Deadly Trail by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2015-12-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Although the Firemen’s Charity Ball wasn’t due to start until seven o’clock of the evening, the Court House Hall was busy for most of the afternoon. Millie belonged to a young woman’s group called Denver Maidens of Mercy, an organization dedicating to helping others.

The Maidens of Mercy were in the Court House Hall helping with the decorations, and helping to get set up for the evening’s entertainment.

At the rear of the hall, a hydrant was placed upon a pedestal. Attached to the hydrant and running down each wall were fire hoses. At the moment, Millie was standing on a ladder, weaving a long strand of greenery and garland around one of the hoses. Others from the club were polishing the brass nozzles so that they flashed and glistened in the light.

“All right, I’m ready for another strand,” Millie said.

“Coming right up,” Layne offered. She turned toward the table where the strands had been laid out and Norma Jean Proud, a short, dark-haired girl and friend of Millies, handed it to her.

“What is he like?” Norma Jean asked.

“What is who like?”

“You know. Matt Jensen,” Norma Jean said. “Is he handsome?”

“I suppose you could . . .” Layne started to reply, but Millie’s laughter interrupted her.

“Yes, he is very handsome,” Millie said. “Don’t listen to Layne. She’s just trying to keep him for herself.”

“I am not!” Layne said, blushing at the remark.

“Pay no attention to Millie,” Anne Jones said. Like Layne, Millie, and Norma Jean, Anne was helping to decorate for the dance. And like Millie and Norma Jean, Annie was a member of the Maidens of Mercy. “Millie is just trying to embarrass you so she can have him all to herself.”

“This is all so funny,” Layne said. “Don’t you think Mr. Jensen ought to have some say-so in all this?”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Millie said. “Men just think they have a say so. Everyone knows they do only what their women allow them to do.”

The girls laughed at Millie’s observation, but the laugh was interrupted with the arrival of the band.

“Oh, look!” Norma Jean said excitedly. “The band is here!”

For the next hour, as the girls and the firemen continued to prepare the Court House Hall, the band practiced, the high skirling sound of the fiddles, interspersed with the ringing of the banjos and the strum of the guitar.

“Oh, my, look at the time!” Millie said. “We barely have time to go home and get ready for the dance.”

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