker opened a drawer and took out a pair of measuring tapes. He measured the length of each arm and leg. Then he wrapped the baby in a blanket and brought him to Mary’s house.
Mary carried the baby from the undertaker’s office to her home. She stopped at the front door and set the baby on the floor. She checked the house for signs of mice or rats. Then she went upstairs and bathed the baby in the kitchen sink. After that, Mary changed the baby’s clothes and fed him.
“Do you want me to stay?” asked Jack.
“No,” said Mary. “You’ve done enough.”
Mary stood up and pulled the curtains shut. She returned to the living room and picked up the baby. She carried him to a rocking chair and rocked him softly until he fell asleep.
She put the baby to bed and left him sleeping. Her mind swirled with thoughts of her children, her husband, and Annabelle. The sound of the baby crying jolted Mary out of her reverie.
Mary rushed downstairs and found the baby standing in his crib.
“What are you doing?” exclaimed Mary.
“I don’t like being alone anymore,” said the baby.
Mary stared at the child. He seemed different than he did just moments ago. Now that she was closer, Mary could see the difference in his skin tone. His black curls were now wavy blond locks.
“Why does your skin look like mine?” asked Mary.
“I saw what happened to you,” said the baby. “I felt like I had to do something to help you.”
“How did you get out of the casket?” demanded Mary.
“I pushed my way out,” said the baby. “I couldn’t stay locked inside any longer.”
“Did you kill the other baby?” asked Mary.
The baby shook his head. “That wasn’t me.”
“I didn’t ask if it was you,” said Mary. “I asked how you got out of the casket.”
“I pushed,” said the baby. “But there was no one to push against. So I pushed harder.”
“Was it hard to get out of the casket?” asked Mary.
“Very,” admitted the baby.
“Why are you here, then? What do you want from me?”
“I want to learn more about this place,” said the baby. “And I want to be close to you.”
Mary stared at the baby. He was quiet for a moment. Then the baby said, “I know you think I’m crazy.”
Mary tried to find words to say but nothing came to mind. She thought of all the things she had gone through since coming to Rockbridge County. Each day was filled with new experiences. It was hard for her to believe that anything else could happen. But Jack was right. Something strange was going on around here.
Mary moved to the center of the room and knelt before the baby.
“Can you read?” asked the baby.
“Yes,” answered Mary.
“Read me a story,” urged the baby.
“All right,” said Mary. “Let’s see what happens in the book.”
The End