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  Marie helped their mother down just as the whistle blew.

  "Quick, where is your luggage?" Cora looked at her family. Samuel was carrying a small trunk and that was the only luggage she could see. "Don't you have any more bags?" She looked at her mother who shook her head. "Mama, it is so good to see you," she grabbed her mother and hugged her tight, both of them shedding tears of joy as the four children looked on.

  Marie was still uncertain of the reception they would receive and she braced herself for any recriminations from Cora. After all, they had lived with criticisms and precious little else for all of their brief lives.

  "Come here Marie, look at how big and beautiful you are," Cora hugged them in turn and then linked her arm with her mother's. "It is so good to see all of you. Did you have a pleasant journey?" That was the opening that her brothers were waiting for and they were soon regaling her with stories of their journey as Rita looked on.

  Cora was obviously very happy to see them all and Rita's heart finally settled where it belonged. She nodded at Marie who flashed a wide smile at her. Cora looked very healthy and happy and Rita was glad that her daughter had refused to give in to despair and resign herself to a life of poverty back in Boston.

  Cora wanted to cry when she saw the run down condition of her family, especially her mother. Rita looked so tired and weary but there was a spark of something in her eyes. Maybe everything would work out.

  Their clothes were threadbare though and Cora knew that if her mother took off her thick jacket, her ribs would probably stick out. Her face was thinner than Cora remembered and she wondered if her mother was mourning her father. She doubted it, but then she'd learned anything was possible.

  "I prayed that I would see you all again," Cora ruffled her brothers' hair and Luke grinned at her. "My heart is so glad that you are all here." She looked at Joanna, who looked a lot like their father. She would grow up to be a very beautiful woman someday. "Joanna don't you look pretty." One thing she quickly noticed was that none of the children or her mother seemed to be in mourning and they did not mention their dead father. She decided on the spot she would not ask about him until they raised the matter themselves.

  "Cora, where is your horse?" Samuel looked around at the quickly emptying station. The train was pulling out and many of the travelers had already left. "Mama told us that you catch horses and sell them."

  "Yes I do," she touched the tip of his nose gently. "And you know what, you and Luke will help Richard and I as we catch the horses." The two boys gave delighted cries, waving their hands in the air. "We need to pass by the mercantile because I need to get some supplies for your house."

  "Our house?" Marie turned an excited face to her mother. "Mama did you hear that, we have our own house. Is it far from yours Cora?"

  Cora laughed. "Don't be worried, you are my neighbors. You will love your new house because it is bigger and brighter than the one in Boston could ever hope to be. Besides that, you all have your own beds. I was building the house for myself on the land that Richard West gave me, but now that I am married I live with my husband of course, so my new house is for all of you."

  Rita had tears beginning to form in her eyes but Cora knew they were tears of happiness and likely relief that the hard years were finally at an end. Their steps took them to Robin's store and Cora pushed the door inwards and immediately sneezed.

  The air was filled with dust and she almost groaned in dismay. It was worse than she thought but they were in here now and there was nothing she could do about it. The shelves were almost bare and she sighed, remembering back a few months ago when Sarah was still alive and the shelves were always packed with a variety of goods.

  "Mr. Robin, are you there?" She motioned for the others to wait as she walked towards the back. "Mr. Robin, where are you?"

  Robin winced. He liked Jeremy Paine's new wife but the woman was loud and chatted a lot. All he wanted was to be left alone but now that his peace and quiet had been shattered he got up from his chair in the kitchen at the back of the store and trudged to the front.

  "You were not in the store and the door was opened," Cora looked at him with a slight frown on her face. "Aren't you afraid that someone will rob you?"

  "What is there to steal Mrs. Paine?"

  Cora shook her head. "This is my ma Rita O'Malley and my sisters Marie and Joanna, and my two brothers Samuel and Luke. They have just arrived on the train from Boston and I need to get a few things for them."

  "Go ahead and pick whatever you want," Robin waved his hand. The faster she finished the sooner they would leave his store. It was only mid afternoon but he decided that once Cora Paine and her visitors had left he would lock up for the day.

  Then he turned and found himself staring at the greenest eyes he had ever seen. They were observing him with compassion and he felt himself blush a little.

  He hated looking at people because all he saw was pity in their eyes, but this woman seemed to be a kindred spirit. There was sorrow in her eyes and it was as though she understood whatever he was going through.

  Rita in turn saw a very sad man, one who looked like he had given up on life, going through the motions and nothing else. She knew what that felt like. Without seeming to, she took in the state of the store and was troubled that someone who looked fit and strong like Robin should leave his store in such a state.

  Or perhaps he was a drunkard who preferred his drink to taking care of what was important; she should know, having lived with a drunk for twenty two years.

  He looked like he hadn't shaved or taken a bath in a long time and she shuddered inwardly as she tried to picture the state of his house. Her face however, was expressionless as she watched her children moving cautiously along the aisles as they followed Cora, picking up things and putting them in the basket that was used for the purpose of shopping.

  "Mr. Robin," Cora motioned for Marie to carry a roll of material to the counter. "We'll be needing a few yards of cloth. Would you measure it out for me please?"

  Robin shook his head helplessly. "I have never done it," he blinked rapidly and Cora knew he was thinking about his wife.

  "I wish Annie had come with us," Cora tried to steer the conversation away from what was evidently a painful subject. "She is the one who knows what to do with yards and yards of cloth. I have no idea." They looked at each other helplessly.

  "Perhaps if Mr. Robin will fetch me a pair of scissors I can be of assistance," Rita broke into the silence. Robin nodded and went to the back room to fetch the scissors.

  Rita soon measured the quantities that Cora directed and cut them, folding everything neatly and asking Marie to return the remaining roll back to the shelf.

  "Thank you very much," Robin found himself smiling at the serene looking woman. It was hard to believe that this was Cora Paine's mother. She looked like a very peaceable creature, unlike her overly active daughter, though they shared the same hair color and eyes.

  "Thank you Mr. Robin," Cora handed him some wads of cash and Rita's eyes widened in surprise. She had never seen her daughter with so much money. Life in Tipton must be good for her daughter if she was able to make purchases like this without blinking.

  The boys had been fitted with cowboy boots and hats which they insisted on wearing with their shabby clothes. The girls had new buckled shoes, new undergarments and small reticules which they giggled over.

  Cora had also picked flour, rice, cooking oil as well as toiletries and other household supplies.

  "Here is your change Mrs. Paine," Robin seemed to have come to life and Cora was smiling as she led her family out to Richard's large buggy after thanking Robin for his service.

  "Now it's time for us all to go home. I can see that you're all tired from the long journey." She made sure everyone was comfortably seated before pulling on the reins and the horse started out for home.

  ~#~#~#~

  Robin moved to the window of his store to watch as Cora drove her family home.
He felt a little lighter and wondered why everything seemed as though it would be alright, after months of gloom. He could not believe that a woman existed who was not chatty and had a very peaceful countenance, however he was glad to have met such a one.

  Rita O'Malley's presence had soothed him, and he smiled when he thought about the way she had taken over and measured the yards of cloth accurately but without the need to chat to him like many of his other customers did. She did her work meticulously and with full concentration and he wondered at her sorrow. He would ask Richard about the quiet woman when he next came into the store.

  When the buggy was out of sight he turned around to survey his store and groaned. It looked terrible and he felt ashamed that he had let things slide so badly. Sarah would be so sad to see the state of the store she had been so proud of, and picking up a dusting cloth he got down to work. In fact, it was the first time since Sarah had passed that he noticed anything about the store at all.

  As he dusted and rearranged the goods on the shelves he noticed the large gaps. There were so many items missing, no wonder he got very few customers coming by. Not that he'd wanted anyone coming into the store at all. For months all he'd wanted was his own company, miserable as it was, but today was different.

  Locking the door securely, he started on a much needed inventory and once he started, couldn't stop. Without really noticing, he worked late into the night, but his heart was lighter when he went to bed that night. Sarah was no doubt smiling now, and he hoped she would be happy with the way the store looked again. As he fell into the first decent sleep he'd enjoyed in months, he found himself hoping that Sarah would like the shelves when they were fully restocked and that Cora Paine's mother would stop by again.

  ~#~#~#~

  Chapter Four

  Rita could not believe the warm and cordial welcome she received from Cora's dearest friends, the Wests. They were definitely a well to do couple but their delight at seeing her and her children was genuine. She was nothing if not stunned.

  "These folk in the west have very strange ways," she thought. None of the affluent people that she knew in Boston would have ever welcomed them in this way. Although it was a new experience for her, Rita welcomed it with an open heart.

  She also hoped she was up to learning the many new things that of necessity, she would be exposed to. Then again, the children would no doubt help her, being young and receptive to new ways.

  They were taken into a large well furnished living room, made to sit down and rest for a while as cool orangeade and warm cookies were served to them. Rita felt guilty at being waited on because it had never happened to her, and also the fact that it was the lady of the house who saw to their every need. She hoped her surprise wasn't too obviously showing on her face.

  When they had rested a while Richard called Samuel and Luke and left the house with them.

  "Mrs. O'Malley, please make yourself quite at home and I must tell you it is a real blessing to have you all here."

  "Thank you," Rita smiled at her hostess. "It is wonderful to be out here in God's country."

  When Annie looked at Rita she saw a tired woman who seemed to have carried a heavy burden all her life. She had sad eyes and was thin, too thin and she decided right away that she would feed up Rita and her family until they were the perfect image of health. Rita saw a kind and gentle woman with a genuine smile and silently thanked God that her daughter Cora had made such a caring friend..

  "Isn't he delightful mama?" Marie squeaked in joy, watching the little boy who had walked into the room and was staring at the visitors curiously. He gave them a wide toothy grin even as his mother laughed softly.

  "This is Alex, our son," there was motherly pride quite evident in her voice. "He has just turned one but as you can see, he is already up on his feet and walking wherever he wants to go."

  Joanna turned excited eyes to Annie. "May we please hold him? Can we carry him Mrs. West?"

  "Sure you can, but please understand that he loves playing on the ground a lot. You would do better to go out on the porch to play with him. Don't worry because it goes all the way around the house, so you should be alright."

  Marie lifted Alex who giggled in delight and the three children went out of the room.

  "Mama, I am so happy that you are here and that you decided to bring the children with you," Cora rested her head on her mother's shoulder. "When I sent you the transport money, I was hoping that you would bring the children, but my fear was that George and the others would not allow them to come."

  "To tell you the truth Cora, Marie and I were afraid that we would be imposing on you by coming," Rita said softly. "I could not leave my youngest ones behind," she shook her head. "There is still hope for Samuel and Luke, unlike your other brothers who have chosen to go down a dark path after your father."

  "Mama, you will all be very happy here, I promise. Don't think about it anymore and leave the past firmly where it belongs, back in Boston. I know it will be hard to make the adjustments, but please believe me when I say that life out here is one you can honestly look forward to. Annie and I will help you settle in."

  ~#~#~#~

  Richard looked at the young boys who had accompanied him around the farm. He could see they were excited at being outdoors and on a very large farm.

  "Have you ever been on a farm before?"

  "No Mr. West," Samuel answered for the both of them. "Luke and I liked to walk around the farms in Boston but we were never welcomed on any of them." He surreptitiously failed to mention that venturing onto farmland back around Boston was generally made in search of food.

  "I hope you will enjoy staying out here. Were you going to school back East?"

  "Yes sir," Samuel answered as Luke nodded. "But we were always hungry."

  "There is plenty of food here as you can see and you will never be hungry again." He showed them the granary which was filled with wheat and corn after which he took them to the kitchen garden where there was a large variety of vegetables growing. They also visited the barn where they saw so many chickens that Luke's eyes widened in surprise.

  "As you can see, we also have many chickens and there are a lot of eggs but my main interest is with the cows. One day I'll be supplying milk to all of Tipton but in the meantime, there is plenty of milk for two young boys to drink as much as they want and Mrs. Annie likes to bake. So there is no shortage of food and you will have as much to eat as you want."

  "Thank you mister," Samuel said. "Will we go to school?"

  "Yes, I know your sister and Mrs. Annie will make sure of that. However, I need help with the animals so if you want to help me when you come home from school I will be happy, and of course I will pay you for your work. Then again, seeing as the cows need milking morning and evening, I'd like some help before school as well. That's how the chores pan out in this part of the world."

  "We would like that." Richard noticed that Samuel was the spokesman and his brother followed his every lead. "Will we sleep in the barn with the animals?" Samuel could not conceive that he and his brother would be housed anywhere else.

  Richard threw his head back and laughed loudly and the two boys grinned at him. "Your sister built you a beautiful house. The two of you have a room to share and you I'm sure you'll be happy there."

  "Luke and I have never had a room to ourselves," Samuel admitted. "Our three brothers always shared the room with us and it was small and very crowded."

  Richard nodded in understanding. "Well out here you'll find there are a lot of differences between your life out here and the old one back in Boston. Come on, let me show you something else." He led the way to a vast open field and stretched out his hand.

  "Do you see all this land?" They nodded. "My land right now amounts to one hundred and sixty acres. Now you may not understand all that right now but in a few years time you will. The government has given me another one hundred and sixty acre land grant so that I can grow trees that are needed for lumbe
r and firewood. Do you think you will be able to help me with the new farm too?"

  The two boys nodded.

  "Good. I know that it is going to be hard work but I have some other men who help me out. Who knows, if you take to the life out here, when you're eighteen you can apply for land grants of your own. So if you work hard now, you'll know what to do when the time comes."

  "Sir," Samuel again; "We worked hard at home and sometimes we went to the river and caught fish for mama to cook. Then we went to the woods and caught some small animals for our dinner."

  "That's a good start then. You look like hardworking boys to me and in a few years you'll grow up and make your mama proud." Praise was rare for the two boys and they beamed. Richard's heart was touched and he was glad that Cora had decided to bring her family out here. She had expressed concern about her three older brothers who were causing their mother a lot of trouble with their drinking and irresponsible behavior and he had prayed that they would not take it into their minds to come out here.

  Behavior like that they could all do without and besides, it sounded as though they were too lazy to do a lick of work anyway. There was hope for these young ones and he would be their mentor and help them in every way he could.

  Samuel could not believe that they were here in this beautiful place. He loved being outdoors but Boston was too crowded and going out to the fields was like asking for trouble because the rich people were always suspicious of anyone lurking around their farms.

  They thought poor folk were always out to steal their eggs or chickens. Now he and Luke had all the farm area they needed, vast space and he could see that there were a lot of trees on the farm. No doubt there was plenty of game to hunt. He turned to Richard. "Mr. West, is there a river on this land?"

  "Yes there is, it is a little distance away but tomorrow when you are well rested I will take you down there and I'll also start teaching you how to ride horses."