"Grandpa Was A Hero"

Usual Disclaimer: Just taking our Friends out to play, will put them back when I'm finished.

PT.1

Crackling sounds were coming from the fireplace. Sitting in the chair looking into the flames, tugging on the shawl pulling it tighter around her shoulders, then her fingers ever so slightly run over the design of the roses and then down to the fringe. Remembering the very day he gave it to her as a gift after a long trip away from home.

Glancing slightly out the window, she noticed it had begun to snow.

Then a small voice, "Tell us again, Grandma, tell us again the story about how you and Grandpa came here. And how you saved all your friends in Dodge City. Tell us again how Grandpa was a hero."

She now turned to look at the four little faces beaming up at her. "Oh, my precious little ones. Yes, your grandpa is a hero. He was always my hero."

The small boy at her feet was now jumping up and down with excitement. "Again, again. Please? Tell us again."

"Oh, alright, James. I'll tell you all again. But then it's off to bed with you. OK?"

"Ok, James answered, "we promise."

Now the four small boys huddled closer around her feet, eyes wide, full attention hanging on ever word.

…..So she began…

"It seems our country was changing fast. Back east the city life was at hustle and bustle pace that most of the
west still wasn't used to. But more and more families were moving west to stake a claim, not only on land
but a new life or a new way of life.

For some it was to make their fortunes in gold. And for the others,well, it was the dream. The dream of land. The dream of the life they have only read about in a book or just the dream of the unknown. Something they could build, build to leave as a legacy to their children.

Whatever it was, they were willing to pack up and forsake all and travel night and day for that dream.

With many slaves being freed, they too were traveling west as well as traveling up from the south. With help in some places from a man named Benjamin "Pap" Singleton. He was known to have assisted freed slaves and their families up from the Texas area. Also 900 families from the Missouri area. All headed towards Kansas.

Now Kansas had changed quite a bit as well.

Dodge City, Kansas. Dodge. It had grown. Oh, twenty to thirty years ago it was a dirty little cow town. It was a thriving, growing, busy, very civilized place to live. Hotel's and restaurant's, a school, church, shops, etc... There was even talk of a new way to communicate. It was called a telephone and it was invented by a man named Alexander Graham Bell. They had them in Abilene, Kansas. So, it shouldn't have been long before they were in Dodge too.

My business was still doing well, although I really don't know how many more years I wanted to stay in it. That is something that we'd had to think about. A lot had changed. We'd gotten older. It seemed that we had all fell into a sort of easy pattern, so to speak.

Matt, at the Marshal's office was looking forward to retiring. I didn't think I'd ever see that day.

Young Thad found himself a bride and they started a family. They lived just outside of town about a mile or so.

Newly also found himself a bride and had a family, oh, and now the title of Dr. O'Brien.

Festus still liked to go fishing and tantalize Ol' Doc and make regular visits to see Abelia and her children, although he wouldn't admit. He was sweet on her.

And Doc, he retired but he was still around to give advice whether we wanted it or not. So, Dodge was just 'Good Ol' Dodge'

Ummmmmmmmm! Or so we thought, until …

TBC