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  “It’s all right,” he said quietly. “Hang on, Katie girl.”

  “Quiet in the court,” Judge Henry said sternly, looking down to where the principals in this hearing stood, the Schraders on one side of his desk, Katie and her protectors on the other.

  The judge folded his hands before him on the desk and shot a look at the local lawman. “I’d like to hear the charges, Sheriff Carter.”

  Len Carter nodded and presented the judge with a piece of paper, then stood erect and spoke the words that the Schraders had spoken in his hearing early this morning. “This man and woman, Jacob and Agnes Schrader, claim that the girl they’ve had living in their home for twelve years was kidnapped by John Roper and forced to go with him to his cabin out on the Stanley ranch and has cohabitated with her.”

  The judge looked over his spectacles at John, his brows lifted in a question, even as he spoke it aloud. “What do you have to say about that, Mr. Roper?”

  “Katie is living in my cabin. That part’s true enough, but I didn’t force her to do anything, Judge. She cooks for me and keeps my place clean and she’s staying there of her own free will. She was mistreated by—”

  “That’s a lie,” Agnes Schrader shouted and her husband echoed the words in a thundering voice that could have shaved the bark off a tree, John thought with a grin he hid behind his hand.

  “Well, that’s what we’re here to find out, ma’am,” the judge said politely. “Now, if you and your mister will just settle down, we’ll talk to the girl and get the truth of the matter.”

  “She won’t tell the truth. He’s got her scared to death and she’s afraid to speak for herself,” Jacob Schrader said darkly.

  The judge pounded his gavel once and stood. “I will not repeat myself. Settle down or leave the courtroom.”

  Katie stiffened her shoulders and stepped inches closer to the desk. “May I speak, sir?” she asked, and the judge sent a keen glance the length of her.

  “You don’t look abused to me, young lady. This fella leave any bruises on you?”

  “No, sir. The bruises I had from living with the Schraders faded once John took me home with him.”

  “These folks left marks on your skin?”

  As she nodded her agreement, Jacob Schrader growled a muffled threat and Katie blanched, her eyes widening as she cast one look in the man’s direction. Her arms crossed over her breasts as if she would protect herself, and a fine trembling caused her to shiver.

  “Empty the court, Deputy, all but this girl here in front of me. I’ll talk to her alone.”

  At that, Bill Stanley took John’s arm and led him from the office. Dragging him would have been a better description of their short walk into the street, but John did not speak, only stayed as close as possible to the door behind which Katie stood.

  “She’s alone in there,” he said quietly. “What’s that fella going to do to her? She’s scared out of her shoes, Bill. That damn Schrader has a lot to answer for.”

  “The judge isn’t going to hurt her, John. He wants to get to the bottom of this, and Katie’s not about to be abused by the law.”

  There was nothing to be done. He knew it as well as he knew his name, but his heart ached as he thought of Katie’s fear as she faced the judge on her own.

  “ALL RIGHT, YOUNG LADY. Let’s hear what you’ve got to say. Where did you meet the young man…John Roper’s his name, right?”

  “Yes, sir. John’s the man I’m working for. I met him in the Dogleg Saloon one night after I ran from the Schraders’ farm into town.”

  “Why did you go home with him, girl? Did he make you big promises or threaten you any?”

  “No, John only promised to look after me and take care of me. He didn’t threaten me, not one bit.”

  The judge looked down at the papers he held, frowning a bit, then peered over his glasses once more as Katie shifted from one foot to another. “Why don’t we sit down, girl, and talk like friends, just for a minute.”

  Katie felt at a loss for words, but did as the man asked and settled on a chair across from the desk. “I don’t want John to be in trouble because of me, sir.”

  “How do you feel about the Schrader family? Did you have a nice room of your own? Enough to eat?” And then he looked at her closely, perhaps noting the pale complexion, the fear that clouded Katie’s face.

  “I slept in the washroom, on the floor, under a bench where they kept the washtubs. And I had one dress to wear. I ate whatever I could find after the family finished their meals. Usually not much.”

  “How’d you happen to meet this fella? How long did you know him before you went home with him?”

  “I met him in the saloon, like I said, when a drunk pushed me through the door. A couple of other cowhands were making remarks and I was scared and John made me sit down by him and talked to me. He asked me was I hungry, and when I said I was, he took me back to the kitchen where Molly is the cook. She gave me some supper and a bed to sleep in.”

  The judge’s eyes narrowed and his lips thinned as he listened to Katie’s tale. “You stayed in the saloon overnight? In a room upstairs?”

  “Yes, sir, I did. Molly said no one would bother me while I was in her bed, and she gave me a nightgown to wear. And when John came back in the morning, I’d made up my mind.” She paused, realizing she needed to backtrack, and her hands folded in her lap, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she thought of what she would say.

  “He’d asked me the night before if I’d go home with him and keep house for him, and Molly seemed to think it was a good idea and he looked kind. His eyes are real soft and he speaks nicely, and I wasn’t afraid of him. So I went with him.”

  “Just like that. You just trotted yourself out to the Stanley ranch and moved in with him.”

  “Yes, I did. And when he took me home to his cabin, his own place out there that Mr. Stanley gave him when he made him the foreman on the ranch, John told me I could fix it up any way I wanted to, and he bought me clothes in town, because all I had were the rags on my back.” She looked toward the door and her voice seemed to plead her case for her, the tones trembling as she asked for that which her heart craved.

  “Sir. Judge. Can John come back in here? I feel better when he’s with me. He takes care of me and I don’t want anything to happen to him out there. If folks think he’s done something wrong they might not be nice to him. And Mr. Schrader is mean enough to use his knife on John if he gets a chance. I’ve seen him come close to killing a man for less than what John’s done.”

  “He’s used his knife on a man? For what reason?”

  Katie was visibly trembling now, but her voice grew stronger as she told a story she’d hidden in the back of her mind for over three years. “Once there was a man who worked on the Schrader place and he took something from the house. I don’t know what it was, but Mrs. Schrader was mad at him and when he tried to leave, her husband went after him and cut him up something terrible. The man laid right there in the yard and I thought he was going to bleed to death. I don’t know what happened to him, but he was gone the next morning and we never saw him again.” She looked again toward the door and shivered visibly.

  “Sir, they told me if I said anything about it to anyone, I’d get the same treatment.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “DEPUTY.” THE MAN leaning against the wall stood at attention. “Bring John Roper in here.”

  The deputy nodded and opened the door, calling John’s name in a stern voice. In less time than Katie could have imagined, John crossed the threshold and stood behind the chair where she sat.

  “Yes, sir.” His voice was deep, dark and strong, and Katie was so proud of him, she felt she could burst.

  “This young lady wants you in here while I speak with her and I don’t have any objection. How do you feel about it?”

  “Whatever Katie wants is all right with me.” John’s voice resounded from the walls and ceiling and the judge only smiled.

  “All right n
ow. Let’s clear up the rape charge first off.” He eyed Katie and then shot a long look at John, as if warning him to be silent.

  “Young lady, do you know what rape is?”

  She shook her head. “I know it’s something bad, ’cause Mrs. Schrader accused Mr. Schrader of thinking about it one time and they had a big fight.”

  “Who did she say he was thinking of when she accused him?”

  Katie swallowed and her voice was very small as she answered. “Me, sir.”

  “And did the man ever hurt you in any way, Katie?”

  “Yes, sir. He used to hit me with his belt when I didn’t do my work fast enough or if he thought I looked at him the wrong way.”

  John jerked upright, the hand resting on Katie’s shoulder tightened and a sound passed his lips that sounded like a curse word to Katie. With a quick gesture she turned her head, her lips brushing against the back of his hand and the pressure on her shoulder lessened and became a caress.

  The judge appeared to ignore her slight movement, but he smiled as he spoke to her again. “And what about this man you work for, Katie? Has he ever hit you? Or hurt you in any way?”

  She frowned and shot him an accusing look as if defying his suggestion, but her words were respectful. “Oh, no, sir. John wouldn’t hurt me. He’s good to me. Bought me clothes and I have a whole pantry full of food to choose from when I get ready to cook. He even got me new shoes. And I’ve never had more than one pair at a time in my life, and sometimes not any at all when the weather was warm, and now I’ve got my boots, and shoes to wear in the houses, too.”

  “All right, Katie.” She thought he hid a smile behind his hand as he looked once more at the paper he held and then he laid it on the desk and leaned forward.

  “Where do you sleep at night, Katie?”

  The hand on her shoulder moved a bit and she felt the fingers grip her firmly. “John’s only got the one bed, sir. So I sleep on the sofa by the fireplace.”

  “And do you sleep there every night? John doesn’t make you sleep in his bed?”

  “No, sir. Like I said, John’s bed is the only bed, so there isn’t anywhere else for me to sleep but the sofa. But he’s going to build a room for me before long so I’ll have a real bed of my own.”

  The judge cleared his throat. “That’s fine, Katie. Now, I must ask you another question. Has John put his hands on you? Does he touch you?”

  She looked puzzled, then smiled. “He touches me sometimes. Puts his hand on my shoulder or touches my arm.”

  “Does he kiss you?”

  She felt a flush climb her cheeks as she wondered just what business it was of this man’s if her John kissed her. Surely John wouldn’t get in trouble because of that. “Yes, he kisses me sometimes. But not very often.” Not often enough.

  The judge leaned forward, his eyes more alert now, his forehead creasing in a frown. “Where does he kiss you?”

  “He kissed me a couple of times in the kitchen and next to the back door a time or two and once in the bedroom.” Her smile was brilliant. “No, twice in the bedroom.”

  She thought the judge was having difficulty swallowing, for he seemed to choke and then he recovered and bent a stern look upon her. “Where on your body does he kiss you, Katie?”

  “My body? Like on my cheek, you mean? Or my forehead? Or maybe you mean the last time he kissed me and it was on my lips.”

  “I think that’s enough on that subject, Katie. I want to know if John has forced himself on you, if he’s made love to you.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean, sir. John doesn’t love me. He’s just the man who hired me on to cook for him and keep his house clean. And sometimes he doesn’t even seem to know what a housekeeper is supposed to do. In fact, he got upset when he thought I was working too hard cleaning his floors.”

  “And you sleep with him in the next room, every night?” As he spoke he looked over her shoulder at John, and his eyes were warm.

  “I told you where I sleep, sir. Every night, just as regular as can be, he sends me in to change my clothes and then I come out and wrap up in his quilt on the sofa and he goes to bed in the bedroom. He leaves the door open, should I need anything during the night. But I can’t think what I’d need that I don’t already have.”

  “And does he make advances to you, ask you to do things with him?”

  She looked puzzled, then turned back to John and her whisper was barely loud enough to be heard, but the judge seemed to have very good hearing. “John, what’s he talking about? What kind of things? Like do we talk, or what?”

  John exchanged a long look with the man behind the desk and then said words to Katie that told her all she needed to know. “Just tell him the truth, Katie. Have I ever asked you to do anything you didn’t want to do or hurt you in any way?”

  “You know you haven’t, John.” Then she turned back to the judge. “All we do is talk when we sit by the fireplace of an evening. You know, John sits in his big chair and sometimes I sit on the couch or on a stool by the fire and we talk. Once in a while I make coffee for us or we have our sweet things there. John’s real fond of my pie, and I can bake good cookies.

  “Oh, and once in a while, we talk about what I’m doing to the cabin, like what I’m making for the bedroom or such, and John tells me about the horses and cows and the work he’s doing on the ranch.” She seemed to run out of words for a moment, and then her mind turned to the best parts of their evenings together, and she elaborated on those times to the judge.

  “Pretty regular, John pats me on the shoulder after I get undressed and lay down on the couch, and he always pulls the quilts up so I won’t be cold. Oh, and he tells me how much he likes my cooking and how nice it is to have a clean house and all, and best of all he always listens to what I have to say.” She paused, as if searching her mind for anything more to add, and then her sigh was deep, her smile soft. “And then he just usually tells me to go to sleep, once I’m all tucked in on the sofa. Is that what you mean?”

  “Yes, Katie. I think you’ve told me all I need to know about John Roper. If I understand you properly, he’s been kind to you and taken care of you and hasn’t threatened you or hurt you in any way. Am I right?”

  She shot him a weary look and shook her head as if his logic escaped her. “That’s what I told you, sir, and I don’t tell lies.”

  “John Roper, I must advise you to keep this young woman as far as possible from Jacob and Agnes Schrader as you can. They are dangerous to her well-being and it would behoove you to keep a close eye on her at all times. Do you understand?”

  John nodded quickly. “Yes sir, I understand what you’re saying.” His eyes were unwavering as he faced the man behind the desk.

  “Furthermore, John Roper, you have my admiration,” Judge Henry said quietly, his face sober, his eyes warm. To which John only nodded.

  “I think we can call the other folks back in now, Deputy,” the judge announced and his look was stern as the deputy smiled at John and then shot Katie a look of admiration.

  Bill Stanley filed in with the sheriff behind him, the Schraders bringing up the rear.

  The judge stood and banged his gavel one final time. “The court has reached a decision in this hearing. We find no fault with John Roper and give Katie over into his custody and care.

  “We also recommend that in order for John to protect the young woman who is living in his house, that he marry her today. In that way, she will have the rights of a wife and will no longer be in fear of being returned to the family she lived with before the past three weeks. We also order a restriction against Jacob and Agnes Schrader, forbidding them to have any contact with this young lady at any time. That’ll be all. Court’s adjourned.”

  He sat back down and watched carefully as Katie stepped to John’s side and whispered soft words as he bent his head to hear her. “Did he mean it, John? You have to marry me? Because I don’t think it’s right that you should have to tie yourself down to a wife just because I’m livi
ng in your cabin. I just want to go home now. I’m late starting dinner but if we have time I’d like to stop at the general store and maybe we can get some oilcloth, like you said.”

  John’s face was grim as he listened to her words and then he took her hand in his. “Katie, the judge didn’t give us any choice when he said that about you and I getting married. He meant it for your protection, so that you’ll be a married woman and no one can treat you like a child any longer.”

  “I’ll do whatever you say, John. If you want to marry me, it’s all right. Just so long as we can go and get my oilcloth afterward. You promised me a covering for the kitchen table, remember?”

  John laughed aloud, shaking his head as if Katie’s words pleased him. And in truth they did, for she was so honest, so simple and open, he could hardly believe it. Had he asked her to jump from a second-story window, she would have done it. Marrying him was but a simple request to her mind, and she was willing to do whatever he asked of her.

  “We’ll do whatever you want, Katie. If you want oilcloth, we’ll go pick it out, and Berta said you needed a teapot, too, and a tin of tea.”

  “He’s buyin’ her affection, is what he’s doing. Don’t our time count for nothin’? We kept her and treated her like our own kin for twelve years and this is what we get for our trouble.” Jacob Schrader’s voice was loud and clear, and Bill Stanley had a job on his hands as John turned quickly, his eyes hard as he headed toward the older man.

  A strong hand grasped his arm and halted his progress. “John, he isn’t worth it, and he’s not going to cause you any more trouble. Let it go.”

  “I’ll say one thing to you Schrader, and only once. Hear me well,” John said, his voice a threat in itself. “You ever come near Katie, I’ll hang you out to dry. If you ever threaten her or do anything to harm her, you’ll answer to me. I hope you’ve listened well to what I say because this is the only warning you’ll get.”