Free A Virtuous Ruby by Piper Huguley Page A

porch. Through the open door in the scrubbed and clean kitchen, he viewed Ruby and Mags sitting on wooden peach boxes out in the orchard and about five men sitting on boxes as well. Ruby stood up and waved her arms around and spoke. Words like “pay” and “equality” and “justice” were in the air and the men were nodding their heads, dazed. Most of them were infatuated. The meeting seemed nothing more than an opportunity to court either Ruby or Mags, an audition for future husbands. Ruby didn’t see that, however. Lona came and stood in the doorway next to him.
    “Any one of the men in the mill would marry her. They seem quite taken with her.” Adam pointed out and a sharp pang entered his heart as he spoke the words.
    “Who would beat her every Saturday night when he got paid. The mill ain’t no good for nobody. John ain’t a part of it. And I kept my girls out so far.” Lona folded her arms and regarded him again. “What’s wrong with you?”
    There she was, brave and beautiful Ruby, talking to the men about their rights, refusing to be silenced by the powers in Winslow. “Everything, ma’am. I’m not worthy of such a virtuous prize.”
    “You know your Bible.” Lona seemed pleased and Adam swallowed. “It’s where we got her name. ‘Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.’” Lona quoted then fixed him with a frown of her own. “What you mean worthy?”
    “She’s unafraid, even when they tried to keep her down, tried to humiliate her.”
    “And?”
    “I live in fear of who I am.” Adam turned on his heel and went into the little back room they had given him to stay in, Ruby’s former room, feeling the need to be alone for a while.
    He must have fallen asleep there, fully clothed on the bed, for he startled awake when he heard a lot of noise and commotion in the front part of the house. He stood and brushed himself off then opened the door to the room. The nightgown-outfitted Bledsoes hovered in the doorway and a scream came from one of the girls. “Get the doctor, get the doctor!” John called out over and over again. Shining in the dark living room was a familiar bloody pulp which only slightly resembled a man’s face.
    My bag is in the car. “In the car.” And the bag was there at his side as he mentioned it and so was Ruby who carried it. “I need light.” Lona lit multiple lamps in their big front room.
    “Travis,” Mags held onto his arm, “what happened?”
    “Someone at the meeting told. They came and got me and want me to tell.”
    “Tell what?”
    “Ruby,” blood frothed from Travis’s lips as he spoke. An internal injury. A hard-to-heal injury. Adam’s heart sank at the sight.
    A basin of warmed water appeared at his elbow even though he had not requested it. Ruby spoke in calm tones, steadying his hand. His body jolted into action. He would do what he could to help Travis. Her presence made his job healing easy somehow, lighter. She gave him strength and resolution he didn’t know he had. With some effort, Adam cleansed the man’s wounds on his face and chest then got some old strips of cloth from Lona to bind up his broken ribs. “I’m to give Ruby a message.”
    Adam shook his head. “You don’t need to speak, Mr. Travis. You need to remain calm or you will reinjure yourself.”
    “Ruby, they don’t want you to do what you do. They keep me alive to tell you. Stop.”
    “Take this.” Adam poured a sedative down his throat. The liquid made the man quiet down and fall asleep. Travis needed to rest so he could heal. Travis’s voice, coupled with what Lona and John said earlier, made him even more resolute. He had never been so sure of anything in his life. Ruby had to get out of that small horse town.
    As soon as possible.
    And he had to help her.
    Somehow.

Chapter Six
    When Adam and John helped Travis to the back room, he used his sterilized instruments to work over Travis, but the blood continued to froth and foam from the