Winter's Refuge
Chapter Two Hundred and Two
JED 'KID' Curry
We visited Matt regularly every four months but our next visit after sendin' the picture was delayed because of stormy weather and floodin'. Lom is gonna make the trip with me as Chrissy wasn't feelin' up to it. I feel more confident when Lom comes with me; after all, he's a US Marshall now. Just before we were to leave, we got a telegram that the grippe was goin' through the prison and the doctor had put them under quarantine for six weeks to be sure that the prison was free of contagion. They would contact us when we could visit.
Chrissy was upset. She had worried about Matt since she mailed the picture. She was afraid that it would cause depression…and now she had no way to get in touch with him. She was cranky anyway as she was gettin' closer to her time. She snapped at me, at Angie, at Heyes, but never to the kids. Worry over Matt made her do what Auntie called compulsively clean while I wanted her to rest.
About a week after we learned of the quarantine, two letters arrived - one addressed to Mrs. Christina Curry and the other simply to Mrs. Curry. Recognizing Matt's scrawl on one, she sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to her for me to join her. I put my arm around her back and read over her shoulder.
"My Dear Sister,
"Thank you for the picture of your beautiful family. I hope someday there is a place for me in a photograph like this. The children look like both you and Jed, yet each one is unique. And your ranch house, from what I can see of it, looks like a real nice place to raise a bunch of kids. I look at the picture often and it keeps me on track here, obeying the rules and counting the years. And it reminds me of us growing up at Winter's Refuge, with room to run and fresh air to breath.
I'm still the trustee for the new prison doctor. I liked Dr. Oliver and I'm sorry his pa got very sick. He taught me a lot. His replacement tries to teach me, too. He's young and I don't think this hellhole is what he bargained for, yet he's a good doctor and the prisoners respect him. I think there's more to why he's here, but he does not confide in me. Often, he sleeps in his office. It's a good thing he doesn't have a wife.
The family picture is the last thing I look at each night before lights out and always smile.
Your loving brother,
Matt"
I felt Chrissy's shoulders relax as she folded the letter and put it back in the envelope. "Good," she said firmly.
She immediately opened the other letter.
"Mrs. Curry,
Let me introduce myself. I am Dr. Paul X. Pollia, the doctor at the Wyoming Territorial Prison. Your brother, Convict Matthew McWinters, is my trustee in the infirmary. He does a very good job and has stopped me from making some mistakes. I've learned to trust him.
I'm writing to tell you how much joy that family picture you sent brings him. We have been working twenty hours a day fighting the grippe and he's been right by my side, and he never caught it. The doctor before me taught him to constantly wash his hands with alcohol. And when I came down with it, he took care of me, too. I feel I owe my life to his dedication.
I just wanted to tell you what he did for me. And assure you that he's a model prisoner. If you ever have any concerns about him, please write to me. I hope that the next time you or your husband visit Convict McWinters, I can meet you.
Sincerely,
Paul X Pollia, MD"
"Feel better, darlin'?" I whispered to my wife.
"Yes. But I still worry about Matt in there." She snuggled her head into my shoulder.
HEYES
About the time Lom's house was finished, the US Marshal's office contracted with the telegraph office to add a telegraph machine there. But they hadn't planned on it being so far from the main road. A flurry of telegrams ensued for two days between Three Birds, Lom in Porterville, and Director Brothers' office. It took three days and after consultation with me, Ken Josephs, and KT Parrish, it was agreed that the warehouse building would be extended sideways. That meant it would share a wall with Ken's Boot and Shoe Emporium. An entrance was built mid-wall connecting the two buildings. In the slim addition, a telegraph desk and telegraph machine was installed. Ken could hear the tapping of the telegraph from his shop.
Deputy Director Brothers agreed because Ken Josephs used to be a US Marshal and a hero. Some of Lom's telegrams will be confidential. Everyone was comfortable with Ken overseeing the telegraph and the issue was resolved.
ASJ*ASJ
A few weeks later, Lom and Wayne came and looked at their finished house, but they couldn't move in for several months. Lom found a replacement for himself as sheriff. His deputy, Nat Bickson, was going to take the job. But finding someone he could trust to run the Bank of Porterville that he had inherited was taking a long time.
ASJ*ASJ
Angie caught me in the hall in an embrace and gave me a passionate kiss I hoped would never end. When it did, she whispered, "Thank you for all this. I know you suggested to Father Patrick that the church have this social for me."
"You're welcome. I'd do anything for you, you know," was all I had a chance to say before Nettie squeezed between us.
"Want hug, too," she said.
Laughing, I picked her up and we both hugged her. She pushed us back after a second. "We go to social now?" she asked. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Well, your ma is going now, with Alexander, Aunt Chrissy, Auntie, and Martha to help set up. They'll bring all that good food they been cooking all week. You'll go with me and Uncle Jed and the other kids later." I kissed her cheek as I set her down.
"I'm counting on you to keep that pretty blue dress clean," Angie told her.
Nettie twirled around to make the skirt fly. "Yes, Mama," she answered, running to join Joy and Ruth Ann in the living room.
Angie winked at me. "Heyes, I'm counting on you to make sure the girls arrive clean."
"Yes, Mama," I mimicked Nettie's voice. But I knew that task she gave me was impossible.
ASJ*ASJ
Angie was right. What Three Birds needed after the recovery from the tornado was this church social. All I see here are smiles and it looks like everyone from the Three Birds area, Mallard Springs, and Mason's Crescent is here. They couldn't be contained in the church hall and spread out into the courtyard. And who knew that our bartender played the banjo, Frank and Jeff both played the fiddle, and Father Patrick could play the piano borrowed from the saloon. Me and the Kid tried to keep our eyes on Sam and Stephanie. They only spent time with each other and, as far as we could see, Sam was a perfect gentleman.
"Gonna be hard to get those two to wait until Sam graduates college to get married," the Kid whispered to me.
"Agreed, but maybe it's just a teenage crush," I told him.
"My ma was a teenager, just sixteen, when she married my pa," he answered.
"Heyes, come dance with me." Angie grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance area. "Jed, Chrissy's looking for you to dance a slow one with her. She wishes she could be out there square dancing, but that growing belly of hers makes it awkward."
JED 'KID' CURRY
I held Chrissy and we gently swayed to the music, but in a minute, she grabbed my hand and pulled me over to the chairs.
Auntie came over smiling carrying punch. "Isn't it nice. The Mallard Springs' mayor, his wife, and some of the others from there are trying to dance with as many Three Birds citizens as they can. You know the mayor apologized to me for not helping us after the tornado? And I heard him do the same to others."
"He did?" I asked.
"Yes, and the others from Mallard Springs are doing the same," Auntie answered. "And they brought enough food to feed everyone twice over. Too bad so many of them don't feel well. But the mayor said even a cold wasn't going to keep them from making amends today."
I smiled watchin' the dancers. "It'll be nice for our two towns to act like neighbors again." I said.
Arnie whirled Eleanor's mother once around the floor and then stopped at the punch bowl. Michael and Martha had refused to dance with each other even though they'd been practicing together all week. Neither was lackin' for partners. Everyone was havin' a good time.
Aiden whirled the Mallard Springs mayor's wife out the door into the courtyard. He had such a serious look on his face, that I followed him outside.
"Ma'am, please open your mouth," Aiden demanded. He turned her so he could use the last of the sun to peer into her mouth. I saw the alarm on his face. "Ma'am, how are you feeling?" He put his hand on forehead.
"It was hot in there. The air feels good out here. I have such a headache," the mayor's wife answered weakly.
Aiden looked around and saw me. "Jed, this woman has smallpox. Tell Father Patrick and stop the party. Either Elmer, er…Dr. Crehan, or I need to examine everyone from Mallard Springs before they leave….and anyone they came into contact with which is just about everyone."
"Oh dear," the lady said, sitting on the wooden bench.
Heyes overheard me tellin' Father Patrick. He stepped up on the makeshift stage area and took charge. "Please, would everyone from Mallard Springs step out onto the courtyard." He had a huge smile on his face which I knew was fake, but his voice sounded excited. "And those from Mason Crescent go to the garden behind the stage. If you are from Three Birds, please stay in here." Everyone looked confused, but Father urged them to separate.
Frank Birde saw me talkin' to Dr Crehan and gesture to the courtyard. The sheriff walked over to me. "Jed, what's going on out there?" he whispered.
"Frank, come out here," I told him.
We watched as the doctors examined the people from Mallard Springs separatin' them into two groups. With a few remainin', Aiden left them to Dr Crehan and came to talk to us.
"Aiden?" I asked. "Is it smallpox?"
"Definitely. All the ones to the right have a fever, and head and body aches," he started.
"That sounds like the grippe to me," Frank interrupted.
Aiden nodded. "Except many also have small red spots on their tongues and mouths. And on one they spread to his face. Definitely smallpox."
Frank took a deep breath. "Those shots you gave us will protect us, right, Doctor?"
Aiden too busy to answer, just nodded yes. And I thanked God I'd insisted our families were vaccinated.
Heyes joined us. "Alright, everyone is separated. Is it really smallpox? How is it spread?"
"Sneezes, coughs, face to face contact, like talking or dancing. The incubation period is seven to nineteen days. During this time, you feel fine and are not contagious. First sign will be sudden flu-like symptoms and red spots in your mouth. I figure they were infected about two weeks ago."
"Well, what do we do now?" Frank asked.
