Angel In The Saloon (Brides of Glory Gulch) Read Online Free PDF Page A

an overstuffed chair. When he
had finished trifling with the fire, Jeremiah leaned back on his hands on the
floor, and the conversation continued into the night.
    › › ›
    Amelia yawned
after a couple hours had passed. “What time is it?”
    “Almost
midnight,” came the response from Mr. Cowan.
    “No wonder I
feel so sluggish,” she said. “I usually wake up around five or five-thirty in
the morning, so I am rarely up this late.” She was a staunch morning person,
enjoying the freshness of the cool, morning air. Having discovered many years
ago that this was the best time of the day for her to say her daily prayers,
Amelia would often walk to a nearby stream to sit on the bank and commune with
God. Occasionally, she would just sit in silence and learn from the sounds of
the water or the breezes blowing through the trees or the birds as they called
to one another in their euphonic songs. She believed that if one sat still
enough or quiet enough, one could almost hear a blade of grass growing straight
and unbending as it reached toward the sun.
    Amelia had
been taught that if she reached toward the ‘Son’, she too would grow strong and
healthy and prosperous, eventually becoming what she was meant to be, and
thereby fulfilling her purpose in life. But what possible purpose did God have
for sending her to the edge of the earth to a saloon? Fatigue precluded her
from mulling it over any further.
    Bidding good
night to the gentlemen, Corrin escorted Amelia back to her room as the
gentlemen took their leave.
    At the door of
Amelia’s room, Corrin informed her that because of her business she kept late
hours, and, consequently, got up late in the morning.
    Amelia assured
her this would not be a problem, as she usually just ate fruit and drank juices
in the morning. She also convinced her Aunt that she would have no trouble
entertaining herself until she got up to begin her day sometime around
ten-thirty in the morning.
    Corrin
explained to her where she could find a bowl of fruit in the kitchen and then
left briefly to obtain a duplicate key to the back door in the event Amelia
would want to go exploring during the morning hours when the saloon was closed.
Upon returning with the key, she did her best to expound upon the exact
location of the privy, the general mercantile, and the church.
    “If you get
lost just yell out for the closest person to help you find the Silver Slipper
Saloon, and they’ll help you out. The people in this town are all good people. You
can trust most everyone.”
    Corrin also prepared
a shallow bath of lukewarm water for her in the room across the hall, which
Amelia was most grateful for. Assorted soaps and lotions lay on a dressing
table beside the bathtub, which Corrin announced Amelia could use to her heart’s
content.
    They said good
night, and as Corrin turned to go to her own room, Amelia grabbed her arm and
stopped her. “Aunt Corrin?”
    “Yes, dear?”
    Using her hand
as a guide, she found Corrin’s face and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Thank
you.” She longed to say so much more, but was so unsure of everything yet.
    Corrin smiled
and returned the kiss. “You’re quite welcome, honey.” Then pivoting quickly, she
heard Aunt Corrin retreating back toward the stairs.
    She found her
way to the bath across the hall, carrying a clean chemise. Pinning her hair up
on top of her head, and after locating a cake of rose scented soap, she
disrobed and slithered down into the water, allowing its warmth to permeate
every segment of her being. She sighed enormously as all residues from the
events of the day were washed from her, both physical and mental, cleansing her
all the way through to her soul.
    After the bath,
she dressed in her chemise and returned to her room, draped her clothes over
the trunk, slipped happily between the sheets, and nestled comfortably under
the quilt on her new bed.
    “Dear Lord,
thank you for this day and for guiding me. And thank you for helping me