Chapter 4

"Putting up the mountain as collateral to join in this investors group?" said Jeremy, Joshua and Aaron together.

"Jason, do you know how much we could lose if this investment goes wrong?" said Jeremy,

"Jason, do you remember when we had that card game and you and Jeremy did not do well, you almost lost the mountain altogether. I don't think I can back you on this!" said Joshua with a worried tone.

"Jason, I have been after your mountain for a long time now. I finally just got used to working alongside you but I worry that this investment may not be legal. If you are going to loose the mountain, let me have it. You know I will take care of it!" Aaron was definitely worried, he thought Jason had finally cracked.

Jason stood there at the saloon bar and looked at his brothers and Aaron and said:

"I don't see anything wrong in this investment, it is to create a whole new town, provide jobs and opportunities to people who need a place to live and work. I can see it now, this place will be a thriving metropolis. The likes of which have never been seen this side of the Mississippi! It will be grand, a grand hotel, a few restaurants, a park, an office for the Bolt Lumber Company and one for Stemple's Mill! Ah yes! It will be glorious!" He said as he took a drink from his glass. Joshua and Jeremy and Aaron were worried. In fact, all three of them were worried for Jason.

"Well, brothers? What say you shall we do this?" He put his fist out, but Joshua and Jeremy, both would not do it.

"You can go it alone dear brother, my one third of the mountain stays with me!" Joshua said and left. Jeremy stood there wanting to join his big brother but he thought Joshua was right as well.
"J-j-Jason, you know I usually vote with you but I think Joshua is right and I am not sure it is a legal venture anyway. I vote no!" Jeremy said with a little hesitation.

"Jason, before you say yes, I think we should look into this venture, I can have my lawyers check these investors out and if they are legitimate then I will even go in with you but, to protect your mountain, I suggest we wait a few days or a week before we give it a go!" Aaron said.

Jason pulled his fist back and looked from Jeremy and Aaron then he said:

"All right Aaron, I will wait to hear what your lawyers say, but I feel that this is the right thing to do. I am not giving away the mountain, I am investing in it for the future of my family, of the Bolt Family!" Joshua had come back in and had heard it all. Jason saw him and said:
"Aaron, I know you aren't family, you are a good business man and I respect you and since we, the Bolt brothers have worked with you these past years, I think we can agree to wait a little longer!" He put his fist out and Jeremy and Joshua put their hands on hips and Jason nodded to Aaron to do the same.

Abby sat on her porch in the cool of the afternoon, eating her pie and thinking on what Mr. Martin had said. She would need help to move her family's things but she wasn't quite ready to move out just yet. She had an inkling that Mr. Martin wasn't quite interested in her but more in what he could get for himself. She saw a small wagon coming up towards the house and she quickly put her pie away. She noticed these were ladies and they had a small child or was it a baby with them?

Julie slowed the wagon down and Candy jumped down from the wagon. Julie handed her the baby and they went over to the porch where Abby was standing.

"Hello, I am Mrs. Jeremy Bolt and this is my friend Miss Julie Stemple!" Candy said as she shifted the baby to the other hip. "We heard that you have lived here all of your life and we thought perhaps you could tell us a little about this town?"

Abby looked at them. Something inside told her they were trustworthy women. She motioned for them to come inside and she made some tea. Once the tea was done, she took it in to the ladies and poured a cup for each. They took it saying their 'thank you'd'.

My name is Miss Abigail Beason. I am sorry that I have not called on you are you new here?" she said as she put her cup down on the saucer.

"We are very new, My husband is here to open an office for his company and he and his brothers are looking to invest in some property out here." Said Candy as she sat juggling Annie and her tea cup.

"Mrs. Bolt, you have my permission to set you little baby on the floor. I have swept it thoroughly and although I myself do not have any children, I have cared for many here in this town." Abby looked on and pointed to a spot near the sofa on the floor that was fairly safe. Since she noticed that Annie was just in the beginning crawling stage the baby would not get far from her mother or her mother's friend.

"I can't say that I know everyone in this town but I can tell you that things are looking up. We are looking forward to a rather veritable boom experience in the next few years."

Candy looked at Julie and then asked:

"what kind of opportunities for businesses will there be? My husband's family business is logging, I noticed very few trees nearby?"

"Oh, we have a huge forest just about 5 miles from here. No one has logged those in at least 10 to 15 years. My father came here and bought this farm and there was a company here at one time logging trees but they seemed to have left by the time I was about 10 or so. I think that was when the war came? My brothers went, they never came back…" she trailed off and Candy and Julie sensed she was missing them.

"We are sorry, did they die in the war?" asked Julie

"I don't really know. They just never returned nor did we hear from them for the entire time. Mother and Father were so hurt and sorrowing because of their loss. But that is over now. I will be leaving soon and then no one will be here on this farm if they ever come back. But I will be moving to town. I am the teacher for this town, though if it grows as people think it will, I may not be the only teacher. But I see that you have a little one, what is her name?"

"It is Annabelle Elizabeth, we just call her Annie for short." Said Candy handing the baby to her.

"She is a sweet thing. Are you finished with your tea? I can give you some more if you like?"
Julie spoke up first: "I am quite done Miss Beason…"

"Oh, please call me Abby. I begin to think I am old when I hear 'Miss Beason'!" she chuckled when she said that.

"I do hope you will come to visit. The evening time is a good time for a visit. Where are you staying and how long do you think you will be here?"

"And you can call me Julie…" said as she extended her hand to Abby. "It was a nice visit. Would you like me to take Annie?" Julie said to Candy and Candy handed the baby to her and Julie went out to the wagon.

"You may call me Candy as well, Abby, thank you for a lovely afternoon. In answer to your question, I think about a couple of months, Julie may go back sooner but my husband would like to get the office up and running before we return to Seattle and we wanted to find out what property would be for sale so that we could build a house."

"Well, this farm is for sale, I think you might like it. I would rather sell this farm to you rather than the company that wants to take over."

Candy was shocked and said: "What do you mean?

Abby looked at her and then choosing her words very carefully said:

"Last December I received a notice about a company called Monroe's Depot, LLC. They said they had bought the rights to this land ad I was to move at the end of July! I did not know that when father bought this property that I would not be able to live on it? When the whether was nicer and the circuit judge came around, I asked him if that company had a right to buy my farm. He said yes because my brothers owned it and since they were no longer around, he says that the law considers the farm abandoned!"

Candy looked at her and said: "Didn't you ask tell him you were living on the land and that you were your parents last child?"

"He said that the law states that the men of the family were the only ones to own land! That as far as they were concerned, I was as squatter and that the only reason they did not run me off in December is because they were being nice!" She sat down and started to cry. Candy sat with her for a moment and then said:

"Well, if I am going to live here, I am going to find a way to let you stay here too. This is your family's farm and no one, not even the law can take that from you. Don't worry Abby, I will think of something." She got up and pulled Abby up as well and said.

"Now dry your eyes. I will let you know what I have found out and see what can be done. Don't tell anyone!" Candy gave her a hug and then left.