The Fourth Man - Chapter 27

Good Morning I am the New Teacher

The new school Marm

With Tom gone Rene’s had done all the teaching but now she sent for a new teacher to take over much of the teaching duties. Her name was Loretta, age 18 and wanted to be called Etta.  After the first month Rene’s was sure Etta was doing a good job and wanted to keep her on.

Some of the older boys were almost as old as the new teacher, and that was going to be a problem.  One of the potential problem makers was Cappy, Sarah’s last child.   Cappy had been in Military school, but he came home because he wanted to get back to ranching and the life he enjoyed the most.

James had set him down and told him the only way he could do that was to complete this semester here at home and return and finished his final year at military school.  Cappy agreed to those conditions and was planning to return to military school until he met Etta the new school marm.

He was a year older than she, but agreed to behave himself around Etta.

Both Les and Sarah got on him about his conduct and gave him the word that if he did anything unseemly it would be back to the school in the east.

He had been reported by the girl’s school master back there of some unruly behavior by him and had been severely disciplined for it.  He would be obedient for a while and then get in trouble again but he knew better than to disobey Sarah.

School started and Cappy was a very good student with proper behavior and good grades.

Some of the older boys were giving Etta problems, but as the days went by she noticed that one by one they were beginning to behave.

She also noticed that the ones who straighten out appeared to been injured with marks around their face and limping a bit. When she inquired about their condition they all said they were okay just been thrown by a horse.

She thought this was a bit unusual until she saw Cappy out behind the school house putting a beating on one of the worst of the lot.  

Her first thought was she should discipline Cappy but then she realized why the class was now behaving so nicely.

Mom knows best

Cappy was the one boy in class that had respected Etta from the beginning and she began to notice he was looking at her the way a man looks at a woman. While he always respected her she could feel a warmth inside when she caught him looking her over.

Then one day Cappy said, “The next dance was coming up and may I be your escort for the evening.”

This shocked her and she immediately said, “No.”

He stopped her as she turned away and said, ‘My folks will be with us all the time and nothing improper will occur.  We will go in the buggy which is the finest buggy in the countryside. You can sit next to my mother if you wish and I will sit next to my pa.”

She looked at him and saw that he was acting like a gentleman even though she could see it was killing him.  His eyes told her that he wanted to pounce on her.

It was a look she had seen many times before from other men but he was restraining himself in a proper manner.

She finally said, ‘Alright but only if his folks were with them.”

It was then that Cappy fully realized that this was the only way he would have a chance with her for she was determined to maintain the proper decorum between her position as teacher and him as one of her students.

On the night of the dance she rode in the back seat with Sarah and Cappy sat with Les in the front.

He didn’t want it to seem too obvious to everyone what his feelings were so he only danced with Etta a few times.

She could tell he was nigh unto being in love with her from the way he was looking at her and the feel of his hands when he held her while dancing.

Cappy was choosing his words carefully and she was doing the same but there were the unspoken words that spoke the loudest.

She didn’t care to admit it but she was wanting this man for her own.

After the dance Sarah said to Etta, “Would you mind if I sat up front with my man for we don’t get to ride with each other very much.”

Etta said, ‘No that would be alright,” as she smiled thinking Sarah doesn’t miss much. She knows what is happening between Cappy and me and doesn’t object to it.

On the ride home all bets were off and Cappy sat against Etta and held her hand tightly in his. They looked at each other in the dim light the lantern was putting out as it lit up the road.

He wanted to kiss her so much it hurt but restrained himself until the buggy hit a pot hole and threw him over on her. Their lips found their way to one another and remained there until Sarah said, “Are you two alright?  That pothole really shook the buggy.”

Cappy said, “We are fine,”  while wishing for another pothole in the road.

The rest of the way home the hand holding had become his arms around her and she relaxed herself against him.

Love is in the air

When they arrived at Etta’s house Cappy said, “I’ll see her safely in and just walk home afterwards.”

Les said, “We can wait…”

Sarah said, “I need to get home so let’s go Lester.”

A couple moments later Les said; “Oh I get it.”

As they stood on the porch he was holding her close and she said, “I know what is happening.”

He said, “Do you?”

She said, “Yes I do and I approve but if you stay in my class you must realize I am still the teacher and you are the pupil.”

He said, “I know and will act accordingly but I must be able to be near you sometime.”

She said, “We will work it out but you know how people will gossip.”

From that point on Cappy insisted that Etta eat at the main ranch house with the family.

The school year was almost over and plans for a wedding were in the air. One Saturday Cappy went to where Etta lived and brought two horses with him and told Etta they were going for a ride.

He said, “There is a cool breeze in the canyon and  we can cool off up there.”

She was all for it and said, “Let’s go.”

When they got to where Cappy wanted to go they removed the bit from the horses’ mouths and let them graze while they lazed around under some trees.

A skinny dip

After a while Cappy said, “I want to go swimming and cool off for it is warmer than I expected.”

They walked over to the river’s edge and he said, “Let’s go in.”

She said, “Fine except I don’t have a suit to put on.”

He said, ‘You don’t need one for we always swim without one,” as he stripped off naked.

She looked at him and said; “My aren’t you something,” which embarrassed him for a moment.

She removed her clothing except for her under clothes.

He said, ‘There is no need for you to get your bloomers wet.  I’ll look the other way if you’re bashful.”

With that he looked the other way and then shortly heard a splash behind him.

He swam over to her and hugged her to him.

After a few seconds she pushed him away and said, “Whoa that is way too close, as I don’t think you can control your manhood so don’t get so close.

Much to his delight she exposed most of herself while doing different strokes and diving under the water.

After an hour he said my skin is getting wrinkled so we better get out. He climbed up the river bank and extended his hand to her.

She said, “No I don’t think so.”

He said, “Why not I have seen it all while you were swimming so you might as well come on out and get dressed.”

She hesitated and then took his hand and came out of the water.

Then he said, ‘Well maybe I lied a bit for I didn’t see everything until now.”

She hit at him but missed.

He took his shirt and dried her off and she said, “Don’t get too close for you are getting a little excited.”

She put on her clothes while he dressed and they both laughed and blushed.

She asked, “Did you like what you saw?”

He didn’t say anything but took her in his arms and kissed her more passionately than he ever had.

After a few more kisses she pushed him away and said, “It doesn’t take much to get you excited so no more of this until the wedding night.”

To which he said, “It better be soon.”

 To be continued