Read Online The Rocky Mountain Heiress Collection by Kathleen Y' Barbo - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathleen Y' Barbo
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the workers at the Beck mine. What Daniel couldn’t figure out was whether Sanders was out for himself alone or for the good of the men.
Daniel frowned. “What landed the brothers in jail?”
“Bar fight,” Hiram said.
Daniel turned to see his own expression of disbelief echoed on Hiram’s face. “If they arrested every man who got into a bar fight in Leadville, I’d have no one on the payroll except you, Hiram. What about Jeb?”
“Still free.”
“I see.” Daniel turned back to the window. “And is he free because there is no evidence to hold him or because he’s not under suspicion?”
“Could be either,” Hiram said. “The deputy wouldn’t say.”
“What’s Carlson’s take on it?”
“He said he’s the mine boss, but you’re the owner. He’s bowing to you on this one.”
“All right, then.” Daniel didn’t have to think long in order to decide what to do. “Until Jeb Sanders is arrested or cleared, he will remain in the employ of the Beck mine. I’d rather have him where I can watch him than fire him and offer reason for retaliation. Besides, the strike didn’t turn out like the men expected, so I doubt anyone’s going to try something so soon after such a spectacular failure.”
“That’s good business,” Hiram said.
It was, though everything in Daniel made him want to seek out theSanders fellow and extract a pound of flesh for every wrong the trio had done to hard-working miners seeking nothing but their grubstakes and a few coins to send back to wherever they called home.
Daniel turned and caught his assistant checking his watch. “Have an appointment elsewhere, Hiram?”
“No sir,” he said quickly, slapping on a repentant look. “I just don’t want you to miss yours.”
“With?”
Hiram reached for the ledger perched precariously on the edge of the desk and thumbed through the pages. “You’ve committed to a meeting of the Greater Leadville Beautification and Improvement Society.” He swung his gaze in Daniel’s direction and offered a blank stare. “A note states that Horace Tabor himself requested your attendance.”
“Indeed?” Daniel resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at the mention of the town’s wealthiest citizen. “Thank you, Hiram. Refresh my memory. What is the topic for this month’s gathering? Are we discussing tidying up around the mine shafts, or will this be something of greater social and political importance?”
His assistant cleared his throat. “The stated agenda is this.” He consulted the ledger a second time. “ ‘Solutions to the pervasive attitude of dissipation and lax morals among citizens and temporary residents of Leadville.’ ”
“While I welcome a solution to dissipation and lax morals, I fail to see how a meeting of the civic committee will solve what even the marshal and his men seem unable to do.” Daniel shook his head. “And yet if Mr. Tabor has requested my attendance, how can I disappoint him?”
“Indeed. You’re expected in ten minutes.”
“Fine,” Daniel said, “but we need to handle a few items first.”
Half an hour later, Daniel slipped into the back row of the Tabor Opera House, hoping his late arrival would not be noticed. He had to learn to better budget his limited time in Leadville.
With all the work he had to do here, there was little time left for frivolity. The Greater Leadville committee certainly ranked as such, but when Horace Tabor beckoned, any Leadville businessman with good sense came running. For any lesser mortal, Daniel would have tossed the invitation in the trash.
Daniel looked up to find all eyes in the room directed at him. The speaker, an odious fellow named Pratt whose stay in Leadville was financed by the railroad, peered over wire-rimmed spectacles that had no lenses.
“Thank you for gifting us with your presence, Mr. Beck. I was just going over the particulars of a proposition I would like to see adopted by the city before I take my leave and return to
Daniel frowned. “What landed the brothers in jail?”
“Bar fight,” Hiram said.
Daniel turned to see his own expression of disbelief echoed on Hiram’s face. “If they arrested every man who got into a bar fight in Leadville, I’d have no one on the payroll except you, Hiram. What about Jeb?”
“Still free.”
“I see.” Daniel turned back to the window. “And is he free because there is no evidence to hold him or because he’s not under suspicion?”
“Could be either,” Hiram said. “The deputy wouldn’t say.”
“What’s Carlson’s take on it?”
“He said he’s the mine boss, but you’re the owner. He’s bowing to you on this one.”
“All right, then.” Daniel didn’t have to think long in order to decide what to do. “Until Jeb Sanders is arrested or cleared, he will remain in the employ of the Beck mine. I’d rather have him where I can watch him than fire him and offer reason for retaliation. Besides, the strike didn’t turn out like the men expected, so I doubt anyone’s going to try something so soon after such a spectacular failure.”
“That’s good business,” Hiram said.
It was, though everything in Daniel made him want to seek out theSanders fellow and extract a pound of flesh for every wrong the trio had done to hard-working miners seeking nothing but their grubstakes and a few coins to send back to wherever they called home.
Daniel turned and caught his assistant checking his watch. “Have an appointment elsewhere, Hiram?”
“No sir,” he said quickly, slapping on a repentant look. “I just don’t want you to miss yours.”
“With?”
Hiram reached for the ledger perched precariously on the edge of the desk and thumbed through the pages. “You’ve committed to a meeting of the Greater Leadville Beautification and Improvement Society.” He swung his gaze in Daniel’s direction and offered a blank stare. “A note states that Horace Tabor himself requested your attendance.”
“Indeed?” Daniel resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at the mention of the town’s wealthiest citizen. “Thank you, Hiram. Refresh my memory. What is the topic for this month’s gathering? Are we discussing tidying up around the mine shafts, or will this be something of greater social and political importance?”
His assistant cleared his throat. “The stated agenda is this.” He consulted the ledger a second time. “ ‘Solutions to the pervasive attitude of dissipation and lax morals among citizens and temporary residents of Leadville.’ ”
“While I welcome a solution to dissipation and lax morals, I fail to see how a meeting of the civic committee will solve what even the marshal and his men seem unable to do.” Daniel shook his head. “And yet if Mr. Tabor has requested my attendance, how can I disappoint him?”
“Indeed. You’re expected in ten minutes.”
“Fine,” Daniel said, “but we need to handle a few items first.”
Half an hour later, Daniel slipped into the back row of the Tabor Opera House, hoping his late arrival would not be noticed. He had to learn to better budget his limited time in Leadville.
With all the work he had to do here, there was little time left for frivolity. The Greater Leadville committee certainly ranked as such, but when Horace Tabor beckoned, any Leadville businessman with good sense came running. For any lesser mortal, Daniel would have tossed the invitation in the trash.
Daniel looked up to find all eyes in the room directed at him. The speaker, an odious fellow named Pratt whose stay in Leadville was financed by the railroad, peered over wire-rimmed spectacles that had no lenses.
“Thank you for gifting us with your presence, Mr. Beck. I was just going over the particulars of a proposition I would like to see adopted by the city before I take my leave and return to
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