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FOR CHILDREN
Jefferson County Leader
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012
Chapter 10 – The rest of the story
A
day after they returned home, John’s father had a suggestion. “Let’s go see your Aunt Bessie. She’s our oldest living relative.” “Do we have to?” John replied. “That nursing home smells bad and all she ever does is talk about the past.” “That’s the point, son. She remembers lots of things. But I’ve usually tuned her out when she began talking about them. This time we can listen.” “How old is she anyhow? “Hmm, I think she’s nearly 90. Many older people do talk about the past, John. But keep in mind that you and I will be old someday too.” John looked shocked. “Hi Aunt Bessie, we brought you some flowers.” John set the bouquet on her table. “Oh, how lovely. Do sit down, boys. So nice to see both of you. What have you been doing lately?” And so they excitedly told her about their trip west, about seeing Moab and Arches and Canyonlands. “Why did you boys decide to go west?” Aunt Bessie asked. “We were tracking John’s greatgrandfather Blaise.” “Oh, Uncle Blaise.” “Do you remember him?” John asked. And then he explained what they had learned from the letters in the trunk. “Henry, I’m surprised you didn’t ask
Landscape Arch at Arches National Park. (Photo courtesy National Park Service.)
Many formations in Arches Park resemble statues.
me first. I’ll bet you have forgotten that my maiden name was Riddell. I could have told you the whole story and saved you a trip. Henry gave a weak grin. “My Uncle Blaise was born in 1904. His father died in 1914. His Uncle Noah told my mother what happened in Utah. “A few months before Jeb and Lucinda died, an agent for Jeb’s investors paid a visit to see what was going on. He started asking around and looking for Jeb. But Jeb kept hiding out in different places so no one could find him. The agent was nosing around in Moab again at the time of the accident. “Noah had quit working for Jeb several months before the accident. After a month, he still hadn’t found other work near Moab. He headed toward Colorado, where he found work at a ranch. Realizing how difficult the situation had become between Jeb and Lucinda, he returned to Moab and offered to take Blaise with him. “Jeb was glad to be rid of Blaise. Lucinda cried, but let him go because Jeb had been forcing him to work in the mine. Noah took Blaise to western Colorado, where they both worked at the cattle ranch. “After Jeb and Lucinda died, Noah hurried back to Moab. He settled the
Next: “Haunted House on Virginia Avenue” begins
family’s affairs there and sent Lucinda’s possessions back to Missouri. Turns out there wasn’t much to send back except that small trunk of books and a few articles of clothing. “Apparently, Jeb had been a swindler from the beginning. He took money from lots of people to start that mine. Gave them worthless pieces of paper. But he never really did much with the mine. Paid a few local men to dig, but by the time he died, he was mostly spending what was left of the investors’ money at the local saloon, drinking and playing cards. “Noah thought that Jeb and Lucinda might have been hiding from the investors’ agent when the mine collapsed. “The couple was last seen by a prospector, who ran across them as they were preparing to descend into the mine; said it sounded like they were quarreling. He heard what sounded like an explosion a few moments later and returned to the scene to witness the devastation. “In Colorado, Blaise started out feeding the horses, cleaning their corral and other odd jobs. By the time he was 17, he had become a real cowboy. He stayed in Colorado for several years, then came back to Amelie when Noah decided to return home.
“Eventually Blaise married. He and his wife, Mary, worked the farm and took care of his grandparents until they died. “I’m so glad we went to visit Aunt Bessie,” John said as they drove away. “It wasn’t as hard as I thought, either. The home didn’t smell bad after all and she really has a good memory. But just think: We traveled all that way to find the truth and it was right here. I think I’ll come visit her again sometime, Dad. I’ll bet she’s got a lot of great stories to tell me. Maybe even some of them about you?” “I’m afraid she does, son. This may have been a mistake bringing you to see her,” Henry said, then he grinned. “No, Dad. I learned something really important from her today. Jeb didn’t take good care of Lucinda. Whether her death was intentional or not, he didn’t act like a husband who cared about her as a person. “Dad, I didn’t think you cared about my mother, either after she got sick. You didn’t show your pain, did you? You didn’t even cry at her funeral.” “No son, I was trying to protect you.” “But you took care of her for the six months after she got sick. You went to the doctors with her, and sat in the hospital for hours with her. I even watched you feed her ice cream when she wouldn’t eat anything else. “Dad, I finally understand that you showed your caring for her by how you took care of her.” Henry smiled and gave John a grateful hug. “That’s right son, actions speak louder than words.”
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