Missing: Jeremy Bolt
"Jason! Jason!" Joshua Bolt, age 10, ran into the office of Stempel's Sawmill.
Jason, age 17, was talking to Aaron and his father, Mr. Adrian Stempel.
"What's wrong, Josh?" Jason asked.
Joshua burst into tears.
"Good grief, Joshua! What is it?!" Jason exclaimed. Crying was a rare occurrence for Josh. Jason put his arm around his brother. "Take it easy, Josh."
"Jeremy….we can't find him anywhere. I'm scared, Jason." Joshua sobbed.
"Have you looked everywhere he might be?" Jason asked.
"Yeah, everywhere except home. I didn't want to worry Dad." Josh replied.
"When was the last time you saw Jeremy?" Jason inquired.
"It was at recess. He was at the edge of the schoolyard digging for worms. Jeremy wanted to go fishing this afternoon after our chores were finished." Joshua answered.
"Did someone go down to the river in case Jeremy decided to go fishing early?" Jason asked.
"Yes, I went down there. I was hoping to find him playing hooky." Joshua said in despair.
Jason put his arm around Joshua "Let's go back to the school. Hopefully, they have found him by now."
When the two brothers arrived at the school, their hopes were dashed. Jeremy was no where to be found.
The teacher, Liza Box was lecturing the older boys. "If some of you have done something to Jeremy, now is the time to tell me. This is not funny. I am seriously worried about Jeremy. He is only six years old."
Miss Box was silent for a few minutes giving the boys a chance to confess or the girls a chance to tattle.
None of the children said anything.
Jason and Joshua walked up to Miss Box's desk.
"Here is Jeremy's oldest brother, Jason. Perhaps some of you would like to say something now." Miss Box told them.
"Miss Box, we don't know where Jeremy is, honest. We looked and looked. Some of the older boys looked too." Mary Alice Morgan told her.
"Liza, let me walk around and call out for Jeremy. He might be hiding somewhere." Jason whispered.
"Alright, Jason, I hope you find him." Liza whispered.
Jason walked around the room looking and calling Jeremy's name. There was no response.
"Jeremy, if you are playing a joke. The joke's over now. Come on out, please." Jason called out.
There was no answer.
Jason went outside. He walked the schoolyard calling his youngest brother and searching for him. There was no answer.
When Jason got to the edge of the schoolyard, he found Jeremy's can of worms spilled on the ground. Jason was frightened. He knew Jeremy would not have left his fishing worms. Someone had taken Jeremy.
Jason went inside the school. He motioned for Liza to come to the back of the room. She walked to him quickly. Jason whispered to her about finding the worms.
"Oh, no! Jason!" Liza whispered.
The children heard her. All of them turned and looked at her.
"Children", Miss Box said as she walked toward her desk. "School is going to be dismissed early. But, you must wait here for a parent or other adult relative to come to take you home. Mr. Bolt will notify the fathers at the sawmill and at the logging camp. The parents at the other places of business will also be contacted. We will not have any further lessons today. You may read, or draw, or talk quietly among yourselves." Miss Box explained.
Jason and Joshua left the school. They went to the sawmill. Jason told Aaron what had happened. He was shocked. He said he would help search for Jeremy after telling the workers that they needed to pick up their children from school. Jason thanked Aaron.
Jason and Joshua stopped by other businesses in town to spread the word about Jeremy being taken and about school dismissing early.
The two Bolt brothers borrowed Lottie's buckboard to go to the logging camp. Lottie was devastated to hear about Jeremy. She said she would be on the lookout for any strangers in the saloon.
Jason and Joshua made it to the logging camp in record time. The camp was closed for the rest of the day so the fathers could pick up their children. Many of the loggers offered to help search for Jeremy. Jason thanked them.
Jason and Joshua went home. As they walked in the door, Dad looked up from his book.
"Well, you are home early. Where is Jer…what happened?" Dad turned pale.
Jason sat down in the chair next to Dad's armchair. Joshua stood in front of Jason. Dad could see that Joshua was about to cry.
"Tell me, son." Dad said in a frightened whisper.
"Dad, someone took Jeremy." Jason said as calmly as he could.
"Someone took my youngest bairn? My sweet boy?" Dad asked in disbelief.
"Yes, Dad." Jason choked up.
Joshua got in his father's lap and cried his heart out.
Dad put his arms around Joshua. "It will be alright, precious boy, it will be alright." Dad said softly.
A few minutes later, Joshua was calm. "Dad, we are going to search for Jeremy, aren't we?"
"Of course, we are, son." Dad replied.
"Dad, you haven't been feeling well. Lots of the men in town are going to help look for Jeremy after they take their kids home. You don't have to get out." Jason explained.
"Jason, I am Jeremy's father. I especially must search for him. He is my heart. My responsibility. All of you boys are." Dad replied.
"Alright, Dad." Jason stood up. He patted his father on the back.
The Bolts packed their gear. They saddled their horses. They started searching for Jeremy.
They hunted the youngest Bolt between their home and the school. There was no sign of him.
At the school, Jason showed Dad where he found the container of worms. Dad walked from that spot out through the weeds looking all around.
"Great God in heaven!" Dad shouted.
Jason and Joshua ran to their father.
Dad was pointing to something on the ground. The brothers looked down. It was an empty ether bottle and some cloth swatches.
"Oh, Dad! Someone planned this. Nobody walks around with a bottle of ether." Jason was terrified.
"You're right, Jason. I'm wondering if the culprit had been stalking Jeremy." Dad stared at the ether bottle.
"Why would they use ether on Jeremy? You don't think they killed him, do you?" Joshua asked tearfully.
Dad squatted in front of Josh. "No, son. They didn't kill Jeremy. They used the ether to make Jeremy unconscious so he wouldn't yell or fight back when they kidnapped him."
"I didn't think of that, Dad. Why would someone want to take Jeremy?"
Josh asked.
"I'm not sure, Joshua. Maybe they lost a child and they're trying to replace him. Perhaps a wife is unable to have children and decided to take your brother." Dad explained as he picked up the ether bottle and the cloth swatches.
"Well, it's sad if those things happened to someone. But, they can't have Jeremy. He is ours" Joshua said angrily.
"That's true, Josh." Jason said. "I think you hit on the answer, Dad. Someone took Jeremy in an effort to replace a lost child or to make up for not having a child. Let's go talk to Lottie."
The three Bolts walked to Lottie's. The saloon was busy. There was lots of talk about Jeremy being missing.
When Lottie saw the Bolts come in, she stepped out from behind the bar. She motioned at a table. Johnathan and his sons sat down at the table. Lottie brought some sandwiches and coffee to them.
"Eat a few bites while we talk. Josh, do you want some milk?" She asked as she sat down.
Josh shook his head no.
"Thank you for the food and coffee, Lottie. I'm afraid we don't have much appetite right now. Lottie, we are trying to figure out who took Jeremy. Do you know of any ladies who recently lost a baby or a child or who learned that she can't have children?" Jason asked
"Let me think for a minute. And while I'm thinking, the three of you eat whether you want it or not. I know you will be out all night searching for Jeremy. You need to keep up your strength." Lottie answered.
"What if Jeremy doesn't have anything to eat? What if he's scared or hurt?" Josh asked sadly.
Dad put an arm around Joshua. "We will find your brother, Joshua. I promise. We might not find him tonight, but we will find him."
"I know Dad. But are we gonna find him in time?" Josh questioned.
"Joshua, the person who took Jeremy most likely wants a child and won't hurt him." Dad reassured him.
"Dad's right, Josh. Jeremy will be okay." Jason encouraged.
"Okay, but I still miss him." Joshua frowned.
Dad and Jason looked mournfully at each other. They missed the littlest Bolt too.
"Lottie, have you been able to think of any ladies who might be responsible for Jeremy's disappearance?" Johnathan asked.
"Not so far, Johnathan. But, I will keep thinking. Jason, why don't you ask Liza too? As a young woman, I'm sure she has friends who are starting families or want to start families. Josh, why don't you run into the kitchen and ask Cookie to give you some ice cream? Lottie asked.
Josh smiled and ran to the kitchen.
"I didn't want Joshua to hear this. But, have you considered that it might not be a childless person who kidnapped Jeremy? Lottie asked.
"Yes, certainly we have, Lottie. We are terrified that some monster of a person has taken my bairn. Especially since I found the empty ether bottle and cloth swatches." Johnathan answered.
"Empty ether bottle and cloth swatches?! Lottie shouted. "Why on earth would someone use ether on a six year old?"
"For the same reason someone would kidnap a six year old, Lottie." Jason replied.
Joshua had finished his ice cream. He came back into the barroom. He didn't say if he had heard the shouting.
Johnathan and the two sons thanked Lottie for the supper and for her help. She said she would let them know if she thought of anyone they could consider a suspect.
Jason, Joshua, and Dad searched all over Seattle. Lots of local men were searching too. No trace of Jeremy was found.
The Bolts started looking through the woods. They didn't find a clue. Several hours later, they decided to make camp.
They sat around the campfire drinking coffee. They didn't talk much. It was getting cold. Each of them was wondering if Jeremy was cold, hungry, and frightened.
"Boys, I'm going to turn in and try to get some sleep. Each of you need to do the same. I love you. Good night." Dad told them.
"Good night, Dad. I love you." Each of the brothers said.
Dad went into his tent and went to bed.
Jason and Joshua sat by the campfire awhile longer.
"Jason, do you think Jeremy is….dead?" Joshua choked out the last word.
Jason walked over to Joshua. He sat down next to him and put his arm around him. Jason looked Joshua in the eye for a few moments without speaking.
Joshua looked intently at his older brother. His voice quivered when he spoke. "You do, don't you?! You think Jeremy is dead!"
"Josh, I think there is a possibility that Jeremy is dead. But, there is also a possibility that he is alright." Jason replied.
"WHAT? Do you hear what you're saying? Possibility of this. Possibility of that. We are talking about Jeremy. Our six year old brother who was drugged and kidnapped! We ain't talking about one of those stupid Shakespeare plays that you read and then try to decide what the junk means. Do you think our baby brother is dead or not?" Joshua shouted.
"I hope not, Josh. But, I'm afraid. I'm so afraid that he is." Jason broke down sobbing.
Joshua threw his arms around Jason's neck and cried too.
Dad came rushing out of his tent. " Oh, my sweet boys. I'm frightened about the youngest bairn too."
The two brothers put their arms around their father. The three of them cried together for a few minutes.
Dad spoke first. "Now boys, we must pull ourselves together. We must try our best to keep a positive thought for our sakes and particularly for Jeremy."
The boys agreed with Dad. All of them went inside their tents. They went to sleep.
Two hours later, it was awfully cold. It was threatening to rain too.
The father and his two sons woke up. They agreed they wanted to go home. They would come back tomorrow to start searching again for baby brother.
When the Bolts got home, they tended their horses. Then they went to bed.
Two hours later, Dad heard a noise in the front room. Did he hear what he thought he heard? Perhaps he was dreaming. No, there it was again. Dad got out of bed and dressed quickly.
Dad walked into the front room. "Great God in Heaven!"
"JEREMY!" Dad screamed as he ran and scooped up the bairn in his arms.
Jason and Josh came charging out of their bedrooms.
"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Both brothers exclaimed.
Dad sat down in his armchair with Jeremy in his arms. "Oh, my sweet boy! My sweet boy!" Dad was crying as he hugged Jeremy tightly.
"D-D-Daddy, I l-l-love you!" Jeremy cried as he buried his face in Dad's shoulder.
Johnathan knew his youngest was traumatized. Jeremy only called him Daddy when he was frightened or very sick.
Jason and Josh patted Jeremy on his back. "What happened to you, Jeremy? Do you feel like talking about it?" Jason asked.
"B-B-Beth g-g-got me." Jeremy said with a ragged breath.
"Who is Beth, sweet boy?" Dad asked.
"It's me, Mr. Bolt." answered a shy voice.
The family was so excited to have Jeremy back that they hadn't noticed the young lady in the room. At the sound of her voice, Dad and his three sons looked at her.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bolt. I know I was wrong to take Jeremy. I just wanted to love him and protect him. Please don't be mad at me." Beth looked scared.
"Dad, Beth is Charlie and Lily Abernathy's daughter. She's about 15." Jason said softly. "She's a little…." Jason was trying to say in a nice way that she was a bit slow mentally.
"Yes, Jason, I remember Beth. Her father passed last year not long after your mother." Dad replied. "Jason, go get Lottie, please. Tell her that we need her to come spend the night since Beth is our guest."
"I'm on the way, Dad." Jason responded. He left the cabin.
"Our guest?! After she snatched Jeremy?!" Josh yelled.
"Joshua Bolt! Mind your manners!" Dad scolded.
"Are you serious, Dad?" Josh was confused.
Jeremy sat up in Dad's lap. He motioned for Josh to come close. Josh walked over to Jeremy.
Jeremy whispered in his brother's ear, "Beth don't know no better. She caint help what she did. She didn't know it was wrong until I told her it was."
"I'm sorry, Beth. Please forgive me for being rude." Joshua apologized.
"It's okay, Joshua. I know all of you are unhappy because I took Jeremy. Like I said, I just wanted to love him and protect him." Beth replied.
"Protect him from what, Beth?" Dad asked.
"From the people who laugh at him, Mr. Bolt. One day, a few weeks ago, I went to town with Mama. It was about two weeks after my baby went back to heaven. I was gonna have a baby. But she went back to heaven before she got born. The day me and Mama went to town, I got tired of being in the store. So, I walked over to the school. The children were outside playing. I heard Jeremy asking some boys if he could play ball with them. They said no because he was a freak. Jeremy said he wasn't no freak. Those boys said yeah he was a freak because he can't talk right. Jeremy walked over to the edge of the schoolyard and cried. It made me so sad. I wanted to make him feel better and keep those mean boys from ever hurting him again." Beth explained.
"Is that the reason you took Jeremy? To keep the boys at school from calling him names and laughing at him." Dad asked.
"It wasn't just that day, Mr. Bolt. The next time me and Mama were in town, I didn't go in the store at all. I went to the school. The kids were out playing like before. I saw Jeremy again. This time some of the boys said he could play and some said he couldn't. The boys got into a fist fight. Jeremy was punched in the eye and thrown out of the game. He went behind the school and cried. It hurt me and made me mad too. I decided then that I wanted Jeremy to be my little boy so I could love him and keep people from hurting him." Beth said.
Jason and Lottie arrived. When they came inside, Lottie hugged and kissed Jeremy. She was so glad that he was alright.
"Thank you, Lottie for coming to be our guest along with Beth. The two of you can have my room. The boys and I will sleep in here in front of the fireplace." Johnathan told her.
"You're welcome, Johnathan. Beth and I will have some girl talk after we go to bed. How are you, Beth, sweetheart?" Lottie asked.
"I'm okay, Miss Lottie. Thank you for coming to help me." Beth answered.
"You're welcome, sweetheart." Lottie replied.
Lottie and Beth went to bed.
Jason and Joshua fixed pallets on the floor in the front room.
Dad and Jeremy were going to sleep in Dad's armchair.
Suddenly, Jeremy began crying again.
"What is it, sweet boy? Do you want to talk about something?" Dad asked gently.
"There were some big boys like J-J-Jason who came to B-B-Beth's house. We were out in the barn. Beth hadn't told her m-m-mother about me yet. These boys were mean. D-D-Daddy, they w-w-wanted to h-h-hurt me." Jeremy hid his face against Dad's chest.
Dad and Jason looked at each other alarmed.
Jason walked over to the armchair. He put his hand on Jeremy's back.
"Jeremy, listen to Daddy. This is very important. Did these boys hurt you in any kind of way? Did they touch you or do anything that scared you? You know you can tell me and your brothers anything." Dad said calmly.
"One of them tried to take my pants off. But, Beth wouldn't let him. She hit him with a shovel and told him to leave me alone. Then he grabbed Beth and told her he would just have fun with her. Beth told me to run so I ran out of the barn and hid behind the chicken coop." Jeremy said.
"Jeremy, did any of the other boys hurt you or try to hurt you?" Jason asked.
"No, they stayed in the barn. They watched Ralph hurt Beth. She cried and yelled for him to stop. The other boys laughed mean like." Jeremy held up his arms for Jason to get him. Jason picked up his baby brother.
"What happened next, Jeremy?" Joshua asked.
"When Ralph stopped hurting Beth, all of the boys left. Then Beth told me she would take me home because she knew that my dad and my brothers were worried about me." Jeremy answered.
The Bolt family went to sleep.
A few hours later, Lottie came out of the bedroom. "Johnathan! Wake up! Have you seen Beth?"
Johnathan opened his eyes. "No, Lottie. I haven't seen her. Isn't she here?"
"I can't find her. I walked around outside. I called her name. She didn't answer." Lottie replied.
"Jeremy, have you seen Beth this morning?" Dad asked.
Jeremy yawned."No, Dad. I haven't seen her this morning."
"Jason! Josh! Have either of you seen Beth this morning?" Dad inquired.
"I have not seen her, Dad." Jason replied.
"Me either, Dad." Josh responded.
"Let's eat breakfast. Then we can go by Beth's house to make sure she got home alright." Dad said.
A little while later, when they were eating breakfast, Aaron and his father stopped by.
"Good morning, Adrian. Hello, Aaron. What brings you out this way so early?"
"We have wonderful news, Johnathan! We know where Jeremy…..Jeremy!" Adrian shouted when he saw Jeremy sitting at the table.
Johnathan smiled. " Beth Abernathy brought my bairn home late last night. She confessed to taking him."
"But, Johnathan, Ralph Robinson told me this morning that he took Jeremy. Why would Robinson confess if he didn't do it?"
"I don't know, Adrian. Jeremy, do you know who took you from the schoolyard?" Dad asked
"Beth told me that she did." Jeremy told his dad. "I was sleep."
"That's another thing. Robinson knew about the ether and the cloth swatches." Adrian said.
Johnathan shook his head. "Let's go see Beth and find out what else she has to say.
Lottie, the Bolts, and the Stempels traveled to the Abernathy home.
Everyone went up on the porch. Johnathan knocked on the door. He was holding Jeremy against his shoulder.
Lily Abernathy answered the door. "Hello, Johnathan. How are you, Adrian, Lottie? Good morning, children."
"Hello, Lily. We came to make sure Beth got home alright this morning. Also, we need to talk to her, please." Johnathan said.
"Beth? Johnathan, what are you talking about? Beth died in childbirth last month." Lily replied turning pale.
Johnathan was shocked. "Lily, I promise I am not trying to upset you. Beth brought Jeremy home late last night. She said she took him from the schoolyard because she wanted to love him and protect him. Lottie, my sons, and I saw her and talked to her."
"What Dad is saying is right, Mrs. Abernathy." Jason told her.
"Lily, can we come in, please?" Lottie asked.
"Certainly, come in, everyone." Lily replied.
Lottie, the Bolts, and the Stempel's went in the house.
"Lily, would it be alright if I made some coffee?" Lottie asked.
"Oh, I will do that Lottie." Lily told her.
"Please let me do it, Lily. I know that what Johnathan told you is a great shock. You sit down and rest." Lottie insisted.
"Alright, Lottie. Thank you." Lily responded. "Excuse me, just a minute, please.
Lily went to her bedroom. She returned to the parlor with a tintype of her daughter, Beth. Lily handed it to Johnathan.
"Is she the one you saw and talked too, Johnathan?" Lily asked.
Johnathan looked at the tintype. "Yes, Lily. She is the one."
"Lily, are you just saying that Beth died to protect her from getting into trouble because you think she took Jeremy?" Adrian asked.
"Adrian Stempel! Would you dare say that Aaron died if he didn't?" Lily answered angrily.
"No, Lily, I wouldn't. I'm not trying to upset you. I'm just trying to help figure out what happened. Johnathan says Beth brought Jeremy home. You say Beth died last month." Adrian told her.
"Do you hear music, Jason?" Jeremy asked.
"Music? No, Jeremy, I don't hear any music. Is this a new game that you are playing? " Jason asked.
"No, Jason. I'm not playing. I hear music. It sounds like real pretty church music." Jeremy explained.
"I'm sorry, Jeremy. I don't hear it. Do you hear it, Josh?"
"No, I don't hear any music. Jeremy probably hears it in his head." Josh laughed.
"No, I really hear it, you big dumb cheese brain!" Jeremy shouted.
"Okay, BABY brother!" Josh shouted back.
"Boys! Settle down! Mind your manners!" Dad scolded.
Joshua and Jeremy became quiet.
Two minutes later, Jeremy said, "It's coming from the barn!"
Jeremy jumped up from his seat and ran out the front door.
Jeremy ran to the barn. He opened the door. "WOW! Everybody! Come look!"
"What is my bairn into now? I'm sorry, Lily." Dad said as he got up from his chair.
"It's alright, Johnathan. Jeremy is a precious boy. Beth loved him dearly." Lily replied. She and everyone else got up and headed outside.
As the group got closer to the barn, they could hear beautiful music.
When they got to the barn, they were awestruck. The barn was filled with angels singing.
This is what they were singing:
hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
King of kings and Lord of lords
King of kings and Lord of lords
And He shall reign forever and ever
Forever and ever
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Jason reached down and picked up Jeremy. They smiled at each other.
"Jeremy, I owe you an apology. WOW! I never saw angels before!" Josh said.
"Thanks, Josh. I never saw angels before either." Jeremy replied.
" I just can't imagine why there are angels in my barn." Lily was astonished.
"I think I know, Miss Lily." Jeremy told her.
"What do you think, Jeremy?" Lily asked
"I think God sent the angels to bring Beth home to Heaven since she is new there and since she is finished helping me." He explained.
"I agree with you, Jeremy." Lily smiled and patted Jeremy's arm.
"LOOK! Miss Lily! There's Beth!" Jeremy exclaimed.
Lily looked. She saw Beth among the angels. Beth was so beautiful!
Beth ran to her mother. "I love you, Mama! Bye, Jeremy! Be sweet! Bye everyone! I have to go now!" Beth hugged Lily.
"Goodbye, sweetheart! I love you!" Lily said as they hugged.
Lottie was crying and waving at Beth. The men were smiling and waving. Josh looked perplexed but he was waving too.
Jeremy waved. "Bye Beth! I love you! Thank you for taking me home!
Beth and the angels went home to Heaven.
Late that night, Jeremy was in Jason's bed.
"J-Jason, c-c-can I tell you s-s-something?" Jeremy asked.
"Sure, Jeremy. Is something bothering you? I noticed you didn't say much tonight." Jason answered.
"Well, I didn't tell the truth about what happened to me." Jeremy replied.
Jason gulped. "Did Ralph Robinson hurt you, Jeremy? You can tell me. You have to tell me."
Jason lit the lantern on the nightstand.
Jeremy looked at Jason. Jeremy had tears in his eyes.
"It's alright, Jeremy. You can tell me." Jason said gently.
"Ralph Robinson killed me, Jason." Jeremy whispered.
"Oh, Jeremy, you're confused aren't you? You were unconscious from the ether." Jason said.
"No, Jason. When Beth hit Ralph with the shovel, he took it away from her. He hit me in the head with the shovel and killed me." Jeremy began crying.
Jason put his arms around Jeremy. "It's alright, Jeremy. You're safe. I'm here." Jason whispered.
"Beth took me to Heaven. She told God what happened even though He already knew. Beth asked God to let me come back home because I'm only six. He did." Jeremy told his brother.
"Oh, Jeremy! Why didn't you tell us?" Jason asked.
"I didn't want to scare Dad. And Josh woulda laughed." Jeremy replied.
"Beth told me to say she took me so Dad wouldn't be frightened."
"We have to tell Dad tomorrow. I'll make sure Josh doesn't laugh." Jason explained.
"Okay, Jason." Jeremy snuggled up to Jason. He put his head against Jason's chest. Jeremy could hear his brother's heartbeat.
Bah dum, bah dum, bah dum
"I'm glad God let me come back. I love heartbeats." Jeremy yawned.
"I love heartbeats too, Jeremy." Jason said as he placed his hand over his baby brother's heart..
The End