A Wanted Man

In a dead still night a stranger stopped his horse. Nobody knows him. Tall and lanky is he, with no signs of emotion or care. His only actions to confirm he is alive is the fact that he rides his horse and clutches his reigns. He shows no other signs, except for his, which move as he takes in the sights of the town before him.

"You act as though I intend to kill you all," he says in a bright, almost cheery way. Nobody laughs. Instead the man chuckles.

"I'm scaring you all, ain't I?" he asks.

This time he isn't the only one to react. A little girl steps forward, an air of confidence about her.

"Ain't," she says firmly, "isn't a word. There is no such word as ain't."

"And yet," smiled the strange man, already like this child, "you said it twice.

"Well, you said it too," said the girl.

"Once," said the man, "once."

He climbs off his horse and walks to the girl, cupping her chin in the palm of his hand. To do so, he kneels down, and their eyes meet.

"I like you, little'un," he says. He straightens up and mounts his horse.

"Name's Monty Greer," he says, "you'll be seeing me 'round a lot more often."

And he rides off.

The girl, not but 6, begins to think, gears a turning as they hatch up a plan. This man had no ring, and Mama hadn't gone courting in a while...

Perhaps this would work out.

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"Mr. Greer!" shouts the girl, running up to him. An apple is clutched in her hand. She gives it to the horse. The horse eagerly eats it.

"No treat for me, Ginny?" teases Mr. Greer.

"Free food for your horse!" she grins. "Now you don't have to buy it lunch!"

Mr. Greer laughs. "You're right little lady," he says, brushing the horse's coat. Conrad winnies softly, nuzzling Ginny.

"Mama says you ought to come to supper," said Ginny after a few moments of silence.

"Now, I don't know," hesitates Mr. Greer, "I haven't been courting since Conrad was a colt!"

"Mama says you spend too much time with that horse!" exclaimed Ginny, "now I know it's true!"

"Why, Ginny! It was a joke!"

"I know! I was joking too! But, oh, do come to dinner! Mama loves company so! And between you and me-" Ginny lowers her voice, "Mama hasn't gone courting in a while either."

"Well then, why not?!" asked Mr. Greer.

"Gee, Mama will be so excited!" she cried. She gave Mr. Greer a kiss on the cheek and ran off, her braids bouncing and her faded calico dress bright in the sun.

Mr. Greer smiled and chuckled as the little girl ran off to give her Mama the good news.
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"By the way, Mama," said Ginny as Mrs. Lewis put more vegetables in the pot, "I invited Mr. Greer over for supper."

Mrs. Lewis dropped the rest of the vegetables in the pot with a plop. Hot water splashed on her arms and hands.

"What do ya mean, you invited him over?!" asked Mama as she wiped her arms and hands on her apron.

"He said he hasn’t gone courting since Conrad was a colt, and I figured you hadn't either, so I asked him over!"

"Oh Ginny, whatever will I do with you?" sighed Mama.

"Try courtin' Mr. Greer, and you won't have to do anything with me!" grinned Ginny.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," surrendered Mama.
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"Hello, matchmaker!" teased Mr. Greer, ruffling Ginny's hair. "Has your ma got supper cooked?"

"Yes," said Ginny, flashing her toothy grin.

"Good," he smiled, "Conrad and I, we been working all day! Betcha your mama's cooking is something tasty!"

"Oh it is!" cried Ginny, "it's better than anything I ever tasted, that's for sure!"

The grass blows in the breeze. The creatures stand still. They move not, for they curiously stare at the sight of the two people who are disturbing their peace.

Gophers teasingly pop in and out of their holes. They stop when hawks fly overhead, but resume they are out of sight. Ginny stops to catch one, an impatient Mr. Greer trying to urge her along to the house, eager for supper.
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"I can't believe I've run out of sugar for the berries!" exclaims Mrs. Lewis, her search for white sugar over with none found. "Now I have to go into town for more!"

Mrs. Lewis put on her hat and takes the quickest possible way to town. She walks quickly, drawing up little clouds of dust as she goes that swirl around her feet.

A crowd is gathered in the town's center. Mrs. Lewis was not curious by the sight because the townspeople, unlike her, were fascinated by such small things.

She purchased her white sugar. The grocer is distracted, and had Mrs. Lewis not helped, she would have gotten the wrong measurement- too much. Mrs. Lewis, though, wasn't the dishonest type.

"Whatever is wrong with you Samuel?!" asks Mrs. Lewis as the grocer knocks over a canister of flour.

"Why don't you don't know?!" asked the grocer, a manic look in his eyes, "don't you know?!"

"No, I don't!” cried Mrs. Lewis, "that's why I asked!"

"The sheriff is looking for Monty Greer!"

"Why, whatever for?!" asked Mrs. Lewis, dropping her package of white sugar.

"He's apparently a kidnapper!" laughed Samuel. "A load of horse radish, if you ask me. Hey- where you going?! You forgot your sugar!"

Mrs. Lewis had dashed out the front door of the store, down the street, her skirts flying.

"Slow, lady!" yelled a man, grabbing the woman’s arm and trying to calm her down.

"I can't slow down!" she screamed, wrenching loose from the man’s grip. "Greer's got my baby!"

As she continued running down the street, the man watched in bewilderment, Several people stood aside or jumped aside to make room for the running, panicking woman. A few stared.
Mrs. Lewis ran the whole way to the home, throwing the kitchen door open. The smell of fresh blacking from the stove greeted her.

“Ginny!” she screamed as she scanned the room. She shouted the child’s name several more times before running into the front room.

At first glance, the front room, with the benches below the windows and the fireplace looked normal. It was bright and cheery and the table was set with an extra place. The pot of stew sat getting cold, the bowl of berries sad and lonely, waiting for a child’s hand to dig into them and withdraw the sweet fruit.

But upon closer inspection, you could see, in the middle of the table, stuck down by a sharp knife, was one of Ginny's braids, Sunday hair ribbons and all.