Chapter 3

Jason and Joshua and Jeremy stepped out onto the street, they had a meeting with a group of investors, of whom they were considering to join. Aaron had not arrived but would be there shortly. They walked across the street to a small building that housed the doctors office, a meeting room and a barber shop/dentist office. They were escorted up some side stairs on the left of the building and the door was opened. Inside, the furnishings were plush. They shook some hands and then were ushered into an anteroom where a long table with chairs were situated. A beautiful young woman was serving drinks to a few of the gentlemen.

"The Bolts, I believe? Where is Mr. Stemple, I thought he was coming as well?" said one gentleman with a rather portly physique and a cigar in his hand.

Jason answered first:

"He was detained in Seattle, but will be here by this afternoon."

"Well, take a seat gentlemen, we will begin this meeting…," said Mr. Monroe.

Aaron Stemple had just arrived on the stage when Candy came out of the hotel with her baby.

"Oh, Mr. Stemple, I am glad you could make it. Did you bring your sister with you?:
Aaron Stemple stepped down from the stage and helped his sister Julie out of the coach. Candy and Julie embraced it had been a long time since they had seen each other.

"Oh, Candy, you look so good, and this is little Annie?" Julie said as she reached to hold the baby. Candy gave her to Julie and said:

"I am so glad you could come along there is so much to talk about. I am going to meet a young woman who is leaving her farm and I would like you to come visit with us."

"I would be glad, but I don't want to impose?" Said Julie with a question and smiling at little Annie.

"No, you wont be. Jeremy suggested it since he and his brothers may be in a meeting all day."

"Mrs. Bolt, may I intrude for a moment, you said that they are meeting somewhere?" Aaron asked as he was signing the register for him and his sister.

"I am sorry Mr. Stemple, they are meeting across the way at where the barber shop and doctors office is." Candy pointed to the building and Aaron after giving instructions for his and his sisters belongings to be brought to their rooms he excused himself and left right away to the meeting. Julie and Candy immediately went upstairs to talk and let Julie get refreshed so that they could go visit with Miss Beason.

Earl Martin was smartly dressed, he knew he was calling on a woman who had never been married so he thought to help her feel more comfortable about having to leave her childhood home he would 'court her' until she was safely gone. He had been hired for this very thing. He was a man of some means but always on the lookout for ways to make some profit as well as gaining a reputation for taking care of women, especially those who were alone and helpless.

"They were such easy targets!" he thought as he tied his tie, combed his hair and made himself presentable. He would show up at her door with a little surrey to take her for a little ride and discuss the terrible thing of having to leave her home." With a little chuckle and a smile he put his hat on and left his room. He too was staying at the hotel and saw both Candy and Julie coming up the stairs with a baby.

"Well, seems as if they have someone, not a target today!" His thoughts were as he passed them.

Abby was putting the finishing touches on a pie she had made. It was quite warm but she decided to have some pie today after supper and share it with her friend Davy. She did not know that soon her world would be turned upside down by the two visitors who were coming today. She put the pie on the window sill and saw a surrey headed toward her little farm. She thought it was a strange sight since no one she knew owned a surrey or could afford it. The men that had the money all lived back east somewhere and were not about to show up at her place.

The surrey came up to the front of the house and the gentleman stepped out and went over to knock on the door. Abby busied herself just to be sure she would look fine for a visitor. He knocked on the door but she did not come at the first knock. She waited for at least the third or fourth then she strode purposefully toward the door and opened it just as he was about to knock again.

"Hello, Miss Beason, My name is Earl Martin, esq. may I present my card. I am with the firm that sent you the letter last December?"

Abby took the card and stood there for a moment collecting her thoughts. Her emotions were running rampant, but she steadied herself and invited him in and showed him the little parlor. Asking him if he wanted some tea, she went to the kitchen and made some tea. She had already had a pot of hot water ready, so she placed the cups and teapot on the serving tray, her mothers from back East, and when the water was ready, she poured the water into the pot and brought it in and placed it on a small side table. She then sat down in her fathers word chair and looked at this man.

"Mr. Martin, I do know that I am to vacate at the end of this month, I am looking for living quarters here in town, I have been retained as the school teacher so there will be no problem with the paperwork, I hope?
He looked at her, she was indeed very lovely for a spinster. He wondered if he would have to change his tactic.

"Do not worry Miss Beason, I do want you to know that I will be at your disposal until you have moved. I was retained by the company to ensure that you would be able to leave without problems." He smiled and looked at her. They both looked at each other for a moment when she said:

"OH, where are my manners, I brought the tea would you like some tea Mr. Martin?" He nodded yes and she went over to the side table to pour the tea.

"As you see, I am just getting started packing and preparing for my move. I do have 29 days left so, I intend to take the full 29 days!" she handed him his teacup with a little napkin and then took her tea to her seat.
He took a sip and began to talk about how much they would be paying her and if there was anything she needed he would be more than happy to get it for her.

" I do say, Miss Beason, you may need someone to help move the furniture, so I have the authority to pay for movers if you need them. It will though be coming out of the finances we will be paying to you."

She looked at him, should she show that she understood well, what he was talking about or should she keep it to herself for a later time? She looked at him, he did look good. He was tall, his hair was a sandy kind of color, his hands showed that he was soft, probably never did a day of work in his life. Also, she saw that he was well groomed and looking at his clothing she knew he would spend more on himself than anyone else. She thought of her father. He had been a good man, had sized up other men and found some of them wanting in certain values. She thought Mr. Martin was wanting in those values as well.

"Miss Beason, would you like to go for a ride with me in the surrey? I was hoping to see this farm of yours?" He had asked.

"Oh, I am sorry, I haven't time today to go for a ride but if you come by tomorrow we can ride the farm in the morning?" She now knew that she would have to be careful this man was a snake! She would have Davy come along. He would help if she needed it. She would also let someone know what she was planning. She did have a few friends in town.