Free The Mother Lode by Gary Franklin Page B

he raised his head and looked at Ellen. “Forgive me,” he croaked. “You are right about it being a Christian act of kindness. And although I don’t understand why you allowed the man to stay so long or why you helped him collect that lumber . . . what is past is past. And you do look exhausted. Please, come with me to Carson City. I will treat you to a meal in a restaurant and we will speak no more of Joe Moss.”
    â€œIs that a sworn promise, Mr. Purvis?” she demanded.
    â€œYes, a sworn promise.”
    Ellen took a very deep breath, and it occurred to her that if she sent this man away, it would be looked upon by him and those he told of his invitation as a small, but important victory. In Genoa, it would signal the first crack in her armor. A sign of weakness.
    â€œAll right then,” she said, “I will get ready and we will go. But if you do not keep your promise not to mention Joe Moss again, then I will never again be in your presence.”
    He took her at her word and her threat made him stand up straight and square his still-broad shoulders. “When Eli Purvis gives his word on a thing, it is as good as gold.”
    â€œGood,” she said, savagely swinging the hoe at one last large weed and sending it flying through the air.

9
    E LLEN JOHNSON KNEW that Carson City, nestled in Eagle Valley and backdropped by the Sierras, was the new territorial capital of Nevada. But much to her surprise, Eli Purvis turned out to be somewhat of a local history buff and knew even more about the town.
    â€œIt was originally settled in 1851, not long after we arrived to found Mormon Station, now Genoa,” he said on their way to the capital. “Carson City was named after Fremont’s scout, Kit Carson, though I think that they could have found a far more admirable character. Some of our people think we should buy up land in Carson City while it’s still relatively cheap. But I don’t. The land there, as you know, is dry and mostly covered by sagebrush. The Carson River is too far to irrigate the land profitably.”
    â€œI never got the impression that Carson City could be a farming community,” Ellen replied. “Being the new territorial capital and now that the Comstock Lode is booming nearby, its future must surely be commerce and government. And isn’t the new legislature meeting at the Warm Springs Hotel just east of town near the Carson River?”
    â€œThat’s true,” Purvis grudgingly admitted. “The town fathers are also building a railroad called the Virginia and Truckee up to the Comstock, and I understand that the government is constructing a United States Mint. You see, with the War Between the States raging back in the East, the Union and President Lincoln are pushing very hard to bring western territories like Nevada into the fold. But there is lawlessness and corruption in commerce and government, and already Carson City is becoming a wicked and sinful place.”
    â€œI never thought it sinful or wicked,” Ellen countered. “I think it’s a rather nice town. But I have heard that Virginia City is quite wild.”
    Eli Purvis glanced sideways at her. “ ‘Wild’ is an understatement, Ellen. Satan rules the roost up there on Sun Mountain. The entire Comstock Lode is one big den of sinfulness. And that is why it was no surprise to learn that it was the destination of Joe Moss.”
    â€œHave you ever been up to the Comstock Lode?” she asked, deciding to let the insult pass because she was in his wagon and it would be a long walk back to her farm.
    â€œNo, of course not! Why would I subject myself to that kind of sinful place?”
    Ellen shrugged. “Just wondering.”
    They were quiet for a few minutes, then Purvis said, “As I said earlier, there is a strong push to give Nevada statehood and I think that Carson City will be its new state capital.”
    â€œStatehood,” she