Showdown With Fear by Stephen Wade

what had happened. Naturally, she too was burning to ask about Dan and Ned. She sat in the eating-room run by Dinah, the old lady who cleaned the chapel, and tried to be patient, sitting by the window where she could see the crowd. Everyone was watching for Harry Boak’s door to open and for that round, black-smocked figure to come out. Would he be smiling or not?
    She sipped some strong coffee. Dinah swept the floor, meticulously picking up bits of straw and meal. ‘God’s will be done... but them poor folk! I mean, I ain’t got no kin in that posse, but I feel for them. This is a wild place... it took all my boys and my Henry... disease, not guns. But it took ’em all the same.’ Dinah was talking to herself. Helen would not, or could not answer. Her eyes were fixed on the door and her mind kept thinking of the words in Dan’s letter. She was mentally miles away when a hand prodded her shoulder and she looked up to see Joe Wright beaming at her.
    ‘Miss Lane, I hope you don’t mind... I saw you in here, and I thought you might like to listen to some thoughts I’ve been having.’
    ‘About what, Mr. Wright?’
    ‘Well, first of all, I want to tell you about this town. What do you know about Red Ridge, Miss Lane?’
    ‘I know it’s never still, there’s always new faces coming and going. It’s a border town. Used to be more kind of ... wild? ‘
    ‘Miss Lane, you know, when I went into the impresario business, the east grew too small. There was too much in the hands of too few. I came west, further and further west, looking for my own space, just like your good father. He did good work in the Indian country, I in the theatre.’
    ‘You’re losing me, sir.’
    ‘Point is, let’s be honest, there’s no hope for this posse. They’re gone - lost or... or worse. We need to consider the consequences, and I feel that your family’s experience can be most useful. Thing is, I’ll do anything to keep Golden Halls. Everything I have is in there. It isn’t much by Boston standards, or even Kansas. But you gotta start somewhere. People work hard out here. They need recreation, a night watching theatre, songs, humorous pieces. Wright will give them that. There will be more Golden Halls in every town in the state, but I have one fear eating at me.’
    ‘Yes?’
    ‘What if it happens again? The McVie business? What if they come again? He’s out there and we have... old and middle-aged men... no real fighters I suppose.’
    Helen saw in his face what she had seen in a thousand faces - the fear of the wild, the brutal. Fear of everything out there beyond the poorest people on the edge of town, fear of what might emerge from the endless red plains to crush what the men in suits had achieved.
    ‘What can I do?’
    ‘You can get your father to erm...’ he whispered this, ‘Send for the army... we don’t want any panic. But if you ride out home now before anything breaks... we could have a garrison in the town in what, two days?’
    Helen was worried sick inside, but tried not to let it show. Her eyes were darting glances at Boak’s door in between listening to Joe Wright. Her father had taught her politeness, and that she should listen to gentlemen, keep eye-contact with them. He shouted for some coffee, and old Dinah brought two mugs across.
    ‘See, this mob here, they will go berserk if there’s a sniff of panic. I know them. I know the common folk. Run like mad steers at a gunshot.’ He took a swig of the coffee and crossed his arms, sitting, waiting for a response.
    ‘Well Mr. Wright, all I know is that there are two men out there I care for. And in this town there are things I respect and love. Men like you have built this into a half-decent place. Jack Savory was... is... doing a first-rate job here. If young Tom tells us the worst, then we should get help but...’
    Her talk was cut short by a commotion outside. Helen and Joe stood up and walked straight to the door to see Harry Boak come out to talk