Jeremy told his father and the next day they came to the school. Mr. Crane was not impressed that Jeremy's father was the head of a struggling lumber company. Actually, Mr. Crane was only a short term as he thought because he was hoping for a headmaster job in Tacoma.

"Mr. Bolt, your son does not speak well at all. I can barely understand him. Are you sure he is capable of learning? There are many children who are sent to school only to quit within a year because they cannot read or write! I suggest you take him out now, so he does not have to go through the embarrassment of having to leave.? Mr. Crane said to Jonathan.

Jonathan looked at this so-called teacher. He thought about what he would say very carefully. Fixing a Scottish stare at the teacher he said:

"Mr. Crane, how long have you been teaching? "

"4 years now, what business is it of yours?"
"I am on the town council and I am a businessman. I do not agree with your assessment of my son. He has had a rough year. His mother just passed away. Before that he was talking quite easily and could run circles around any adult who was not quick with their wits!"

Mr. Crane looked at the stare, he decided to stare back and then said:

"Mr. Bolt, if he continues to go to school, he will not only be a discipline problem, but he will also disrupt my class. I will not allow him to come to school. He is no longer enrolled! Good Day!" Mr. Crane grabbed his books and forced Mr. Bolt and Jeremy out of the school.

That night, he had a talk with Joshua and Jeremy about school.

"Sons, I realize that your schooling is important, maybe not so much for you Joshua as you are almost ready to graduate. However, Jeremy is just getting started. So, Joshua, can you take down the assignments for Jeremy and then when you come home from school show him what to do, he can work on it during the day while you are in school and you can help him? I know it is a lot, if your momma were here, God Rest Her Soul, she would be able to help. We can see if any of the older girls can help with the lessons for Jeremy. But for now, we will do what we can."

Jonathan put out his fist and so did all three boys, Jeremy's was on top because it was the smallest at the time.

Joshua said: "All for one and One for all!" They all laughed and after Jonathan read the story from the three musketeers, they went to bed.

It was a hard week for Joshua, he had to bring home Jeremy's assignments teach them to Jeremy and then do his own homework. Jonathan went to Lottie's and asked if there was any girl that might help him with his homework. There was a man who had come to Seattle, an older gentleman who had a son and daughter. Although the son was in the Midwest, at the time, he was planning to come over later in a few years. The daughter was about 16 of marriageable age but her father was going to send her to a special finishing school when she turned 17. Jonathan went to him. His name was Mark Stemple. His daughter's name was Julie. She was a quiet petit girl. She often read and wrote poetry and played the piano. Her father had hopes of her marrying into a rich family and settling down. She had an older brother who was in the Midwest but had also been in the merchant marines for a few years. Jonathan and Mr. Stemple agreed to have her tutor Jeremy until he was allowed back in school.

Meanwhile, Jonathan went to the town council and asked to have Mr. Crane fired. The council looked into it and decided that he would leave at the end of the term. There was another schoolteacher who they were looking into to come to educate their children in the town. A Miss Stowe. She had just earned her teaching credential and was recommended very highly by the headmaster of the school she attended.

So, for the three months that the little school ran Mr. Crane did his job. When the term was up, he left, however, due to the letter that Mr. J Bolt wrote to the school board, he did not get the headmaster job at the school he wanted.

Time passed, Jeremy grew older and smarter. He had been in Miss Stowe's class and being about 8 now, he had a crush on her. But soon, his crush was crushed. She had a Beau and would soon leave to be married. His father and brothers worked long days for their logging operation. Since Jeremy was now about ten, they left him at home mostly alone so he could get to the school on time. He also, learned how to cook from the camp cook so he started to cook breakfast for his brothers and father on the weekends.

One of the days that Jeremy and his brothers and Father were up at the camp, there was a big windstorm blowing in. The loggers were packing up for the day. No one was supposed to go up in a tree to top it. Jonathan seemed to understand this but for some reason, he did not comprehend what was happening. He walked over to one of the tall trees that had been slated to be felled that day and prepared to climb to the top to cut it. He did not hear what anyone was saying or doing. In fact, his sons were on their way to the other sites to inform the loggers that they would stop until the windstorm was over with. Everything was going as had been the usual preparations for stopping the logging when there was a large crack and the sound of 'Timber' They all looked in the direction of the sound. Jason was the first to see that someone was still up in the tree as it came down! He ran, he ran very fast, worried that something happened to his father. When he arrived, he saw his father under the tree, and he went up to him. He saw that he was dead. When his brothers arrived, he told the men to keep them away. Take them to the tent he would see them there. He had a few men help him cut the branches away and lift the limp body of his father. He held him for a few minutes, but it seemed like hours, he wanted to cry, the men would not have blamed him if he did, but he didn't. He got up and asked a couple of men to take him to the cabin and lay him out there. He and his brothers would be by in a little while.

The men did as they were told. Jason went to the tent, and walked in, both asked at the same time:

"Wh-wh-wh-what happened? Is father alright?" Joshua and Jeremy asked in unison.

Jason took a sip of water then sat down on the cot across from the boys. Jeremy looked worried; Joshua was anxious.

"Joshua, Jeremy, Da is gone!"

Jeremy looked at him, he could not believe he lost his father, Joshua wanted to find out why he was dead.

Jason said: "I don't have all the facts right now. But father is laid out on his bed in the cabin. We will be having a service for him and bury him with mother…"

Jeremy said: "N-n-n-n-n-n-no! it-it-it-t-i-it can't be! He isn't dead!"

Jason stood up and held both his brothers close. They wept for a good long time.

When they came to the cabin, Jason did not keep his brothers from seeing their father. The ladies had laid him out and had him ready for burial. The boys looked at their father. They missed him already. Jeremy, now older reached over and held his hand. He felt the coldness of that hand and remembered the warm hands that held him whenever he was upset or hurt. Joshua kissed his father's forehead and placed his hand on his father's shoulders. Shoulders that held him and Jeremy once when they were little. Shoulders that took life's burdens from his wife, and children's shoulders. Jason remembered the tall man, the man who seemed much taller like the Paul Bunyan stories that were told in the logging camps. They all stood, and each remembered their father.

Two days later, he was buried on the mountain with is beloved wife who had gone before him. Neither said words, the others who attended did not say a word. Miss Crump and her protégé did not dare say a word, Jason looked too formidable. So, they left first.

Jeremy walked with his dog, King and talked to his father in the forest. It was not like it was with his mother. He was ten, almost eleven, he still stuttered but that was what he did. Joshua was cutting a tree with the other loggers now and worked full time. Jason was running the camp, he asked Joshua to the books now that their father was gone. Jeremy still had to go to school. There was a new schoolteacher this year, it seemed like they had a new one every year now. This one, however was very different. When she heard Jeremy's stutter, she immediately set about working on how to help him overcome that. Her name was Miss Essie and she would not tolerate any child bullying another child!