TY HOLT-TEXAS RANGER. Aubrey Smith

a touch of winter in her voice.

      “No,” Ty stammered. “I mean, you smell nice.” He blushed at the boldness of his statement. Even though he had become quite fond of Mary Jane, they didn’t really know each other well, and he felt he should not be so presumptuous. Sue Carol was still giggling as she started to bounce her ball again. “It must be your toilet water or French powder,” he said, trying to get out of the predicament he’d gotten himself into.

      “A little vanilla, maybe,” Mary Jane responded, her mood picking back up. “Sue Carol,” she said. “Would you get my knitting box from the parlor? I feel like knitting a spell while I talk with Mr. Holt.”

      Sue Carol howled with laughter. “We ain’t got no parlor and you ain’t got no knitting box. That box belongs to Mama, and you’d better let it alone.”

      “Sue Carol Barrow, you get it, and you get it now, or I’ll swat you into next week.”

      “Mama!” Sue Carol screamed, as she slammed her ball down and took off through the door. Ty heard the other door slam as Sue Carol went out the far side of the house looking for her mother.

      “Ty, we need to talk,” Mary Jane suddenly said. Her voice had gone from coy to dead serious. It always amazed Ty how fast a woman could shift stride and catch a man flat-footed, still thinking about what they had been talking about moments earlier. “What about the cave?”

      “Have you got a rope and a lantern around here?” he asked.

      “In the barn’s a rope. We have two chimney lanterns in the house.”

      “Mary Jane.” Ty paused to get the words right. “Look, I think we’d best tell your mother what you found and what we have in mind. First off, your mother isn’t going to let you and me get too far out of her sight. I’m sure she’s noticed I’ve got an eye for you.” It was a sudden shock to Ty when he realized that he had never really felt this way about Sarah. He felt himself blush at his confession.

      You fool, he thought. You’re going to scare the girl off with your big mouth.

      Mary Jane looked him straight in the eye. “Why, Mr. Holt, I didn’t know you were getting sweet on me.”

      Like thunder, Ty thought.

      “Mary Jane, this could be serious business. I don’t know the first thing about caves and don’t you forget there’s a plenty mean killer out there somewhere who’s shooting people.”

      Mary Jane stared at the floor. “You don’t have to remind me about the murderer,” she rebuffed Ty. “If you’ll remember, he shot and killed my pa, right about where you’re sitting.”

      Ty stiffened. “I think whatever is in that cave has something to do with your pa being shot. And for that matter, I think the murder of Miss Beachem and Sarah Thompson’s kidnapping are somehow connected. I don’t know how, but I got a feeling that all of this is somehow joined at the hip.” Ty sputtered, apologizing for the vulgar remark. “I’m sorry, Mary Jane. I didn’t mean to use such sporty language in front of a lady. It’s only because I get so worked up when I think about all that has happened.”

      “I understand, Ty.” Mary Jane patted his hand as if he were a child. That made Ty even angrier, and he moved his hand. It was a good thing he did, because Mrs. Barrow came through the door about that time. He sure didn’t want her to catch them holding hands on the porch in broad daylight.

      Mary Jane glanced over her shoulder and stood. Ty caught a glimpse of her pantalets and felt his blood rush. He stood up, and before Mrs. Barrow could chide them for courting, he quickly said, “Mrs. Barrow, there’s something we need to tell you.”

      “If she’s pregnant, I’ll get the shotgun and you’ll be a dead Texas Ranger, Ty Holt.”

      “Mother!” Mary Jane screamed. Tears flew and so did Mary Jane. The door never hit her backside as she went through the opening and slammed it behind her.

      “Mrs. Barrow!” was all Ty could muster for a second or two. “We never.”

      “Then, you better not,” Mrs. Barrow said, her voice as sharp and stern as a six-penny nail. “I’ve had about all the trouble a woman can stand for a spell. I’d have to be blinder than a bat not to see there’s a hot spark between you and Mary Jane.”

      “I’ll admit I do like your daughter, Mrs. Barrow, but I can assure you―”

      “Mr. Holt, I like you and that’s all there is to it. I think you’re a fine man, and I’m sure you would make my girl a good husband. But you listen to me.” She sat beside Ty. “My husband’s been killed, and, to tell you the truth, I’m not sure what we’re going to do. I’ve got enough moonshine aging in a cellar under the house that I can sell and make it through the winter. Then, I don’t know. I can still. In fact, I’m the one who taught Shine how to make brew. My daddy was the best still man in Missouri. Everyone thought it was Shine who knew everything. I can tell you though, Mr. Holt, the women in this family ain’t no dummies.”

      Ty had regained his composure and took charge of the conversation. “Mrs. Barrow, before all this started I was almost engaged to Sarah Thompson. Now she’s been kidnapped. That doesn’t have two cents worth of nothing to do with how I feel about Mary Jane. I’ll admit that I am mighty drawn to your daughter, and in time—who knows?” Ty decided confession was good for the soul. “Mary Jane is the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. And she’s a pistol. I mean, she’s got spunk and I like that. But right now there’s only one thing I have on my mind, and that’s catching the sorry no-good scuzzler that murdered your husband.”

      Mary Jane had been listening at the window and came back on the porch. She sat beside her mother not saying a word. Ty continued, “Mary Jane and I were about to call you, anyway. What we wanted to tell you was that Mary Jane has found a cave.” Ty left out the part about the drummer. “We went in the cave the night after Shine was murdered. Now, we need to go back.”

      “Why?” Mrs. Barrow asked. Jeb and Sue Carol were now crouched at the window listening, and that was all right with Ty. He was glad everything was getting out in the open. He hated secrets. He was not the kind of man to be deceitful.

      “There are two skeletons in the cave. Right now, I don’t know who or what caused their deaths, but I’ve got a feeling that somehow what’s in that cave, or what was in that cave, is the reason your husband was shot. I need to go back in there and look.” There was an abrupt and long pause before Ty asked, “Will you help us?”