It was early morning when Ethan arrived, and Charlotte and the children were still inside the wagon cover tent sleeping. Sully heard the horse and sprang up, his knife in hand. After all, he didn’t recognize Ethan. Ethan froze at the strange man on his land and immediately thought the worst - a claim jumper. In one quick second he had his gun drawn on the stranger.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where are my wife and kids!?"
"Sully," the strange man answered, calmly and coolly. "Who are you?"
"Ethan Cooper. Where are they?"
Sully placed his knife back in its sheath. "They’re sleepin’ inside the tent. I happened upon them a few days ago, your wife had just gone into labor."
Ethan didn’t put his gun down. Sully looked intently at him.
Ethan shouted, "Charlotte!!! Come out here, Charlotte!"
In a moment, Charlotte came out, holding her newborn son. "Ethan! You’re back!"
Ethan didn’t move. "Come over here, Charlotte, away from this man."
Charlotte looked at him, bewildered. "Ethan, that’s Sully! You don’t have to worry about him. He was staying with us until you came back, that’s all. He helped me deliver Brian." She handed the boy to Ethan.
Ethan had to put down his gun in order to hold his son. He looked deep into the boy’s eyes and a feeling of pride washed over him.
"You had him? You had him before I came back?"
Sully looked suspiciously at the man in front of him, his arms crossed.
"Brian? How’d you come up with a name like Brian? There ain’t no Brians in our family."
"Aren’t, Ethan," she corrected him. She gave Sully a sly smile. "I just thought it was a good name, that’s all."
Sully walked over to the fire and picked up his bedroll. "Guess I’ll be going, Charlotte," he said, loading his gear on his back.
"What?" said Charlotte. "Oh no, Sully! You gotta stay for breakfast at least."
Sully looked suspiciously over at Ethan again, who was staring at his boy. "I don’t think I’d better," he said. He walked over to the boy and ran his hand over his head. "Bye, Brian," he said softly. "I’ll see you around, Charlotte. Ethan," he acknowledged him as he began walking away.
The Cooper family settled down on their claim and Ethan built his house. It was done within two weeks, as he was able to convince neighbors to help him out in exchange for help on theirs. Within a month he was working in the Colorado Springs gold mine. When he wasn’t there, he could often be found in Panorama Creek, using his own equipment to pan for gold. In this way, he was rarely home.
Charlotte was often lonely. There weren’t that many women in town, as most of the residents were miners, bachelors who rarely stayed for long. Sully was one of these men; he talked about heading to California when he was over at the homestead for supper, which was quite often. The two had bonded over that first night on the claim.
Charlotte couldn’t get over how well Sully got along with her children. Matthew had taken to him right away after their initial meeting and Colleen accepted anyone who was alright in Matthew’s eyes. And Brian...well....Brian was something unique. She could tell how much he cared for his "namesake" every time he came over. His eyes would light up, he would take the baby from Charlotte’s arms and hold him the whole time if Charlotte let him. He often brought presents over for the kids, usually some candy from the mercantile, or some whittled figure.
Sully was a man of few words, rarely speaking unless spoken to first. Charlotte had no idea where he lived, or what he did when he wasn’t over at the homestead. If it hadn’t been for her questions the night of Brian’s birth, she might have never found out Sully was a miner. Sully intrigued her. She longed to know more about his man but sensed he wasn’t ready to share his life’s story with her.
After his confrontation with Sully the day he came home from Denver, Ethan saw him often in the mine. He tried to talk to him, perhaps become friends even, but Sully was distant, and tried to keep away from Ethan as much as possible. For some reason, Sully didn’t like or trust Ethan. He was wary of his actions.
This didn’t keep Sully from coming to the Cooper homestead for supper very often, though. He found in Charlotte a "kindred spirit," one of the few people in his life who understood the "way in which he worked." So, in the evenings, he put up with Ethan’s conversation and discussed their day in the mine. After supper, Ethan would go the saloon in town, leaving Charlotte and Sully behind to talk. It wasn’t that Sully didn’t like drinking, in fact, he enjoyed it as much as the next man, but talks with Charlotte were often the highlight of his day.
In June of 1859 Sully met her. It was a Saturday morning, and Sully wandered into the mercantile, looking for some candy to purchase in order to surprise the Cooper children that night. He walked into the store, not paying much attention to the people around him as usual and headed straight for the candy jars. He was trying to decide between taffy or popcorn balls when he heard it. It was a beautiful sound, the very sound arose would make if it could speak. His head swiveled around...
"There you go, sir," a well dressed young lady was saying as she handed a brown paper package to a fellow miner of Sully’s. He stared at her, transfixed for a moment. But only for a moment. She had felt his gaze and had seen him. Now she was walking towards him. He nearly dropped the jar he was holding, then hastily put it back on the shelf and stepped away. Candy indeed!
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, her hands clasped behind her back, her skirts swinging.
"Um..." he racked his brain trying to think of something to say. She had seen him by the candy jars! Certainly not the place a respectable grown man should be at. He should have been looking at something manly, something -
"Yes," he said quickly. He grabbed his knife and withdrew it from its sheath. "I need this sharpened." He smiled to himself. There, that was manly, wasn’t it? He drew himself up at this thought.
She gave him a quizzical look. "Sir," she said quietly. "We don’t do that here. There’s a sharpener that came into town just yesterday if you need that taken care of." (AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sharpener- One who carried a portable grindstone on his back or on a wagon and solicited customers for knife, scissor and tool sharpening.)
What a coot! he exploded at himself. "Oh, yeah..." was the only thing he could say.
She laughed, a beautiful sound coming from her lips. He knew she was laughing at him, but he didn’t care. She was beautiful, just beautiful. He took a long look at her. Her chestnut brown hair was piled on top of her head in a chignon, and adorned by red satin ribbon. She was dressed in a Garibaldi blouse: a black-buttoned, red merino shirt and wore a black skirt with a belt. The skirt covered her shoes. All in all, simply gorgeous, though she must have been terribly hot in that fine merino wool on this June day, he reflected.
"My ... my name’s Sully," he stammered out.
Her beautiful laugh rang out again, rocking him to his very core. She held out her hand. "I’m the storekeeper’s daughter, Abagail."
You're Mr. Bray’s daughter?" Sully wondered how that gruff man could have such a beautiful child. "I mean, I haven’t seen you before," he stammered.
"I’ve been staying with my Aunt Olive," she told him. "I just got back to Colorado Springs last Saturday. To stay," she added. He stared at her in amazement, unable to say anything. "That’s a very unique name, Sully," she continued. "What’s your surname?"
"That’s it," he said dumbly, not able to drag his eyes, off of her. "I mean, Sully’s not my first name." He waited for the inevitable question about his first name, almost wincing inside. But it never came.
"Well, Mr. Sully," Abagail turned, her skirts flouncing, "If you need your blade sharpened, I’m afraid I can’t help you, but if you’re looking for some candy I’m happy to assist."
A gruff looking Mr. Bray came scurrying across the store. "Abagail, your Ma needs you," he ushered her away from Sully.
Her eyes dropped. "Pleased to have met you, Mr. Sully," she said, before disappearing up the stairs.
Loren turned to Sully. "Now, let me guess, taffy right?"
Sully let out a sigh.
Sully began spending less time at the Cooper homestead and more in town. Ethan reported seeing him often at the mercantile. Charlotte, who had met Abagail during her weekly trip into town, guessed what was up. Though she was lonely, she was happy Sully had met someone.
This isn’t to say Sully didn’t come to the homestead. He did appear at least once a week, playing with kids and talking with Charlotte as usual. But something within him had changed. He knew it, and Charlotte sensed it.
One evening, as Charlotte sat in her rocking chair in the new homestead, Sully sat on the floor by the hearth throwing pieces of wood absentmindedly inwards.
"What’s on your mind, Sully?" she asked him.
"Do -" he began, then stopped. He calmed down, then started again. "How d’ya show a girl you’re sweet on her?"
Charlotte looked at him quizzically. "Why, Sully, you never courted anyone before? But..you’re.."
"I know, I know," he said, "I’m twenty-four, and I never courted no one before. Guess I never had the time to...or wanted to..."
Charlotte smiled shyly. "Well, you get all dressed up, and you take her places and you give her flowers, and things like that."
"Guess I’d better get myself some fine clothes, then," Sully muttered.
"And you must ask Mr. Bray permission to take her out," Charlotte continued.
Sully looked up. "How’d you know it was Abagail?" he asked.
Charlotte shrugged. "You wear your heart on your sleeve."
Sully stood up. "Well, g’night Charlotte." He walked away.
Charlotte smiled. She couldn’t believe the conversation she’d just had.
Charlotte didn’t see Sully for the next few days. When she asked Ethan, he told her he’d taken a few days off and gone to Denver for something. Charlotte guessed he’d gone to buy a suit.
Sure enough, a few nights later, as Charlotte sat alone by the fire knitting, he showed up. Charlotte looked up, startled, at the strange man in front of her.
"Why Sully!" she gasped. "You look so handsome!"
In front of her stood a dapper looking man, a beautiful suit hanging on him just right, his hair cut short and slicked back with bear grease. "I look okay?" he asked shyly, questioningly.
She stood up, and ran a hand over the jacket, brushing it off. "You look wonderful. Any girl’d be proud to be courted by you."
"D’ya think so?" he asked.
She looked straight into his eyes. "I know so," she said matter-of-factly.
He looked downwards. "I’m going to ask Mr. Bray’s permission tomorrow," he said.
"I’m sure it’ll all go fine," said Charlotte.
"I hope so," said Sully. He took a deep breath.
Apparently Loren must have granted permission because Charlotte barely saw Sully for the next few weeks. When she did finally see him, on the street in town, it was like he was a different person. He was whistling, barely looking where he was walking and seemed unbelievably happy. She stopped and asked him how everything was.
"It’s going good," he said, in his complacent, quiet way. His eyes shone, and he smiled broadly. "Mr. Bray was a bit begrudgin’ ‘bout it, but I think that’s just his way. Either that, or he doesn’t think a miner is good enough for his daughter."
"Well, fathers are like that," said Charlotte. "I remember it took my Pa a long time to get used to Ethan courtin’ me."
"Anyways," Sully continued, "Mrs. Bray, she told me to call her Maude, is a sweet lady. We get along very well."
"And how’s Abagail?" Charlotte asked.
"Abagail’s..." Sully couldn’t stop beaming. "Oh, she’s just great. I care about her so much already. She’s a lot like her Ma."
Charlotte nodded. "The kids miss you," she told him.
"I’ll be by to see them soon," Sully replied. "They drivin’ you crazy?"
"Are they ever!" exclaimed Charlotte. "Matthew chased the rooster the other day till it died from fright - and Colleen keeps pestering me to let her cook. The child is four years old! Her Pa bought her some patty tins from the mercantile, and I helped her with a little cake the other day. Mercy me!"
"How’s Brian?" Sully asked.
Charlotte softened "Doing real good," she said. "He’s gotten so big! Turned four months old the other day! Come by and see him soon."
"I’ll do that," said Sully. He tipped his hat. "Well, I must be going. Good day, Charlotte."
Charlotte stared after him, shocked at his transformation. All because of a...lady?
Charlotte and Sully continued to be good friends as the months passed. He came often to the homestead, and they talked for hours. Charlotte was grateful for these long talks, as it seemed Sully was her only friend in this territory. Much as she would have liked to join the Sewing Circle or Ladies’ Aid, she lived too far away from town to visit other than her Saturday trips, and church on Sunday.
Ethan was becoming more and more withdrawn once again, spending most of his time out at Hank’s Saloon than the river where he used to look for gold. His mining aspirations seemed to be over.
But Charlotte was determined to make the best of it. Everyday, after the morning chores were done she sat Matthew down at the table to do lessons in his primer. As he read to her, she cooked dinner. Colleen, a big girl at four, was instructed to stay in the corner playing with Brian. She was old enough to do that.
After dinner, Matthew was allowed outside to play with Colleen, as long as they didn’t stray too far. Charlotte wished they had some friends of their own, but no one lived near them. Their closest neighbor was three miles away.
Sully’s visits helped break up the monotony. But Ethan, once not minding his fellow miner coming over, started remarking on the frequency. Whenever he came home and found Sully over the house, he didn’t hide his distaste for the fellow miner. He gave a snort of contempt and went into the bedroom. One time as Ethan returned from the saloon slightly intoxicated, he ran into Sully leaving. Turning to Charlotte after he had gone, Ethan asked her, "Why’s he here so much?"
"Why Ethan, you jealous?" She put her arms around him. He pushed them away.
"No," he said sharply. "Just don’t see why you hang about with some other man so much. Folks are gonna start talkin’, you bein’ a married woman and all."
Charlotte felt a flush on her cheeks. "There’s nothin’ they have to gossip about!" she said indignantly. "We’re just friends, that’s all. It’s great to have someone to talk to."
"Yeah, well, talk to your husband, woman!" Ethan growled. "That’s what a proper woman does!"
Charlotte felt like she’d been slapped. Ethan had never spoken to her in that manner before. She threw her shawl on and left the homestead.
Walking away from her homestead, she tried to think things over clearly. Had she ever given Ethan reason to think Sully was ever more than a friend? She didn’t think so. She never visited him at his place, actually, she wasn’t quite sure where he lived. She’d never seen it. Sure, he came over to talk a lot, but they sat by the fire talking, there wasn’t anything improper about it. Sully was always a perfect gentleman, had been since the night she met him. Charlotte decided it must be the whiskey talking.
But the next argument she and Ethan got in, he threw her friendship with Sully in her face again. Angry at this occurring a second time, she tried to explain to him that she had done nothing wrong. But he didn’t listen. Instead, he slammed the door in her face as he went out to the saloon.
"Ma?" came Matthew’s quiet voice from behind the curtain that separated his and Colleen’s "room" from the rest of the house. Charlotte wiped the tears off her face and went back there. Matthew had his arm around his sister, and she was crying into his side.
"Oh, don’t cry Colleen," said Charlotte, taking her into her arms. She held her for a long while.
"Are you and Pa okay?" Matthew said.
"Of course we are," said Charlotte. "Everyone gets into an argument every now and then, that’s all." She held out an arm for Matthew as well and hugged her children.
The next time Sully came, she told him of Ethan’s jealousy.
"Maybe I ought not to come around anymore," he said quietly. Inwardly he was fuming, as he hadn’t done anything to give Ethan the opinion he was sweet on his wife.
"No, Sully, don’t do that. Please come," said Charlotte. "It gets lonely around the house, The children take up so much of my time and I don’t hardly get to see anyone, ‘cept at church on Sunday."
"He hasn’t... hurt you or nothing over this, has he?" Sully’s words had a slight lilt to them, an underlying anger Charlotte didn’t quite catch.
"It’s anything, Sully," she gently corrected him, "And no! Of course not. Ethan is a good man, he would never do anything like that."
"Well, I had wondered why he was staying away from me in the mine. He’d always been so friendly. Guess I know why now."
1860
1860 came. Sully continued his talks with Charlotte at the homestead. More and more often the subject turned to Abagail. "I’m gonna ask her to marry me some day, Charlotte," said he. "I love her so much, I can’t imagine my life without her."
"So why don’t you?" asked Charlotte.
"Mr. Bray, he doesn’t like me very much. Never did, I’m beginning to realize. Just thinks I’m some miner who’ll be gone when the silver runs out and will take his precious daughter away from him. And she is precious. But I wouldn’t take her away from here. She’s loves her Pa and Colorado Springs too much. And I’m beginning to become fond of it myself. Always thought I’d be headin’ West till the end of my days. But now...Colorado Springs has become a home for me. Just wish Loren Bray would see that."
"Do you think the only reason why Loren doesn’t like you is because you’re a miner?"
"Oh, it’s got to be more’n that, I guess. I mean, I got no family, no respectable roots to speak of, and no real place in society."
Charlotte changed the subject for a moment, to ask a question she’d been wondering about a long time. "Sully, where do you live?"
Sully looked at her surprised.
"I mean -- you never told me," Charlotte stammered.
Sully shrugged. "I camp out on the north side of town. By Aspen Creek, near the bluffs."
"You don’t have a homestead?" Charlotte was surprised.
Sully shook his head. "Don’t really have a need for one," he said. "I never figured on staying long. Now though..." he became lost in thought. "You’re right, Charlotte," he said suddenly. "I’m gonna ask her to marry me. And if she says yes, then, I’m gonna file on a claim in Denver, and make Colorado Springs my real home."