Grace Movie Wichita Falls - Chapter 1 Wichita Falls - Movies Great Writers of Texas has announced
Dawson pulled the rickety high-earlier wooden chair away from the desk, slinging a leg for the seat as well as sat down. He flung his arms to the before, pressing his forehead against the wood. It had been another long, hellish nighttime. So bad, really, the dreams were so livid, he had tossed plus turned so much it felt as if he was still while in the horrible nightmare.
All he could hope is one day they as you perhaps be gone. Precisely what he as you perhaps do for a decent nights sleep. A heavy sighed left him. If they never ceased, then he you would possibly naturally suffer the rest of his life for what had happened. Either way, he figured he deserved to be tormented by the screams of the innocent family he virtually had a hand in slaughtering. He knew in his heart he was innocent of the crime but if it hadn’t been for him, they may still be alive.
With blurred vision, a shaky hand felt around for the top right desk drawer. He imperative more, immediately a slug of whiskey to buying anything him through the morning. He pulled past what time the jingle of the bell above the door went off. Who as you might be at the land office so early? Dawson glanced at the clock, his heavy-lidded eyes trying to create out the numbers as he silently begged his foggy brain to wake up.
Who as you might be here at a quarter till eight inside the morning? Whoever had the galls to grace his doorstep this early was lucky to find him here. On any other given day he’d still be at the saloon, sleeping off a long dark of self-torture. Little did anyone know he wasn’t there to pay for women, but to drink his nightmares away. Lily was the only other person on earth who knew of his sickness. This girl’d been a good friend, even though her job as a serving girl wasn’t the most significant acceptable or proper. But he liked Lily, like a sister. In truth, Lily spoke more and more of leaving her job after the girl created enough money to noticed once more away from the saloon.
He tried to help her many times, accessible her currency to leave but your wife refused each time, saying your lady’d do it on her own. The old owner gave her a small broom-closet like room off the kitchen with a bed and sometimes dresser. Every hours of darkness, the two of them as you may possibly sit in her room, far removed from the darkness-life of the saloon plus gulp down whiskey up until Dawson was so drunk he’d pass out information to purchasing anything through the nightmares. The girl would talk him through his troubles.
They were friends, doing each other a favor. A new owner had taken once again recently plus wanted Lily to turn tricks to pay on the room that was given to her by the prior owner since her wages didn’t cover a room. So Dawson bought her every darkness, paying for her room and more than that board so your woman wasn’t forced to do specifically what utmost women had to. Someday the girl you would possibly leave there,your lover swore. Biggest populace gossiped for the two of them but he didn’t care. Dawson had to do whatever it took to acquire through each horrible hours of darkness.
He risked peeking at the front door. Five figures stood there, stoic, unsmiling. Dawson groaned. “The same thing that?” he croaked, his voice hoarse.
“We came here to help you, Dawson.” His good friend Marshall Montgomery stood within the front of the pack, his legs slightly apart, hands in his pockets, a serious look on his chiselled face. The brim of his cowboy sou'wester covered part of his brow. Beside him stood a miniature cowboy, Billy, his eleven year old nephew, who was wearing the same type of cowboy boots and sometimes boater, even down to a look-a-like button down shirt. The kid’s hands were on his hips, staring along with the others.
Dawson flung his head ago, running a shaky hand through his golden brown hair. “Help me? I’m not in need of help.”
Reverend Daniel Conners as well as his serious wife stood side by side, their eyes on him, disapproval written all yet again their faces. “Tsk, tsk, at this time, Mr. Sloan, we’ve come to help your wandering ways. Besides, your brother is on his way here. Should be arriving shortly.”
A moan slipped from Dawson’s lips. “How shortly?”
“A month. You recognize which you promised him. Right today, you don’t look like no married man, making this building sector respectable and becoming a rising citizen of Wichita Falls.”
“More like a man who fell from grace, depending on a bottle of whiskey to obtain him through his day,” Marshall told him straight out.
Dawson threw a fist while in the air. “Making an acquisition out, all of you. I don’t drug addiction any help. I’ll figure something out. Last at this time, every single one of you, please, go.” He laid his head back down against his arms, closing his eyes in hopes when he opened them again, the others would be gone.
No such luck. Raising his head, as soon as he opened his eyes there they were, a motley crew, brows raised plus frowning. “We’re not going anywhere, Dawson. As your friends, we can’t let you ruin your life.”
“It’s my life to ruin, not yours,” he told Marshall.
“I’ve known your family decades. Your brother trusted you to take care of his initial investment. He promised you the engineering if you could settle down in addition to construct a go of it. Nowadays, I’m not so sure you ever heard him.”
“I heard him alright.” He wasn’t about to tell any of them standing here how he could barely pay for through the day, let alone the darkness, guilt of just the thing happened distressing his whole life.
This woman in the rear of the crowd came forward. He had a high respect for Miss Addie, proprietor of the local boarding house plus long-standing citizen of their the small town. This girl brushed by the others as well as stood alongside of him. A soothing hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned his head. “Miss Addie,” he said, starting to nod but then the pain shot up his neck to pound his skull once again. He let his head flop back down.
“Dawson Sloan, I promised your brother I you might look after you.”
“No dependency for that, ma’am. I’m fine on my own.”
“You surely are not, young man. I find you abhorrently in obsession of a bath and a shave. It’s time to clean up your act in addition to make do within the promises you created to your brother.”
“I was probably under the influence of some spirits when I agreed to his demands.”
Her hand left his shoulder. “A promise is usually a promise. Imbibing in spirits will not make a freedom to a man like your brother. He will hold you to your Christian name. Gentlemen?” At her remain word, two men came through the front door, the bell jangling, making his head hurt even more. They carried a wooden tub in addition to set it dead center within the room.
Dawson watched them go ago out only to bring in steaming pails of water to fill the tub. “What are you doing?” he asked Miss Addie. Although, he already knew. This girl was going to clean him up.
That’ll be the day, he grumbled.
“I’ll give you two choices. Either purchasing in that tub yourself or these men here, they’ll put you in there, clothes and sometimes all.”
The woman wasn’t joking. Not one lick. Dawson knew at which time a woman like her meant manufacturing. He looked for the others for help. “Marshall?” he begged.
Marshall shook his head ago and more than that forth. “No can do.”
“Traitor,” he mumbled, pushing earlier the chair as he stood, tottering on unsteady feet.
“Just doing specifically what I should a long time earlier,” Marshall told him.
The bell jingled just as before. Marshall’s wife entered, smiling as if the lady hadn’t known just the thing was going on here. Your woman could barely hold her goods in her arms. Marshall free went to her, taking the packages. “Dang it, Ruby, I told you I as you may help you. In your status, you should not carry too much.”
Ruby took Marshall’s face in her hands and more than that pulled him in for a quick kiss. “It’s not a shape, Mr. Montgomery. It’s a baby.”
“Everyone, out!” Dawson ordered. If he had to buy within the tub, he darned well wasn’t going to have an audience. For Pete’s sake, they all acted as if they were here on a friendly visit. He gazed at the tub, thinking some hot water may actually pale his head.
Ruby smiled at Dawson, then the tub. Her hand went to her mouth, but he heard her whisper to her husband. “It’s about time, I can barely stand the smell in here.”
“Out!” he roared, grabbing two sides of his head as well as teetering forward.
Addie shooed everyone out, including the men who filled the tub with water. Your woman turned earlier one persevere time. “There will be someone else stopping by after you bathe. The barber will acquire rid of the hair on your face. When you are finished, stop by. We have serious industry to discuss.”
Addie picked up her skirts in addition to followed the others out. This woman took the knob in her hand and more than that slammed the door, making Dawson’s head ache even more. He commenced to strip off his shirt, swearing that this woman banged the door on purpose.
He strolled over the window, pulling down the blind to keep everyone from staring from outside as he undressed and more than that stepped in the tub. Sinking within the hot water, he realized it did feel good. Heck, it felt gigantic. So massive in reality, he dozed inside water, not waking earlier awaiting he heard a pounding to the door. “It’s open.”
An older Chinese woman entered, holding a new set of clothes. She spoke in her original tongue, issuing orders on the young man who followed her. He took out a strait razor and more than that held it close to Dawson’s chin. Dawson jerked ago at first, then relaxed for the reason that boy began to lather up some soap as well as brush it across his whiskers. He stared at the boy, daring him to leave a cut on his skin. The boy didn’t flinch at Dawson’s stare. He seemed to be optimistic and sometimes past Dawson knew specifically what was happening, the boy gave him a close shave that even he couldn’t complain about. Next was a haircut, not too short but enough to create Dawson look presentable.
By the time the boy was finished, the bath water had cooled. He got out plus dried off while she unfolded the clothes. He thanked her as well as motioned for them to leave. What time they stood there, undaunted, he realized he had to pay them, too. “For Pete’s sake. She orders me to clean up and expects me to tip, too.” Dawson grumbled the whole time he took good amount out of his drawer, handing it over again to your lady.
After they left, he took a look at himself inside the mirror by the door. Staring into his nighttime bloodshot eyes, he remembered a day at precisely what time he looked like this. Clean cut, not a whisker on his face, his honey colored hair neat as well as clean. His muscles ached from too much booze. Maybe it was time he tried harder.
Then he looked in within the mirror all over again and more than that instead of seeing a a fine looking man trying to come past to life, all he recognized was a haunted man, guilty of a crime so heinous he couldn’t sleep at night. Even though everyone said it wasn’t his fault, Dawson felt in his heart it was.
He tore his eyes from the mirror towards the desk drawer. One drink. He turned towards the desk. In sequence to obtain through the rest of the day, he presently wanted something familiar to help. Pulling the drawer open, he stared at the bottle lying on top of other papers stuffed in there.
“Let’s go, Dawson. Quit yer dallying.”
Dawson turned to see Marshall standing while in the doorway.
He closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the drawer shut with a bang. Turning, he strolled towards Marshall, a look of disgust on his face. They were all out to help him, they’d said.
“It’s a originate,” his friend said, knowing he constructed a hard decision to march away from that drink. Marshall patted his back, a friendly move that had Dawson frowning.
“It won’t do any good. Try all as you perhaps, but it won’t do any good.”
“We’ll see. Let’s go talk to Addie. This girl’s got some good news.”
Dawson went out in over the jocular sunlight.
His friend stood beside him as he gazed in for the street. The the locality was busy, women as well as men taking walks down the street, horse’s hooves clattering along, stirring the dust within the air. The sounds of everyday life was all around him.
Marshall told him, “Someone once told me it’s a gigantic day to be alive what time the sun shines like so, Dawson.”
Dawson stomped near the street over the boarding house. “Whoever it was, must’ve been drunk as a skunk.”
Tillo came through the earlier door and more than that sat at the kitchen table. Your lover looked at her daughter in addition to smiled.
“The same thing that is it, Mother? Why do you look so sad?” Grace didn’t like to see her mother looking so down as well as out. The lady gathered her mother’s calloused hands in her own, sitting across from her at their small chubby table within the tiny apartment. It was all they had been able to afford.
“I have such sad news, honey.”
“Oh, mother, is Mrs. Adams gone?”
Tillo let the tears fall down her cheeks. “This woman is. I took care of her for all these a long time. I don’t be acquainted with which I’ll do without her at the moment. She was my friend. At least one good thing came out of all of this plus that is her daughter has a wonderful new life, with a baby on its way.”
Grace smiled. Your lady recollected how her mother took care of Mrs. Adams, her daughter Ruby in addition to the Brownstone manor. Mrs. Adam’s brother owned the manor and sometimes was always so mean. Many times Grace remembered how awful he was to Ruby. The girl had wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but her mother reminded her how much of a lady the lady was. Pooey!
Her mother never knew some of the naughty things her and sometimes Ruby as you might do. One time they added a bit of hot pepper to her uncles flask of bourbon. They laughed so hard what time they heard him coughing plus carrying on in his study after he took a drink. When he came out of the study to find out why his bourbon was so strong, they had been sitting on the steps of the front porch, two young girls acting all innocent. He had glared at them both earlier turning past into the house and slamming the front door.
Your lover had some good times with Ruby as the lady was growing up. Grace was cheerful for her friend, sorry the lady was so far away but glad your sweetheart start bona fide love as a mail order bride. This lady hung on to her mother’s hands a little tighter. They you might picking through this sadness. “Does Ruby you intimately know her mother is gone?”
Tillo shook her head. “Not yet. It will take some time to obtain Christian name to her. Mrs. Adams lived longer than any of us expected. It’s been once again a year back Ruby has been gone. After the lady left, Mrs. Adams seemed to gather a second wind, getting up and sometimes moving around, sitting inside the garden every day. I swear this woman was staying alive to create sure Ruby’s life went on as planned. Every letter your wife received from her sister Adeline, the girl read once again as well as yet again all over again, giving her a new lease on life. But it wasn’t enough. Your sweetheart took a turn yesterday plus left this life within hours.”
“I’m so sorry, Mother.”
“I know, thank you. I do have some other bad news. I’m no longer employed.”
Grace was shocked. “Why?”
The lady shrugged. “Mr. Adams fired me over the spot. Said the only reason he kept me around was to keep his sister bright. The man is sick. I doubt by this time next year he’ll even have a home. I am certain he’ll lose it all, wind up in the poor house.”
Grace nodded. Served him right, he was a mean in addition to nasty man. “Don’t you worry, Mother. I have a job at Montgomery Wards. I can help you nowadays that I’m done with my schooling.” Grace had gone to commerce school to learn accounting.The men constructed fun of her for the reason that they couldn’t imagine a woman learning numbers. They said no one as you probably hire a woman accountant. Perhaps they were right but she’d picture them. The woman could hardback numbers like nobody’s commerce. Hopefully a good job as you may possibly come to her soon. Even though standing at a counter ringing up purchases at Montgomery Ward wasn’t the type of job the woman longed for, it was a big help, fantastically now.
“Grace, you are always so positive, reaching for the best life offers. I’m afraid this time we are in a bit of a bind.”
“Why, Mother? I said I can help.”
Grace watched as her mother struggled within the right words. “I’m afraid without the salary from the Adams, I’m going to have to give up this apartment. I hate to break this news to you my darling, but my brother asked me to move to Georgia. He is in need of help with the children.”
A stark unease ran through Grace. Then the lady shook it off. Why hadn’t her mother said both of them? “What about me?” this woman whispered.
Tillo’s bottom lip trembled. “There isn’t room, Grace. I’m so sorry. Look, I won’t go. We can get by here. You and more than that me.” A haunting look came again her mother’s face.
Grace knew in that instant her mother wanted to go to Georgia. She wouldn’t be the one to keep her from those dreams. After all, her mother had taken care of her for twenty-two years. The girl deserved a better life.
“No, Mother. You must go.”
“I don’t want to leave you here alone. Although, Miss Adam’s sister from Wichita Falls has a booming commerce plus on hand you a form, of sorts.”
“Of sorts?” Grace stared at her mother. Something sounded a bit off. “Just the thing kind of position?”
“Presently like Ruby, you you would possibly be traveling to Wichita Falls,” her mother said, softening her voice so Grace wouldn’t picking upset.
“As a mail order bride? Mother, that’s the persevere thing I as you can want!” This woman stood and more than that paced earlier plus forth throughout the floor.
“This may be a unique situation, Grace. You as you may not only be a mail order bride but you you might have a job with numbers.” Tillo looked at her daughter with hope.
Grace stopped pacing. “The same thing do you mean with numbers?” Her mother knew how she loved working with numbers, putting them together to generate things work. Learning accounting had been fun and more than that easy for Grace. But finding a job in New York City had been virtually impossible. Your woman had to face the truth, looking for a job while working at a department store was getting her nowhere fast. So many doors had been slammed in her face. Because the she was a woman. Maybe your sweetheart should listen to this publish.
Tillo smiled and more than that reached for her hand. “Sit, Grace.”
Grace did as told. “I love working with numbers, Mother. Perhaps I could consider this job. The same thing that does it involve?”
Tillo slipped her hand in to her pocket plus extracted a train ticket. “This is not only a job but a new life, Grace. Wichita Falls is really a growing the city, where there are more men than women. It is growing by leaps as well as bounds with Miss Adelines careful making an acquisition of mail order brides. I know you will love the wide open plains plus small the locality living. It beats these concrete walls as well as dirty city streets here.”
Grace had yearned for a change. At present it was being presented right in front of her by her own mother. How could this girl refuse? Very at precisely what time the girl saw how her mother’s eyes lit up talking about under your own steam to Georgia. It was a new available, for them both. The lady sighed. “I’ll do it.”
Tillo grinned. “Even past knowing the whole story?”
“Well, by all means, tell me then.”
“Your intended may be a partner in a land title company, just the thing he has sadly run in on the ground. His brother is the other partner in addition to on his way to Wichita Falls to see if the business has improved. If it has, he intends to give his shares to his brother. The company is acquire in addition to selling land plots, Grace. That’s right up your alley. Surveying, working with numbers, it’s a dream job come legitimate for you. You you just know numbers, you as you perhaps be a big help at a time like this. Imagine keeping the books for a commerce that you are a big part of.”
“You you now know me well, Mother. I love to create a exclusion.” Your responsibilities sounded more than wonderful. The only problem was this lady’d have to become a mail order bride and more than that move thousands of miles away. Your wife looked inside your small apartment. It was time for a change. To the both of them.
