Senator's Bride by Jane Peart

Author:Jane Peart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 1994-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Part IV

Mayfield, Virginia

March 1926

chapter

16

IN THE EDITOR'S office of the Mayfield Messenger, Scott Cameron impatiently moved a pile of papers to the other side of his cluttered roll-top desk and swung around in his swivel chair toward the window overlooking the Square. From there he could see the Confederate War Monument—a bronze cannon with its pyramid of balls and a plaque underneath, listing the gallant Mayfield County men who had lost their lives in the Cause that had also been lost.

The octagon-shaped fountain sparkled benignly in the early morning sunshine. Several elderly men sat on the surrounding benches while fat pigeons waddled by in their daily pursuit of spilled popcorn and crumbs. It was the picture of small-town serenity. But Scott knew better. Appearances were deceptive. Behind the postcard impression of this sleepy little Southern community, old wounds that had never healed throbbed beneath scar tissue.

Scott's gaze traveled to a large sign towering over a vacant lot just down the street. In large red modern letters, it read: "Woodridge Construction Company—Part of Mayfield's Past Building Mayfield's Future." A good slogan, Scott had to admit. Ironically, it was currently the source of heated debate. People on either side of the issue were vehement in their opinions. The city council itself was divided as to whether Woodridge should be given more permits to tear down some of the town's historic old buildings and build new ones.

A case in point had been the new Messenger building itself. Construction on it had begun before Scott came home from Army duty in France. Its architecture, replacing the old dark red structure built in 1850, had created a furor, many of the town folks complaining that it looked like a granite corrugated box! Some of them had hated to see the historic building go. During the War Between the States, people had gathered outside, waiting for the casualty lists to be posted. The paper's morgue held copies of the issues announcing the births, deaths, and weddings of the residents of Mayfield for generations back, and everyone had some sentimental reason for not wanting the old place torn down.

Of course, Scott had to admit that this building was much sounder, especially the composing room where the paper was turned out twice a week. In the old building, the floors had been so warped and slanted the Linotype operators had been forced to block their chairs so as not to slide away from their machines. So most everyone who worked at the Messenger had to concede, however reluctantly, that a new building was necessary. Woodridge had made the lowest bid and was awarded the contract. Curious coincidence, Scott rubbed his chin thoughtfully, that so many contracts for new buildings in Mayfield have gone to Woodridge in the past few years.

Strangely enough, Hal Woodridge had dropped by to see him late the afternoon before. "No special reason," he had said. But the conversation had turned quickly to politics, to the vacant seat in the state senate left by Senator Wilcox's retirement.

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