THE AFTERMATH
Chapter Seven
Meanwhile, Rose was outside
Jack’s cell. "We have to get you out of here!" she whispered.
"Cal’s probably on his way to find us!" A guard passed by, and Rose
told him in hushed tones, "If you free this man, I will give you twenty-five
dollars in cash." The guard hesitated. Twenty-five dollars in cash was
tempting, but his father had taught him never to trust a woman, especially one
so beautiful. "Please. It is a matter of life and death," Rose nearly
whispered. "If this man remains in prison, I will be quick to join my
Maker."
The guard shook his head. He felt
like he was betraying his father by trusting a woman, but something in Rose’s
eyes and voice told him that she was dead serious. "You don’t have to do
that, miss," he said, pulling the keys out of his pocket. Rose paid him
twenty-five dollars, and soon she and Jack were out on the street. They fairly
ran to the station and boarded a train for Chicago, paying the ticket man at
the window twenty dollars not to tell anyone where they had gone.
*****
Ruth and Cal reached New York
four hours after Jack and Rose had departed for Chicago. They went to the
prison, but when they didn’t find Jack there, they went back to the train. They
asked at every window, until they found the ticket man Jack and Rose had paid.
They described Jack and Rose, and paid the man fifty dollars to tell them where
they had gone. "The next train for Chicago leaves in three hours," he
told them, and they bought tickets.
*****
Jack and Rose’s train reached
Chicago ahead of schedule. "Where do we go next? Chippewa Falls?"
Rose asked breathlessly.
"No, too obvious. They know
I’m from there," Jack replied.
"Train for Butte, Montana
leaving in five minutes," the gentleman sitting nearby told them.
"What’s gotcha all fired up to run off?"
Somehow, Rose felt compelled to
tell the man their story. "Sounds a bit like Romeo and Juliet," the
man remarked. "’Cept you’re running off to Montana with me instead of
committin’ suicide."
Rose still had almost two
thousand dollars, but the man insisted on paying their way to Montana.
"It’s my contribution to your happiness." He rose and started for the
ticket window. "All the men here are my good friends. I’ll make sure they
divert your mother and that Cal fellow."
Jack and Rose were amazed. They
boarded the train to Butte and relaxed once it was in motion. "Once we get
to Butte, Rose, we’re going to get a house and raise that big family you’ve
always wanted," Jack said softly.
"I love you so much,
Jack!" Rose scooted closer to Jack.