On a pretty fall Saturday Heyes and Peale went riding in Central Park. They enjoyed a couple of brisk gallops, and then loitered down the paths under the trees. "I can't tell you how great it is to have somebody at school I can relax with, Peale," said Heyes.

"Relax with? Don't you have a bunch of math major friends?" Peale asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, but only Charlie knows . . ."Heyes let his voice trail off. They could never be sure there wasn't someone behind a tree or rock who could hear them.

Now Peale understood. "Oh! That's got to be tough – Joshua. I don't have much to hide – I mean nothing that I ever did. But I still worry about folks learning . . . too much. For you . . ."

"Yeah, Matthias. Worries me all the time." Now Heyes wasn't feeling so relaxed.

"But that newspaper picture never has caused you any trouble?" asked his young friend.

"Not so far. I keep waiting for the stupid thing to come round and bite me, but it hasn't yet."

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Soon after that, Heyes invited Matt Peale to come along with Joshua Smith, Ev Carter, Paul Huxtable, and Neal George on one of their Friday night gatherings. They had all met Peale before, but only briefly. The five leaned on their regular bar, "So you two spent two weeks blowing things up in Colorado?" asked NG.

Heyes grinned while Peale answered enthusiastically, "Yeah, well the first week of it anyway. Was a lot of fun! Smith is the best ever at setting charges."

Ev looked questioningly at Smith, "I thought you were a cowboy? How'd you learn to work with explosives? Sounds like it would start a stampede!"

Heyes tried to carry off a casual smile and not reveal how much he worried about this line of questions, "Not when I was on a cattle drive, Ev! I set dynamite and nitro charges when I did some gold mining."

Heyes and Peale exchanged a brief little smile about their little secret of how "Joshua Smith" had come to have so much experience with explosives. But then Heyes saw NG looked at them. Heyes wiped the smile off of his face, but he worried that it hadn't vanished rapidly enough. Heyes remembered that NG had been in the same class that he and Peale had taken together, before Peale had had the courage to go up and introduce himself to his old hero properly. Heyes wondered if NG had realized even then that something was going on – before Heyes himself had realized it.

And even now, Paul Huxtable was watching Heyes with care. "So you really did gold mining, Kansas? Underground?"

Heyes laughed lightly at Huxtable, trying to deflect his worried gaze, "Sure, Missouri. That's where the gold is! I mean, when it isn't washed out of the earth into a stream. I've done some panning, too. Hard on the back, both of them. It's a lot more fun to win the gold off the miners at poker after they do the hard work." He winked at his young friend, but Huxtable looked pretty serious as he tried to figure out how the secret and open parts of Smith's former life fit together. Heyes supposed he was wondering if "Joshua Smith" had actually robbed the miners. Huxtable had to be unsure of much truth and how much lie was in anything Smith told him. Heyes only wished he could clear all that up for the youngster.

NG looked skeptically at his western friend, "You sure have gotten around, Smith! Seems like you've done a little of everything – and you're younger than I am!"

"I haven't set type or written for a newspaper, like you have, NG." Heyes admired his slightly older friend and made no secret of it. "I'd say you've gotten around a bit yourself. And you'll go ever farther when you finish up here."

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Later, Peale and Heyes down the street together after the beer drinking broke up. There was no one near them on the dark sidewalk, so they could talk fairly openly, "That boy Huxtable, what does he know? You can't tell me he doesn't know something!" said Peale with some concern.

Heyes grimaced. "More than I'd like. He and I got tied up and dumped in a locked cellar last semester – by some of those thugs that hang around with that ass Clarksdale. I didn't know how college pranks worked – didn't know they'd probably have come back and let us out. So I got untied the way I used to do it when it was serious out West. Then I used my pick locks to let us out. I asked Huxtable just not to ask about it, but it didn't work. I had to tell him some more. Not my name! But enough that it worries him still. Told him I was wanted." Seeing Peale's shocked look, Heyes said, "I know! I know! But I thought it would have been more dangerous not to tell him anything . . . perceptive as he is. Or that's what I keep telling myself."

Peale shook his head. "And I thought it was tough being the son of a former DH man! It's got to be a lot tougher being a real DH guy – and a college student, too. It's like – what do they call it – a double life. And those math guys are too smart!"

Heyes blew out a deep breath. "Yeah, Peale. You got that right! Gets more complex than our physics equations ever will. Jed and I just have to get through it for a while longer. We're hoping for amnesty when I graduate. But no one's promised that - not yet."

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Heyes dropped by Beth's office one evening in early December, as he often did. She let him in with a little kiss. Heyes dropped into the chair across the desk from his former tutor. "Beth, at Christmas, who's coming with you – as 'chaperone?'"

"What about you?" Beth's eyes sparkled at Heyes.

Heyes' head jerked up. "Huh? I thought you were so afraid of being improper! Or of being caught being improper, anyway!"

"I am – but what could be more proper than husband and wife?" She playfully batted her eyelids.

Heyes didn't see what she thought was funny, "Honey, you know we can't get married yet! Not until I finish my degrees and can get a position. And that's still at least a year and half off, even if I can finish all of the Masters in one year plus next semester's grad credits. So what are you playing at?"

"I know, Heyes. But what if we pretend we're married? Why does anyone on the train have to know we aren't really?" Beth looked Heyes in the eye.

He wasn't sold on this plan at all, "But you don't have a gold ring! I can't afford to get you one. And I don't have a ring myself at all."

"Lots of folks can't afford gold rings. But what if I get you a silver one to match mine?" Beth volunteered.

Heyes frowned, "I wasn't fishing for expensive gifts from my girl who makes more money than I do!"

Beth laughed at him. "You and your pride! You bought me a ring – so I'd like to get one for you, too!"

Heyes swallowed his pride. He smiled a bit shyly. "Alright, Beth. If that's what you want to do. I'd be honored to wear any ring you'd give me."

So a few days before Christmas, Heyes and Beth were holding hands on the platform in Grand Central Depot, waiting for a train West. Both wore their silver rings. They'd never gotten to travel together before. The previous Christmas they had ridden home on different trains, to avoid impropriety. Heyes found them seats together and playfully asked Beth, "Well, Mrs. Smith, are you happy?" Beth beamed back at him. She snuggled up under Heyes' arm as they settled into their seats, Heyes by the aisle and Beth by the window.

To sit side by side and look out the window at the snowy landscape going by was a real pleasure for the pair. It was wonderful to have hours together since normally they could have only stolen moments as a pair. Sometimes they talked together, and sometimes they just sat in happy silence, watching the scenery change. The third day out, when they were past the Mississippi, they were sitting that way in companionable quiet. Heyes had changed into his western gear.

Beth suddenly felt Heyes go tense. She glanced toward him. The excellent actor that he was, he looked pretty casual. But the rigid muscles of his arm told a different story. Beth followed the gaze of Heyes' brown eyes and saw a weathered dirty-blonde man in cowboy gear walking down the aisle from the far end of the car. He had his hazel eyes unmistakably fixed on Heyes. And the stranger's gun was tied down at his hip – as was Heyes' own gun.

"Know him – from before?" whispered Beth, without looking at Heyes, and trying to look as casual as he did.

"Umhm," Heyes murmured an affirmative sound without opening his lips or taking his eyes off of the approaching cowboy.

"Dangerous man?" Beth whispered even more softly.

"U-um." Heyes made a soft, non-committal sound, again without opening his lips. Beth was unsure what to think, but she let go of his hand in case he should need the gun at his hip. She couldn't help feeling a bit excited. Beth had seen Heyes in his western gear the Christmas before in Louisville, and she had seen him play some poker at Christy's place. But she had never seen him dealing with a real outlaw – with one of his own kind, other than the Kid, of course.

As the rugged cowboy came opposite Beth and Heyes, Heyes said under his breath, "Dan?"

"Yeah, Heyes," the man replied so softly that had Beth not known what the second word had to be, she might not have been able to guess. The two men's gazes eyes met with the uneasy tension of two rival tom cats. Heyes let his hand trail lightly over Beth's arm as he got up and followed Dan down the train car's center aisle.

Beth watched the pair walk away together. She seemed to be without a trace of fear. She trusted Heyes to deal with the situation. But she made sure to be ready to move fast if she had to.

Heyes and Dan Sherwood went out the train car's end door to the windy, cold little outdoor space inside a metal railing. There was just this tiny space outdoors, leading toward the next car. The two men kept their eyes on the doors leading into the train car they had just come from and the next one. No one could overhear them in this noisy little porch-like space as long as the doors to the next cars remained closed. The pair would, at least, get a few seconds of warning if anyone came through either door. Dan smiled at Heyes, though nervously, and the smile faded in seconds. "You still straight, Heyes?"

"Yeah, Dan. You still with the McRory boys?" asked Heyes stiffly, wondering how this was going to go.

"Nah. You are out of it! I've had my own bunch these two years, nearly." The man grinned briefly.

"Congrats," said Heyes briefly and with no real enthusiasm.

"Thanks, I guess." Said Dan uneasily, "Sounds like I'm out of it, too. I heard you was shot in the head and couldn't say word one. And then I heard the Teasdale boys shot you dead. Sounds like a couple of bum rumors."

"Not really. Both got some truth in 'em. But here I am," said Heyes, carefully avoiding giving away any details.

"Nice lookin' gal on your arm, too," noted Dan.

"Thanks! There's good things about being straight. Poor, but straight," said Heyes.

"Where you headed?" asked Dan casually.

Heyes flared up at his old rival, "I said straight, I didn't say stupid!"

"Didn't mean to take liberties, Heyes. No offense," Dan backed down quickly.

"None taken." Heyes half expected Sherwood to call him Mr. Heyes. Heyes still had his old air of command – when he needed it!

Just then a conductor opened one of the train car doors and the little outlaw meeting broke up in a hurry with a pair of tipped hats. Heyes went back to Beth while his old acquaintance walked off quickly in the other direction.

As Heyes got back to his seat, he spoke to Beth under his breath. "I'm going to get our luggage. We're getting off at the next stop. Happens to be a transfer to a line south as well as west, so he can't be sure where we're really going."

Beth whispered, "Did he threaten you?"

Heyes answered very softly, thankful that no one was in the seats just behind them and in front of them was an open aisle, "Nah. He knows better. He's not a bad sort, as followers of my old profession go. We're probably safe. But probably isn't good enough. That's an awful lot of temptation to put in front of a man. Don't want to take chances – not with you."

Beth was determined to be as cool as Heyes was. "Alright, darling. I'm ready any time you say."

Heyes smiled at his girl – she might not be used to outlaws, but she kept admirably calm. They both kept their eyes peeled, watching for Dan Sherwood to return, but he didn't show. Beth didn't look nervous as she got up and carried her smaller bag while Heyes took the heavier one and his own large carpet bag.

After they got off, Beth looked around the little station carefully. She grinned at her man. "Whew! I think we made it!"

Heyes was more cautious, "For the moment. He could still jump off, or get off at the next stop and come back here. So we'd better go get out of sight. I wish there was more than one hotel in this town!"

They checked in at the small hotel over a saloon, much like Christy's place. Then Heyes went back to the train station to send a telegram to warn Cat and the Kid that their guests would be a day late but were safe. And he put in a coded reference to spotting Dan Sherwood on the train. Sherwood could show up in Louisville before Heyes and Beth got there – although it was terribly unlikely that he would choose that place, since Heyes had given the man no hint of where they were going.

Heyes and Beth were at loose ends until the next train would come the next morning. Heyes paced nervously around the little hotel room where he and Beth stayed the night as husband and wife. Beth had to work for quite a while to get her man to settle down and enjoy sharing a bed with his fiancé.

"Come on, Heyes! We've got a bed together! How long has it been since we've had that?" She patted the bed invitingly.

"Yeah, that's true. Me and my brave sweetie. I'm proud of you for staying so calm when we got off – a lot of women would've been all jumpy and made everyone wonder what was setting them off. You were cool as any cucumber!" He gave her a lingering kiss.

"Actually, it was kind of fun – watching you with that outlaw!" Beth told Heyes, stroking him down the back.

Heyes snorted, "Fun! Nothing but business on my part, and an . . . apprehensive bit of business at that. I hate being helpless! Without the Kid and the boys behind me, there's not much I can do."

"I never get to see you play outlaw in New York!" Beth smiled at the thought.

Heyes spoke sharply, "Play! There's no play about it – just business, I tell you. And not even really my business – not anymore."

Beth saw through him, though. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy parts of being an outlaw."

"Of course I did!" Heyes admitted, "A lot of it was a blast! Literally – I do love blowing things up, I got to admit. Last summer was fun. When the Kid and I were with the Hole – I tell you, for a boy nobody ever cared about before, having people know my name was really something. Yeah, getting famous was a ton of laughs. But being famous – or infamous - that's another thing altogether. Keeps me up nights."

"Not tonight!" said Beth, pulling back the bed covers.

"No, honey. Not tonight. Something else maybe . . ."

Beth only laughed.

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Once again, the Kid was stamping his feet in the Colorado chill of December as he waited at the little Louisville train station to meet friends coming from New York. His aging shearling coat had some stains on it, including from his own blood, but it still kept out the cold pretty well. As the train pulled in, the breaks hissing, Heyes didn't get off before the train quite stopped as he had in the past. He waited until it was completely still before he helped Beth down and reached up to get their bags from the end of the car.

The Kid enveloped both of his dear friends in a big, warm hug. There was no one else near, so he said, "Welcome Heyes and Mrs. Heyes!"

Beth blushed, "Well, not really yet, Jed, but we thought we'd pretend so we could travel together."

"Hope we can both do it for real, real soon," said the Kid warmly.

Curry turned to Heyes, since they were still alone as they walked toward Christy's Place in the cold, "So, you ran into Dan Sherwood? Got a bunch of his own these days, operates around Kansas mostly, they tell me. Trains and banks, just like we used to go for. He give you any trouble?"

Heyes shook his head. "Not really. He was alone, seemed like. I got us off the train before he had time to think what to do about me. I figured that if I made it just a little hard for him, he'd find a way to pass up that big reward. Hasn't been any trouble between us in a long, long time."

At Christy's, the three went in the back way. Cat was there to greet them. "Oh, Heyes, Beth, it's so great to have you back here – together!" Cat and Beth shared a warm hug.

Cat asked, "So, are you man and wife for practical purposes here? One room for you both?"

Heyes grinned self-consciously, but Beth was brazen with just her friends, "You bet, Cat! I just wish we could do it in New York."

"You hussy, you!" joked Heyes, and put his arm around Beth.

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Heyes and Beth lay side by side under a bright quilt lust luxuriating in having some time alone together before it was quite time to go to sleep.

"Heyes," said Beth quietly.

"Uh. Um. Sorry – I was almost asleep. What, Beth?"

"Sorry, Heyes," said Beth, "You go on to sleep. Lord knows, you could use it. Did you sleep at all on the train?"

"Not much – too dangerous in that public a place. Well, I can't sleep now! I'd keep wondering what you wanted. What is it, honey?" Heyes looked at Beth earnestly.

Beth smiled at him, "It's so nice to have you right here and not have to worry about anybody's seeing us together."

"Hmn. It is nice!" said Heyes, caressing his love. "But that isn't what's bothering you."

"No, Heyes. If we get married . . ."

"When we get married, Beth," Heyes corrected his fiancé gently.

Beth grinned back at him, "Yes, dear, when we get married, would you let me have a paying job still?"

"Let you? What do you mean? How and why would I stop you?" Heyes looked genuinely perplexed.

"It's in the wedding vows, and most state laws. When we're married, I have to obey you."

Heyes looked startled. "I haven't lived in a regular family home since – you know. So there's a lot I don't know. My Ma sure worked right enough on the farm – right alongside Pa. I never thought about her rights."

Beth reverted to being a teacher, and Heyes listened attentively, "But if your mother had wanted to go and work for wages, she'd have had to ask your father's permission. Legally. Her property and rights would be under his control. It's called coverture. Lots of husbands won't let their wives work – I mean outside the house, for pay. I'm asking – would you?"

Heyes was aghast at the question, "Of course! For us, I'd say you'd be my wife, my lover – NOT my employee, much less my servant. So you do what you want to do. We might have to work things out – practical details. But we'll work 'em out together. Alright with you?"

"With me, of course, Heyes! But you know that other people would look askance at you for letting your wife work outside the home."

"Look at me a-what?"

Beth smiled lovingly, "Wow! There's still a word you don't know? Askance – with disapproval, skeptically."

"Let 'em look! I care a lot more about what you think than anyone else, Beth." Heyes put his arm around his fiancé and gave her a squeeze. "But if you . . . if we had children. . ."

"Of course I'd stay home with children until they're old enough to be without me for a while. I sure do hope we can have children! And that Jed and Cat can, too!"

"I do too, honey. But why wouldn't you . . ."

"I'm no spring chicken, Heyes . . ."

"Don't say that, Beth! You're my age!"

"Well that's getting up there for a woman's having her first baby. We'll try, Heyes. I just hope I can do it."

"You will. You can do anything, Beth!"

"Oh Heyes! How'd I ever get such a good man?" asked Beth happily.

"Just lucky, I guess." Heyes gave Beth a wink and a kiss. "I think I did pretty well on that bargain myself." He enjoyed the happy look on Beth's face. He thought of how he hadn't used to bother to say nice little things to women he was with. He just didn't care that much about how they felt. Now he cared very much!

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Over dinner that night in the bigger of the two back rooms at Christy's, the Kid asked Heyes, "So how's it going tutoring that kid from Montana? You any good at it?"

Heyes grinning into his napkin while Beth smiled more openly. "Of course he's good at it!" Beth bragged. "He was born to teach!"

Heyes looked up, "Yeah, the boy's learning. I do love it! To do something that actually helps the world, instead of hurting it the way we always used to. It's the greatest thing in the world, Kid! They just have to let me teach!"

Beth stroked Heyes' shoulder, "Tell them about . . ."

Heyes grinned again, "Oh yeah! Peale and I worked for a month coming up with a special saddle so Tom can go riding. He'd never gotten on a horse before! We got a local saddler to help – had to make it secure, but so he can get out in case of trouble. We finally got it figured out – pays to have a physicist who understands stresses and balance. It works like a charm! And that boy, I tell you, it's transformed him! Now he's got some legs he can count on – four of them! He loves to gallop more than anything!"

"That's great, Heyes!" said Cat. "What a wonderful idea! I'll bet that boy would do anything for you."

"Well, I hope he won't turn me in if he ever figures out the wrong thing," Heyes winked at Cat.

Cat asked, "How're you coming along toward graduating, Heyes? It's been three years. Doesn't a B.A. take four years?"

"Not for my Heyes!" Beth said with pride in her man, "He's got all his B.A. credits in place except for two hours. He'll be on to graduate credits all but one class next semester."

"Yeah," said Heyes, "Can you folks come to New York in May for my B.A. graduation, do you think? We can put you up at a nice hotel."

"Wouldn't miss it, partner!" said the Kid, clapping Heyes on the back. He seldom said it openly, but he was as proud as Beth was of how well Heyes was doing.

"What happens after that, Heyes?" asked Cat.

"The plan," said Heyes, "is that I want to finish up the M.A. in just one year after next semester, so I can graduate with the M.A. spring after this coming."

"So the two degrees - that usually take six years, he'll have done in four and a half!" Beth boasted while Heyes blushed a bit.

Beth had hardly finished speaking when the door to the saloon front room opened and Joe the bar tender came in, "Would you put up with a visitor, Mr. Smith? A man came in asking for you." All four of the people around the table automatically tensed. A stranger in search on either one of the boys was not likely to be good news, but they couldn't pretend Smith wasn't there. Everyone in the place knew that he was. And what if the stranger really was an old friend?

"What's the guy look like, Joe? He give a name?" asked the Kid, trying to sound casual. But Joe knew who the boys really were and why they would be nervous of a stranger.

"He's a tall, thin, grey haired guy – maybe 60? All alone. Said his name was Hal Smith, as a matter of fact. He a relative, Mr. Smith?" Joe winked at Heyes, "You know him? He didn't ask for both you boys – just Smith."

Heyes and the Kid exchanged glances, unsure what to do. "I don't know the name and I must know half a dozen guys could fit the description. Might be an alias," speculated Heyes nervously.

Before Joe could go back through the door, or the boys could even make up their minds, the door to the saloon opened. A man who could only be "Hal Smith," came through it. He was holding up a very familiar looking newspaper clipping, with the picture of "eccentric graduate student Joshua Smith" on it.

"So there you are!" said the old man with a smile. Four pairs of surprised eyes met his, with no sign of recognition from any one of them. He continued happily, "This here newspaper sure has helped me. I been looking for you for eight years, Hannibal Heyes!"