know they were inside and being used as shields when he and his men rushed in. From what we've heard about the robbers, they would have killed them anyway, but the marshal still blames himself. Oh, he'll come all right… if he hears of our trouble. Sure wish I knew the fella's name. It would make chasing him down easier, I expect."
"You're looking for Daniel Ryan," Douglas told him. "My brothers have been searching for him too." He paused when he heard the creak of the steps behind him. "Did we wake your wife?"
"No, but she's used to snuggling up against me and she must have awakened when she got cold."
"Would you mind telling her to put the gun down?"
Simpson was astonished. "Do you have eyes in the back of your head? Trudy, put that away and come in here. I want you to meet Isabel's friend. He's promised to help our girl." Douglas turned around and nodded to the woman. "I'm sorry I disturbed you and your husband," he began.
Trudy laid the gun on the desk and rushed forward to shake Douglas's hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong for a woman her size, for the top of her head barely reached his shoulders.
"The doctor and I were praying for a miracle. Looks like we might have gotten one. I know you aren't Marshal Ryan. You're big like we were told he was, but you don't have yellow hair and blue eyes, and our preacher gave us a good description of the lawman so we'd recognize him if he came into town. We pray every Sunday that the dear man will hear of our troubles and come here. Could you be a friend of the marshal's? Did he send you here?"
"No, ma'am, he didn't send me here."
She couldn't hide her disappointment. "But you're still going to help our little girl?"
Douglas smiled. The Simpsons' affection for Isabel pleased him. God only knew, she needed good friends now, and it was nice to know she had two champions in Sweet Creek trying to look out for her.
"Yes, I'm going to help her." She squeezed his hand before she let go. "Doctor, I expect I'll go into the kitchen now." She waited until her husband nodded agreement before she looked at Douglas again. "You won't be leaving until I've packed some leftovers for you to take."
"You'll have to work in the dark, Trudy," her husband told her.
"I expect I'll manage. I'll light a candle and put it in the hallway. No one can see inside, doctor."
"Ma'am, I really should be heading back to Isabel." She shook her head at him and left the library in a near run.
Simpson chuckled. "You might as well relax, son. Trudy isn't going to let you leave without a bag full of her home cooking. Sit on down in a chair, proper like, and tell me why your brothers have been searching for the Texan. Do you have troubles where you come from that need the law?"
"No," Douglas answered. "Ryan helped one of my brothers. The fact is, he saved Travis's life."
"So you're wanting to thank him."
"Yes, but also get back a compass he… borrowed."
"Now, that sounds like a mighty curious tale."
"I'll tell you all about it some other time," Douglas promised. "When I was coming here, I noticed your town has a wire service, and I was wondering why you had to go to Liddyville to send your telegrams."
"The only way you could have seen the telegraph office is if you'd been inside the general store. It's in the back room. Why'd you go in there?"
"To get some supplies."
"Did anyone see you?"
"No."
"Good," Simpson whispered. "You broke in, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Did you snap the lock or break a window?"
Douglas was a bit insulted by the question. "No, of course not. Cooper won't know I was there unless he does a close inventory."
Simpson was grinning with pleasure. "I hope you robbed Vernon Cooper blind. His brother, Jasper, runs the wire office, and both the scoundrels are in Boyle's back pocket. No one in Sweet Creek dares send a wire from here unless they want Boyle to know about it, and that's why I used the wire service in Liddyville. Just on principle Trudy and I get all our supplies there
"You're looking for Daniel Ryan," Douglas told him. "My brothers have been searching for him too." He paused when he heard the creak of the steps behind him. "Did we wake your wife?"
"No, but she's used to snuggling up against me and she must have awakened when she got cold."
"Would you mind telling her to put the gun down?"
Simpson was astonished. "Do you have eyes in the back of your head? Trudy, put that away and come in here. I want you to meet Isabel's friend. He's promised to help our girl." Douglas turned around and nodded to the woman. "I'm sorry I disturbed you and your husband," he began.
Trudy laid the gun on the desk and rushed forward to shake Douglas's hand. Her grip was surprisingly strong for a woman her size, for the top of her head barely reached his shoulders.
"The doctor and I were praying for a miracle. Looks like we might have gotten one. I know you aren't Marshal Ryan. You're big like we were told he was, but you don't have yellow hair and blue eyes, and our preacher gave us a good description of the lawman so we'd recognize him if he came into town. We pray every Sunday that the dear man will hear of our troubles and come here. Could you be a friend of the marshal's? Did he send you here?"
"No, ma'am, he didn't send me here."
She couldn't hide her disappointment. "But you're still going to help our little girl?"
Douglas smiled. The Simpsons' affection for Isabel pleased him. God only knew, she needed good friends now, and it was nice to know she had two champions in Sweet Creek trying to look out for her.
"Yes, I'm going to help her." She squeezed his hand before she let go. "Doctor, I expect I'll go into the kitchen now." She waited until her husband nodded agreement before she looked at Douglas again. "You won't be leaving until I've packed some leftovers for you to take."
"You'll have to work in the dark, Trudy," her husband told her.
"I expect I'll manage. I'll light a candle and put it in the hallway. No one can see inside, doctor."
"Ma'am, I really should be heading back to Isabel." She shook her head at him and left the library in a near run.
Simpson chuckled. "You might as well relax, son. Trudy isn't going to let you leave without a bag full of her home cooking. Sit on down in a chair, proper like, and tell me why your brothers have been searching for the Texan. Do you have troubles where you come from that need the law?"
"No," Douglas answered. "Ryan helped one of my brothers. The fact is, he saved Travis's life."
"So you're wanting to thank him."
"Yes, but also get back a compass he… borrowed."
"Now, that sounds like a mighty curious tale."
"I'll tell you all about it some other time," Douglas promised. "When I was coming here, I noticed your town has a wire service, and I was wondering why you had to go to Liddyville to send your telegrams."
"The only way you could have seen the telegraph office is if you'd been inside the general store. It's in the back room. Why'd you go in there?"
"To get some supplies."
"Did anyone see you?"
"No."
"Good," Simpson whispered. "You broke in, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Did you snap the lock or break a window?"
Douglas was a bit insulted by the question. "No, of course not. Cooper won't know I was there unless he does a close inventory."
Simpson was grinning with pleasure. "I hope you robbed Vernon Cooper blind. His brother, Jasper, runs the wire office, and both the scoundrels are in Boyle's back pocket. No one in Sweet Creek dares send a wire from here unless they want Boyle to know about it, and that's why I used the wire service in Liddyville. Just on principle Trudy and I get all our supplies there
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