Mail Order Bride: On The Run: A Historical Mail Order Bride Story (Mail Order Brides) by Lily Wilspur
Authors: Lily Wilspur
Ads: Link
Chapter 1
“Don’t go out there, Miss!”
The man with the handle-bar moustache clamped his hand on Lou Ann Hawkin’s arm and pulled her back from the door. The other passengers crowded in the doorway of the train car, but none of them dared cross the threshold.
Small but feisty with corn silk blonde hair and flashing blue eyes, Lou Ann stared through the door at the square of daylight outside. Her new life waited for her out there with its promises and mysteries. Her new husband waited out there somewhere, too. He waited to take her home to her new home and her new family. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“There’s a gun battle going on,” the man told her. “You better stay put until it’s over.”
The other passengers alternately surged toward the door to see and drew back in fright at what they might see. In the tumult, Lou Ann got shoved and shuffled in every direction until, to her horror, she found herself at the precipice of the doorway.
Passengers bumped into her from behind, trying to hide behind her. She fought with all her strength, digging her feet into the floor and wedging her hands against the door jamb, to stop herself being thrown out of the car.
The open street of the town stretched out in front of her. On the other side of the street, Lou Ann saw the weathered grey buildings of Ogden, Utah. Big painted signs over some of the buildings announced the General Store, the Post Office, and the Barber Shop. Lou Ann looked in both directions. Far to her left, at the front of the train, a tiny house served as the train station. A wooden deck extended from the side of it toward the train.
Lou Ann couldn’t see any other people in the street. They were probably all hiding inside. An ominous silence hung over the town. Even the horses at the hitching posts stood deathly still, but their eyes stared in terror they knew not where.
What’s happening? Even after the man told her, Lou Ann couldn’t understand. A couple of female passengers sobbed behind her. Even the men stayed well back from the door. Lou Ann tried one more time to back up and take shelter with the rest of them, but the crush of bodies behind her resisted her retreat.
All of a sudden, and an even more terrible stillness gripped the scene. Neither man nor beast nor bird breathed. The waves of heat beating down on the town from the sun stopped their shimmering and froze the scene into a picture of fear. Lou Ann caught her breath, too, but she didn’t know why.
A slight movement caught her eye, and she saw a man step out into the street. He stood straight and sturdy, with his shoulders squared under his checkered shirt. His black eyes flashed under his black cowboy hat. His gun belt hung low around his hips.
He strode into the middle of the dusty street. The oppressive anxiety gripping the town didn’t faze him in the slightest. He faced the other end of the street, waiting for something.
Lou Ann followed his gaze just in time to see another man enter the street. He wore a grey hat, and white hairs turned his moustache a grizzled grey. His gun belt hung around the top of his tan canvas pants.
The older man took his place in the center of the street at the other end of the town, and the two men eyed each other down the stretch of dust. Every other living soul cowered and hid from them. Only Lou Ann watched in full view of the street, unable to flee.
At some invisible signal, the two men started walking toward each other. They stopped on either end of the General Store, right in front of Lou Ann. She opened her mouth to scream, to tell them to stop and wait until she found a better place to hide before they started…whatever they were going to start. But no sound came out. Her throat ached every time she inhaled the dry, torturous air.
The men glanced neither right nor left. Now, at closer range, Lou Ann saw the black hair under the younger man’s hat and the clean texture of the skin on his face. He was young, in spite of his
“Don’t go out there, Miss!”
The man with the handle-bar moustache clamped his hand on Lou Ann Hawkin’s arm and pulled her back from the door. The other passengers crowded in the doorway of the train car, but none of them dared cross the threshold.
Small but feisty with corn silk blonde hair and flashing blue eyes, Lou Ann stared through the door at the square of daylight outside. Her new life waited for her out there with its promises and mysteries. Her new husband waited out there somewhere, too. He waited to take her home to her new home and her new family. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“There’s a gun battle going on,” the man told her. “You better stay put until it’s over.”
The other passengers alternately surged toward the door to see and drew back in fright at what they might see. In the tumult, Lou Ann got shoved and shuffled in every direction until, to her horror, she found herself at the precipice of the doorway.
Passengers bumped into her from behind, trying to hide behind her. She fought with all her strength, digging her feet into the floor and wedging her hands against the door jamb, to stop herself being thrown out of the car.
The open street of the town stretched out in front of her. On the other side of the street, Lou Ann saw the weathered grey buildings of Ogden, Utah. Big painted signs over some of the buildings announced the General Store, the Post Office, and the Barber Shop. Lou Ann looked in both directions. Far to her left, at the front of the train, a tiny house served as the train station. A wooden deck extended from the side of it toward the train.
Lou Ann couldn’t see any other people in the street. They were probably all hiding inside. An ominous silence hung over the town. Even the horses at the hitching posts stood deathly still, but their eyes stared in terror they knew not where.
What’s happening? Even after the man told her, Lou Ann couldn’t understand. A couple of female passengers sobbed behind her. Even the men stayed well back from the door. Lou Ann tried one more time to back up and take shelter with the rest of them, but the crush of bodies behind her resisted her retreat.
All of a sudden, and an even more terrible stillness gripped the scene. Neither man nor beast nor bird breathed. The waves of heat beating down on the town from the sun stopped their shimmering and froze the scene into a picture of fear. Lou Ann caught her breath, too, but she didn’t know why.
A slight movement caught her eye, and she saw a man step out into the street. He stood straight and sturdy, with his shoulders squared under his checkered shirt. His black eyes flashed under his black cowboy hat. His gun belt hung low around his hips.
He strode into the middle of the dusty street. The oppressive anxiety gripping the town didn’t faze him in the slightest. He faced the other end of the street, waiting for something.
Lou Ann followed his gaze just in time to see another man enter the street. He wore a grey hat, and white hairs turned his moustache a grizzled grey. His gun belt hung around the top of his tan canvas pants.
The older man took his place in the center of the street at the other end of the town, and the two men eyed each other down the stretch of dust. Every other living soul cowered and hid from them. Only Lou Ann watched in full view of the street, unable to flee.
At some invisible signal, the two men started walking toward each other. They stopped on either end of the General Store, right in front of Lou Ann. She opened her mouth to scream, to tell them to stop and wait until she found a better place to hide before they started…whatever they were going to start. But no sound came out. Her throat ached every time she inhaled the dry, torturous air.
The men glanced neither right nor left. Now, at closer range, Lou Ann saw the black hair under the younger man’s hat and the clean texture of the skin on his face. He was young, in spite of his
Similar Books
