Today was Saturday, October 15, and, that afternoon, Roland and Constance were to be married in the Episcopal Church right here in Laramie, Wyoming Territory.
It seems like such a whirlwind, Roland thought. He rode into Laramie last year, a drunk without a reason to live. He saved the life of store owner Constance Sweeny, and his life changed.
He had decided to settle in Laramie. With the help of Constance, he had given up the bottle. The bond between them grew, turning into love.
Roland was torn between anticipating the event and wondering if it was the right thing to do.
On the negative side, he was not sure that he deserved a woman such as Constance Sweeny. Even though he was a lawyer- a man supposedly to be looked up to- he came into Laramie as a drunk, and the respectable townsfolk did not often look at him as one of the gentry, but rather a man to be tolerated, even pitied.
He had several incidents that could be tallied in his favor. He foiled a robbery. He helped the sheriff disburse a lynch mob. Several other events were to his credit. But he still seemed to stride that dividing line between respectable and not respectable.
She…
…Was a widow who maintained, by herself, a shop in the city, after the unfortunate death of her husband.
…Was pious, a churchgoer.
…Had all the attributes of a moral, Christian woman.
And Roland had…
…A law practice.
…A known proficiency with a Colt .45.
…A drinking habit, now under control, thus far. But he was not well received among the upper class and probably never would be.
…A shady past. He had not made it a practice of talking about a decade and a half of wandering, but the citizens of Laramie could recall him riding into town alone, his bouts with the whiskey bottle, and the fights. They may have guessed at least a part of his past, and it would not have reflected well on him.
It hardly seemed a fair trade.
It seems like such a whirlwind, Roland thought. He rode into Laramie last year, a drunk without a reason to live. He saved the life of store owner Constance Sweeny, and his life changed.
He had decided to settle in Laramie. With the help of Constance, he had given up the bottle. The bond between them grew, turning into love.
Roland was torn between anticipating the event and wondering if it was the right thing to do.
On the negative side, he was not sure that he deserved a woman such as Constance Sweeny. Even though he was a lawyer- a man supposedly to be looked up to- he came into Laramie as a drunk, and the respectable townsfolk did not often look at him as one of the gentry, but rather a man to be tolerated, even pitied.
He had several incidents that could be tallied in his favor. He foiled a robbery. He helped the sheriff disburse a lynch mob. Several other events were to his credit. But he still seemed to stride that dividing line between respectable and not respectable.
She…
…Was a widow who maintained, by herself, a shop in the city, after the unfortunate death of her husband.
…Was pious, a churchgoer.
…Had all the attributes of a moral, Christian woman.
And Roland had…
…A law practice.
…A known proficiency with a Colt .45.
…A drinking habit, now under control, thus far. But he was not well received among the upper class and probably never would be.
…A shady past. He had not made it a practice of talking about a decade and a half of wandering, but the citizens of Laramie could recall him riding into town alone, his bouts with the whiskey bottle, and the fights. They may have guessed at least a part of his past, and it would not have reflected well on him.
It hardly seemed a fair trade.