Heroine Interview from Sheriff’s Surrender

This week I’m hosting Susan Page Davis with Sheriff’s Surrender and Shirley Connolly with I See God in the Thorns~n~Thistles. If you want to enter the drawing for the book, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (Dec. 13th) evening.

Interview with the heroine from Sheriff’s Surrender:

1. Gertrude Dooley, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I suppose it’s that I keep house for my brother, the gunsmith, in Fergus, Idaho. I came ten years ago, when I was sixteen. Hiram and his wife, Violet were expecting their first baby. I figured I could help Violet with the housework and see something outside New England. But by the time I got here, Violet and the baby both had died. My poor brother was devastated. I’ve stuck with him ever since.

2. What do you do for fun?

I like to shoot. Hiram fixes people’s guns, and I test them before the owners get them back. I started doing it when I first arrived. Seemed like people were bringing Hiram more work than he could handle, to keep his mind off Violet’s passing. So I did the test firing to help him out, and I found that I was good at it. Lately, I’ve been sharing my skill with other women, and we have a good time shooting at slips of cloth or old cans.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Darning my brother’s socks. I usually save that for Sunday afternoons, when I can’t do much of anything anyway.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m not very fearful, but a lot of the women in Fergus are scared right now. There’s a murderer running loose. Sometimes he pilfers things—food, coins, even safety pins. He killed the old sheriff. I surely don’t like to think he might kill someone else. So I’m teaching all the women who want to learn how to shoot. Their men don’t like it much, but it helps the ladies feel safer.

5. What do you want out of life?

Sometimes I think about having a family of my own, but that’s not likely to happen. Mostly, I just want to make a quiet, peaceful home for Hiram. Once in a while, especially when Ethan Chapman’s in town, I get a kind of yearning, but I would never be disloyal to my brother.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

Besides Hiram? Well, I guess integrity would be the thing. I see hypocrites in this town, like the man who bought the ranch my brother wanted when he already had more land than he could use. He may be rich, but the name Cyrus Fennel isn’t one most people like to hear. On the other hand, if someone mentioned my brother’s name, they’d all smile and say what a nice man Hiram is.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

We don’t have a lot of books. Hiram and I don’t even have a Bible. I came here on a stagecoach, and I had to travel light. I kind of wish we had one. I feel as though we’re lacking something. Libby Adams, over at the Paragon Emporium, has a lot of books. Once in a while, I borrow one from her. Maybe someday we’ll get a preacher here in Fergus and have church services and everything. And if Hiram makes enough money, maybe someday we’ll buy a Bible.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I know it’s vain, but I’d be prettier. I’m as plain as a post. I can’t help thinking maybe Ethan would notice me if I were a little more comely.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I’ve got this little dun mare named Crinkles. She’s getting kind of old, but she’s a good horse. I’ve had her since I came out here—Hiram got her for me.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I like 1885, thank you. Why would anyone want to go back to the times when they didn’t have telegraphs or trains or store-bought clothes? Although it might be interesting to see this town in its boom days, when people were looking for gold and all the buildings that are vacant now had folks living in them or businesses operating.