The meeting lasted so long that Charlie grew bored. She people-watched, until the crowd thinned out a bit. She wished

she had asked Scott if she could walk to the store on the corner.

Charlie was glad to see the door of Mr. Beets office open, and Scott and the other men exit. She sat up straight in her

hard-backed chair, and when it was only Scott and Beets left there, talking, Charlie got up to walk over to them.

"I look forward to visiting soon," Beets said to Charlie. "You and I can look some more flowers to identify, shall we?"

"Yes," Charlie said, smiling at Beets.

"I have a book of plants and flowers common for the area," Beets went on. "I thought I'd bring it, and together we

might use it. Would you like that?"

Charlie nodded. "That sounds nice," she said.

"Well, we'll plan on it then," Beets told her.

"When will you come?" Charlie asked him.

"If I can finish up some things here tomorrow, then I'll come for the weekend." He looked to Scott. "Do you think that

would be convenient for everyone at the ranch?"

"I'm sure it'll be just fine," Scott said. "We'll look forward to it."

"Scott and I are going to supper in a nice restaurant," Charlie informed the banker.

"Are you now?" Beets asked, smiling at her.

The two men began discussing a new restaurant that had only just been opened, and which Beets said offered fine

food.

"Maybe we'll think about that then, huh?" Scott said, looking at Charlie.

Charlie nodded, and they said goodbye to Beets, again speaking of the upcoming weekend visit.

Once out on the sidewalk, Scott said, "We should get a bite to eat. How does that sound?"

"We could have just pie," Charlie suggested. "That way we'd be really hungry for tonight's supper."

"We could do that," Scott said, looking amused. "But I think we should save the pie for after supper tonight, and

have a quick sandwich right now."

"Okay," Charlie said, in agreement. A few minutes later they were seated at a café, eating roast beef sandwiches, and

with Scott drinking coffee, and Charlie having lemonade.

"Was the meeting good?" Charlie asked.

"The meeting went fine," Scott told her.

"I've never really liked that one man on the board. Mr. Cotton," Charlie shared.

"Why's that?"

"He always talked to Katherine, and never to me," Charlie said.

"Well, maybe he was of the thought that it was Katherine that made the decisions, so it was her he should talk to."

Charlie had finished her sandwich, and pushed her plate away, resting her elbows on the table and sipping at her

lemonade.

"You mean the way that some grownups think, that children should be seen, but not heard?" Charlie asked.

"That could be it."

"Mr. Beets isn't like that. Or the other men on the board. And, you're not like that. You don't believe that, do you?" Charlie

asked.

"There's a time and place that you need be still and quiet. But, I don't think it's all of the time, no."

"Did your grandfather believe that way? That you should be seen and not heard?" Charlie asked.

"He was of that school of thought, for the most part."

"What if you disagreed with him, though?" Charlie asked. "Could you tell him?"

"No, that would have been frowned upon," Scott said.

"I agree with you on things," Charlie told him, and Scott half-smiled.

"Do you?" he asked.

"Well," Charlie considered, and then added honestly, "Mostly, I do."

"That's good to hear," Scott said.

Scott looked up at the large clock on the wall. "We have time to do some walking. How's that?"

"Yes," Charlie said, with a happy nod.

They went out onto the wooden sidewalk again, and made their way to the larger store. Charlie had been in this store

many times, but not for months.

"May I look at the books?" Charlie asked, and Scott nodded. They separated briefly, Scott to peruse the store, and Charlie to the

shelves with books. She had two weeks worth of allowance with her, plus what she had saved, minus, of course the three cents

per week she gave Murdoch to keep for her.

There were so many more books here than there was at the small general store at home. Charlie realized that she'd forgotten that

there were certain benefits to a bigger city. She had found two books she wanted to purchase and was trying to choose between them, when

another thought occurred to her. Maybe she should buy Scott a present. It wasn't his birthday or anything like that, but it would be

nice if she did, anyway. She realized she'd never really purchased a gift for Scott. Not in all the months she'd known him.

With her new goal in her mind, Charlie began to look over the store with a new outlook.

She didn't know what sort of gifts that a man would really like. A gun, or a knife, maybe. She didn't have enough money for those, though.

And, besides, she wouldn't know which to buy. She looked over the pocket knives in the case, though, trying not to be obvious about

it.

"About ready?" Scott said, from beside her, and Charlie looked up at him, not wanting him to suspect anything.

"Could I look a little longer?" she asked.

"If you want to. I tell you what, I'll be sitting outside, alright?"

That couldn't get any better! Charlie said alright, and after Scott had gone outside, she began her surveying of the store contents

again. There was a book she thought he might like. 'Outlines of Astronomy' it was called. The cover was dark brown and Charlie thought

the book had a dignified look. That is, if it was possible for a book to have such a thing.

A pocketknife caught her eye. It wasn't a very large one, but it had a white pearl handle.

"May I help you, young lady?" the clerk asked her.

Looking up into his face, Charlie realized that she knew the man. Well, not really knew. She didn't know his name or anything like that. But,

he'd chased after she and some of the other kids when she'd used to run with the gang. And, she knew for sure that his windows

had been busted out a couple of different times.

For a long moment, Charlie wondered if he would recognize her, being close up the way that he was now. She held her breath.

"It's unusual we get such a pretty young lady looking at our collection of knives and such," the clerk said, smiling at Charlie.

He didn't. Recognize her. Charlie thought it must be because she looked different now. Even though she was dressed in

denim pants and a blouse, she looked presentable. Her hair was braided neatly, Teresa had seen to that. And her clothes were

clean, not rumply and dirty, and over-sized as she'd worn when she'd been a part of the hijinks. Also, too, she'd always kept

her hair covered with that grungy old hat then.

"I'm thinking of one for a gift for someone," Charlie told him.

"Well, that would be a nice gift, indeed. Which one did you admire?"

"That one," Charlie said, pointing.

"Oh, yes, that one's nice. Would you like me to take it out?"

"Yes, please," Charlie said, and then quickly asked, "How much is it?"

There was no point to having it taken out and getting excited about giving it to Scott. Not if she didn't have enough money.

When the clerk replied, Charlie breathed. She had just enough. It would take all her spending money. But, it would be worth it.

"Is it a good knife?" Charlie asked. "I mean, it's sort of small."

"Oh, it's a fine knife. There's plenty of uses for a smaller knife, as well. That's a pearl handle, right there."

Looking out the opened door, Charlie could see Scott standing, leaning against one of the store posts, and just

watching the passers-by.

"I want to buy it," Charlie said, making up her mind swiftly. She took out the stocking in her pocket, and emptied out

her money. She counted it out to the clerk, who beamed at her.

"This for your father?" he asked. "Grandfather, maybe?"

Charlie settled for just nodding, and not explaining anything.

"I'll wrap it for you, real nice," he said, and did that swiftly, while Charlie put away her few remaining coins.

"You must have been saving for a long spell to be able to buy this," the clerk said then.

Charlie only nodded, eager for him to finish so she could be on her way.

Outside in the sunshine, Scott was still leaning there, against the store column.

"All finished?" he asked Charlie.

"Yes," Charlie said.

"Decided not to buy a book, hmm?" Scott asked.

"Not today," Charlie said.

She'd tucked the small package with the knife into her pocket, so she knew Scott assumed she'd bought nothing.

It would be a grand surprise for him later. Charlie was thinking over when to give the gift to Scott.

They walked a bit more around the area, and Scott had just suggested they go back to the hotel room to change for

their supper meal out.

There was the sound of glass smashing, and Charlie looked around, as did all the folks within hearing range, to see where it

had come from.

And then, there were pounding feet down the sidewalk, and folks stood aside in a hurry, as a group of kids hurled past.

They were dressed in dirty clothes, and hats, and they were hooting and hollering as they ran past those on the sidewalk.

Then there was shouting, and a store owner ran from the alley nearby.

"Stop those kids!" came the shout, as the store clerk came to a breathless halt, his white apron flapping.

Charlie, along with Scott, and others, watched as the kids disappeared around a corner.

The shop keeper let loose with a curse.

"Darn kids," he muttered. "I'm getting fed up with repairing my windows. Need to send them to a work house, teach them

some manners-"

Charlie watched in silent horror as the scene played out in front of her eyes. Other store keepers and passer-bys gathered for

a few minutes to commiserate with one another. Over the lack of decency in the young, and the lack of involvement of the

local police staff.

Scott put a hand on the back of Charlie's neck. "Let's go," he said, quietly, and steered Charlie thru the crowd that had

gathered. Once they were out of the throng, Scott dropped his hand from her neck, and they walked in silence. Scott gave

her a glance, and then another. He saw the expression on her face, and felt his heart tug a bit.

He reached down and took her small hand in his. Still they were quiet, reaching the hotel, and Scott retrieved the key

from the front desk clerk.

Charlie preceded him up the stairs, and at the door to the room, she waited as Scott unlocked the door.

Once inside, Charlie went to sit on one of the beds, her feet dangling a few inches from the floor.

Scott closed the door and went to lay the key on the bedside table, watching Charlie the whole while.

"So, should we try the new place tonight for supper?" Scott asked.

"Yes," Charlie said, with a nod.

Scott, intent on changing his shirt, loosened it from the waist of his pants, and then, he came over to

sit beside Charlie on the bed.

"That bothered you, didn't it?" he asked, quietly. "Seeing those kids?"

Charlie looked at him, and nodded, nipping at her lower lip.

"Why do you think it bothered you so much?" he asked, still quietly.

"It made me remember-how things were. And, things that I did."

"You're not doing those things anymore," Scott said. "You learned from it, didn't you?"

Charlie nodded solemnly.

"It's just-" she hesitated. "They're still doing it."

"Did you think they were going to stop?"

"I guess not."

"Did you recognize them?"

"Not really. They ran by so fast," Charlie said.

After another few moments of quiet, Scott said, "Go on in the washroom and change to your dress. I've got a surprise

for you."

Her interest caught, Charlie asked, "You do? What is it?"

"You'll see."

"I've got a surprise for you, too," Charlie told him.

"You do?"

At Charlie's nod, he said, teasingly, "What is it?"

Charlie stood up, and took her dress from the hook it was hanging on. "You'll see," she told him.

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