Romance in a Ghost Town Read online

  Seeing a doorway at the bar’s rear he went to see what was in the back. A dusty, moldy curtain that was tacked between the doorway’s uprights collapsed on the floor in a cloud of dust as he touched it. He took out the small LED flashlight attached to his keychain and looked around the alcove. Beside stacked boxes, there were three rooms with their doors open.

  He grinned as he saw a porcelain toilet and a washbowl with a pitcher in it on a small stand in two of the rooms. Both had an oil lamp nailed to the wall and one had a painting of a brassy, blonde-haired woman lying on an overstuffed bed smiling back at the viewer while the other had a well-built strongman with a huge handlebar mustache posing with flexed muscles. Looking into the third room he saw a large, wooden desk with a wide-backed chair behind it. Facing the desk were two other chairs and against the rear wall was a roll-up writing desk. The two windows in the room had bars on them telling Bob that this was the owner’s office. Tastefully placed between the two windows was a beautiful painting of the town.

  My Lord, he thought, this place is magnificent. It’s pristine!

  Stepping back into the front, Bob walked behind the bar looking at the shelves that held various types of glasses and more bottles of unopened alcohol. Beneath the center of the bar stood four beer kegs with tall pump handles that protruded from their tops, up through the bar ending in brass pump handles, each one naming the beer of the keg below. He grinned as he easily read, Greenhouse, R&B, Slope Suds and Quiet Village. Playfully he tried one of the pump handles and air and dust came out. Boy! he thought, I bet they can still work.

  “Hey, Bob,” called Edward from the sidewalk, “you okay in there, partner?”

  Bob had to shake himself out of his fantasy world and answered, “Uh, yeah! I’m fine, Ed. Be right there.” He went to the door and said softly as he faced the large room, “See you all real soon,” then left closing the doors behind him.

  Outside Edward was happily surprised to see a smiling Bob exit the bar and hear him say, “Where to next, partner?”

  His guide pointed to the right and said, “Well right next door is the hotel. I never went in there. Want to try that next?”

  Bob’s answer was to step out in front and take the lead as Ed thought, Wow! It could just be that we got ourselves a new neighbor.

  The tallest building in town was the Silver Inn Hotel. The lettering was deeply etched into the large wooden sign and even the elements couldn’t erase it. Both men stood in front and Edward asked, “You want to give it a try?”

  Bob grinned and grasped the same type of door handle that the tavern had. “Guess they all used the same iron-works guy for their doors,” he said to Edward as he squeezed down on the thumb lever and was rewarded with a snapping sound. The door needed a bit of a shove before opening and when it did, he saw that a small, round rug was caught beneath it. Using his cane, Bob pushed it aside and entered the lobby and once again was astonished at the century old establishment.

  My gosh! he thought looking around. It’s like a time capsule. The wooden registration desk stood against the back wall while large, empty clay pots stood around the room. Wonder what kind of plants they held, he thought as he approached the desk guided by the light coming from the open door behind him. Strategically placed around the lobby were canvas-covered, large easy chairs, according to their shapes; small tables and many tall, iron and glass ashtrays all covered in a layer of dust. There were two large windows facing the desk and both were boarded up. Once at the desk he saw that the keys to the rooms were hanging on pegs behind it, all seemingly waiting for visitors to check in. On the desk was a silver bell covered of course, in dust and he had to squash the urge to ring it. Next to the bell were two oil lamps, one situated on either side of a canvas cover and Bob grinned as he gently removed the dust-laden cover to unveil the leather-bound registration book. He opened it and saw the last name signed very ornately in blue ink was, James Thomas Bensen, August 2, 1893. Bob thought as he looked at the signature, Wow! Jim’s great grandfather! Wonder if he knows?

  Matching the interior decorations of the Dust Off Lounge, there were large oil paintings of various western scenes and another of the town itself. Of course all had dust and cobwebs swinging from them. Overhead two large chandeliers sported many half-burned candles while mounted on the walls were oil lamps, for reading, no doubt, figured Bob.

  A set of wooden stairs led upstairs to the rooms, which according to the amount of keys hanging behind the desk, numbered twenty-six. Love to go upstairs, he thought, but let’s take it one step at a time. No sense in pushing things.

  Behind the desk Bob saw a closed door and headed towards it with his LED light in his hand. Opening the door, he once again saw two open doors and once again he saw that they were a men and women’s washrooms. However, this time the rooms were much more ornate with tasteful paintings showing a running brook, trees and flowers in both. There was the usual oil lamp mounted on the wall next to a small window and a washbowl with a water pitcher in it plus dust-covered towels folded on a rack.

  Classy! he thought as he closed the doors behind him and headed back to the front door where Edward was waiting. Bob closed the door behind him and as he stepped onto the sidewalk realized how much cooler it was inside of the buildings.

  “How’d it go in there, partner?”

  “Very well, Ed. Very well. I know I took a long time in these places but can we still do a couple more?”

  “No problem, partner. Any place special ya want to go?”

  “I did spot a hardware store on the way in. That okay?”

  “Like I said, no problem, partner. Let’s go.” Edward grinned as Bob once again took the lead. Boy, for a City Slicker, he sure learns fast. Looks like he uses that cane to test the next step and when he hears a bad squeak he goes onto the next plank fast as he can. I think he’s gonna make it here. Good for him!

  The hardware store was at the beginning of town and both men were constantly stopping to try to look in the windows of the stores they passed along the way. Finally they stopped in front of Jax Hardware and seeing the same type of lock, Bob tried it. It didn’t give and with a grin he said to Edward, “Of course it won’t open. It belonged to a guy who ran the local hardware store. He probably kept it well-oiled.”

  Edward came over and leaned lightly against the door, and then harder and finally, the wood near the lock gave, allowing the door to be opened. He grinned, “Sometimes ya just need to be assertive.” He stepped back and continued, “I’ll be right here if ya need me, partner.”

  Bob entered the store and wasn’t surprised to see the store in such good condition. Once again the wide, single window was boarded up and the light from the open door was all that guided him. He felt as safe as he did in the last two places as the floorboards all seemed tight and still flexible after all this time. A wood-framed, glass counter ran the length of the store and behind it was a wall of shelves that had all sorts of mining, farming and gardening equipment most of which Bob didn’t recognize. On the counter was an old, hand-cranked cash register covered with canvas that was topped off with the ever-present gray dust. Against the back wall were pitchforks, ice knives, butter churns, iron plows, sheep shears, tools, rolls of barbed wire, a large plowshare and at least ten different types of saws.

  On both sides of the door were barrels that still held nuts, bolts, nails and iron pegs which, because of the climate, were all rust free. In one of the corners were a dozen, stacked wooden barrels and a floor-to-ceiling stack of canvas and burlap material. Hanging from the ceiling were about three-dozen oil lamps of various sizes and shapes and tied on wooden pegs by their long wicks was over fifty, hand-made candles. Bob took one of the smaller ones and put it in his pocket as he thought, Hey, ya never can tell when you might need one. On the wall was a handmade calendar with August 2, 1893 circled.

  Wonder what that date meant to Jax? he thought as he headed towards a closed door at the rear of the store. He had his LED light out and ready as he opened the door
to a small room with a wooden toilet. There was an oil lamp mounted on the wall and a very small window that almost seemed like an after thought and of course it was boarded up as well.

  Got to hand to the folks of Rattlesnake Haven, he thought closing the door behind him, when they left town, they locked up real tight.

  The New Yorker went back to the front and closed the door behind him.

  “Liking the place, partner?” asked Edward as he took a real chance and leaned against a horses’ hitching post in front of the store. Grinning when he saw the look on Bob’s face he said as he lowered his hat against the lowering sun, “I think the hardware guy oiled his hitching post up from time to time too. It feels safe.” He stood and went on, “What would ya like to see now, partner?”

  “One more and we’ll leave. Okay Ed?”

  Edward shook his head, “Hey. No problem. We got another forty minutes before the SUV turns into a cactus.” He grinned and went on, “Go on, take your time, partner. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Okay, but can I buy you a steak dinner tonight?”

  “Ahhh, let me give Katey a call and see if she made anything special for dinner tonight.” He opened his cell phone only to snap it closed as he said, “Hey, partner, did anyone tell you that there’s no cell phone service out here?”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I’ll give her a buzz when we get in range. Now where do you want to go next?”

  There’s a barn about a dozen stores back that I’d love to see.”

  “Tell ya what. You go on in and I’ll go back to the jail and bring the car down so it’ll be close by when we’re ready to go.”

  Bob agreed and they both headed back up the street and soon he stood in front of the barn that was once painted red but now looked more pink and gray from being bleached by the sun. From the street the barn had a distinct lean to the right, which placed it closer to Hap’s Horse and Grain Store than the Silver Inn on its left side. Because of the lean, both of the double doors were slightly askew and he entered through the opening. A shaft of light came from a hole in the ceiling and directly beneath it was a single cactus.

  Boy, he thought, sooner or later Mother Nature will find a way to come through. The place was huge and had over forty stalls, all in seemingly good condition. A row of uprights going from the floor to the ceiling all leaned slightly to the right as well. Running down the center of the barn were three pot-bellied stoves with cut wood stacked against the wall. There was a second floor and thanks to being a Boy Scout and visiting farms, he knew that was where they stored the hay. There were three ladders going up but once again they leaned to the right. At the end of the barn there was a series of doors and he opened them to find saddles, reins, stirrups and all sorts of riding equipment, most in great condition. He shook his head as he opened the corner door and saw that it was the entrance to an office. There were ledgers standing in a bookcase, which protected them from the constant dust. An ornate desk and chair was catty-cornered and he felt that the owner had just left for a moment. Two windows framed the desk and as usual they were boarded up. A series of paintings adorned the wall the person seated at the desk would be facing and they matched the other paintings he had seen in beauty and brilliance. On the wall was a calendar and once again August 2, 1893 was circled.

  Bob wondered, 1893? I think that was the date that Jim said his great grandfather bought the place. Oh, well, not my problem. He went back out into the barn itself. On the way out he saw that there were rakes, shovels and horse collars hanging on the wall along with coiled ropes that were now dried out.

  Edward sat in the SUV and had the air-conditioning on as Bob exited the barn. He got into the car and suddenly realized how tired he was.

  “Phew! Man! I am beat! This was some day,” he said as he took off his sweat-stained hat and placed it on the back seat.

  Edward said with a grin as he passed him a cold beer. “Here, partner. You sure do deserve this.”

  “Wow! Where did you get this? The bartender was off when I visited the Dust Off.”

  Edward laughed a full belly laugh, “Hey, Bob. You’re all right. Ya got a good sense of humor and out here ya kinda need that.” He tipped his head towards the SUV’s rear and went on, “Anyway, I always bring along some, ‘get stuck’ supplies in case something goes bad and I have to wait to be rescued. I have some tuna and egg sandwiches and coke in my cooler along with a few brews and I thought this is the perfect time for a cold one.” He looked and pointed at Bob as he said with admiration in his voice, “Man, some people might call you a City Slicker, but I got ta say you do darn good for a boy from New York City. Cheers, partner.”

  Now it was Bob’s turn for a belly laugh. They both downed their beers and drove off for Bransville.

  Over dinner, later that evening, Bob and Edward talked about ghost towns and the real estate man was surprised at how much Bob seemed to have learned about them in such a short time.

  “So,” he asked the New Yorker, “ya got any feelings about the town? I don’t mean are you gonna buy it, I mean do you get a warm and fuzzy feeling when ya think of her?”

  Bob grinned. “Yep! And I do believe that you also get a warm and fuzzy from her. Right?”

  Edward wiped his mouth, nodded and with a grin said, “I sure do, partner. I mean, my whole life I’ve been going to ghost towns and I never once saw one so-so, well, so clean and…“

  “And full of history,” added Bob. “But I wonder why the town is so well-preserved?”

  The big man shrugged, “It’s been boarded up all these years and that’s probably why.”

  “But why leave all of the furniture and stuff behind? Don’t people usually take their possessions with them when they leave?”

  Edward just shrugged. “Don’t know, partner, but you sure are right about that: it does seem strange, but then again so does the whole town.”

  Bob grinned, “Not that I’m kicking. I mean it is a great find.”

  “Yeah!” said Edward with excitement in his voice. “It really is a great find.”

  Bob shook his head as he asked, “And Jim had it in his family for over one hundred years and never once went to see it?”

  “Not once,” said Edward as he sat forward, shook his head and said in a conspirator tone of voice, “Problem with Jim is, he just ain’t hungry!”

  “Uh, not sure what you mean, Ed.”

  “Man, Jim’s had it easy his whole life! His family gave that business to him, he never had to scratch. He always had the car, the clothes, and the girls, the whole works. Know what I mean, partner?”

  Bob nodded slightly embarrassed for the man. “Yeah, I know a few guys that had it knocked like that.”

  “Of course,” he said looking around the restaurant, “I got to watch what I say. I work for him.”

  In a low voice, Bob said, “This would be your commission, right?”

  Edward shrugged in an embarrassed way as he mumbled, “Yeah, well, you know, that’s the way it works in the real estate business. He’s the boss and the company gets the lion’s share and whoever makes the sale gets a cut. Not much, maybe 15 percent.”

  “So, then you got it, partner.”

  Edward looked puzzled as he said with squinted eyes, “I got it? I got what?”

  “The commission. You got the commission.”

  “But-but you didn’t see Jim since we got back. How could you two have signed the papers? I mean he’s not even in today, he’s cleaning his attic.” Edward’s eyes went wide and he covered his mouth with his hand as he said, “I-I mean, he’s in a meeting in town. I forgot.”

  Bob laughed. “Hey, no sweat. I got more straight dope from you than anyone else. What’s said here stays here, right partner?”

  Edward sat back relieved and said as he nodded, “Yeah, what’s said here stays here.” He took a bite of his steak and said in a low voice, “So, did you say that you bought the town?”

  “No, not yet, but I will tomorrow when I see Jim. This s
tays here, right partner?”

  “Scouts honor,” he said crossing his heart. He sat back and swallowed, “Boy, Katey will look real pretty in them new clothes. Hot Dawg!”

  Bob smiled at the man’s good luck and said, “Now, down to business.”

  “How so?”

  “Edward, I have a problem. I need to purchase things for the town and myself and I don’t know the ropes in Bransville and will need a point man. For a salary, can that be you?”

  “Me? But, well, I have a job, partner.”

  “Then keep your job and when I ask for help the clock starts ticking, deal?”