Hearts and Hands (Henry)
Division into chapters is editorial.
Introduction on the Denver Train
At a Denver station, several passengers boarded the eastbound B. & M. Express train. In one of the coaches sat an elegantly dressed young woman surrounded by luxurious travel comforts. Among the new passengers were two men who were handcuffed together. One was handsome with a bold, frank countenance, while the other was glum-faced, heavily built, and roughly dressed.
As they moved down the aisle, the only vacant seat was a reversed one facing the attractive young woman. The handcuffed men took this seat. Initially, the young woman glanced at them with disinterest, but her expression quickly changed to delight when she recognized one of them.
The young woman's glance fell upon them with a distant, swift disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her countenance and a tender pink tingeing her rounded cheeks, she held out a little gray-gloved hand.
The Unexpected Encounter with Miss Fairchild
Miss Fairchild spoke first, asking if the handsome man recognized old friends when meeting them in the West. The young man seemed momentarily embarrassed but quickly recovered and greeted her warmly, clasping her hand with his left hand. He identified her as Miss Fairchild and apologized that his other hand was otherwise engaged, subtly indicating the handcuffs binding him to his companion.
"It's Miss Fairchild," he said, with a smile. "I'll ask you to excuse the other hand; it's otherwise engaged just at present." He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining "bracelet" to the left one of his companion.
When Miss Fairchild noticed the handcuffs, her expression changed from joy to horror. The color drained from her cheeks and her lips parted in distress. Before Easton could speak again, his companion intervened. The glum-faced man had been carefully observing Miss Fairchild's reactions with his shrewd eyes.
The glum-faced man addressed Miss Fairchild, asking her to speak to the marshal on his behalf when they reached the penitentiary. He claimed he was being taken to Leavenworth prison to serve seven years for counterfeiting. This explanation caused Miss Fairchild's color to return as she realized what she thought was happening.
Conversation About the Western Life
Miss Fairchild expressed surprise at discovering Easton was a marshal. Easton calmly explained that he had to find some occupation after running out of money, as it was expensive to keep up with their social circle in Washington. He presented his marshal position as an opportunity he found in the West, acknowledging it wasn't as prestigious as being an ambassador.
Miss Fairchild warmly responded that the ambassador didn't call anymore and never needed to. She expressed admiration for Easton's new life as one of the "dashing Western heroes" who rode, shot, and faced all kinds of dangers. She mentioned that he had been missed by their old social circle in Washington.
Her eyes were drawn back to the handcuffs, but the glum-faced man quickly explained that all marshals handcuffed themselves to their prisoners to prevent escapes. Miss Fairchild asked if they would see Easton again soon in Washington, to which he replied that his "butterfly days" were likely over.
"I love the West," said the girl irrelevantly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak truly and simply without the gloss of style and manner: "Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver."
The Truth Revealed
Miss Fairchild continued speaking about her time in Denver, mentioning that her mother had returned home a week earlier due to her father's illness. She expressed her fondness for the West, saying she could live and be happy there, and that the air seemed to agree with her. She began to say that money wasn't everything and that people often misunderstood things, but was interrupted by the glum-faced man.
The man complained that he needed a drink and hadn't smoked all day, asking to be taken to the smoking car. The handcuffed pair rose, with Easton maintaining his pleasant demeanor. He said he couldn't deny a request for tobacco, calling it "the one friend of the unfortunate." He bid farewell to Miss Fairchild, who expressed regret that he wasn't traveling east but acknowledged he had to continue to Leavenworth.
After the two men left for the smoking car, two nearby passengers who had overheard the conversation commented on the situation. One remarked that the marshal seemed like a good sort of fellow, while the other questioned whether he wasn't too young for such a position.
The first passenger exclaimed in surprise at his companion's misunderstanding and revealed the truth with a telling question.
"Young!" exclaimed the first speaker, "why--Oh! didn't you catch on? Say--did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?"