Letters to Glory

By Cedric Derecho

 

“Let’s move! Now! Come on, Tex! Let’s go!” George screamed as he stormed into the house, frantically trying to grab all of his clothes and stuff them in his leather suitcase.

“What’s goin’ on, George?” Tex had a feeling what George would say next would be what he feared most.

“Detective Wallace and his boys! Mama Luker spotted em’ right near Larrabee’s store. We gotta go right now!”

Tex couldn’t believe what George had told him. “Aw hell, how’d they find us here! Of all places?” Mama Luker’s house was a good thirty-five miles from where the stills were. Tex just couldn’t get it through his mind that Wallace had tracked them down.

“No one knows we’re here! Not even Glory does, no one ‘cept Mama Luker an’ Clyde.”

“Just shut up and grab everything ya got, ya hear?” George griped. “And you leave Glory out of this! Lord knows I can’t stop thinkin’ about her.” George hadn’t seen his wife in three months. Not being able to see her killed him inside, but coming anywhere close to her was too dangerous while he was on the run.

Tex opened the drawer next to his bed and took out his Colt single-action revolver. “We’re gonna need these, you got yours?” he asked George.

“Yeah, still got Stretch’s over in the barn, too.” Tex was just about done shoving his clothes into the brown canvas knapsack his Mama had sewn him before she passed.

“Hell, you think we got time to grab it?” George signaled with his arm for Tex to go ahead, and so Tex ran out the door and headed towards the barn. It was about one hundred yards from the house, its red paint chipped and faded and its roof in a state of dilapidation. Two weeks prior, George had hid Stretch’s gun in the old mahogany trunk nestled in the corner behind the hay bales. Running in past the hay as fast as he could, Tex located the trunk and found the piece of cloth the gun was in. Also inside the cloth were six silver dollars, two ten-dollar gold pieces, and Stretch’s gold pocket watch, engraved with his darling Estelle’s full name and wedding date. Tex paused for a moment, shaken to his core.

He wouldn’t let himself and George suffer Stretch’s fate, no way in hell. He placed the contents of the trunk inside his knapsack and headed back towards the house. George was already out the door, loading everything into the trunk of the Model T. Tex ran upstairs for one last check of their room. He didn’t want to leave anything behind. Mama Luker’s house was a two floor wooden-frame Victorian home, heated only by the fireplace on the first floor.

George and Tex had spent three weeks there now, up in the attic where it was a little too warm during the day, and a little too cold at night. Their beds were a set of old army cots that Clyde had brought back from the barracks he had stayed in during the Great War. Tex climbed up the creaky ladder leading to the attic and took a quick look around. Nothing left. Just as he was about to step back down though, he noticed something shiny on the drawer desk beside George’s cot. A shiny Parker fountain pen and beside it a few slips of paper with Larrabee store letterhead. The wanted poster advertising $2500 for their capture, dead or alive, was still glued onto the corner of the desk mirror. He ripped the poster off, took the pen and paper, folded it, and placed them in his now overstuffed knapsack. In just thirty seconds, he too was out the door.

They had to move. It would be only a matter of moments before Wallace and his boys got there. “Hey George, you seen Mama Luker, where’d she go?”

“Naw, she might’ve gone down to the station for questioning. She phoned from Larrabee’s that Wallace was there.” George began to sweat profusely. He shut the trunk and turned the ignition. “Go on and crank it,” George screamed. “We don’t got time!” Tex knelt down and cranked as fast as he could until he heard the engine start up. He hopped into the passenger seat and George drove off.

“Hey, George, where are we headed now?” As the Model T hit forty, George pondered the question for a moment.

“I dunno, any place that’s far away from here.”

Tex felt a bit distraught. Mama Luker and her son Clyde had been so good to them these past few weeks. They hadn’t told a soul George and Tex were staying in their attic. Clyde always had been a loyal friend of theirs. He met Tex back in ‘11 when they were just kids. It wasn’t too long after that when he was introduced to George. Mama Luker, a bit of a heavyset woman, always cooked them a hearty meal. George and Tex hadn’t eaten so good in months. Not since they were back home with Glory and Mama Thompson.

“Shoot, we’re outta gas,” George said. “We gotta fill up once we hit Branson.”

It would be another five or six miles of mountainous bumpy Ozark roads before they hit the fill station and general store over in Branson. In these Missouri backwoods, you could go miles without seeing a single soul. Tex looked out the window, peering back to see if any cars were pursuing them. It was just about high noon. The sun was bright, and it was a cool cloudless day. The leaves were starting to change colors. October was just around the corner.

“Why today of all days, Lord? It’s a beautiful day. Don’t let ‘em get to us, Lord, please,” Tex said, looking up at the sky. He went on pleading. “I just wanna go home.”

“We’ll get there, you hear? Don’t you lose faith. We just gotta buy us some time,” George reassured him. They could see downtown Branson out in the distance. Everything was all in one place. George was especially familiar with the area; he’d sold many cases of moonshine to Ol’ Floyd Jackson over at the Shortleaf Lodge. George pointed to his left. “There, the Esso Station is just down the road.”

Tex began rummaging through his knapsack when he remembered to tell George about the Parker pen. “Hey, maybe you oughta tell Glory we ain’t in the best of shape. At least tell ‘er where we’re headed.” George glanced over and saw Tex holding the special pen that Glory gave him on their 2nd wedding anniversary, when he saw her last.

“Yeah, I ought to do that. But like I said, you got a safehouse in mind? I don’t have the slightest idea where we should go.”

As George pulled into the fill station, Tex tried to think as best he could. “Why don’t we just head into Arkansas? I don’t think they’re lookin’ for us across state lines.” A place came to mind. It had been years since Tex had visited, but he had his great aunt Kate and her three young daughters over in Jasper. Well, her daughters probably weren’t that young anymore. They were all between twelve and fourteen when they had attended the funeral for Tex’s mama. That was about four years back. They ran a hotel along the railroad tracks called the Osage, named after the Indians in the area. Tex decided that’s the place they ought to go.

“George, my granny Jo’s youngest sister, Great Aunt Kate, she lives over in Jasper. Runs a real nice hotel down there. We could get there in about an hour and a half.”

“Fine, just fine,” George smiled.

The gas attendant walked up towards their window. “You want her filled up fellas?” He was wearing a blue Esso uniform covered with oil stains. The smell of gasoline was strong. George nodded. He looked over at the price chart. Seventeen cents a gallon, a cent cheaper than the place down the road from Mama Luker’s place. George stepped out of the car and struck up a conversation with the attendant.

“You got maps over here? We’re tryna head over to Jasper. In Arkansas. You know how to get there from here?” George had a feeling Tex didn’t remember the way.

“Yeah, real easy. Just follow State Route 65 all the way down until you merge with Newton County Road 7. The signs will lead you there. Maps are over in the post office, two buildings down.”

George thanked him, and handed him two silver dollars. “Keep the change.”

“Golly, a thirty five cent tip. Thank ya, sir. Safe travels.”

George looked over at the name patch on the man’s uniform. Leo. “You’re welcome, Leo. I’ll see ya some other time pal.” George turned the ignition key and cranked the car. Just as he was about to drive, he paused for a moment to think. “Tex, you said I ought to write Glory. The post office is right over there.”

Tex motioned for him to go ahead. “I’ll pull up in front, George. Just be quick about it.”

As Tex got in the driver’s seat, George grabbed his Parker fountain pen and a slip of paper from Tex’s knapsack. He ran towards the post office, which was nothing more than a small wooden booth. When he got there, the old man inside said, “What can I do ya for today?” He had a curled white mustache and spectacles. George could see the envelopes and stamps in the back.

“I gotta send a letter to my wife. Give me an envelope, a map, and a two cent stamp please.”

“That’ll be a nickel, sir.”

George took a nickel out of his pocket, paid, and began to write on the counter. He tried to choose his words carefully. He didn’t want to worry her too much.

 

My dear Glory,

I miss you with all my heart, darling. I can’t go another day without seeing you. But it’s impossible. We’re headed over to Tex’s aunt’s place in Jasper. Have the detectives been bothering you? Don’t let em. This’ll all be over soon. I promise you that. I’ll write you again as soon as we get there. We’ll come home as soon as it’s safe.

With love,

George

 

As soon as he finished writing, George sealed the envelope and wrote on the front: To Mrs. Glorvina L. Thompson, Galena MO / From Your One and Only

He handed it to the older gentleman, who postmarked it: 9/25/31. There was a name plaque on his desk. David Noyes, Postmaster.

“Well, David, nice meeting you, sir. I’m sure I’ll see ya around.” The old postmaster smiled and waved as George ran out the door.

Tex was out there waiting. “Alright, let’s move out!” George stepped back into the driver’s seat and held down the hand throttle until they hit forty five on the speedometer. Top speed. The road to Jasper was a lot smoother than the road that led them from Mama Luker’s to Branson. This was a stretch where the Ozarks flattened out some, and the roads were paved. Over the next hour and a half, they passed plenty of small towns. Store after store. Sign after sign.

Coca Cola, Five Cents. Que Placer Cigars, Give Them a Try! Cadbury Chocolates: Delicious & Wholesome. Tex took a nap for a while, but George shook him awake once they merged onto Newton County Road 7.

“Lemme see that map, again.” George took a brief glance, but the next sign they passed gave him all the information he needed. Jasper, 4 miles.

A few minutes passed, and Tex began to recognize their surroundings. “Hey, I remember this. Oh, hey look at that out there on the right! That’s Charlie Smooth’s General Store. I remember aunt Kate took me there with the girls a few times.” Pretty soon, they were at the railroad crossing in the heart of Jasper. It looked a whole lot like downtown Branson. Sure enough, there was a sign with an arrow pointing to the Osage.

It was a large three floor home, with a large balcony on the top floor. No doubt plenty of rooms were available. As they parked the car and grabbed their things, they took note of the beautiful garden out front. There were all kinds of colorful plants George and Tex couldn’t even identify. Big sunflowers lined the sides of the house.

“Just as I remember. The place hasn’t changed a bit,” Tex laughed softly. For the first time all day, his tensions were eased, at least for a moment.

They walked up the steps and headed into the lobby. A large totem pole with wings stood next to the desk. No doubt an Osage Indian relic. It was like going back in time a spell. The lobby was filled with Victorian antiques and Indian possessions. After a quick look around, a beautiful young woman wearing a bright blue patterned dress greeted them.

“Cousin Tex! Is that you?” she yelled out excitedly.

“Hey sweetie. My Lord, you’ve grown into a woman. Remind me again, you all look so much alike, are you Lizzie, Annabelle, or Mary-Kate?”

She laughed and said, “Annabelle. Remember Lizzie’s got freckles. Mary-Kate’s got darker hair like Daddy does.” They hugged, and Tex gave her a kiss on the cheek. He was overjoyed to be with family. “Are you going to stay with us a while?” Tex nodded.

“Mama’s upstairs, I’ll get her. Lizzie and Mary-Kate are at school, but they should be home soon.” She looked over at George. “Hey, I remember you, you’re Tex’s friend. We met once I think? Sorry, what’s your name again?”

“George,” he said shaking her hand softly.

Moments later, Tex’s aunt Kate walked down the stairs and greeted them. “Tex, what a surprise! Oh, I haven’t seen you in ages. How’s your granny doing?” She was referring to her eldest sister Jo.

“Last I saw her, she was doing just fine,” Tex reassured.

“That’s good to hear. Well if you need a room to stay boys, no charge.”

She looked over at George grinning. “How are you George? I remember you well. Last I saw you, you were trying to strike up the nerve to court that young French belle. My goodness, what was her name? Oh yes, Glorvina Longchamp, right?” George laughed and told her they were actually married. She gasped for a second, but went on to say, “Aw sugar, I knew it was just meant to be. I had a good feeling about you two.”

Happy to be reacquainted, George and Tex were given a key to their rooms. Soon after, Lizzie and Mary-Kate came home and greeted Tex. They were just as pretty as Annabelle. Everyone was so happy to see him. He wondered if they knew he was wanted. While Tex was downstairs chatting with his relatives, George settled into their room, Number 213 on the second floor. Two beds were already nicely made, and there was a writing desk at the front of the room. He began writing his second letter of the day.

 

My dearest Glory,

Darling, Tex and I made it. We’re staying at the Osage Hotel in Jasper. Detective Wallace won’t know we’re here. It’s beautiful in these parts. I haven’t laid down in a bed this comfortable since I’ve been back at home. Tex’s Aunt Kate is so kind. She remembered you and I back before our courtin’ days. You ought to come out here. I’ll send for you. The train leads here direct from Galena.

Sending my love and regards,

George

 

He would send that letter to Glory the next morning after learning the post office was just a few blocks down. Dinner that night was easily some of the best food George and Tex had ever had. Aunt Kate cooked up all of their favorites. Chicken and dumplins’, mashed potatoes with sausage gravy, and a fresh apple pie baked in a log oven. Each of them had three full plates while laughing and catching up. Aunt Kate wanted to know more about George and Glory’s wedding.

“Well it was a small ceremony ‘bout two years ago. Her family and mine. That’s all. Plus ol’ Tex over here. Can’t leave ‘em out. He was my best man.” George brightened up a bit. He wanted nothing more than to be with Glory, so it helped to talk about her. Tex ended up explaining their situation, but Aunt Kate and her daughters already knew.

“It isn’t your fault. You just got caught up in the wrong trade. No one agrees to the ban. They really are cracking down on the Chicago Outfit, aren’t they?” For the first time, Aunt Kate’s face had a look of worry.

“Yeah, ol’ Scarface is untouchable. His boys came to me for all the moonshine distribution in southern Missouri. I hear some of our stuff even made it to the big city. Detective Wallace raided our stills though, about three months back. Our good pal Stretch was shot dead with their Thompson submachines. Every one of those yeller bellies got one. Don’t compare to our single-action revolvers. Detective Wallace and all his boys wants us dead.” Tex had a hint of anger in his tone of voice.

He paused for a moment before he finished telling them their situation. “There’s a $2500 reward on our heads. We stayed with a childhood friend of ours, Clyde Luker and his Mama. They still ain’t fooled. They found us. They always do, but not here, right?” Tex was shaken once again, just as he had been when he held Stretch’s gun at the barn earlier. A tear rolled down his face. “I don’t want none of this. I want all of this to be over. We’re out of the business now. For good.” The lone tear became a soft sob. “Auntie Kate, thank you. Honest, you’re so kind. You didn’t have to take us in. I just wanna go home. It ain’t been the same since Mama died, but home is where I belong. I really do love this place though, and I love all of y’all too.”

Aunt Kate and her daughters all gave Tex a reassuring hug and kiss on the cheek. George felt everything Tex did. He just wanted to go home. Go home and see Glory. He didn’t care if he’d never sip a drop of moonshine or make another dime in his life. All he wanted was for the chase to be over. The next couple of days went by pretty fast. George and Tex helped Aunt Kate with fixing up rooms in the house, and did yard work outside. Other guests began to join them at the dinner table. Their hard work throughout the day was rewarded with a delicious home cooked meal at night. In these times of depression, their nightly dinners were a luxury some would kill for.

One morning, about a week gone by since they’d arrived, George and Tex were raking leaves around the garden out in front. The sky was a bright blue, and the sun was covered by passing clouds. Songbirds chirped at the tops of the trees, and the sunflowers were shedding some of their petals. All was peaceful.

The sounds of nature were soon broken up when they heard the distinctive chugging sound of a Model T. George and Tex thought little of it and continued to rake. But then it got louder. And louder. Then they heard another one. And another. Three cars were getting awfully close to the house, which was unusual because guests normally parked at the train station down the road. George and Tex looked at each other.

“Ain’t there a sign for parking down there?” Tex said nervously. The chugging stopped and they heard several doors slam.

“Yeah, no way there’s three cars full of guests,” George said.

They dropped their rakes and slowly walked towards the house. The garbled sound of multiple men speaking grew louder, and became a bit more clear with each passing second. It was unsettling, and George’s heart rate began to beat faster. When they got to the top of the steps, they saw them from about fifty yards out.

Detective Wallace and his men. At least six other boys were with him. Each of them wearing a fedora and dark brown trench coats, with a Tommy in their arms.

“Run!” George whispered as loud as possible. They ran into the house and up the stairs, but they were spotted. Gunfire quickly shattered all the first floor windows of the Osage. They thanked God Kate and Annabelle were out at the general store, and Lizzie and Mary-Kate were at school. They ran up the stairs as fast as they could and stormed into their room.

“Grab the revolvers! Now!” George screamed. Tex began weeping. He knew this might just be it. George grabbed two guns, his and Stretch’s. Tex took his single action revolver, and they ran down the stairs out the back door. They had three boxes of cartridges with them. One for each gun. Wallace’s boys stopped firing for a moment, and they stormed the hotel. It just so happened there weren’t any other guests in that day. They’d all checked out the night before.

George and Tex sprinted towards the Model T. It was parked out behind the train station. George had a look of determination on his face. Tex had never seen anything like it, not even when they made their escape that same day Stretch got shot. George, in a state of denial, kept thinking to himself, I’m gonna come home to Glory. I got to see my Glory. He began to say it out loud. Three of Wallace’s boys ran out of the house and began firing at will.

“Run! Behind those trees! There, the station!” George screamed. They ran in a zigzag pattern, making sure to pass through every solid barrier between themselves and the station, a good three hundred yards down the road. Through the grace of God, they were able to avoid getting hit, at least for the moment. The long line of thick elms along the road had saved their lives. The other men joined in pursuit. Wallace wasn’t far behind.

George and Tex got to the Model T, their revolvers loaded and ready to go. “Crank! Now!” George screamed as he turned the ignition. As Tex began cranking, bullets cascaded upon them, shattering the windows of the car a few yards from theirs. They got the car to start, and they hopped in. The first three of Wallace’s boys were trailing them by at least a hundred yards. Even so, their Tommy’s had more than enough range.

“Come on! Move! Move!” George screamed at the wheels as they began to accelerate. The hand throttle was pushed all the way down. Just as the Model T gained speed, a line of bullets shattered their windows as George tried to quickly turn a corner. He slumped sideways, as blood gushed from his throat. Horrified, Tex took over the wheel. Gurgling sounds came from George’s throat as he tried desperately to speak. Somehow Tex was unwounded, but he sure wished he was dead right at this moment.  Tears streamed down his face; he knew George had been fatally hit. It was just a matter of time. Minutes, maybe even seconds. As Tex sped down Highway 7, getting out of reach of Wallace’s men, he tried his best to think. No way in hell. How’d they find us here? It ain’t possible.

Little did he know that Glory received George’s letters. Heartbroken by the situation her husband got himself into, she made the toughest decision of her life. She thought a stay in jail would teach George a lesson. Maybe, just maybe if she told Wallace where George was staying, he’d go to jail and come out a changed man. He was a loving man, always, but she didn’t want George to lead a life of crime. His moonshine business had to end. She would make sure of it through any means necessary.

Little did she know Wallace was out for blood, not for capture. Upon receiving word from Glory, Wallace assured her George would make it back to Galena safely, in custody. She had already prepared a letter she would give him, meant to be read on the eve of his first night in jail.

 

My dear George,

I love you with all my heart. God knows this to be true. I told the Detective your whereabouts. Please listen to me, it will be a short stay. I am confident local prosecution will be lenient. Wallace told me so. You will come out a changed man. I cannot keep worrying for you anymore. My heart can’t take it. I’m three months into pregnancy, George. I found out just days after you ran off. I wanted to surprise you. You were nowhere to be found. You wouldn’t phone. You wouldn’t write. You wouldn’t see me. I know once you’re out you, will be a loving father just as my father has loved me, and your father has loved you. Your mother agrees with my decision, George. This is a lesson you must learn. No more moonshine. No more Scarface. No more crime. Please, for us.

Your one and only,

Glory

 

 

Cedric’s Bio:

Cedric Derecho is a junior at Rutgers University. He is currently pursuing a major in History with a minor in political science and hopes to graduate in May of 2022. He has published two books about the history of his hometown of Lakehurst, NJ, and has a third book on the way, Images of America: Lakehurst Borough and Manchester Township (Arcadia Publishing) with a tentative release date of June 29, 2020. He will continue his lifelong passion of writing historical fiction and nonfiction.