A few minutes later, Matt was sitting at a table that featured fried chicken, canned string beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits.
“Oh, my,” Matt said as he looked over the food. “And to think I almost turned this down.”
Green reached for a drumstick, but Sue glared at him and he pulled his hand back.
“Not before your father says grace,” she said.
Green bowed his head, as did Matt, while E.B. blessed the meal.
“Bless this food to our use, and ourselves to your service, amen.”
“Amen,” Sue and Green said.
“Out here, we don’t get to church all that often,” E.B. said after the blessing. “I reckon blessing the meal is about as close to churchifying as we can get.”
“We used to go into Fullerton ever’ Sunday just to go to church,” Sue said. “It’s a Baptist church. We were Methodists before we came up here, but it’s the only church in town, so that’s where we go. At least, that’s where we used to go. We don’t go anywhere now.”
“Yes, well, we can’t do it now, Sue, and you know it. It costs us two dollars to go into town and another two dollars to come back home. We can’t afford to go to church anymore.”
For a long moment, Matt had been aware of Green staring at the pistol strapped to his side, so when Green asked the question, Matt wasn’t surprised.
“Mr. Jensen, why do you wear a gun?” Green asked.
“Green! What sort of question is that to ask a guest?” Sue scolded.
“I just wondered why he was wearin’ a gun is all,” Green said. “Pa don’t wear no gun. And Mr. Byrd and Mr. McCann, they don’t wear a gun neither. Mr. Tanner used to wear a gun, but he got killed by Mr. Butrum, who is the same one we saw kill those two cowboys, remember?”
“It’s not something I want to remember,” Sue replied.
“But you do remember it, Ma. How could you forget it? We seen him shoot down them two cowboys.”
“Hush now,” Sue said. “I told you it wasn’t something I want to remember. It’s not something I want to talk about either.”
“I was just wonderin’ why Mr. Jensen is wearin’ a gun, is all.”
“Mr. Jensen is a traveling man,” E.B. said. “I expect it’s some comfort to wear a gun when you travel.”
“Are you a good shot?” Green asked Matt.
“Tolerable,” Matt answered.
“I’d sure like to see you shoot it sometime.”
“Green, that’s enough. Mr. Jensen didn’t come here to be pestered by the likes of you,” E.B. said.
“I didn’t mean to be pesterin’ you, Mr. Jensen,” Green said by way of apology.
“I don’t feel pestered, Green,” Matt said. “And your pa is right. I’m wearing a gun because I travel a lot, and that means I take most of my possessions with me. My gun is one of my possessions, and the easiest way to take it with me is to wear it.”
“There now. Are you satisfied?” E.B. asked his son.
“Yes, sir,” Green answered contritely.
“Good. Perhaps we can eat the rest of our meal in peace,” Sue said.
They talked during the meal. E.B. and his wife were originally from Texas. “After I come back from the war, well, the Yankees was comin’ down with a pretty heavy hand, and even heavier taxes. It finally got to where I couldn’t take it anymore. Then I read that there was good land for home-steading if you was willing to come up here to the Dakota Territory. So, we decided to sell everything we had and come up here.”
“We decided?” Sue asked.
“Now, Sue, you know very well that if you had said you didn’t want to come, that we would have never left Texas.”
Sue reached across the table to lay her hand on E.B.’s hand. “I knew that you wanted to come,” she said softly. “And wherever you go, that’s where I’ll be.
Matt ate with great relish. When he finished, he pushed back from the table and rubbed his stomach appreciatively.
“Mrs. Fowler, I cannot remember when I had a better meal. You are a wonderful cook.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. Jensen. Thank you very much.”
Matt stood. “I need to be going on, but I do wish you would let me pay for this wonderful meal.”
“Nonsense, what sort of hostess would I be if I charged my guests?”
“Then I will sing your praises, not only as a gracious hostess, but a wonderful cook,” Matt said. “Mr. Fowler —”
“E.B., please.”
“E.B., it has been a pleasure and I hope to meet you again sometime soon.”
