The Blacksmith of Bright Star, Texas

Katherine and Daley settled into their new lives and were mostly happy for six months. Then, after Mass one Sunday, Daley told her the Irish shipyard workers had organized what he called a union and were going to strike for higher pay.

"We have a ship on the ways that has to be finished in two months. It's our opportunity to get an increase in pay because if we don't work, the ship won't get finished in time. If the ship isn't done on schedule, the shipyard will lose most of their profit. They'll never let that happen. They'll have to pay us more."

Katherine was worried.

"What if all of you don't stop working or if they just find some more people to build their ship? Won't you just be left with no work and no money?"

"That's why it's called a union. All the Irish workers have sworn not to work until we get paid more. We'll have men at the gate to the shipyard, and we won't let anybody in. Don't worry. It'll work."

The walkout day had been set for that Monday. All through Monday morning and afternoon, Katherine worried about Daley. When Mr. Richardson came home from his office, she was worried even more. She overheard him tell his wife that there had been a fight at one of the shipyards. They'd walked into the parlor after that, so she didn't hear any details. Once she'd made dinner for the family and cleaned the kitchen, she walked to St. Isabelle. Since the Irish were involved, maybe Father Patrick knew something.

Father Patrick was sweeping the floor when she walked into the church. He looked up, smiled, and leaned his broom against one of the pews.

"We can't afford to pay anyone to sweep the floor, but I think the Lord would understand if I do it while I'm praying, don't you?"

Katherine said yes, and then asked him if he knew anything about the shipyards.

Father Patrick took her hand.

"Katherine, I was going to go to your employer and ask for you as soon as I finished sweeping. God forgive me, but I didn't want to see you before I had a chance to think, so I swept the floor to have some time.

"I know about the work stoppage at the shipyard. One of the workers told me last week. I did my best to talk him out of it, but he was firm. Today, they carried out their plan, but somehow, and I suspect through one of our fellow Irishmen, the shipyard owners found out about the work stoppage. When the men went to the shipyard, they found thirty men with clubs waiting for them. From what I gather, our Irish lads stopped in front of the gate to decide what to do. They didn't really get a chance to decide, and what followed was horrible.

"The men with clubs rushed at the Irishmen in front, swinging their clubs right and left. The first six Irishmen went down quickly and another dozen or so were hit but not seriously. They turned and ran as did the rest of the shipyard workers. The men with the clubs then went back to the first six.

Katherine felt tears in her eyes because she knew in her heart what Father Patrick was going to tell her next. The tears streamed down her cheeks when Father Patrick squeezed her hand.

"Katherine...your brother Daley was one of the six. He was...he's...Katherine, they killed him."

Katherine refused to let herself cry. She could cry later. Right now, she needed to know some things.

"Where is Daley now?"

"Once the police came, the men with clubs left. The other shipyard workers came back then, and they took Daley and the other five men to O'Malley's funeral parlor. Don't worry about the money for his coffin. The shipyard workers all gave money to bury the six men. On Wednesday, they'll be buried here in the church yard."

"You said another Irish worker told the shipyard about the walkout. Do you know who did it?"

Father Patrick shook his head.

"No, Katherine, I don't. He might confess to me some day, but you know I couldn't tell you then either."

"Do you know who put the men with clubs at the gate?"

Father Patrick looked at Katherine sternly.

"Katherine, you know that the Lord has reserved vengeance for himself."

"Yes, but he never had a brother like Daley."

"Katherine, I don't know who did it, but this I do know. If you manage to find the man you seek and harm him, you will have committed a sin. Not only will you have sinned, you will have earned the wrath of the shipyard owner. I know much about him. He's involved in much more than the shipyard. He's a major owner of several businesses here as well as in Chicago and St. Louis, and I hear has a substantial investment in the new railroads going west. I would advise you to mourn Daley and then move on with your life. I'm certain that's what Daley would have wanted."

That Wednesday, Katherine stood with the families of the six men while Father Patrick said the funeral mass. She dropped a rose onto Daley's coffin as it lay on boards above his grave. She watched silently as the men filled the grave with dirt and tamped it into a mound after which Father Patrick gave her the only things Daley had with him that morning -- a pocket knife and a single Irish copper penny. The penny was a match to the one Katherine carried in her purse. Both had been a gift from their father before they sailed to America. He said it was to bring them luck.

}{

After Daley was buried, Katherine continued to keep house for the Richardsons and care for their two children. The children, a boy of twelve and a girl of eight, were of the age most children attended one of the public schools. The banker's wife thought the public schools were crude and somewhat lacking in moral instruction, so she had hired a private instructor. Classes were held every day except Sunday in the dining room which was just off the kitchen where Katherine spent much of her day.

Katherine had learned to speak and read English in the hedge school on the estate where her parents were tenants, but she'd spoken only Gaelic at home. Since coming to America, her English had improved, but there were still words she didn't understand, and the syntax of the language was complicated. She listened in while she worked, and because it was her responsibility to make sure the children studied in the afternoon, she also looked at their textbooks.

Soon, she was reading the newspaper every evening in her quarters instead of burning it as she had been instructed. As she read, she looked for information about the shipyard where Daley had been killed. A month to the day of Daley's funeral, she found that for which she sought.

The shipyard was owned by Harrison Smythe, but according to the article, Harrison was stepping down as president and turning the responsibility over to his son, Alexander. Alexander had been overseeing day to day operations of the shipyard for two years, and according to the quote from Harrison, "He's earned the responsibility by stopping the Irish worker's walkout and I've earned a rest." The article went on to say that Harrison would continue to manage his businesses in Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco.

Katherine only scanned that last part of the article. The fact that Alexander had been rewarded for stopping the walkout on the day Daley was killed was all she needed to know. It had to have been Alexander who ordered the men with clubs to be at the gate that day.

From that day on, Katherine read every newspaper for any information about Alexander. A month later, an article in the society page told her enough she began to formulate a plan.

The article, complete with a picture of Alexander and his wife, Allison, was about the grand ball Alexander had staged to celebrate his fifth year of marriage to Allison. From the article, Katherine learned Alexander had his office at the shipyard, and his home was a mansion at the end of Fifth Avenue, the same street as her employer.

The picture of the couple on their fifth anniversary showed a woman much older than Alexander, and a woman who could never be called pretty. A further reading of the announcement revealed Alexander's wife was the daughter of the owner of a steel company that supplied most of the steel used by the shipyard. To Katherine, the marriage seemed to be more of a business arrangement than a marriage, and presented an opportunity she might be able to exploit.

Katherine began taking a walk every evening after dinner and cleaning the kitchen. She was always careful to look her best for her looks would play an important role in her quest. She walked the length of Fifth Avenue from her quarters to the mansion where Alexander and his wife lived.

If the evening was warm, she would often see Alexander and his wife sitting under the shade of a tree in front of the lavish home. She would smile if she saw him look at her, and sometimes fluff the red hair that fell in coppery waves around her shoulders. Both actions were to attract his attention away from the woman who sat beside him. Doing so wasn't difficult, nor after seeing the woman in person did Katherine imagine it would be.

After a little over a week of her walks, Katherine saw Alexander sitting under the tree by himself. She smiled when he looked at her, and she waved the white handkerchief in her hand. Two more evenings went by before she saw him alone again, and this time he was standing beside the wrought iron fence that separated the yard from the street.

Alexander smiled again, and said "Hello, miss."

Katherine smiled back, curtsied, and said "Hello, Sir."

His face reminded Katherine of the seeming grin on a cat's face when it plays with a mouse it has caught.

"How is it a young girl such as you walks in front of my home every night?"

"I'm just relaxing, Sir, just relaxing."

"Relaxing from what?"

"I keep house for the Richardsons, Sir, and when I'm finished with the dinner dishes, I like to take a walk."

Alexander grinned.

"You're Irish then?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you like working for the Richardsons?"

Katherine paused before speaking, as if she were weighing what she was going to say.

"They're a fine family, Sir, and they treat me well."

Alexander smiled.

"That's not what I asked. Do you like working for them?"

Katherine paused again, then looked Alexander in the face and smiled.

"I'm sure I would like working in a house as large as yours more. My room is so small I can barely turn around."

"What's your name, girl?"

Katherine had thought about her answer should he ask that question. She'd have to use her real name in case Alexander contacted the Richardsons to inquire about her performance. It wasn't likely he cared enough about the Irish laborers in his shipyard to know their names, but she had an answer for that if he made the connection.

"Katherine, Sir, Katherine O'Devlin."

"How old are you?"

Katherine smiled.

"I'm nineteen, Sir."

"I see. Well, Katherine O'Devlin, have an enjoyable walk. Perhaps we'll see each other again one evening."

As Katherine walked back to her quarters, she was pleased. She had managed to meet Alexander, and he seemed interested in her. She only hoped she was right about his relationship with his wife.

Two evenings later, Alexander was standing by the fence when she walked by. She waved to him, and he motioned for her to come closer. Katherine arched her back slightly to push out her breasts and walked up to him.

"Katherine...it was Katherine, wasn't it?" he said.

"Yes, Sir."

"Katherine, how would you like to come to work in my home?"

Katherine feigned innocence.

"But Sir, your missus must already have a girl to take care of the house."

Alexander's smile seemed evil to Katherine.

"Yes, she does, but it's a big house and I'm afraid it's just too much for Mary to do by herself. You'd be in charge of the upstairs rooms and washing, and Mary will take care of the downstairs and the cooking. You'll have one of the bedrooms upstairs for your use, and your meals will be provided...in the kitchen with Mary of course."

Katherine patted the slope of her breasts, pursed her lips, and exhaled.

"Sir, most Irish girls would be honored to work in your home, and so would I, but I would not like leaving the Richardsons without a housekeeper."

Alexander shook his head.

"Don't be concerned about that. I've already spoken to the Richardsons and arranged for another girl to take your place. You may start tomorrow. Oh, and your wages will be, shall we say, seventy-five cents a day? I can't have any servant girl working for me and being paid the same as the Richardsons paid."

Katherine beamed her best smile.

"Oh, Sir, I'll be the best housekeeper you've ever had."

Alexander grinned his wicked looking grin again.

"I'm counting on that."

}{

It happened faster than Katherine thought it might. Her plan had been to use her looks and a few calculated actions to induce Alexander to take her into confidence about his affairs. She wanted to hear him admit to hiring the men who had killed Daley. Once he admitted his guilt, Katherine was going to take his life, and she would do it with Daley's pocket knife. She had sewn a small pocket into each of her dresses so she could carry it. She estimated it could take weeks, for Alexander appeared to be an intelligent man who did not take many risks. It was the last time Katherine underestimated what lust can make men do.

The second day of her employment, Katherine was cleaning the bedroom shared by Alexander and his wife. She smiled when she saw there were two beds instead of one. That could only mean Alexander was not intimate with his wife, and that lack of intimacy would make her task simpler.

Katherine was in the process of removing the bed linens when she heard a footstep behind her. She turned, and found Alexander staring at her. He grinned.

"You do a fine job of changing the bed clothes. Perhaps you would do better to leave them on for another hour or so. We'll only soil them again."

Katherine was a little shocked at Alexander's blunt statement of his intentions, but she had entered the lion's den. Now all she could do was fight the lion and hope to win.

"Why Sir, if I leave them, I shall get behind in my cleaning, and your Missus will not be pleased."

Alexander spat out his response.

"Let the old cow be unhappy then. Allison hasn't shared my bed in years, not that it was all that pleasant when she did. It was like laying on a piece of cold meat. You, girl, will be like plucking a ripe peach warm from the sun."

Katherine feigned a protest, though she was prepared to let him do as he pleased for the moment.

"But Sir, the missus...she's just downstairs."

"No, she's not. She's gone to call on a friend and will not return for at least two hours. We won't need that long."

Alexander walked closer and reached out to cup Katherine's breasts.

"Ah...you'll be much better than I thought."

"But Sir, I...I've never..."

Alexander licked his lips.

"So much the better. Not only will I have my peach, I'll get to pluck her first bud as well. Take off your clothes, girl, but do it slowly. I want to --"

The quiet, metallic click stopped Alexander. He turned to see his wife, Allison, standing in the door of the bedroom. In her hand was a small pistol with four barrels and it was pointed at Alexander.

Allison's face was contorted in a mixture of...grief and hatred were the only emotions Katherine could identify. Allison walked toward them until she was only five feet away from Alexander. She spoke slowly and with contempt.

"You want to what -- ruin this poor girl before she's had a chance at life, like you did to Trudy. She was about the same age when you sent her back to the boarding houses with your baby in her belly. Then it was Brianna and after that, that little whore Cara you hid in the Grand Hotel all those months. At least they had the sense not to get themselves with child.

When I found out about Cara, you promised me you were done so I wouldn't write you out of my will. Then you hired Mary. Yes, I know you're sleeping with her every time I go out, but I thought since she was in the house, no one would be the wiser. Now you're trying to corrupt this girl with your lust. I won't let you do that."

Alexander smiled.

"How are you going to stop me, you fat old bag? Shoot me? You'll hang from the gallows if you do that...if they can build a gallows that'll hold your weight when you drop."

For the first time, Katherine saw Allison smile.

"No jury would convict a woman for killing the husband who cheated on her, especially if that woman has the lawyers I have. There's Daddy's money too, you know. He employs a lot of the people who would sit on a jury, and he knows all the judges by their first names."

Alexander was furious.

"Put down that gun before I take it away from you."

Allison was calm now.

"I will shoot you before you take two steps."

As it was, Alexander was able to take only one step. As he lifted his foot to take the second, the.32 caliber lead bullet tore through his chest. The deafening blast of the Sharps pepperbox in Allison's hand was followed by another that filled the room with white smoke and made another hole in Alexander's chest. He fell to the floor on his back and lay still.

Katherine looked up from the pool of blood slowly forming around Alexander, and saw Allison smiling at her. The smile didn't concern her. The look in Allison's eyes did. They were open very wide, and the woman looked a bit addled. Katherine wondered if the other two barrels of that gun were loaded.

Allison looked at Katherine with a frown on her face.

"Well, I've done it. I've put that animal away for good, but he was right, you know. Unless I have a good excuse, I will be arrested and tried for murder. I'm not worried about being hung, but my family's reputation will be in a shambles. I'm not about to let that happen, so I need someone to blame. You're going to be that someone, Katherine. I'll say I walked into the bedroom and found you standing over Alexander with this gun in your hand.

"Nobody will believe you when you tell them I did it, but I don't intend to let things get to that point. Being called into a courtroom to testify would be a huge embarrassment for me and for Daddy. You're going to leave right now and you're not coming back."

"But Ma'am, where would I go, and how? I don't have any money."

Allison bent down and took a small gold key from Alexander's vest pocket and then crossed the room to a picture on the wall. The picture swung away once she released the hidden catch and revealed the steel front of a strong box built into the wall. Allison used the key she'd taken from Alexander's vest and opened the door. She returned with a small, leather pouch that she handed to Katherine.

"This was what Alexander called his household money, but he didn't use it for the household. It's the money he used to keep that woman in the hotel and the money he used to pay Mary so she wouldn't tell any body about what he did with her. Take it and be on your way. I'll wait until tonight to inform the authorities. You'll have to hurry, though. They'll be looking for you as soon as I report this."

Katherine felt the weight of the pouch. Though she'd never actually seen or held gold coins, it had to be gold. Nothing else would be so heavy for such a small bag.

"Ma'am, why would you do this? I'm just a housekeeper."

Allison patted Katherine on the shoulder.

"I was young like you, once, and I had the same dreams as any girl your age. Unfortunately, I wasn't a pretty girl like you. If it hadn't been for Daddy's money, I'd be an old maid by now. Alexander couldn't resist inheriting Daddy's fortune.

"I knew Alexander married me because of that, but I hoped we could be happy together. Instead, he ignored me and ruined the lives of every housekeeper we had. He was preparing to ruin yours as well. I couldn't let that happen to another young girl.