Jonathon starts to go inside where he is going to start working when he hears someone calling for him.
"Jonathon?"
He turns to see Bess walking toward him and he smiles and turns and holds out his hand then she shakes it and says,
"Jonathon, I just came to tell you that Thunder Moon and I are leaving. We 're going to go get my son down in White Rock then we're coming back to Silver Springs"
He looks at her then asks,
"Are you sure?"
She shakes her head "Yes" and he says, "All right, well, all I can do is wish you luck"
She smiles and says, "Thank you Jonathon"
They hug then she says, "Maybe if we ride back through town, we can stop and see you"
He smiles and shakes his head then says,
"I would like that"
Her eyes mist over then she gives him one last squeeze of the hand then she turns and leaves then Jonathon turns and goes inside and he sees Larrabee. Larrabee is putting furs on a high shelf behind the counter but when he sees Jonathon, he smiles and puts the furs down on the cabinet then goes over and shakes Jonathon's hand and he asks, "Ready to go to work?"
Jonathon shakes his head then says, "Yes sir, just tell me what I need to do"
"That's what I like, an anxious worker. Okay, let's start here..."
He goes back around to where the furs are, he lays his hand on them and says,
"I was putting these furs up but when I get them in, first thing I have to do is catalog them. You know, put down what kind they are, what color and how many and I put that all down in here..."
He picks up a book to show Jonathon then says. "Now I have already done that so I'm just putting them on the shelf back here. I'll do that myself most of the times but there will be times that you will have to but mostly you'll be handling stuff in the back. Let's go on back and I'll show you what to do" Jonathon shakes his head then they go on to the back room.
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Harold wakes up in a hospital room, somewhere near Minneapolis, the room is empty except for 4 more beds and a heater in the corner of the room then the door opens and a man comes in the room in a hospital lab coat and he says, "Good, you are awake". He comes over and checks Harold's pulse and heartbeat and Harold asks. "Where am I?"
"You're in Xavier hospital but you'll be transferred to Minneapolis prison as soon as you're a bit better...I'm sorry"
Harold looks at the sunlight coming in the room and the pain he feels doesn't just come from the bullet in his thigh, it comes from knowing what he has done to Alice. He looks at the doctor then asks. "Has my wife been here?" For the longest time, he doesn't say anything then he finally says, "A young woman was here and she asked to be informed on your condition. I'll get somebody to go tell her...but she said she won't be back"
The doctor walks to the door then he stops and he says. "My name is doctor Melton if you need me". Harold can't do anything but lay in bed and feel the pain throbbing.
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After several hours of working in the supply room of 'Judd's Furs', Jonathon comes out into the main part of the building and he sees a man in there standing at the counter and he has a gun sling holder in his hand. The gun sling is a shiny brown that can hold many bullets and he and Judd Larrabee say something then the man puts it down and Judd gives him some money and the man leaves then Jonathon asks. "What was he doing?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you...sometimes people come here and bring things to sell or trade". Judd tell him and then he picks up a different book than what he showed him earlier then says. "When they do that, put it in this book...we don't do too much business on furs but we do better on that" Jonathon smiles and shakes his head
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Back in Minneapolis, Alice sits in a room that is partly dark because of the curtains drawn and she has a deep sad face on. The door opens and in comes her mother, Elma Beningford comes in and she looks at her daughter then she comes over to her and she says. "Alice, you need to come out" Alice looks at her mother then slowly asks, "Why? You know I have always loved this room. It's nice and secluded...far in the back, where people can't stare at you in windows" "Nobody is staring at you". Her mother says.
Alice gives a sarcastic smile then says, "Mother, they have been ever since it happened...they say they are 'so sorry' that it happened and that they pity me, I can't stand it!" Elma sits down and she thinks on her next words then she says, "Alice, why don't you go to see you Aunt Bethel in Drywood, Kansas? I think it will do you good to get out" Alice gets up and walks around the room and thinks about what her mother has said then she says. "I don't know..."
Elma puts her hand on her head then sighs then says. "Alice, I think it's best. You can't stay in here forever and hide, this will do you some good" Alice then thinks on it some more than says. "I think I will" Elma smiles then stands up and says. "Good, I will send your Aunt a wire as soon as possible, she's been wanting you to come see her. She hasn't seen you since you were a little girl" Alice smiles a bit then says, "Thank you momma"
Elma starts to walk out of the room when a knock comes on the front door. She looks at Alice than goes to answer it and a few minutes later, she comes back. She steps in the room and Alice looks at her, wondering what is going on then Elma steps back to the side a bit and in comes a young man with black hair then he says. "Mrs. Crummings, I'm an orderly from Xavier hospital. I was sent to tell you that your husband is awake".
Alice doesn't say a word, nor does anybody else in the room then the orderly just leaves and Elma and Alice still don't say anything but then Alice finally says, "At least I won't be a widow". She then leaves the room then Elma goes to send a wire to her sister.
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It was now lunchtime in Drywood, Jonathon was staying in the shop while Judd goes and takes a quick-lunch. Jonathon was just tidying up around the place when an elderly woman carrying a large package comes in. Jonathon comes around from the counter to go help hold the door for the woman to come in, he smiles that big, friendly smile and says,
"Hello" . The woman smiles up at him and says, "Hello. Is Judd not here?" Jonathon shakes his head and he says, "No ma'am, he's taking his lunch now but I can help you, I'm Jonathon"
She puts down the package on the counter then takes off her glove to shake his hand then says. "I'm Phoebe Birthwich and my husband died a few months back. I need some money to go back East to be with my family...I'm here to sell my tea set, to get some money from it"
She turns to the package and takes the top off and she carefully begins to take each piece out and says, "It's a 6 piece set as you can see, it's got the coffee pot, the teapot, a creamer, a 'waste boy, a little sugar bowl and it comes with a serving tray"
The tea set is sterling silver with a beautiful "ribbed" design...Jonathon carefully looks over it and he then says,
"Well, it is beautiful set and..." He looks at her and says, "I'm sorry about your husband but I'm afraid all I can offer is 8 dollars"
She looks at him in shock and she beams and says. "Eight dollars! Oh mercy me! I was afraid I wouldn't even get that! Oh thank you mister..." Jonathon then says, "I said my name is Jonathon ma'am" He goes over and gets her money out of a box, gives it to her and she leaves happily and Jonathon puts the tea set on the tray and puts it in the window.
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Later when Judd comes back, he stands in front of Jonathon and when Jonathon tells him about the tea set, Larrabee's face goes in shock and he says. "What!?"
Jonathon shrugs his shoulders and says, "I bought a tea set from a Mrs. Phoebe Birthwich for 8 dollars" Larrabee puts his hands out and says. "But you could have bought it for less" "Maybe so but she said her husband died a few months ago and she needed the money to go back east, so I felt she needed a little extra" Jonathon tells him then Larrabee asks him, "Birthwich you say?" Jonathon shakes his head and Larrabee says, "Yes, her husband died a few months back and she may me going back east but her husband left her money" Jonathon thinks on it then says, "Maybe you just better handle this part of the shop" Larrabee slaps him on the back then says, "Oh, you'll get the hang of this son, just remember to go low"
They then go to the back of the shop.
Later that evening, after work, Jonathon is walking home and after a long days work, he is hanging his head. He doesn't see Mrs. Phoebe Birthwith sitting on a bench with a ragged suitcase waiting for the afternoon stage. Just then the stagecoach pulls up and she gets up, gets her little suitcase and she and Jonathon run into each other. Her clothes fall out of the suitcase and she scrambles to try to get them and Jonathon says, "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am. I reckon my head was in the clouds"
She just smiles and says, "That's okay, can you help me gather my things together?" "Yes ma'am" He picks up a few of her dresses then when he turns around to give them to her, he sees her little ragged excuse of a case then he says, "That's yours ma'am?" She looks at it and sadly says, "Yes, it is. I wish I could have a new one but I have to make by with this old thing" Jonathon scratches his head then says, "Why didn't you get a new one with the money your husband left?"
She looks at him and says, "Who told you that? Winston didn't leave me any money...oh, I had enough left for a few months rent and today you gave me enough money to buy a ticket east...oh, thank you again" She manages somehow to get her clothes back in and Jonathon helps her on the stagecoach and then they drive off leaving Jonathon to wonder.
A/N-I know this wasn't a very exciting chapter but I'm just trying to show the turning of Larrabee. He's a mean one Jonathon just doesn't have an idea how mean yet. If you have some ideas, please tell me, I'm not too good on showing meanness! Ha!
Sand n' Sable