September Sky (American Journey Book 1) by John A. Heldt Page B

Goldie and get the information he wanted or spend more time with the library's delightful director. He gave the matter a few seconds of thought and then returned with his answer.
    "Let's start with the tour. If I have any questions about the Gulf Star Line, I'll save them for your knowledgeable assistant."
    "Then let's begin," Charlotte said. She glanced at Goldie. "We'll be in the archives if anyone wishes to speak to me."
    "Take your time," Goldie said.
    Charlotte turned back to the visitors and smiled.
    "Please follow me, gentlemen."
     
    Two minutes later, the librarian with the kind eyes and the soft voice led the Townsends into a room that gave new meaning to the word archives. It was not small, dusty, and dark but rather spacious, clean, and brightly lit. A paned window the size of a bedroom wall offered a stunning view of the harbor.
    Chuck admired the view for a moment and then turned his attention to the main attraction – the collection. He saw thousands of volumes on shelves that climbed the walls and nearly as many in freestanding units that shot up from the floor. He could smell the leather that covered some of the books, not to mention the money that had gone into the facility.
    "I'm impressed," Chuck said. "Does the state fund all this?"
    "The state doesn't fund a thing," Charlotte said. "This is a privately financed institution. It is supported by grants, donations, and subsidies from the very companies that built this city and want it to be the envy of every seaport from Seattle to Savannah."
    "Tell me about this collection. What do you have here?"
    "We have everything," Charlotte said with obvious enthusiasm. "We have statistics, logs, financial reports, company histories, and even biographies of major figures in the maritime industry. There is no library like this in America. I have no doubt you will find much on the Gulf Star Line and every other line on the coast."
    "I believe it," Chuck said.
    Chuck walked to the west side of the room and pulled a book from a shelf. It contained the names of people who had immigrated to the United States through the Port of Galveston. A moment later, he moved to the east side and fetched a complete history of the city. The seaport traced its roots to the early 1800s and the pirate Jean Lafitte.
    "There's a lot of history in this town," Chuck said.
    "Do you like history, Mr. Townsend?"
    Chuck smiled warmly at Charlotte.
    "I like a lot of things, Miss Emerson."
    Charlotte blushed.
    When she recovered, she walked to a shelf on the east wall and pulled a book the size of a dictionary. She placed it on a nearby table and opened the tome to a page in the middle.
    "If you like history, particularly the history of this area, then you will want to look at this book," Charlotte said. "It was written by a native Galvestonian who now teaches at the university in Austin. It is considered the definitive work on the history of the island. This chapter is the first of many on local shipping."
    Chuck watched and listened closely as the librarian thumbed through the book and explained what it contained. He noticed that she suddenly seemed reluctant to look him in the eyes. He had apparently rattled her with his mildly flirtatious comment and felt bad about it. Like Justin, who stared blankly out the picture window at a cargo ship leaving port, he had to watch his tongue.
    "Are you the 'resident expert' on local history?" Chuck asked.
    "I know enough to direct our patrons to the right resources, but I'm not the expert when it comes to Galveston's past. That would be Rose O'Malley."
    "Is she here?"
    "She is today," a woman said as she emerged from the stacks with a book in her hand. The library assistant, who appeared to be Charlotte's age, wore a wide grin.
    Charlotte shook her head.
    "I should have known she might be hiding in here," Charlotte said to Chuck. "This is her favorite part of the library."
    Charlotte turned to face her assistant.
    "Rose, this is Charles Townsend, a new