Page 10 of A Groom for Millie
“Four hundred twenty-seven dollars.” Marcy pulled a locked box from a drawer. “I can give you one hundred. The rest you’ll need to pick up from the bank.”
“I’m headed there next.”
Marcy counted out one hundred dollars in paper bills and pulled a receipt book in which she scribbled the remaining amount and signed her name. She tore the paper from the book and waved it in the air so the ink would dry. “They’ll be closing in ten minutes,” she said handing the paper to Robert.
“I better get moving then.” Robert stood and placed the bills in his suit pocket. The paper he blew on before gently folding it. “Maybe next time I’m close by I’ll stop in again.”
“You do that, Mr. Taylor.”
Robert headed from the office and realized he still had the paper tucked under his arm. “I nearly took your paper.”
Marcy waved her hand. “I’ve already read it.”
Robert tipped his hat and headed out the side door towards the bank. When he came to the end of the alley, he poked his head around the corner just to make sure that neither Bart nor the Myron brothers were waiting for him.
Seeing the coast was clear, he jumped over a pile of snow that was blocking the alley and walked over to the bank a few buildings down. The sound of a bell announced his arrival and a man wearing a white shirt with a black vest and a black visor stood up. “We were just getting ready to close.”
“I need to make a deposit.” Robert moved up to the counter and placed his hat down. He pulled off his gloves and placed them next to his hat.
The man eyed him warily. “You don’t have an account here.”
“I’d like to open one. I’ll be leaving town tomorrow and I’ll wire for the money when I reach San Francisco.”
The man nodded and moved to a large counter. “How much did you say?”
“I didn’t. Here’s a receipt from the saloon and I have another eleven hundred right here.”
The banker eyed him steadily. “You steal something?”
Robert laughed. “No. Just lucky in cards.”
“Not lucky in love?” the banker asked, giving Robert a wink.
“Not yet.”
“You’re young. A lady would be mighty lucky to have a rich husband like you.”
Robert watched as the banker started counting the bills, licking his thumb to separate the bills that were sticking together.
The banker nodded and looked at the voucher from Miss Marcy’s. When he was done, the banker wrote the total down in a deposit book and handed it to Robert. “I need you to sign on the inside of the book and I’ll get you another paper to finish setting up your account.”
Robert picked up a pen and scrawled his signature on the inside cover of the deposit record. He noticed the wire numbers, which he would need when he had the money sent to San Francisco. After signing the second paper, Robert thanked the man and left the bank.
There was still no sign of Bart or the Myron brothers as Robert walked back to his room.
Soon he’d be on the road and Flat River would be but a memory.
Chapter Four
Robert was up for an adventure; this just wasn’t quite how he imagined it.
When the stage arrived in Grand Platte, he realized that there wasn’t a train going toward the Colorado Territory. He had never heard anything so ridiculous. But there was nothing he could do about it. The choices were to either return to Flat River, head back home to Virginia, or ride towards Kansas City.
If he weren’t set on going to San Francisco he would have returned east, or headed towards Kansas City, Missouri. He heard there was a decent bit of money to be made if you were good at cards.
“You have a choice,” the driver, named Cletus told him. “You either come with us or head back.”
Robert sighed. He didn’t have much of a choice. He’d take the stagecoach through several small towns before he would reach the train station in Owl Canyon. From there he could purchase a ticket and continue his trip to California.
