Artie had been in Paulden for a day and a half, and it hadn't yet stopped storming. He had picked up some work in the local saloon as a handyman. There were several things that were in need of repair, and there was a lot of general cleaning. It had kept him busy, and the woman who owned the saloon had agreed to pay him a dollar a day. He would be able to purchase enough supplies to last at least six weeks.

The fact that he was in less than his best physical condition was becoming painfully obvious to Artie. Everything hurt. He stopped mopping for a moment and straightened up, catching a glance of himself in a nearby mirror. The eyes that stared back at him were familiar, but other than that, he didn't recognize the image he saw. He looked so much older, the amount of grey in his beard was somewhat of a shock, and his formerly erect posture had begun to slump slightly. The life he was currently living was a lot harder on his body than his former one; at least on an every day measure. The Service might be more dangerous overall, but this kind of living was taking a toll. It gave Artie a new understanding of why men of hard labor aged so quickly. The sweet voice from the top of the stairs grabbed his attention.

"Mr. Morgan? Is everything all right?"

He turned away from the apparition in the mirror and smiled, some of his old charm seeping in, "Why Miss Noreen, of course it is, but thank you for asking."

The woman sauntered toward him, "You look.....haunted, Mr. Morgan."

Artie drew in a calming breath, "Not at all, Miss Noreen, I just haven't seen my own reflection in awhile. Let's just say it came as a bit of a shock."

"I don't see a thing wrong with it...."

He grinned at her, "Why Miss Noreen, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were flirting with me."

She smiled seductively and headed toward the stairs, "At least you're smart enough not to know better."

Noreen disappeared down the staircase, leaving Artie to ponder her play on words. He glanced once more into the mirror. There was one thing of which he was sure: no one from his former life would know him. And there was a certain amount of comfort in that.

***********