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102 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

CHAPTER TWENTY

We all went down to the train station to see Gils’ new bride the day she arrived. Molly had

Gil get hold of some flowers and we stood behind him as the A.T&S.F. big black Engine huffed

its’ way on in. Claudia stepped of the railroad car and she was just as pretty as I remembered

her being.

“Carramba!” Gil Said, “Que mujer!” I translated for Joe and Molly but they could tell by

Gil’s expression that he was struck by her beauty same as the rest of us.

“Gee-Whiz! What a beautiful woman!”

They embraced but held their reserves out of respect of our party, as well as for themselves.

They had corresponded all this time and although they knew quite a bit about each other, they

had only seen one another the one time down in Mexico.

The group followed me to an address I’d found out about, it was the home of the Justice of

the Peace. They were married there with all of us in attendance. They sure made a nice couple.

I had paid for a room at the Raton Hotel for three nights and told Gil I was giving him a little

“Vacation”.

We all went to a restaurant for a nice meal and we rode back to Tamale Ridge and left the

newlyweds have their honeymoon.

When they came back to the ranch and after Gil had gotten Claudia’s’ plunder stowed in the

hayloft, where they’d be staying for a while, he came to see if I needed him to do anything. He

said was now ready for his Vacation. I’d told of my plans to build them a home on the place,

where they could live from now on. I thought they deserved it and I was glad to have these

folks here.

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