Deception and Disguise in the West – Extended Epilogue

It was ten years after the death of Ronald Reardon and the amalgamation of the two ranches into what became known as the Hayes Family Ranch, combining properties from the former Reardon and Kellogg places.

It was five years since the end of what came to be called America’s Civil War. It had been a brutal affair, with Earl Hayes fighting bravely for the North. He had come home to a free Missouri and a grateful wife, eager to give him the children both wanted so badly.

The two were growing quickly, named Peter and Paul after Imogene’s father and, of course, the great apostles. They were curious and intelligent and eager to lean and grow and follow in the footsteps of their father, also their idol.

The ranch had taken on more hands, and more business, and had become the leading ranch in the entire Jefferson City area. It brought a small fortune to the local economy, and it made both Earl and his wife Imogene popular and effective in local politics.

Though the idea of women in politics enticed Imogene, for the moment she was quite contented with what she had. She knew how lucky she was to have her family, both after the war and the terrible events that had preceded it. Anybody with a sound body and mind was to be considered fortunate. Those with the resources Imogene had wound up with were blessed and more than that.

The ranch was doing well enough to employ a good many locals, including not only hands but also a small house staff, a separate cook for each staff, and a different laundry maid for each as well. The ranch property was expanded to include a new building just for the new hires, who would live on the ranch full time.

There was room in the budget, and the necessity, for armed guards. There were few enough with an interest in going against the Hayes family, which had proven friendly and helpful but not at all weak or vulnerable. Most strangers would be risking the public wrath by hitting the ranch, though most would have no way of knowing it before it was too late.

Though the ranch never exerted political pressure on the town’s new sheriff, Cyrus Clifford. The end of the war had introduced a new era of peace and prosperity across the United States, and particularly Jefferson City.

With the ranch thriving as it was, Earl was often in town on business, and Imogene spent much of her time playing with the children. Peter was three and Paul one, so they were still too young for the local school, but that time was coming fast.

So, Imogene was glad enough to have the time with them, to enjoy the early years. She was brought back to her own youth, caring for her siblings and her parents. It was as if she had another chance to see her charges to survival, to have a new and strong family that would survive misfortune and disease.

Imogene was glad to know that God’s grace was over the Hayes Family Ranch. Her husband had regained his own faith after a sad youth had robbed him of it. So many around her had lost their faith after the war, whichever side they were on regarding the central issues. But Earl had become stronger in his relationship with God, renewed no doubt by his surviving the war, his new children, and his new life as the most successful rancher in the area.

And he’d done it by following the commandments, by loving God and loving his neighbors. He was generous with their workers, winning their loyalty and reliability. He was a loving father and supportive husband.

Imogene looked forward to his return, as she always did. In the meantime, Peter played with his wooden train on the living room floor, Paul just settling down for a nap in his mother’s arms.

She turned and stopped with a gasp, two unfamiliar figures standing in her living room.

“Oh my… um, hello?”

They were small, draped in ratty wool jackets and wide-brimmed hats. One of them pulled his had off and held it in both hands, nervously gripping the brim.

“Sorry to intrude, missus. We were just making our way west, wondered if we couldn’t get a bite?”

Imogene was happy to help, but it concerned her that they seemed to have let themselves into the house without knocking. She called out, “Toby? Toby?”

A black man stepped up quickly from another corner of the house. “Missus Imogene.”

“It’s Hayes, Toby, Missus Hayes, please.”

“Yes, Missus Imogene.”

Imogene sighed and shook her head. “Toby, did you realize we had guests?”

Toby shook his head. “No, Missus Imogene.”

Imogene let the moment land, the understanding that the two were interlopers, but that she wasn’t going to run them out as such. She handed the baby to Toby and said, “Please take the children out into the backyard, Toby.”

“Yes, Missus Imogene.” Toby took Paul in one arm, took Peter by the hand, and escorted the children away from Imogene and her two new guests.

Once they were alone, she said, “Rob me if that’s what you’re going to do, but don’t hurt the children.” The two just stared at her, and Imogene went on, “You might have been able to sneak your way in, but the hands know to rally around the kids, and their rifles will cut you down, whatever you do to me.”

The two shared a glance, and the one not wearing his hat, with a youthful face and mussed blond hair, said, “Just some food, Missus, please.”

Imogene felt she had reason to feel safe, and she always felt that she had reason to love and help others. So, she turned to lead them across the house to the dining room table. She poked her head into the house kitchen, where the cook was always preparing for or cleaning up from one meal or another.

“Is there a stew on, Rose?”

“Beef stew, ma’am, yes.”

“Two big bowls, and some bread, if you please.”

“Yes, Missus Imogene.”

She never got used to being addressed that way, but Imogene had long-since learned to pick her battles, and that wasn’t going to be one of them.

There were more pressing matters to consider.

Imogene sat down with her two guests and waited as the servants brought placemats, utensils, and glasses. They brought out two big bowls of hot, rich stew, chunky and brown with steam rising, each with a half-loaf of fresh sourdough. Toby poured lemonade from a glass pitcher.

The guests dug in, tearing at the bread and scooping up the stew, gobbling it all down as if they hadn’t eaten in days or even longer. Imogene didn’t doubt it. Since the war, some had struggled to get back on their feet. Poverty and crime were on the rise, despite what most agreed was a fortuitous turn in the country’s history.

These two weren’t the first stragglers to come across the grounds of the Hayes Family Ranch, and Imogene was happy enough to offer charity in place of being robbed or worse. Reflecting that they should probably increase the security on the ranch by a man or two, Imogene set the notion aside and turned her attention to the silent one of the pair, still wearing a wide-brimmed hat.

“You’re welcome to take your hat off,” she said, “unless the sun’s glare in my dining room is too much for you?”

The other one looked instantly nervous, his voice reflecting that disposition as well. “My… my brother was scarred in the war, he’s… he doesn’t want to upset you, Missus.”

“I see.” But one look at her guest’s hands told her a different story. The hands were too small to be those of a man old enough to have fought in the war some five years before and more. They were unmarked by battle, and the fingers were small and frail.

Can it be, Imogene wondered, is it true? Have I come across… another like myself?

It wasn’t to be disbelieved on the outset. Imogene hadn’t been the first young woman to masquerade herself as a man, especially when traveling. Traveling across the countryside was dangerous enough for anybody, but for a woman of a certain complexion and certain age, it could be even more treacherous.

It was also possible that this young woman was, like Imogene before her, was on the run from some powerful man. That man could even then be on their heels, and that would put him on a course directly toward the Hayes Family Ranch. And while the two guests seemed harmless enough, whoever might be chasing them was unlikely to share that particular characteristic. If he was anything like Ronald Reardon, it was certain that he would not, and would revel in displaying it.

But Imogene had been forced to flee her home once before. She’d won it back by risk of life and limb, and she wasn’t about to let anybody take it from her again. And she still wasn’t sure exactly who was sitting across the table from her.

She said, “Are you to heading anywhere in particular?”

The one not wearing his hat shook his head. “Just lookin’ fer a home, I guess.”

“Nobody… comin’ up behind you? I only ask because, well, I have children here.”

“No,” the young man said, “just… no.”

“I see.” Imogene sat there while the two ate. She watched the one with the hat, eating under the brim and keeping his or her head down.

“What’s your name, young man?”

The fellow glanced at his companion, then answered Imogene with, “Manfred, Missus. Manfred Addams. And this is my brother, Winnifred Addams. If I call him Winnie, that’s why.”

“Winnie and… Manny, is it?”

“If you like, Missus.” They went on eating, the food vanishing before Imogene’s eyes.

“Shall I tell you,” Imogene said, “you two put me in mind of myself, in years past. I met my husband under some most unusual circumstances. At least, I considered them to be unusual at the time.” The two kept eating as Imogene went on, “You may not believe it, but I once disguised myself as a man to get away from this horrible fellow who had killed my father and was stealing our land. This very house you’re sitting in right now, in fact.”

The two stopped eating and shared a glance. They went on eating and Imogene went on talking.

“I was so afraid somebody would find me out. I was surrounded by men, men who wouldn’t flinch at some of the crueler aspects of their manhood. The only man I could trust was the man who wound up spiriting me off, standing with me, ready to die for me. I knew he was the man God had set aside for me. But we were ready to fight together and die together. The funny thing is, he knew I was a woman despite my disguise. He knew… and he was every bit as kind and welcoming of me, accepting, even loving.”

The two put down their utensils and their bread, sharing another guilty look.

Imogene went on, “But it turns out that it happens quite often. Women are afraid of traveling, and I don’t blame them. But if anybody of similar circumstance happened to come across this particular ranch, they’d find themselves in a particularly welcome situation. They would not be harmed or betrayed.”

The two shared a nod, and the one called Winnie pulled the hat down to reveal the face of a young woman, likely not more than twenty, her hair also blonde, her features not unlike her companion’s.

“Well,” Imogene said, “not so badly scarred after all.”

She smiled, and Imogene took in the sight of their comparable features. “I’d have taken you for newlyweds,” she said.

“Twins,” Winnie said.

“Our father died in the war,” Manny added, “and we were set off on our own.”

“My brother is my new father,” Winnie said, inspiring a little chuckle from their host.

They went on eating, and Imogene was happy to see them indulge themselves. Being siblings had an even deeper resonance for Imogene. Her two children were siblings, and she’d lost her own. It was a special relationship, one she wanted to encourage.

“Are you two… well versed?”

Winnie said, “Our father was a preacher before being called to war.”

“And your favorite book?”

Winnie answered without needing to reflect. “Psalms.”

It was a good choice, also one of Imogene’s favorites. She turned her quiet attention to Manny, who answered, “Revelation.”

Winnie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He likes the creatures.”

“You’ll see, Winnie,” Manny said, “you’ll see.”

“Hopefully none of us will see anything of the sort altogether too soon. We’ve all got a lot of growing and living and loving yet to do. The whole nation does.”

The two nodded, clearly sharing the national rue for the violence that had torn it apart. It would be slow to heal, if it ever truly would.

“If you’re not traveling to anywhere in particular,” Imogene said, “might you be interested in some employ here at our ranch?”

Manny and Winnie both stopped eating once again, the young man swallowing hard on his mouthful of stew. “Employ… here?”

“Why not? What skills do you have to offer, Manny?”

“Well, I …”

“He’s a brilliant artist,” Winnie was quick to say. “His sketches, they look as if the world had come to life upon the parchment. You’d swear they were actually these new photographs.”

The young man dipped his head, sheepish.

“That’s a valuable skill,” Imogene said. “You’re quite blessed, young man. And you, Winnie? Any experience with children?”

Her head dipped sadly. “Our kid sister, Missus, but… consumption took her at an early age. I should adore caring for little ones again if… if only God would will it.”

It seemed clear to Imogene that God’s graceful Hand was at play in her life once again. It had delivered her to and from peril and heartache, disaster and recovery. And she felt certain that He was introducing a new element to her life, one that would brighten the lives of everybody at the Hayes Family Ranch and in the Hayes family.

“I’ll have to check with my husband, of course—”

The door opened in the background, heavy footsteps echoing in the house.

“Imogene?”

“In the dining room, Husband.” She stood to greet him, both of their guests doing the same.

Earl entered, looking even more handsome than he’d been the day he and Imogene had met ten years before. His features were a bit more weathered, but they were all the more dashing for it.

He shared a courteous nod with Imogene, respect for the two unknown visitors eating at their dining room table hours before dinner.

Imogene was quick to say, “Earl Hayes, I present Manfred and Winnifred Addams, passing through headed west.”

Earl looked at their bedraggled dress, the scraps of food in front of them. He seemed to understand what was happening, and he was openhearted and openminded. He’d learned to trust his wife, and she’d proven worthy of that confidence.

“Welcome to our home,” he said.

Imogene said, “They’re twins, Husband, without a proper home or family.”

Earl looked at the girl, her cropped hair and boxy coat. He looked at Imogene with a little smile that told her he didn’t need an explanation as to the situation. His insight and his memory were as keen as hers.

Earl said, “Have you any skills to offer?”

Imogene said, “Our modest Master Manfred here is apparently an expert artist.”

Earl asked him, “Do you paint?”

“When I can get paints, yes sir.”

Imogene went on to Earl, “And I think we’ve found the ideal governess in his sister, Winnifred.”

“Winnie,” the girl said, “to my friends.”

Imogene and Earl shared another glance. Earl said, “Have you had enough to eat?”

“It’s so delicious,” Winnie said, “it’s hard to resist.”

Earl cracked a little smile. “Well, we don’t ask our staff to go without.” He called, “More stew, please, Rose.”

Unseen, the portly cook answered, “Yes suh, Mistuh Earl, suh.”

Earl went on to the two new hires, “My wife will see you to your duties… Winnie. Young man, we’ll take a trip into town and see about getting you the materials we need.”

“Need?” Manny tilted his head. “For what, sir?”

“My first family portrait, of course. After that, we’ll see about setting you up in a studio in town. You’ll have more clients than you can shake a brush at.”

“Well, thank you, sir, thank you so much.”

“And God bless you,” Winnie added, “God bless you both.”

The youths went on eating, and Imogene knew that a blessed thing had happened. The two would be welcomed and worthy contributions to the family that was the Hayes Family Ranch. There were hands that would romance young Winnie, her feminine beauty allowed to flourish as she was free to blossom into the woman God had always intended her to be. Manny would have every opportunity of Jefferson City, and he seemed sure to rise among the area’s most prestigious citizens.

For their part, Imogene and Earl had found another way to give back a bit of what they’d been so blessed to have. They were instruments of the same Godly grace that had set all their lives on a better course, one of unity and acceptance, forgiveness and love. The coming years would be glorious for them all, and new American century would dawn just a few years later. The Hayes Family Ranch would continue to lead Jefferson City into the strange and wonderous new century, the names of the family patriarchs reverberating through the generations, venerated as great Americans who enjoyed a legendary romance and were grateful for their country and for their God.

THE END

---

Readers who read this book also liked