Ethan rode on horseback into Paradise as soon as the sun came up. He saw Amelia talking with the marshal and wondered what was going on. P.J. fancied Amelia, he knew coming out and saying he'd had his eye on her since the Founder's Day barbecue.
He knew he had to make sure that the marshal didn't get his way. He wasn't nearly good enough for the town banker, being a liar and a cheat among other things, not to mention a career politician. Amelia should be smart enough to see right through him like she did most people including Ethan.
After pulling up his horse, he tipped his hat.
"Good morning Amelia, P.J…"
He tied up his horse and followed Amelia into the bank. She looked pretty enough as she always did, smiling at him. Obviously in a better mood than last night.
"Everything should be in order Ethan…"
P.J. sneered at him.
"You still riding for the mine? The only sure way to go places."
"If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me."
P.J. nodded.
"Yeah it's like old times."
Ethan sized him up. He didn't trust the man, never did but he had to be careful around him.
"Yeah."
"We each choose our own way. We got to follow it."
"I guess."
Then Ethan walked into the bank where Amelia waited. Their last conversation after dinner stuck on his mind. After all this time, she really was set on leaving Paradise. How dare she say she couldn't change, which meant she wasn't planning to stick around! Leaving the town in the lurch like that…of course it had nothing to do with him.
"Ethan…"
He turned around looking at P.J. expectantly. But the marshal just stared back.
"Nothing…"
Nearby at the abandoned building, Joseph took a careful look outside the building to see if anyone looked his way. He gestured for his sister, brothers and both Toy and Min to follow him outside. The two Chinese boys needed to get out of the cramped darkness at least for a little while. They needed to play out in the sunshine like ordinary children.
They went out into the meadow amid a grove of trees where they played. Toy and Min watched from the sidelines at first unsure of what they were seeing and what to do next. But soon enough they joined in and laughter soon filled the air.
Ben went up to Toy.
"You're it…"
But the other boy just looked at him puzzled. Min took him by the arm and had him "tag" George and the boy smiled. They ran around playing tag until Min fell down, his hand on his chest trying to breathe. Claire went to tend to him and then he tagged her, with a gleeful laugh.
Ethan paced at the bank after Amelia gave him the news about her dealing with the mine. He didn't like it one bit. Her inability to sell her husband's bank after he abandoned her was what tied her to Paradise. He knew she resented that but he liked having her around…more so than he'd ever admitted.
"Is it legal?"
She seemed perplexed.
"I don't know. I'll find out. But if it is, yes I probably will sell."
That didn't make him happy at all. He knew he should have no say in what she chose to do with the bank but the thought of her selling…well it bothered him. He put his hands in his coat pockets.
"I didn't think you would. Not this fast."
"You mean sell…or leave?"
He didn't answer and she got up out of her chair clearly torn by it. Maybe not it but something…surely it had to be about the bank and not the man in front of her.
"It's not an easy decision Ethan…but I wanted to move along so long…"
She looked directly at him.
"Now I have the chance, how can I not?"
He gritted his teeth, hands still in pockets. So many things came to mind to say and none of them were said. So he reached for the easiest of them.
"Town needs you."
"The town will move along. I'm not letting Paradise down. This is business."
He sighed.
"And you're all business aren't you?"
Anger filled her but she bit it back. Really the nerve of him…making this even harder. It's not like they meant anything to each other. They always fought over everything…besides he shot her even if it was an accident. She couldn't believe he thought her so shallow.
"You know better than that."
"Thought I did…"
Her eyes didn't drop from his face.
"I'm sorry if you misunderstood…"
They just stared at each other a long moment, caught in one of their impasses without either willing to say anything before he walked away from her and out of the bank.
The children went back to the abandoned building but this time they brought Mr. Lee with them. They pointed out the two boys.
Claire pleaded.
"But they're hungry and they're sick."
Ben chimed in.
"They're Chinese j..just like you."
Mr. Lee shook his head.
"They belong to the mine. I can't get involved."
Joseph felt exasperated.
"The mine beat them."
Mr. Lee countered.
"They beat me too. I survived."
George looked up at him.
"They only need a little food. Please…"
Mr. Lee just looked at them, thinking about it.
Ethan was lighting the fire in the cabin when the children came home. He looked at them.
"Where you been?"
Joseph took the initiative.
"We got something to tell you."
He stood up to face them.
"What?"
Claire sighed.
"We found two little boys. They're Chinese."
"What do you mean 'found'?"
"They ran away from the mine," George said.
"Well they have to go back. They can't do that."
Ben whimpered.
"But the mine beat them."
"Well, they'll have to turn themselves in to somebody. They could be in real trouble."
George furrowed his brows.
"Their names are Toy and Min."
Ben finished.
"They've been hiding at the railroad station"
"We gave our food."
Claire tried to appeal to Ethan.
"You will help them won't you Uncle Ethan?"
He just looked at them shaking his head.
"Look I'm sorry. It's sad but it's the way things are."
He poured some water.
"Some people. They sign contracts for labor for passage to America. There's nothing we can do about it."
Ben disagreed.
"We can bring them here with us."
"What?"
Claire chimed in.
"For a little while."
Ethan just looked incredulous.
"Have you lost your minds?"
George smiled.
"They're good workers."
"We'd all help."
"It shouldn't be so bad."
They were all ganging up on him even Joseph.
Ethan grew irate.
"Not so bad? Look just stop talking about it. Stop thinking about it."
Ben pouted.
"But they're…"
Ethan remained firm.
"No buts. Now go to your rooms."
All four of them looked at him crestfallen and then did as they were told.
Joseph hesitated.
"All of you."
His oldest nephew just looked at him as he went with the others.
Ethan kept talking.
"We got it hard enough as it is. They're not our responsibility."
They still stared at him with Claire folding her arms.
"Well this isn't an orphanage."
Claire fumed at him closing the curtains to the room and shutting him out.
He sighed grabbed his coat and went outside where it wasn't so frosty.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lee crept along to the abandoned building and opened the door stepping inside just enough to see Toy and Min sleeping there. He set down a basket of food for them before leaving again.
Ethan rode into the town past Sweet who stood there lighting a cigarette. He watched Ethan head into the saloon where Scotty stood behind the bar sorting glasses.
"What can I get you Ethan?"
Ethan wanted some whisky fast and a glass of whisky. This just hadn't been a good day for him what with the mutiny back at the house over the fate of two Chinese boys from the mine and Amelia wanting to sell her damn bank and leave Paradise before…he thought he'd quit thinking while ahead and stick to drinking.
Scotty served him up, looking a bit concerned.
"Something on your mind?"
"No…"
"I don't ordinarily see you here these days asking for a shot of whisky."
Ethan shot him a reproachful look.
"Nothing's on my mind Scotty."
As Ethan drank his shot down, the bartender didn't look too convinced of that. He didn't see Sweet walk in tucking his gun in his pocket. But Ethan saw him in a reflection of his glass and knew trouble had arrived.
He threw the glass to distract him, Sweet used his gun and then Ethan shot him down. P.J. rushed in his own gun drawn and Ethan smelled a setup.
"Is he dead?"
Ethan looked down at him.
"Uh huh…I didn't think he was the kind of man who'd revenge his partner."
"I didn't think he was the kind of man who'd be fool enough to go after you."
P.J. walked to get something from the bar and Ethan just watched him, not trusting him at all.
The next day, the children including Min and Toy returned to the meadow to play hide and seek. Suddenly P.J. rode in with his posse to go capture them to take back to Sinclair and the mine as the children watched stunned.