Faith, Hope, and Love
Chapter 1
"And now these three remain:
faith, hope, and love.
The greatest of these is love."
1 Corinthians 13: 13
Constable Jack Thornton had been riding the trail since daybreak. His Mountie coat and hat were coated in dust, evidence of his long ride. As he caught sight of the buildings on the horizon, he smiled and prodded his horse to go just a little faster. When he finally turned off the trail and found himself back on Main Street in Coal Valley, he stopped to take in the town. He'd been gone for four nights after he'd received reports of trouble in some of the outer villages of his territory. As the Constable of Coal Valley, it was his responsibility to check on any problems in the area. Now, he was very glad to be back in Coal Valley and smiled as he recognized familiar faces and places on Main Street. Coal Valley was definitely his home now.
He rode up to the jailhouse, dismounted, and tied his horse to the rope hanging between the two posts. He glanced over to the saloon, which housed the school, and smiled widely. He'd left in such a hurry after receiving the telegram that he and Elizabeth only had time for a very hasty goodbye. So, he was quite anxious to see her again. He started to walk that way but checked himself. He pulled out his pocket watch and frowned when he saw it was only a little after one o'clock. Elizabeth would still be teaching school. He would just have to be patient for two more hours.
As soon as he opened the door of the jailhouse, he spotted Rip, the basset hound he'd adopted shortly after arriving in Coal Valley, sleeping on the floor near the stove. Rip opened his eyes and lifted his head a bit to greet Jack. "Yeah, I missed you, too, boy!" Jack laughed. Rip grunted and went back to sleep. Jack smiled and walked over to pat the dog. Elizabeth had been taking care of Rip while he was gone. Obviously, Rip had been well cared for and wasn't the least bit worried about Jack being gone.
After greeting his dog, he deposited his things in the cell he used as his bunk. Then, he busied himself with unpacking, typing reports, and cleaning the jailhouse, but his mind frequently stole back to Elizabeth and making plans for what they might do later today. Finally, at a quarter to three, he couldn't wait any longer. He had to get out of the jailhouse. So, he headed to the mercantile, right across the street from the saloon.
As Jack entered the mercantile, Ned Yost, the shopkeeper, called from the back room, "I'll be right out in a few minutes." Jack called back, "It's okay. I just have a few things to pick up." Jack grabbed some tins of food. Moving to the barrels of produce, he carefully picked a perfect apple for Elizabeth. He started to move to the front counter to checkout but then remembered the main reason he'd come to the mercantile: candles and pencils. He went back to the shelves and picked up both items.
Ned walked out from the back. "Oh, Constable! Good to have you back!" Ned greeted Jack. "Thanks, Ned," Jack replied. "How are things in Coal Valley? Have I missed anything?" Ned shook his head. "Things are about the same. All's been quiet since the trial went on break." Jack nodded. Ned continued, "Are things all settled out there in the west?" "Yes," Jack answered. "Things calmed down. Hopefully, they'll stay quiet."
Ned wrote Jack's purchases in the account book while Jack looked out the window. He saw the school children leaving the saloon and walking down the road. School had been dismissed. Jack smiled and turned back to Ned, who had already boxed his purchases. He picked up the box and called, "Thanks, Ned!" Then, he headed to the door.
"Uh... Constable?" Ned called after Jack. Jack turned around, a questioning look on his face."Um... well... do you think you'll be seeing Miss Thatcher sometime today?" Ned looked a bit uncomfortable asking this. Jack nodded. "Yes, I think I will," he answered keeping his voice as even as possible, trying not to reveal how much he was looking forward to seeing the schoolteacher. "I have a telegram for her. Received it a couple of hours ago. It didn't seem to be an emergency, so I didn't want to interrupt school." He reached behind him for the telegram. "Of course. I'll be happy to deliver it to her," Jack assured Ned.
Ned handed the telegram to Jack and he tucked it into his jacket. He headed back to the door, pulled the apple out of the box and shined it on his jacket, ready to present it to Elizabeth. Suddenly, there was a horrendous noise outside that startled both Ned and Jack. Jack opened the door and saw the stagecoach was barreling down the middle of Main Street. The driver had the team running at full speed and the resulting cacophony had the attention of everyone in town. The driver managed to yank the team to an abrupt stop in front of the store. Jack ran outside and was nearly knocked down by the driver, who had leapt off the stagecoach to run up the mercantile stairs. "Oh! Constable! You are exactly who I need!" the driver exclaimed. "We have a lady on the stagecoach who's really sick! I think she probably needs a doctor!"
Jack nodded to the driver as he threw the apple back in the box and dropped the box on the stairs. He quickly moved to the stagecoach. Opening the door, he saw a young man wiping a middle-aged woman's face with a handkerchief. The woman was clearly very sick as she was slumped on the seat and her face was red and sweaty. Jack noted that her eyes were closed and she appeared to be unconscious.
Jack turned to the young man, "How long has she been out? Do you know what happened to her?" The young man shrugged. "No, sir, I don't know what happened to her. I got on in Sherman, about two hours back. She looked like she was sleeping. She kept coughin' a lot. Then, all of a sudden, about a half hour ago, she just keeled over on the seat. I called to the driver and he told me to tend to her while he got us here as quick as he could. I just don't know what made her so sick."
Jack swiftly decided what to do. He climbed into the coach and scooped the lady into his arms. As he slowly backed out of the coach, he took great care not to hit the woman against the door frame. "Grab her things and follow me," he ordered the young man.
Jack carried the lady across the street, toward the saloon. He was about to turn around to tell the young man to open the door when the door flung open. "Jack!" Elizabeth called as she almost ran into Jack carrying the woman."Elizabeth! Hold the door, please!" he replied as he moved toward her. "Of course! Oh my goodness! What happened?" Elizabeth answered as she held the door open for Jack to enter.
Jack gently laid the woman down on a table not far inside the door. He turned back to Elizabeth, who was still in the doorway with a shocked expression on her face. "I'm not sure what happened, but she's very sick!" Jack explained.
The young man from the stagecoach came through the doorway and set the woman's purse and shawl on the floor. He quickly headed back outside. Jack nodded to the helpful young man from the stagecoach. "He was on the coach with her and said she was coughing and then passed out a while ago." He looked at the ill woman, then looked back at Elizabeth. "Is the company doctor in town?"
"I don't know. Let's see..." Elizabeth stepped towards Jack as she searched her memory. "He was in town last Friday because he checked on Stacy Williams and her new baby." Jack frowned and shook his head. "Then he's not in town this week." He studied the ill woman.
Elizabeth took a few steps toward Jack. Jack turned to her. "Would you get some cool cloths and tend to her a few minutes? I need to go get my kit. I'm not sure if there's anything in there that will help but we'll see what we can do for her. I'll be right back."
Jack headed for the door, a little surprised to see the driver, the young man, and Ned hanging there in the open door. He was about to head out the door when he was startled by Elizabeth's cry. "WHAT?! OH NO!"
He wheeled around and saw Elizabeth leaning over the ill women and crying. "Elizabeth?" He moved quickly to her side. "Aunt Olivia?!" Elizabeth cried. "What are you doing here?" Elizabeth wiped the woman's face with her hand. The only answer the woman gave was several deep coughs.
"Elizabeth, this is your aunt?" Jack asked, now back at Elizabeth's side. "Yes!" Elizabeth stroked her aunt's face. "I have no idea what she's doing here. I just... I don't know..." Jack placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Get those cool cloths and I'll be back with my kit." Elizabeth turned to Jack, clearly upset and fearful. "We'll take care of her. I'll be right back," he assured her.
He squeezed past the trio gathered at the door and ran across the road to the jailhouse. He nearly fell over Rip, who was sprawled out in the middle of the room. After he growled at Rip, he rushed over to grab his kit from behind his desk. The kit contained first aid and medical supplies that all Mounties kept for emergencies. He ran out of the jailhouse, leaped down the stairs, and rushed down the street back to the saloon.
By the time he returned to the saloon, much of the rest of the town had been alerted to the situation and a much larger crowd was gathered on the porch of the saloon. Jack maneuvered past them. Inside, he saw Elizabeth was wiping her aunt's face with a cloth and Abigail Stanton was feeling the woman's forehead. Mr. Trevoy, the bartender, stood nearby, anxiously watching.
Jack moved to the table and opened the kit. "She has a terrible fever, Jack, and it looks like she's having trouble breathing," Abigail apprised Jack, concern in her voice. "I'm afraid she may have pleurisy or pneumonia."
Elizabeth shut her eyes against the news. Both were very bad.
Jack opened his kit and began searching for something to help Olivia. Most of the materials in the kit were suited for first aid: bandages, dressing, needle, thread. He frowned, feeling that there was nothing he could do.
Elizabeth looked to Jack, "What can we do?" Tears were filling her eyes. Jack couldn't stand seeing her so upset. He started to say something but Abigail interjected, "We need to move her to our place above the cafe. She'll need some mustard plasters. Jack, do you have any aspirin in that kit of yours?" Jack looked in the kit, located the aspirin, and nodded. "Good. That might help with her fever." Abigail looked at Elizabeth. "The plasters should take care of the coughing and congestion. Let's get her resting as quickly as possible," Abigail instructed.
Jack guided Elizabeth away from her aunt so he could gently lift the woman. As the crowd outside the saloon made a path for them, Abigail led the way to the cafe, carrying Jack's kit, with Jack carrying Olivia behind her. Elizabeth walked next to Jack, holding her aunt's hand. When they reached the second floor of the cafe, Jack settled Olivia in Abigail's bed and Elizabeth tucked the sheets and blanket up around her. Jack spotted the chair that Abigail kept in the corner, slid it behind Elizabeth, and gently guided her to sit. He kissed her cheek tenderly and told her, "Abigail will take care of her. No worries!" Elizabeth looked at him, tears still in her eyes. He gave her shoulder a squeeze before heading downstairs.
He found Abigail in the kitchen, gathering supplies. "What can I do?" he asked. Abigail turned toward him. "Pray," she answered sternly.
Jack was surprised. Earlier, Abigail seemed so certain about treating Olivia. Now, he sensed she had doubts. "I don't know what else to do. My Peter was very ill with a cough when he was a boy. I made mustard plasters and placed them on his chest. They made him more ill, at first, but then he got well. I'm not sure if this will help Elizabeth's aunt, but it's all I can think of to do," she explained.
Jack nodded. "I agree. We need to do whatever we can. Elizabeth told me the company doctor was just here last week. So, he probably won't be back for two weeks, at the earliest. I doubt Gowen would do anything to get him back here earlier." Abigail frowned and nodded, "Oh, I doubt that, too. Will you hand me the flour? And get me a cup of water?"
Jack did as directed and watched as Abigail mixed the plaster ingredients. The smell of the mustard seeds was rather strong and irritated Jack's eyes. "I think I'll go check on Elizabeth," he told Abigail, leaving her to her work.
Jack ascended the stairs quickly and found Elizabeth holding her aunt's hand while gently wiping her face with a cloth. Jack noticed that Olivia was sweating profusely, her brown hair stuck to the sides of her face.
"I just can't understand," Elizabeth whispered, surprising Jack. He didn't know she'd heard him enter the room. He knelt next to her. "Why would she leave Toronto? I mean, my cousin lives in Victoria, so I could see her visiting there. But what would she be doing here in Coal Valley?"
"Well, I imagine she was coming to visit you." Jack looked up at Elizabeth. Elizabeth considered this for a moment before turning back to her aunt. She shook her head. "She would've let me know before she headed all the way here. She would've sent me a letter or a telegram. Or someone else from home would."
Jack reached into his red serge jacket, remembering that Ned had given him a telegram for Elizabeth. "This might be something..." Elizabeth turned to Jack, saw the telegram in his hand, and reached for it. "Ned asked me to bring this to you just before the stagecoach arrived," he explained.
She slowly opened the telegram. After briefly reading it, she dropped the telegram to the floor and returned to wiping her aunt's face."May I?" Jack asked. Elizabeth nodded slowly and he picked up the telegram. He read it aloud, "Dearest Beth: Am visiting old friends in Calgary. So close I must come to see you. Will be there on or near the 17th. Love Aunt Olivia."
"Today's the 17th," Elizabeth said. "She sent that telegram before she left Calgary. Why did we just get it today?" Jack shook his head. "I don't know. Ned told me he did just receive it today. The telegram people in Calgary must've been delayed sending it for some reason."
Elizabeth sighed with frustration. Olivia's string of deep coughs pierced the air, startling both Elizabeth and Jack. Elizabeth called to her, "Aunt Olivia! Please wake up! Please Aunt Olivia! Wake up and talk to me!" However, Olivia remained unresponsive.
Jack saw the tear run down Elizabeth's cheek and stretched his arm around her shoulders. Elizabeth leaned her head against Jack's shoulder as she held her aunt's hand. Jack gently stroked Elizabeth's arm.
Abigail came up the stairs a short time later, noting that Elizabeth and Jack broke their embrace as soon as they heard her. She crossed to the bed and began to tend to Olivia. She started to unbutton the women's dress but stopped short, looking up at Jack. "Uh..." Jack faltered momentarily. "I'll just head downstairs and get some coffee for us. I have a feeling it might be a long evening." He left the room quickly, closing the door behind him.
After he left, Abigail and Elizabeth turned back to Olivia. "Let me help you," Elizabeth offered as she reached to finish unbuttoning her aunt's dress. She opened the dress, revealing her aunt's corset. Abigail placed a square of flannel on Olivia's chest, just above the corset, and then reached for the jar she'd set on the bed next to Olivia. She opened the jar and the foul odor reached Elizabeth's nose almost immediately.
"Oh! Mustard plasters always smell so terrible! I dare say the illness leaves the body simply because it can't stand the odor!" Elizabeth exclaimed as her eyes again filled with tears, not due to sadness this time but rather the irritating smell. "That could be. Whatever it does, I pray it helps her," Abigail replied as she applied the plaster to the flannel cloth.