One More Sunrise (29 page)

On Friday morning, October 22, Chief U.S. Marshal John Brockman was in his office talking to two of his deputies who had just returned from tracking down a man who had beaten his wife to death in Denver. The man was now in the Denver County Jail.

John smiled. “Boys, you did an excellent job, and I commend you for it.”

At that moment, there was a tap on the door, and Deputy Charlie Wesson stuck his head in. “Chief, I have a telegram for you.”

“Come on in,” said Brockman. As Charlie entered the room, John noticed that his face was grim. “What’s wrong?”

Charlie handed him the yellow envelope. “Well, Chief, the telegram is from Judge George Yeager in Rawlins. Since I was going to find out anyway, the Western Union messenger told me the contents of the telegram. It’s bad news. Go ahead and read it for yourself.”

John looked at him warily as he tore the envelope open. He took out the telegram and began reading. He was pleased to learn that the gang members had been convicted by the jury yesterday. Witnesses had come from Vernal and Evanston to point out Tag Moran as the gang member who had shot and killed the two men. Tag had been sentenced to hang, and the other four were sentenced to life in the Wyoming Territorial Prison at Rawlins.

John was stunned as he read what Charlie had referred to as bad news. Judge Yeager went on to tell him that when two of the Carbon county sheriff’s deputies were taking the gang members from the courthouse with the intention of walking them to the prison at gunpoint, a gunfight broke out on the street between a group of cattlemen and a group of sheep men. Bullets were flying, and being caught in the crossfire, one of the deputies was hit.

The five gang members were wearing handcuffs, but the cuffs were in front of their bodies. In all of the confusion when the deputy went down, Tag Moran grabbed his gun and shot the other deputy, killing him. The gang quickly stole saddled horses at hitch rails on the street and escaped. The sheriff formed a posse and went after them, but they eluded the posse. The Tag Moran gang was now at large again.

The judge’s wire went on to tell the chief U.S. marshal that since he now had photographs of the five gang members, he was having wanted posters printed up and would send them to law enforcement offices all over Wyoming, Colorado, and western Nebraska to be posted in conspicuous places in their towns.

Brockman dropped the lengthy telegram on his desktop and sighed. “I sure hate to hear that those no-goods are loose again. At this time, I don’t have the manpower at my disposal to go after them. All the other deputies are out on assignments, and I already have pressing new assignments for you two fellas who just got back.”

On Saturday afternoon, Dr. Dane Logan rode into Denver. It was cold and overcast, and it smelled like snow when he dismounted in the parking lot at Mile High Hospital. He had thought about writing to Tharyn earlier in the week to let her know that he was coming to see her on Saturday, but he didn’t want to get her hopes up and then have something happen on Saturday to prevent his coming. In the doctoring business, nothing was ever certain, including his free time.

When Dr. Dane approached the nurses’ station in the surgical wing, he was told that Nurse Tabor was assisting a doctor in surgery and would be for at least another half hour. He then headed for the doctor’s lounge and poured himself a steaming mug of coffee.

He was just about to sit down when he saw Dr. Tim Braden enter the room. When Braden saw him, he smiled and said, “Well, hello, Dr. Logan! What brings you here?”

“I just rode down from Central City to spend some time with Tharyn. Right now, she’s assisting in surgery.”

Pouring coffee into two mugs, Tim smiled. “You and Tharyn are really good friends, aren’t you?”

“Yes, we are. She’s one fine young lady.”

Tim started to say something else, but thought better of it. “Well, I’ve got to meet Dr. Carroll in his office, so I’m taking him a cup of coffee too. See you soon, I hope.”

“Me too,” replied Dane. “Tell Melinda hello for me, okay?”

“Sure will.” With that, Dr. Tim was gone.

For some twenty-five minutes, Dr. Dane perused a medical book that lay on a small table, then returned to the nurses’ station. Tharyn was just coming down the corridor from the surgical washroom when she spotted Dane and rushed toward him. He saw her coming and hurried to meet her.

Smiling, Tharyn took hold of both Dane’s hands. “Oh, I’m so glad you could come!”

“Well, it’s only because Dr. Fraser is kind enough to be on call if someone up there needs a doctor. May I take you out for supper?”

Her smile widened. “You sure can. Papa is coming from home to pick me up since the bank’s not open on Saturday. He’ll be here at five o’clock as usual. He can ride your horse back home and we’ll use his buggy.”

At precisely five o’clock, David Tabor arrived, and the switch was made.

The restaurant was crowded, as it usually was on Saturday nights, and light snow was blanketing the streets of Denver. When they
moved inside, Tharyn rubbed her hands together. “Oh, it feels good in here!”

The hostess knew Tharyn, and even though the place was busy, she found a corner table by a bay window. Dane seated Tharyn, then sat down across the table so he could look at her. After they had given their orders to a waitress, Tharyn asked how his first week as Central City’s physician had gone. While Dane told her some stories from the week’s activity, they watched the lazy snowflakes falling from the leaden sky. They were so engrossed in each other and their conversation that they failed to notice the Brockman family sitting at a nearby table.

John and Breanna had seen them come in and sit down, but purposely waited until the young couple had given their order to the waitress. Leaving Paul and Ginny at the table, John and Breanna moved to the table where Dane and Tharyn were sitting. When they spotted the Brockmans, Dane rose to his feet and greeted them.

“How long have you been in Denver, Dr. Dane?” asked John.

“Just rode in a little while ago so I could spend the evening with Tharyn and go to church with her tomorrow. I can do this because Dr. Robert Fraser remains on call for me.”

“I’m so glad you have him to help in this way,” said Breanna.

“Me too,” said Dane. “I read in the
Rocky Mountain New
—which is delivered daily to Central City—that the Tag Moran gang was convicted, then escaped while being escorted to the Rawlins prison, Chief.”

John sighed. “Yeah. I’m very unhappy about that. That nefarious bunch are cunningly elusive. They got away from the posse that chased them, as you read.”

“Yes. Too bad.”

“Well, one of these days they’ll make some kind of mistake and get caught again.”

“I sure hope you’re right about that, Chief.”

“Where are you staying tonight, Doctor?” Breanna asked.

“I’ll get a room at one of the hotels.”

“No need for that,” spoke up John. “We have a guest room at our house. Whenever you come to Denver, you can stay with us—starting tonight.”

Tharyn smiled as Dane said, “I’ll just take you up on that offer. Thank you very much. I’ll be there later this evening then. Do you have room for my horse in your barn?”

“Sure do.”

“Okay. I’ll just ride him to church in the morning.”

“Of course.”

“And I’m planning on going to the evening service, so I’ll need to stay with you again tomorrow night. I’ll leave for Central City Monday morning. I really don’t think this snowstorm is going to amount to much.”

“That’s fine,” said Breanna.

John saw their waitress bringing the dessert they had ordered, and walked with Breanna toward their table, saying over his shoulder that they would be looking for Dr. Dane later this evening at their home.

Some twenty minutes later, the Brockmans passed by the table while Dane and Tharyn were eating, and Paul and Ginny took a moment to stop and hug Tharyn.

When Dane and Tharyn finished their meal, they put their coats on and Dane went to the counter to pay the bill. When that was done, they went outside to the buggy. It had already stopped snowing.

Dane helped Tharyn onto the seat, then hurried around the rear of the buggy and climbed in beside her. Before he took the reins in hand, he turned. “Tharyn, could I hug you?”

“You sure can!”

After the brief embrace, Dane looked into her eyes by the light of a nearby street lamp. “Tharyn, there is something I need to tell you.”

These words took her back to the night when Scott Hubbard broke her heart, and immediately she was on edge. “Y-yes, Dane?”

“I—just can’t hold it in any longer. I am head over heels in love with you.”

Tharyn felt her heart suddenly beat against her rib cage. Excess moisture was instantly in her eyes. “Oh, Dane!”

He cupped her face in his hands, looking deeply into her teary eyes. “I loved you like a sister when we were living in the alley with the other orphans. But as time passed and I grew older—having no idea where you were—my love changed, and when I thought about you, it was different. I was falling
in
love with your memory, though I thought I would never see you again. And—and now that I have found you, I know I am
in
love with you. It isn’t big brother love, it’s deep, romantic love. I’m head over heels in love with you.”

The tears began to spill down Tharyn’s cheeks. Holding his gaze, she said, “Oh, Dane, it was the same with me as the years passed. My heart yearned for you, though we were lost to each other. Since you hadn’t replied to my letters, as I told you, I figured you didn’t want to keep in touch because you would be in prison for the rest of your life. You remember Russell Mims.”

“Yes. He had ideas about you one day belonging to him. It was easy to see.”

“Well, since I had given up on ever seeing you again, I decided to let this happen between Russell and me. He was chosen by some people in California. We wrote back and forth for a while, then one day I got a letter telling me he had found the right girl for him and was going to marry her.”

“And that broke your heart.”

“Yes. Then, there was Scott Hubbard. I told you about him, and about Pastor Blandford’s talk with me concerning Isaac and Rebekah.”

“Yes.”

She took a deep breath. “Dane, my love for you is beyond the
little sister kind. I know without any doubt whatsoever that I am deeply in love with you. I know the Lord has been saving us for each other.”

Thrilled at her words, Dane said, “Tharyn, could I kiss you?”

Tharyn nodded.

When they had enjoyed a sweet, tender kiss, Dane held her close and said, “Sweetheart, when we get to your house, I need to talk to your parents alone for a few minutes.”

“Oh?”

“Uh-huh. Then afterward, I’ll need to talk to you alone.”

Looking puzzled, she said, “Of course, darling. That will be fine.”

While they drove on down the street, heading for the Tabor home, Tharyn was thinking about Pastor Blandford’s talk and how it helped her to see that God had the man of His choice ready to bring into her life. She never dreamed it would be her long-lost big brother.
Lord, I think he is going to ask me to marry him
. Her pulse was pounding as they arrived at the Tabor home.

Dane helped Tharyn out of the buggy and stole another kiss before walking her to the door. When they went inside, Kitty was on her way down the hall from the rear of the house, heading for the parlor. She smiled. “Did you two have a nice dinner?”

“We sure did, Mama,” said Tharyn.

“Good. Come on into the parlor. Your papa’s in there reading today’s newspaper.”

When they entered the parlor, David looked up from his paper. “Well, how was dinner?”

“It was just fine, sir,” said Dane. “Ah … Mr. and Mrs. Tabor, could I have a private conversation with you?”

David laid down his paper. “Right now?”

“Yes, sir, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, of course.”

“We can go into the kitchen,” said Kitty.

Dane nodded. “All right. Tharyn, we’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Tharyn sat in silence in the parlor, her pulse pounding once again as she tried to imagine what was happening in the kitchen.

No more than twenty minutes had passed when Tharyn heard footsteps in the hall, and Dane Logan entered the parlor. He closed the door behind him, moved to the sofa where she was sitting, and looked down at her. “Sweetheart, I want to ask you something.”

Tharyn’s pulse was pounding harder than ever.