The Touch of Sage (43 page)

“
What?
”
Sage exclaimed, spinning around to face the four women.

“
Mary!
”
Eugenia scolded.
“
You got a mouth as big as a trout!
”

“
What are you all up to?
”
Sage asked then, panic rinsing over her.

“
Nothin
’
, Sage,
”
Rose
said.
“
Mary was just funnin
’
.
”
But Sage was uncertain as to who was telling the truth.
Rose
looked sincere enough, but there was a familiar twinkle in her eye.
Sage knew that twinkle as well as she knew the mischievous grin now
blazoned
on Livie
’s face,
the look of determination on Mary
’
s
,
and the expression of delighted misbehavior on Eugenia
’
s.

“
Get me out of this dress!
”
Sage exclaimed, reaching back, her fingers fumbling with the corset stays.
She was tremblin
g—
suddenly shaking with anxiety.
She glanced up to the door, certain th
e widows had tricked her again—
certain Reb would enter at any moment to find her looking as ridiculous and gullible as before.

“
Grab her, Mary!
Eugenia!
”
Rose
shouted then.
“
Reverend!
Winnery
!
You better get in here!
”

Before Sage could move to elude them, Mary had taken hold of one of her arms, Eugenia the other.
She gasped, mortified with embarrassment as Reverend Tippet
ts himself entered the room
,
Winnery
close behind.

“
Reverend Tippetts!
”
Sage exclaimed
, horrified to be found by the r
everend in such a scandalous state of dress.

“
Evenin
’
, Sage,
”
Reverend Tippetts said, offering a calm, friendly smile.

Scarlett entered the room as well.
She gasped, smiled
,
and shook her head in seeming awe as she looked at Sage.

“
Oh, Sage!
”
Scarlett exclaimed.
“
You look so lovely!
How I loved that dress when I wore it.
I knew it would fit you perfectly.
Doesn
’
t it fit her perfectly,
Rosie
?
”

“
Oh my, yes!
”
Rose
agreed.
“
You bein
’
taller and all then me…it
’
s more fittin
’
for her than mine was.
”

“
What?
”
Sage asked, confused, frightened, and horrified at what was happening.
“
What…what are you all doin
’
here?
What
’
s goin
’
on?
”

“
Go on ahead and tie her up then,
Winnery
,
”
Reverend Tippetts instructed.

“
Mind her hair!
”
Rose
said as
Winnery
approached carrying a length of rope in his hands.

“
What are you doing?
”
Sage cried out.
It was like waking up from a nightmare only to find the nightmare was real.

“
Now, you hold still there, Miss Sage,
”
Winnery
said.
“
Give me her hands,
”
he instructed Mary and Eugenia.

“
No!
No!
”
Sage exclaimed
,
trying to pull free.

“
Settle down, Sage,
”
Reverend Tippetts said, smiling at her.
“
It
’
s for yer own good.
”

“
What?
”
Sage breathed.
She couldn
’
t believe what was happening.
As
Winnery
secured her arms at her sides and bound her wrists, she was sure she
’
d wake up at any moment.
Surely she
’
d only fallen asleep in Ruthie
’
s pasture.
Surely this wasn
’
t really happening.

She blushed to the tips of her toes as
Winnery
bound her ankles next, then her knees.
She hadn
’
t finished dressing, wore
no
stockings whatsoever!
It was disgraceful!
Winnery
lifted her then, tossing her over one shoulder like a sack of flour.

“
Put me down!
What are you doin
’?”
Sage fairly screamed.

“
Hush now, Sage,
”
Mary ordered.
“
Else we
’
ll have to bind yer mouth up too.
”

“
The wagon
’
s waitin
’
out back,
”
Reverend Tippetts said.
“
Let
’
s get goin
’
.
”

“
All right, Reverend,
”
Eugenia said.

Sage
’
s eyes widened, disbelief striking her dumb as one by one the widows each pulled a length of red fabric from the front of their shirtwaists.
Simultaneously
,
they tied the bandanas around their necks, pulling the cloths up over their mouths and noses.
Sage could not believe it!
They looked like a band of gray-haired bandits!
Female bandits!
They looked like a bunch of mad banditas!

As
Winnery
carried Sage down the stairs
,
Scarlett followed
,
calling out instructions to Sage.
“
Now, just keep your head and stay calm,
”
Scarlett said.
“
Calm and confident.
We all know how he feels about
—”

A loud knock on the boarding house
front door caused every imp in the room to stop cold.

“
Help!
”
Sage yelped a moment before Reverend Tippett
’
s hand covered her mouth.

“
Be quiet, Sage,
”
he ordered.
“
Get the door, Livie.
”

“
All right,
”
Livie said, skulking toward the door like a prowling outlaw.

“
Livie!
”
everyone whispered in unison.

“
What?
”
Livie asked, turning to face the others.

“
Yer scarf, Livie,
”
Mary whispered.
“
For cryin
’
in the bucket!
She don
’
t have one wit in that empty skull of hers. I swear I can hear her brain a
-
rattlin
’
around in there like a dried
-
out pea in a wooden bucket!
”

“
Shhh!
”
Rose
demanded.
“
Everyone, hush!
Especially you
,
Sage.
”

“
Good evenin
’
,
”
Sage heard Livie greet.
There was silence for a moment
,
and then Livie said,
“
Well, certainly!
I
’
m delighted to meet you.
Do come in.
Please.
”

In another moment
,
Livie returned.
She went to the
inkwell
and pen set sitting on a nearby desk, quickly removed a piece of paper from the desk
, and scribbled
something on it.

“
Here, Eugenia,
”
she said folding the paper and handing it to Eugenia.
“
Be sure he gets this.
I suppose I
’
ll need to stay here.
”

“
I
’
ll stay with you, Livie,
”
Scarlett said, pushing past
Winnery
and his captive to stand near Livie.
“
You all go on ahead.
We
’
ll entertain the guest.
”

Sage tried to scream—tried to cry out for help—
tried to scold them all for torturing her so.
But the Reverend Tippetts had a firm hand over her mouth, adeptly muffling any noise she made.

“
Get her in the wagon befo
re anybody else shows
up,
”
Eugenia whispered.

“
Yes, ma
’
am,
”
Winnery
said
,
nodding.

Reverend Tippetts kept his hand firmly over Sage
’
s mouth as he opened the back kitchen door for
Winnery
.

The warm light of dusk softened the appearance of everything as
Winnery
carried Sage out of the
boarding house
and toward a waiting wagon.
Yet the softness of the onset of evening did nothing but heighten Sage
’
s anxiety.
Oh
,
she
’
d certainly figured where they were
taking her—
to Reb!
She was horrified!
The full extent of the tomfoolery the widows had concocted this time she did not know.
She did know, however, that it meant humiliation and further heartache for her.
She was dressed in a confounded saloon girl
’
s dress, for pity
’
s sake!
No stockings or even shoes!
It was indecent!

Winnery
rather roughly dropped Sage into the wagon
’
s bed, hopping in after her before she had the chance to struggle.

“
Now, no screamin
’
or carryin
’
on, Sage,
”
Reverend Tippetts instructed.
He climbed up on the wagon seat, taking hold of the lines to the team.
Sage watched as Eugenia, Mary
,
and
Rose
, still looking like wild cattle-rustling banditas, scrambled into the wagon with her as well
.
If it hadn
’
t been for the absolute absurdity of the situation, Sage could
’
ve giggled at the sight of the three old women awkwardly bumbling into the wagon bed.
But she did not for the heartache and panic owning her then.

“
Miss Eugenia, please!
”
she pleaded.

“
Hush now, Sage,
”
Eugenia said from beneath her bandana.
“
It
’
s for your own good!
”

“
I
’
ll set in to screamin
’
,
”
Sage threatened.