In the last part Ben and Beth conduct a miraculous church service in Fortuna.

^^^^^^^^^

“Ben, the strangest thing…” Beth waited until she was sure she had Ben’s attention. “A man from The Bank of Fortuna was in this morning asking for me.”

She had Ben’s full attention.

“He bought a whole pie for a dinner party he was having. And he said that the bank had foreclosed on a restaurant, would I be interested in the building to convert to a bakery? He guaranteed it to be a success.”

Ben didn’t say anything.

“You could have any open church you wanted, practically. Or build a new one down by the docks.”

Beth wanted to speak to how happy a place Fortuna was, and how well received they were, but held her peace.

Ben took a long time to answer. “I love it here, too. I wonder if I love it here too much?” After another moment of silence Ben suggested they pray about it.

Beth wondered why she hadn’t, wondering why she would, considering how natural the proposition sounded. She wondered how many natural sounding opportunities Ben had passed over in his years of following God.

They didn’t speak any more of the temptation to settle down in Fortuna.

+++

“Morning, Mr. Persons.”

“Morning, Sheriff. Call me Ben.”

“Ben, Mr. Persons, would you uh, mind coming down to the office?”

“Now?” Ben asked.

“Well, soon as you finish shoeing that mare?”

“Sure thing, Sheriff. Just one more shoe. And this one’s easy. Aren’t you girl?” Ben patted the horse’s neck to her snicker.

Ben went a block out of the way to see if Beth was ready to leave for the day. Since she was often finished an hour and sometimes two before Ben, she often hung out visiting, or helping out while waiting for Ben to come in for lunch. They went to the sheriff’s office together.

“Oh, uh.” The sheriff didn’t expect Beth, and was unsure how to proceed. Finally, he began as if Ben was alone. “Got an answer from that warden down in San Quentin.”

The two waited the sheriff out.

“Aw hell, I’ll just let you read it. Makes me wonder should I have wired the Attorney General.”

He handed Ben a telegram.

SHERIFF CALLOWAY STOP

SUBJECT BENJAMIN PERSONS WILL BE EXECUTED PER LAST ORDER SOONEST STOP

BARRED FROM EXECUTION EXPECT SUICIDE IN CELL STOP

Ben handed the telegram to Beth, who gasped after reading it.

“Looks like he took offense of the prison break,” Ben said. “And intending to take advantage of someone’s failure to inform him of any progress in the case.”

The sheriff gave Ben a wary eye. “Wouldn’t be the first time a man of the cloth has hoodwinked the law,” Sheriff Calloway said through pinch eyes.

Ben noticed that his gun hand had not left his side.

“Ought to hear about the appeal and the charges any day now, Sheriff. And I’m easy enough to find. You have my word; I won’t go anywhere until this is resolved.”

“That’s what worries me – you’re easy to find. Larabee’s out there somewhere. And whoever else wanders through, or someone stumbles on an old news article, or somebody comes off a boat believing you guilty of murder. See, the town’s peace is my concern. And yours is the first shootout on Main Street we’ve ever had. Folks’re still talking about it. And how would it look if I let a known guilty man just ride away?”

Beth began to object, but held her tongue.

“And to tell you the truth, I don’t know for sure how anyone would act, knowing he was returning directly to the gallows. I expect this warden would hang you before anyone knew you were back and could straighten him out. That is if you have been exonerated.

“See, as it is, any yokel could plug you, claim self-defense, or even justifiable in the apprehension of a fugitive. No jury, hearing about your escape from prison the day before your execution would blink about letting him off. Hell, he wouldn’t even be arrested.”

Ben sighed, wishing he’d been able to relate the conversation to Beth rather than her having to hear it from the sheriff.

“Look, Ben. Best I can see, you’re a good man. Probably telling the truth.” He paused only briefly. “Suppose everything turns out like you say. You get papers clearing you from everything, jailbreak and all. What, you gonna carry them with you wherever you go? Day and night? Them papers won’t stop no bullet. Then supposing there’s a fire at your house, burning up your papers. It’s all over again waiting on more. And in the meanwhile, we’re right back here.

“I’ve thought about it, and here’s the best I came up with, a temporary solution, at least as far as Fortuna is concerned. And I’ll be honest with ya, that has to be my main concern. You pack up and move out like you’re continuing your journey. Get to Eureka. I know the sheriff there. Light there, quiet-like. Not making no waves or newspaper articles. Wire your people again from there. Anything come for you here, I’ll run it up to Eureka myself.”

The proposal hung in the air, Beth was obviously deflated. Ben was stoic.

“It’s either that, or for the safety of the town, you stay here, with me.” The sheriff placing Ben under arrest and putting him in a jail cell was unspoken, but clear.

Beth sucked in as if kicked.

After a tense moment for Beth and the sheriff, Ben asked him if he and Beth could have a moment.

Standing just outside the sheriff’s office door after opening it, Ben advised him that they would pull out the next morning and that they would stay off Main Street, meaning lay low until then.

Other than the necessary communication, Beth and Ben hardly said anything to one another until on the road out of town the next day.

“Your calling isn’t always easy, is it, Ben?”

Ben wrapped his arm around her. “No, honey. I doubt even a pastor of a church, if he’s totally in God’s will, has an easy life.”

Though they had fixings for a lunch, the two stopped where they could get off the road and completely out of view of travelers in order to earnestly pray.

“You first,” Ben said as they returned to the carriage, meaning for her to begin conversation.

“You think sale of the carriage and team would get us enough for passage to Alaska?”

Ben smiled, first hugging her, and then kissing her, grateful to God for speaking to her.

+++

They stopped in Eureka only long enough to send a telegram.

HENRY HALLECK, HALLECK LAW OFFICES SAN FRANCISCO STOP

GODS CALL TAKING US TO ALASKA STOP PLEASE FORWARD DOCS TO SHERIFF CALLOWAY FORTUNA PER REQUEST STOP INCLUDE SAN QUENTIN EXECUTION REVERSAL STOP LOVE AND GRATITUDE BEN STOP