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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2172444" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 27, “The Seagrams”, Sunday, March 12th, 1882:A tall, stocky man with gray hair turned away from the bookshelf he had been studying and looked toward the door. His left jacket sleeve was pinned up to accommodate the missing bottom half of his arm.  Katherine stood for a moment near the door looking at her father. "Papa," she said softly and hurried across the room to throw herself into his arms. "How I've missed you."His eyes blink twice and he then hurries across the room towards his daughter at a speed that neither Ginnie or Manuel would have thought possible for a man of his age. He grabs Kate in a warm embrace.For months Katherine had wanted to be right here to cry away her troubles with her father. And she did find tears in her eyes, but not the ones she had expected. There was only happiness to feel this embrace that couldn't feel like any other. She kissed his cheek and hugged him back, and for a few moments they pretended that no one else was there.  Finally she stepped back a little, her hand still on his good arm. "I should introduce you to my friends. Mr. Gonzales, from Arizona. I've learned a great deal about Mexico and South America from him. And Ginnie, my ward. I wrote you about them."Kate's father states "A pleasure to meet you all. Kate, I wish you had told us you would be coming. I would have had a carriage waiting for you at the train depot." "We came away in rather a hurry, and I admit, I've gotten out of the habit of thinking someone could come for me in a carriage. I have to do for myself mostly now, you know. Although I still can't cook a thing," she laughed. "I wish I could say we came just to visit, but I'm afraid we have a specific purpose." That moment they heard a feminine voice with a French accent just outside the door. Kate turned and hurried to her mother. "Maman," she said, switching to French. The ladies spoke rapidly in that language as they held each other. When they finally separated her mother switched back to English, as she looked her daughter over. "Too thin, too thin! Do they not eat in Arizona? Mathias, tea and cake for Miss Katherine and her guests. And tell cook to add three for luncheon, and make plenty."As Mathias hurried of, Kate again introduced her friends. Mrs. Seagram leaned down to Ginnie and touched her hair. "Bel enfant, bienvenue à notre famille," she said before she stood back up. Looking at her parents, it's easy to see that Katherine favors her father in her dark eyes and hair, but her fair skin comes from her mother. Both are significantly taller then their daughter, however. Amelie's pale hair peeked out from her lace cap and Kate reached out and tucked some back in.Kate's father turns to Gonzales and says "Am I to understand that you are a Professor of sorts, knowledgeable in a variety of languages with a vast library at your disposal?"  Manuel says, "You flatter me sir, but yes, I do consider myself to be a teacher and am fluent in English, Spanish, French, Latin and Greek. The library had once belonged to a Latin American aristocrat and was given to Kate and myself in gratitude to our helping her with some philanthropic ventures in Los Angeles, California. And while Arizona may not offer the educational opportunities as Harvard Katherine has flourished in the environment. She is expanding her knowledge of languages and is learning other new tasks every day. We've also had the opportunity to spend time with the great Simon Bolivar and former Bolivian President Antonio de Surce of Bolivia, who recently visited our town. So you could say that Arizona has helped to broaden her horizons."Yes a great deal," Kate added. "I never realized how much I didn't know before. And as Harvard would not admit me no matter how good my education, I'm grateful for the opportunity.  The library was a very great gift, but so was Maggie. You remember Papa, the lady who gave me a job? She moved to Los Angeles to run a business that employs women who need help. Something Maggie already had experience with." They all settled in the comfortable chairs, Kate taking a seat next to her father on the sofa with Ginnie at her side. Kate then began to tell about the ranch and how it had grown, and that soon she and Ginnie would have a little house to live in there. Finally she related that she had gotten a proper stone put up for Tom. The room was quiet for a moment until Kate said, "You wrote my friend arrived in safety. How does he do here?"Seagram replies, "Mr. Tucker has done very well for himself. He's found himself a new interest, the stars. I've introduced him to my friend Edward Charles Pickering, who now heads up the Harvard Observatory as its Director. Colby Tucker has shown an aptitude for it and Mr. Pickering will find a place for him at the observatory once he brings his education up to the proper standard." Emerson interjects "I have helped with some private tutoring for the young man, which is why I am here today. Mr. Pickering and I were able get Mr. Tucker placed at the school that we both graduated from, Boston Latin High School. Tucker is a few years older than the average student is but his enthusiasm to learn has been impressive enough for the school to support his continued education. He hopes to graduate High School this summer and then begin studies at Harvard in the fall.""Why, I ..... I had not expected so much. I had only intended to help him start again, I did not know you would take such efforts to help him. He's very grateful, I'm sure." Kate fell quiet and put her own trembling hand in Ginnie's and squeezed it. "Mr. Emerson, you were here about Mr. Tucker's education? I don't suppose he is in the house as well? Where does he stay?"Kate's father says, "He is staying in one of the guest rooms, he is up there studying right now, and yes, he is very grateful. He says that his life in the Arizona Territory had taken a turn for the worst after Thomas's passing and that he never dreamed of such opportunities.  He credits that entirely to you Katherine." "I didn't do so much, I just put him on the train," Kate said with a glance at her teacher. "I understand after Tom died he had difficulty sleeping, and lost his job when the exhaustion caught up with him during the day.  We will see him a luncheon, I'm sure. And I'd like the chance to speak with him, of course. And there are some business matters, Papa, that it might be best if we speak privately about." The group stayed in the library and talked for the better part of an hour before Mathias returned to tell them luncheon was served. The luncheon is served. One other guest arrives to join them, who Kate recognizes as a Massachusetts friend of her father's who had also been active in the abolitionist movement, the writer John Greenleaf Whittier. Whittier lived an hour's carriage ride to the north, in the town of Haverhill, so did not get to Boston all that often.  Gonzales is impressed with the opportunity to meet with and speak to yet another famous writer whose works he had read. He listens with fascination as Emerson speaks of the lengthy visit he received from Walt Whitman the previous September and the many discussions that they had shared. Colby Tucker was very, very surprised to see both Kate and Ginnie at the luncheon and was quick to thank them both for helping to get him to Boston. He tells of initially having trouble getting to Boston from Tucson, as somebody on the train had picked his pocket and stolen his money. He hid out that day and had to sneak onto a freight train in the middle of the night that brought him as far as Saint Louis. From there he took some odd jobs for a few days and also sold some possessions until he had saved enough for the train ride to Boston.  Ginnie interjects "Yes, you were fortunate. Pickpockets can be dangerous people." Kate says, "I'm sorry to hear you had so much trouble. I was worried when it took so long for me to hear you had arrived safely. I hope you'll have some time to speak with me this afternoon, we must be on our way again today."  After the lunch Mr. Whittier and Mr. Emerson retired to the library, while Katherine went with her father, Mr. Gonzales, Mr. Tucker and Ginnie into his office and shut the door behind them. "Mr. Tucker, I'm very glad to hear that you are doing so well. Quite beyond anything I had hoped for. Tell me, how much about the circumstances of your leaving Arizona did you tell Mr. Seagram?"Colby is hesitant, but when he speaks it is with a confidence that he lacked in all prior conversations. He then says "I told him what happened. That Thomas didn't die of disease, the Marshall’s brother murdered him. They hid the truth, and when they were afraid that I'd tell you or others they decided to kill me too. You and your friend, Ginnie is it?, helped to get me onto that train, otherwise I'd probably be lying in a grave alongside Thomas."Kate says, "Good, I won't have to go over all that then. Several days ago Wyatt Earp arrested two of my friends. They had both worked as guards in a bank, and another employee had been trying to get them to help him rob it. They told him each time they weren't interested, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. Last week he decided it was the day, and Jake went to the bank owner and tried to warn him, as Chester had tried to warn him before. Wyatt, despite saying in not so many words that he believes their story, is holding them. What he wants is for me to tell him where you are. The story they are passing around is that you were a member of the Cowboy Gang, and they want to talk to you to further their investigation. If they don't get your whereabouts, Earp can make it so that Jake and Chester never see the outside of a cell again.  Mr. Tucker, I don't want to take this new life from you, but I can't let innocent men go to prison either. I must ask you to confirm for me that you were never part of the Cowboy Gang. Then we have to find a way to free Jake and Chester without hurting Mr. Tucker."Tucker says "We, Thomas and I, were never involved directly with any of that Cowboy Gang. But Mrs. Kale, one thing that you should know is that Thomas had been looking for an investor or two to help get the ranch on its feet. He didn't think that you'd saved enough and also didn't want to ask your father for money. I know that he talked to several people in Tombstone about going in with him on the ranch, and one of them was Johnny Ringo. At the time we didn't know he was involved with that Gang, but according to the January newspapers he is."Kate says, "I've spoken with Johnny Ringo. He claimed not to be part of the gang, but I don't have much cause to believe him. So they may actually believe you had some involvement." Katherine walked across the room and back. "And they may believe Tom did too. Do you know who else Tom asked? Might you have any information about the gang that we could give the Earps, so they at least won't be able to use this as a story for looking for you anymore?" Tucker says, "I believe he asked Mayor John Clum and saloon owner James Earp." Seagram says, "Katherine, you aren't seriously planning to take Mr. Tucker back there. He has a bright future here, and, frankly it sounds far too dangerous." "I want to avoid it if at all possible," she states.  Gonzales interrupts, "Katherine, what is it exactly that the Earps want with Mr. Tucker, I mean, we know what they told you but what is it that they really want?"She answers, "I have to say, I'm not entirely certain. The day I saw you in Tombstone," she said looking at Colby, "You thought they would kill you because of what you know about how Tom died, and that they thought you would tell me. But I already know. And I've made that fact clear to them. I also tried to assure them I had no intention of pressing charges, but seeing as how they believe I helped you, they don't have any more reason to believe me than I do to believe them. I think they want to be assured that no one will come forward with charges against their brother. And I suspect they also want information on the Cowboy Gang. Mr. Tucker said after he spoke to Ruby they hauled him in and interrogated him for hours, then told him not to speak to Ruby, Jake or myself. They're chasing after something they already have, silence from Mr. Tucker and myself."Tucker speaks up, "I've had a lot of time to think about this.  It's me they are afraid of.   I recognized Morgan Earp's knife.  They know that.  They are afraid that I will come forward and tell that to a Judge or maybe the Arizona Rangers."  Gonzales says, "So, Katherine, do you think that if they believe that Tucker will not come forward with charges that would work?  Because I think that's something we might be able to do." She replies, "I think so. From what Mr. Tucker said about Tom asking Johnny Ringo about the ranch, they may also want any information he has about the cowboy gang. But I believe the main issue is Morgan Earp. If they had a guarantee that he wouldn't expose Morgan, he would have no reason to fear for his life any longer." Katherine looked over at her father. "I'm sorry I sent this trouble to you, Papa. I didn't know what else to do. Mr. Gonzales, what do you think we can do?"Gonzales replies, "The answer presented itself recently. Remember Ruby's recent guest at the Lucky Lady, the one who took a special interest in her. What exactly was his profession?"  She says, "You mean last night? Photography. But how does that help us now?"Gonzales exclaims, "Exactly, photography! We give the Earps photographic evidence that he's gone! This will be easy. Kate, you have letters that your parents sent you that you received in early February. We have Mr. Tucker write one now telling you of his arrival in Boston and include a photograph or two of him at some famous Boston Landmarks. It's still winter, any picture we have taken today won't look any different than if they had been taken six weeks ago." Gonzales then turns to Seagram and asks "Have either you or your wife received any mail this past week from Europe?" He replies, "Yes, my wife received a letter from her cousin in Paris. We were relived to get it, as there has been some political turmoil over there, with the recent fall of their government, so we were concerned with how she was doing." Gonzales says, "Perfect. In Tucker's January letter he can mention obtaining passage on a ship heading to Europe. We will just need to find a photograph that is clearly of Paris, maybe that Arch de Triumph that Napoleon built. I can get the picture enlarged enough to then be used as a backdrop and we could then have Tucker photographed in front of it. We include that with another letter from Tucker, this one dated in late February and put it in the envelope as well. He can say he plans to stay in Europe and never return to the United States." Seagram says that sounds viable. He says that he will personally head over to the portrait studio of famed photographer Josiah Johnson Hawes on Tremont Street to make the arrangements.  Kate says, "Mr. Tucker, do you think you could include in those letters a bit about the Cowboy Gang? What you told me about Tom looking for investors for the ranch, any other tidbits you might know? The Earps won't know what I had written to you, just write as if you were answering me. Let's make sure they don't have any reason to track you down.  Can all this really be done with photography?"Seagram says "Hawes can do anything with photography. He was one of the pioneers in the industry, been working with it since its inception over forty years ago. He did some of the earliest work in daguerreotypes.  The outdoor photos are easy, we just need Hawes to send one of his apprentices out with a portable camera unit. It's the Paris photo that will be harder, but I trust that Hawes can manage it. First we need that picture though." Seagram calls for Mathias and instructs him "Go find John Roberts on lower Beacon Street. He's with Roberts Brothers Books of Boston. Tell him that I need a book with a recent photograph of the Arch de Triumph in Paris, as large a photo as possible. Let him know that if he can get it here in the next two hours he will get a chance to talk to both John Greenleaf Whittier and Ralph Waldo Emerson. They might even sign a book or two for him."Kate says, “Mr. Tucker, why don't you get started on those letters? We need to be heading back to Arizona as soon as possible, and you're going to be very busy having your picture taken later." She looked at Mr. Gonzales and over at her father. "Thank you. I didn't know what I was going to do. The letter saying he will not return, along with the photographs should be enough to convince the Earps. And they already know how to keep me quiet," she sighed. "And any information on the Cowboy Gang should allow them to keep up their little story. I won't get my time with Morgan Earp, but I think knowing it's over will help."Seagram says, "Why do you have to leave? Katherine, this is your family home. We've missed you so, and wouldn't this city be a better place for young Ginnie?"  Ginnie interrupts "Absolutely not. I will not stay in the city that killed my parents and destroyed my life. Over half of this city are Irish and yet we are still treated as second class citizens." Gonzales says, "The young lady does have a point. The west promotes equality. Many communities in the territories allow people to vote regardless of race, can that be said of here in the East? Mr. Seagram, you were for the abolition of slavery, and yet many of these freed slaves are still denied the right to vote through new laws that have passed. That is not the case in Arizona. I'm not saying that racism isn't there, but less so than other places. Many places out west even allow women the right to vote.”Kate interjects, "They are right. Things are very different in the west, and I've been working hard to build a life there. I need to learn to take charge of my own life, and the freedoms of the west allow me to do so."  Kate walked over to her father and linked her arm with his. "Why don't we go to the parlor for a moment?"</blockquote>

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