Tuesday
Claire, Ben and George are at the Mercantile while Ethan takes Joseph to get the smoked meat. They plan to pick up the meat at the Anderson's and come back to town for Claire and the boys.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Axelrod. " Claire calls out entering the store.
Coming out from behind the counter, Mr. Axelrod greets her. "Claire? My goodness you sure have grown up in the last three months! I don't think I would have known you until you spoke. It's good to know you're back home. What can I help you with today?"
Before she can answer George says " Claire! Look! A train set with real wheels that turn and it says on the box you can make steam come out the top of the engine! It has tracks to lay out too! Oh! I want it! Get it!" he demands pulling on her dress.
"GEORGE! Stop pulling on me! Now you know better than to demand something. You need to remember your manners young man! No, I can't buy that train. Maybe if you behave really well, Santa will bring one to you."
Hearing this Ben snorts "Huh! Santa! Santa is for little babies! I'm no baby and I don't believe in Santa anymore."
"Ben, you better hush that kind of talk or you won't have any presents from Santa! " George tells him.
"Claire, come on over here. Look at the new soda fountain. Mr. Axelrod has taught me to make sodas. Can I make you one?" Ben asks.
"Not now Ben. I have so much shopping to get done and then we have to get home so I can start cooking. Come on, I'm going to need you to carry things out front for me. We're going to put it all on the porch until Uncle Ethan brings the wagon."
Disappointed he can't show his big sister what he can do Ben walks off towards the front of the store.
After gathering up several spice tins, four sacks of flour, two large sacks of white sugar and two of brown sugar as well as two pumpkins Claire stops. Looking around she doesn't see either one of her brothers. She calls out "Ben? George? Come up here to me please." Neither boy appears.
"Mr. Axelrod? Have you seen the boys? They were just here but I can't find them."
"I think they went out front, Claire. Let me check for you." Walking to the front door he sees both of the younger boys playing on the swing in the schoolyard down the street. "I see them. They're down at the school playing on the swing. Oh, Ethan has just stopped the wagon by the schoolyard and the boys are with him now."
In a few minutes the wagon is stopping by the mercantile. Joseph hops down and comes inside. "We're here Claire. Are you finished with your shopping yet? We need to get this meat home soon.
"I'm almost finished Joseph. The boys ran off and didn't stay like I told them to. I told them to help me. I need to get the bushel of apples and a half a bushel of corn too. Will you get those for me?"
"Sure, I'll go get that and come back to load the sacks. Uncle Ethan asked the boys if you told them they could leave the store and they said you did. You have to tell him what they did. You can't be a softie Claire!" Joseph says seeing the look on her face. "They'll never listen to you again if you let them get by with this. You know that!"
"I know, I'll tell him. They're going to get punished though and I hate that."
"Mr. Axelrod? Please put the train set on hold for me. I have some money saved up and I'll bring it back next time I come without the boys. It will be their Christmas gift from me."
"I'll do that Claire. I'll put it in the back storage room so no one can touch it. I'll order another one for the table. If you wait a week before the boys come back in they won't even know it's not the one they saw."
At the ranch
"Ben, George come down here, please." Ethan calls up to the boys in the treehouse. Reaching the ground the boys can see the angry look on his face. Both know they are in trouble.
"Come with me into the house, Claire has something to say to you."
"Ben, George, you told a lie today didn't you?" Claire asks her young brothers as they squirm on the bench. Both boys know telling a lie would mean getting a whipping.
"No Claire, we didn't lie." Ben answers.
Ethan says sternly "BEN! You told me Claire gave you permission to leave the store. Claire says she didn't. Now tell me the truth!"
"Claire said we were going to take things out on the porch to wait for the wagon so George and I went out to wait for the wagon like she said. We waited a long time and then when she never did come out we went down to play on the swing. We were watching the store and if she came out we were going to go back to help." Ben explains.
Ethan looks over at Claire and asks "Is this the truth Claire or is he making up a story?"
"I did tell them we were going to wait out front for the wagon but I also said I needed them to carry things out front. When I was ready for their help they had disappeared."
Tearing up, Ben says "Pa, I didn't lie, honest! We heard her say she was going to take things out front to wait for the wagon so we went out there to wait for her to bring something out. She never did so we went to play for a little while."
"All right Ben, George. I think we just have a misunderstanding here. What Claire needed the two of you to do is to wait inside and help her carry things to the porch. You didn't quite get the message right. Boys, because you didn't help at the store, both of you will stay inside this afternoon and help Claire."
"Is that all right with you Claire?"
"Yes sir, that's fine. I'm sure I can find all kinds of jobs for them to do."
Later that afternoon
Trying to bake with two young boys underfoot was proving to be a trying experience for Claire. She sure didn't remember Ben and George being as clumsy as they seemed to be today. So far they had dropped one of her newly made pie crusts in a pie pan as they brought it to her from the counter. Ben had knocked the sack of sugar over spilling some of it onto the floor. George had dropped the two eggs she asked him to crack in a bowl on the floor before they went into the bowl. Ben dropped the open tin of cinnamon into the apple mixture causing her to have to wash off the excess cinnamon and then later when she asked him to hand her the cinnamon he brought the pepper instead. Luckily she read the label before using it.
"Ben and George, I need a sack of white flour. Please bring one from the side porch. Joseph hasn't brought all of the supplies inside yet. "
"Sure Claire."
Hearing the side door open, Claire turns to see Ben and George playing toss the bag back and forth as they walk inside. Watching she sees Ben miss just as he gets to the kitchen. The bag hits the floor and bursts. Seconds later the boys, the kitchen and Claire are covered in white flour. Claire is too astonished to say anything.
When Joseph comes in a minute later with the rest of the supplies he can't help but laugh. The boys are completely covered from their hair to their feet in white flour. Leaning against the table he tries to get control of himself. He can see his sister isn't amused. In fact she looks ready to cry.
"It's okay Claire, I'll help you clean all of this up."
"No Joseph, it isn't okay. We only bought just enough flour, with one bag broken I'm not going to have enough."
"I can go get more. I'll just ask Uncle Ethan."
"Ask me what Joseph? My word what happened in here? Did we have a snowstorm in the house?" Ethan asks coming into the kitchen.
"The boys were playing ball with the bag of flour and when they dropped it this is what happened. They are very clumsy. They've dropped eggs on the floor, spilled the sugar, dropped the tin of cinnamon into the apples, dropped a pie pan with a new crust in it, and now this. I don't remember them being this clumsy." Claire tells him.
Then seeing their downcast eyes and Ben biting his lip she realizes they did this intentionally. Ethan has reached the same conclusion. With eyes snapping and voice very stern he says "Ben, George you are to come with me to the barn! We're going to have a discussion about this. Afterwards, you're both going to have a bath, put on your nightshirts and go to bed until suppertime. You will not leave your room tonight. Your supper will be brought to you. Do you have any questions?"
Both boys answer quickly "No Sir."
"Then apologize to your sister for causing all of the trouble! We both know you did this deliberately! Do it now." Ethan says his voice deadly quiet.
"I'm very sorry Claire." Ben says blinking back tears. He's well aware the upcoming trip to the barn is not going to be pleasant.
"I am sorry for acting up Claire. I'll be better and help you right tomorrow. Do you forgive me?" George asks.
"I will eventually, George. I'm just too angry to do it now. Uncle Ethan's waiting, go with him." Watching George walk slowly to her Uncle, part of her wants to ask Uncle Ethan to let it go and not punish the boys but the rest of her is too angry to do that.
Wednesday
Once again Claire has two young helpers in the kitchen. This time they are actually helping. "Good job mashing up the bread crumbs, George! We'll be ready to add the rest of the ingredients to make the stuffing tomorrow morning. Ben, you're pie crust making is so good! Just look how well you draped it over the pie plate. Now, George you pour in the apple mixture so we can put the rest of the crust on top."
"How is everything going with the two young assistants Claire?" Ethan asks coming in from town.
"Very well, they have done a wonderful job this morning. The only thing is neither one will sit down. They've stood up all morning. That seems a little unusual." Claire answers eyes sparkling.
"I predict they will be fine by suppertime tonight. Just give it a little more time." Ethan tells her.
Paradise Mine: Later That Night
"Silly fools think they can board up the place and stop me. I can get through that in no time. I'm ready to get this job finished. It's taking too long! Tonight's going to be it! After this the stupid little mine is going to be blown sky high! It's a shame I'll have to take out some people with it! Ahh and tomorrow being Thanksgiving too, what a shame!" The man smiles to himself as he pulls the boards away from the entrance.
Now, I'll just string up this dynamite and then put the bottles of nitroglycerin in with it. When it blows it'll be better than the Fourth of July in Denver! Whoever steps on the bar at the entrance will ignite the fuse and then …." He rubs his hands gleefully.
Unknown to him, he is being watched by three marshals. Two on each side of the mine entrance and one back in the woods. The two at the entrance have heard his plans. Just as he sets the bottles in place and walks back towards the entrance, the two marshals enter the mine guns drawn.
"STOP! LIE DOWN ON YOUR STOMACH NOW! " The commands ring out in the mine. "You sir are under arrest by United States Marshals. We will escort you to Denver to be held for trial on the charges of attempted murder, endangering the welfare of federal employees, kidnapping and property damage.
The man drops with his hands out in front of him. As he feels his hands pulled behind him, he knows the game is now over. He has lost. But, maybe not, the dynamite and nitroglycerin are still down there in the shaft. It would not take much to set off the nitroglycerin. Perhaps his plan will come through after all!
Thanksgiving Day
The table is ready, the food is cooked, the boys and Uncle Ethan are dressed in their best clothes. Claire takes one last look in the mirror before she leaves her room.
Yes, this is going to be a great Thanksgiving! She thinks checking her dress and hair. With my new hairstyle and more stylish dress, I could easily be taken for someone eighteen or nineteen! I just hope Mitch notices how much more grown up I am now. Surely he will! I'll even speak some French and see if he notices. He said once he knew French. I only hope Uncle Ethan makes the boys behave at the table. It would be so embarrassing to have Ben or George act up today. Then there's the mystery guest. Who could it be? Someone from town maybe? It could be Dr. Amy or Mr. Axelrod since neither of them has family in town.
As she is lost in thought she hears Ben call out "Pa! A buggy just pulled up in the yard. Joseph, you have to come look at these horses! They're beautiful! I don't remember anyone in Paradise having a horse buggy or a set of horses like that. Who could it be?"
At a knock on the front door, Ethan comes out of his room. "Well Ben, if you'll go answer the door you can find out who it is." He says smiling at the boy.
Ben opens the door to find a well-dressed young man.
"Rob? Is that you?" Joseph asks from behind Ben.
"Yes, it's me. Aren't you going to say something or let me come in Ben?" Rob asks. "We're practically brothers!"
Reaching around Ben to pull the door open, Ethan says "Forgive him, Rob. He's been having a bad week. He's forgotten all of his manners! Come in son! Welcome home!"
To Rob's embarrassment, Ethan pulls him inside and gives him a hug. "We've missed you these past months, Rob. It's good to see you come back home. I got your telegram and we'll talk about that tomorrow. Today is a day for Thanksgiving. Claire has prepared a wonderful meal and we have Mitch coming to share it also. Let's all come to the front room to wait for him."