Not Quite A Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Brides) Read Free

and smelting end of the business or will you just acquire rights?”
     
    “We haven’t discussed it very much,” said Luke, “but I think we have decided to leave that to the companies like Halliday.”
     
    Calhoun replied, “I’ll draw it up that way and submit it for approval. Once we get that, you can start acquiring leases. I’ll get a list of holdings already filed with the state, so we’ll be ready to go when the approval comes. For now, I’ll use my office address as the business address and we’ll change that when you set up an office.” Just as he handed the papers to Luke they were startled by loud noises from outside in the direction of the bank.
     
    “That sounded like gunshots,” Jed said, as he grabbed his hat and headed for the door. Luke was right behind him as he ran outside. There were quite a few people congregating in front of the bank. When he got to the edge of the crowd, he asked a man what was going on.
     
    “There was a holdup!” the man said. “The bank guard was shot and the robbers rode out of town headed northwest.”
     
    “Clara was going to the bank,” Luke said as he began elbowing his way through the crowd. Gradually, he made his way to the plank sidewalk that ran the full length of the business district. He stepped up on the walkway and went to the door of the bank. The door was locked. He peered through the dirty glass and could make out the boots of a man lying on the floor. He rapped on the glass in the door. A man in a white shirt and tie looked up. He waved his arms and mouthed, “We’re closed.” Luke rapped harder. The same man looked up and held his hands up, the black bands he wore on his shirt sleeves waving back and forth. Luke pounded on the door.
     
    The man came to the door along with a man Luke recognized as the president of the bank. He came to the door, but didn’t open it. Luke shouted, “Is my wife still in there?”
     
    The bank president opened the door. “Luke, the clerk didn’t recognize you. Please come on in.”
     
    Elbowing his way inside, followed by Jed, Luke asked, “Was Clara here?”
     
    “She is here, Luke. She was shot during the robbery. Come with me.”
     
    “Shot? Is she okay?”
     
    “I’m afraid it’s real bad Luke. She was hit in the ah… chest. We have her over here.”
     
    “Has anybody gone after the doctor?” Luke asked.
     
    “I don’t know,” said the banker.
    Luke roared, “You don’t know? Good God, man. What’s wrong with you?” He rested his hand on the butt of his gun. “You better get the doctor over here and you had better be damn quick about it.” He turned back and took the two steps to where his wife lay on the carpeted floor, her head resting on a seat cushion from the sofa. He pushed his way to the side of the sofa. A woman was leaning over talking to Clara. “That’s my wife,” Luke said. “Let me in there, please.”
     
    He slid his hand under her head, and said, “Clara honey. It’s me. You’re going to be all right.” Blood trickled from her nose and mouth. She tried to speak, but only more blood came from her mouth.
     
    “Jed,” yelled Luke.
     
    “I’m right here, Luke. What do you need?
     
    Tears streaming from his worried, anguished face, he said, “Would you make sure the doctor gets here, and would you get John for us please. We need his prayers. It’s bad, Jed. Real bad.”
     
    “On my way, Luke. I’ll take care of it.” He shoved and pushed his way through the crowd, where he met the young doctor trying to push his way through, with little success. Jed pulled his gun and fired a shot in the air. There was dead silence. “Get out of the way and let the doctor through. She’s inside to the left, doctor. Luke is with her. I’m going to get the preacher.”
     
    On his way, he met Sarah coming out of the general store. “It’s Clara,” he said as he ran by. “She’s been shot,” he finished over his shoulder.
     
    He ran all of the way to the