Banking on Temperance Read Online Free PDF

their crude circumstances, but also accepting the kindness of strangers.
    “It’ll be all right, Ma,” she whispered. “You know this is the best we can manage for Da, and that’s the most important thing right now. Both Justice and I will find work in town, and we’ll make some money to get by. You can stay with Da and nourish him back to health here.”
    Martha wiped the tears away with the back of her hand. “I’m being a foolish old woman. Of course it’ll be all right.” She turned to Basil and Ginger. “The Lord bless you all. We will drive out in the morning. My boy, Justice, can help some with the repairs. Thank you.”
    The trio from town mounted up, and began the trek back to the city. Martha remained quiet. Temperance glanced worriedly at her mother, and slowed her horse to lag behind a bit. As she had hoped, Basil fell in beside her. He pulled a cheroot out of his pocket and lit up. Temperance breathed in the subtle scent of the tobacco and relaxed for the first time since arriving into town. She rode alongside Basil in silence for a time, and focused on the clip-clop of the horses’ hooves.
    “My mother is grateful for all you’ve done, Mr. Fitzpatrick, even though she’s having a hard time accepting our present circumstances,” she said quietly.
    “I understand your mother’s concerns. Alone, with a sick husband and a brood of children to care for. But here in the West, we have to rely on each other for survival. I’m not doing anything out of the ordinary.”
    “Regardless, we appreciate it. Now, Justice and I need to find work, so we can begin to save money for the next leg of our journey.”
    Basil glanced quickly at her. “You can’t mean you’re still thinking about heading to Oregon?”
    “Well, of course. It’s been our father’s dream for quite some time, and he has managed to make all of us see how much better our lives would be if we could just get there. And it would keep Justice and Valor from having to enter the military, which is against our religion. My father is a circuit-riding preacher for the Church of the Brethern. Even though St. Louis is a lovely town, we’ll be heading out in the spring. But in the meantime, we need to work. Do you know of any businesses in town where we could find employment?”
    Basil turned in his saddle and gave her a long look. “Can you clean a bank?”
    Temperance bristled at the comment. “Of course I can. I may be small, but cleaning is something I do quite well. I might need a ladder or a stool to reach up high, but I am strong and mighty good at cleaning. Are you offering me a job?”
    “I would only need you a few times a week, so you might want to look elsewhere for regular employment, but yes, after the bank closes for the day, you can clean it for me. The woman I had doing it just left town. She’d been cleaning for me and also working at the tavern. A man evidently came into the tavern and said he was looking for a wife, and off she went.”
    Temperance smiled. “Good for her. It’s not an easy life, being a single woman alone in the world.”
    “You are absolutely right about that. Women need to be taken care of, and to stay at home raising their families, while the husband works to provide for them.”
    Temperance spared him a withering sidelong glance. “Can you possibly think that women who are raising families and caring for the home aren’t ‘working’? You seem to be an intelligent man. I’m surprised at you.”
    Basil glanced over to the small woman and grinned. “And you surprise me, Miss Jones.”

Chapter Five
    Basil paced restlessly as he waited for the arrival of Temperance from the ranch. The wagon carrying the Jones family left the alley two days ago, on its way to the soddy. He had not seen the family since their departure.
    He released a long breath when the knock at the back door came, and he viewed her waiting to be let in. He told himself his reaction was merely the result of wanting to make certain