Louise must have drifted off because when she woke, she was in a big bed, with the black pup curled by her side, and sunlight was streaming into the room. Entering the kitchen she found Pauline singing as she cleaned up.

“Good morning, sunshine! Do you feel any better today?”

“Yes, but I don’t remember going upstairs.”

“We carried you. I guess the news was a little too much for you and with your travelin’, you just drifted right off.”

Remembering dinner, and the story of Kiley’s death, Louise’s face fell. “Do you know where the Malones are now? I need to find them.” It devastated her to think that she wasn’t there for Flynn when he needed her most.

“Arnie and I talked about that. We heard they’d gone out west, but we can’t be sure. He said he would try to find out for sure early this morning and come by.”

As if on cue, Arnie burst through the back door. “Denver! Your friends have gone to Denver! I asked Horace over at the livery and he said that’s where they went. They were going to raise sheep and get out of the city. Even their oldest boy, the doctor, he went too.”

“Are you sure, Arnie? I always knew Mr. Malone wanted to go to California, but never Denver.”

“Horace is positive. A letter came from them not more than a month ago with the final payment for the horses and wagon he sold them. They lost everything and Horace struck them a deal, feeling sorry for them and all.”

“Well then, that’s where I’m off to. Denver here I come.”

Pauline didn’t want to see the girl go so soon. “How will you get there? Must you leave right away?”

“I haven’t figured all that out yet, but I do need to get going soon. I’ve lost too much time already. I think I’ll go take a walk for a little while, think it through.” Excusing herself, Louise left through the back door and headed back into downtown St. Louis. Taking careful note of where Pauline’s house was, she found herself drawn to the toy shop again.

Looking into the burned out store, it saddened her to think that the Malones lost not only their daughter that night, but their dreams as well. What would Flynn say when he saw her? Would he be mad that she hadn’t written in so long? How would she explain her disappearance to him? She would have plenty of time to think about it. Without a horse or enough money for a stage ticket, it was a long walk to Denver. Maybe she could find work and earn some money? Her stomach lurched when she thought about how poorly working turned out the last time. Maybe the livery owner would strike her a deal like he did Mr. Malone.

Starting for the livery with a sense of purpose in her stride, she slowed when she realized she would have to walk past a busy saloon to get there. There were scantily clad ladies out front talking to their ‘guests’ and plenty of rough looking men just sitting about. She started to cross the street, to walk on the other side, when the first man called out to her. She tried to ignore his catcalls, but the others joined in with their lewd and suggestive comments and they started to scare her. When she saw a couple of the men leave the porch and start towards her was when the panic set in. Turning around and taking off in a flat-out run, she raced all the way back to Pauline’s without ever looking back to see if the men were behind her.

Reaching Pauline’s house with barely a breath left in her body, she was surprised when the door opened before she even reached the porch.

“What on earth! Louise, what is going on? You’re running like a wild herd is on your tail.”

Louise ran into Pauline’s embrace and clung to her in an effort to stop the shaking. Her voice muffled as she spoke with her face pressed into Pauline’s side, she tried to explain about the saloon and the men without telling about Wicks and St. Joe.

Taking the frightened girl inside the safety of the house, Pauline shooed several animals away so they could sit on the parlor sofa. “Louise, I’ve been around a lot longer than you and I think I have a pretty good idea about what happened before you got here.”

Louise cringed and turned away in shame.

“Now, you don’t have to tell me, but you have to know it’s not always like that. Not all men are animals and one day you will find a good man. One who will love you and appreciate you and what you do together will be beautiful and special. Do you understand what I’m talkin’ about?”

“Yes. Those men today just scared me, they never even got near me. I’ll be okay.”

“Well, I don’t doubt that you’ll be okay this time, but it’s the next time that I’m worried about, sugar. It’s hard enough travelin’ alone, but a woman travelin’ alone all the way to Denver is going to be very risky.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ll just stay away from the saloons.”

“Sweetie, it’s not just the saloons, it could happen anywhere. I have an idea and I know you’re not gonna like it, but it just may save your life so you can make it to Denver in one piece. Want to try it?”

“I’ll do anything to get there.” Louise was determined to go to Denver and find Flynn,

“Well then, let’s go upstairs and open ‘Pauline’s Bag of Tricks’!

Opening the front door to Pauline’s house, Arnie stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted the young boy in the hallway. He did a double take and stepped back out on the porch to make sure he had the right house. Confident he was in the right place Arnie walked back in and approached the boy.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The answer came in a low, defiant voice. “I’m a guest here.”

The boy kept staring and Arnie was beginning to feel uncomfortable. “Where are Pauline and Louise? Who invited you?”

“You did.”

“I did no such thing! You get out now, young man!” Arnie began to push the boy towards the door and Pauline couldn’t take it anymore. Emerging from her hiding place in the parlor she tried desperately to control her laughter. The unwanted guest suddenly burst into laughter along with her and it was only then that Arnie caught on.

“Louise! What have you done?”

“It’s just Lou now, Arnie. It was Pauline’s idea, but I let her. It’s the right thing to do. I can’t travel all the way to Denver by myself, as a girl, or work either.”

Arnie was sad to see the changes in the pretty little girl he was growing so fond of. However, he understood the necessity of her transformation. “Well Lou, you make a mighty fine boy. I certainly didn’t know it was you.”

“Arnie, you need your spectacles fixed and you know it,” laughed Pauline. She looks good, but we haven’t finished yet. Some of it we waited for you to help us with. She needs practice walkin’ and talkin’ like a boy.”

“How did you two do this?” Arnie could only shake his head as he circled Louise.

Lou removed her hat and placed it on the newel post. “Pauline pulled out her ‘Bag of Tricks’ and well, she gave me some of your old pants and stuff and now I’m just Lou.”

“Well Pauline,” said Arnie while he turned to look at her. “I guess it was a good idea keeping all that stuff from your theater days. Sure came in handy.”

“Sure did. I had the hat, the vest, and the spectacles too. I gave Louise a pair of your old trousers and that coat that’s been around since your brother’s last visit.”

“Well, he won’t miss it. Louise, what did you do about all your long hair?” Arnie realized he could finally see her whole face.

Lou reached up and felt her freshly shorn locks. “We went to the wig maker and I sold it.” It had been the hardest part of the transformation. Her long, flowing hair had been her favorite thing about herself, but it had to go. She had let the wig maker cut off fourteen inches. Pauline made the final cut to the boyish style so as not to make the wig maker suspicious. “I’m gonna use the money to buy me a horse of my own.”

Pauline and Arnie exchanged a quick look and Lou could tell they were up to something.

Pauline took Lou’s hand and started pulling her to the barn out back. “We’ve been meanin’ to talk to you about that, sugar. Oops! I guess I shouldn’t say that anymore.” Pauline looked back over her shoulder at Lou with a big smile. “It seems you might be able to repay me after all.”

Once at the barn, Lou was led inside to one of the three occupied stalls. She recognized the other two horses as Pauline and Arnie’s horses, but she’d never seen the beautiful black horse standing before her. As if sensing he had an audience the horse appeared to pull himself up taller.

“This here is Lightning. I named him that because he was born in the worst lightning storm I ever saw.” Pauline reached into the stall and gave the horse a sugar cube. “His mama was a horse that was injured and somehow she got passed along to me. Nobody knew she was about to foal, but that night Lightning here was born. The mama didn’t make it and I raised Lightning myself, just like a baby. He’s still not as strong as other horses and needs someone who can ride him regularly. Seein’ as I walk almost everywhere I go, I hardly even ride Lolly over there. You would be doing me a big favor if you would take Lightning rather than buying a new horse.”

“Pauline, I can’t! My taking your horse is not repaying you. It’s just taking another favor.”

“Lou, that’s not true. Lightning needs the exercise. He’s a good horse, but he’s rough around the edges. I can’t ride him and I can’t bear to sell him, so you taking him would be doin’ me a favor.”

Lou looked to Arnie for help, but he just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. “Thanks for nothing, Arnie.” Turning back to look at the horse, Lou spoke softly. “Are you sure, Pauline? This don’t seem right.”

Opening the door to Lightning’s stall so she could introduce the two, Pauline nodded her head. “It’s the least I could do, Lou. In just this short time you have grown dear to me. You’ve made me feel like a real mother and I want to thank you for that.”

Lou gave her benefactress a hug and then entered the stall. Slowly running her hands over the gelding, she immediately started to bond with the animal. The horse, sensing Louise knew how to care for his kind, nickered and became playful. Arnie and Pauline joined hands and watched their “children” form a friendship.

“I always wondered how you got Lightning. He turned out to be a fine horse.”

Lou looked over at her black horse standing beside Kid’s paint mare. “Not as exciting as how you won Katy, but he was all mine and that meant the world to me.”

Kid watched from the far side of the fire as Lou kept her legs tucked inside her long skirt and pulled her knees up to her chest. He saw her wrap her arms around her knees then to warm her self. Darkness had settled on the clearing and the night air had a definite chill. He wanted to go to her and sit with her for both warmth and comfort, but she still seemed lost in her story. They were getting so close to the answers he wanted that he didn’t want to do anything that would upset the delicate situation.

“Pauline and Arnie sound like quite a pair of characters. I don’t know if I ever meant anyone like them before.”

“I ain’t met anybody like them since. They were wonderful to me. I stayed on for about another month. Arnie wanted to make sure I healed up and I think he wanted to make sure of a few other things as well.”

“Other things?”

“Well, medically. You know, that Wicks hadn’t gotten me pregnant or hurt my insides or nothing.”

“Lou! He told you that?”

“No, Kid! But I’m not ignorant you know. You’re always worrying about a baby, why shouldn’t a doctor?”

This night just kept getting worse. Now Kid couldn’t get the vision of Wicks out of his mind again. “You are okay, aren’t you, Lou?”

“You mean, can I have babies? Arnie didn’t say I couldn’t. I think you and me just got lucky is all.” Lou wondered if the relief that crossed Kid’s face was because of their luck or because children were still in her future. “Arnie also helped me learn to walk more like a boy and how to talk with my voice low. Pauline taught me some of her acting tips so I would know how to act and react like a boy instead of a girl.”

“You did a pretty good job of fooling people, Lou. Heck, you still do.”

“Pauline and Arnie taught me well. They probably saved my life, but now I think most people just choose not to say anything. Back then I looked a lot like I did when I got to Sweetwater. My hair was real short and I kept my hat low and my nose clean. The less trouble the better.”

“From there you headed to Denver? I guess you found the Malones.”

Lou tilted her head and rested it on her knees. She looked across the fire and watched Kid through the flames. He was still there and listening to her, which she took as a good sign, but they were nearing the end of the journey and she sensed the last few miles would hurt them both the most. The more she relived her past, the more she realized it was exactly that – her past. Her future was sitting only a few feet away. And yet, it was a chasm so wide, she didn’t know if she could cross it. She didn’t want to lose him, but knew the next few hours would determine her fate.

“Well, I took my time leaving Pauline and Arnie, but finally I knew I had to move on. I think they would’ve let me stay with them forever and a part of me wanted to, if only to have a family again, but we all knew I needed to go. I had to find Flynn and I wanted to start making my way so I could get Teresa and Jeremiah. I rode out of St. Louis with all the intentions of heading straight to Denver, but I got nervous.”

“About what? It sounds like Flynn loved you, Lou.” It pained Kid to actually say it out loud.

“Think about it, Kid. How would you react if your best friend disappears for over a year, wasn’t there to help you through one of the worst times in your life and then just shows up? You’d be mad and angry and spitting fire, just like I figured he would. So I just took my time and worked my way to Denver.”

“Worked your way?”

“Yeah. I rode for a while, then stopped and picked up work doing whatever I could. I was trying to get my money saved, but instead I ended up taking five months to get to Denver.”

“Five months! Lou, that’s six months after you left St. Joe. Didn’t you think that might make it worse?”

Like I need you tellin’ me that now! Of course I knew it was worse than anything else I could’ve done, but to my fourteen year old mind it made sense. Once I got to Denver I started asking around about the Malone’s ranch and found out they were about 10 miles east of the city at a ranch called The Double K. I later found out the two K’s stood for Kiley of Kerry. Kerry was their home in Ireland and they named their ranch for Kiley. Actually, Mr. Malone bought the spread and the herd from a friend from Ireland who was going back so it was already an established ranch and he just changed the name. It was mostly sheep, but they had some cattle.”

“So you headed out for the big reunion?” Kid couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

“Not exactly…”

~*~*~*~*~

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five

Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven Chapter TwelveChapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen Epilogue


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The Storybook

The Kidnation