Sarah Hockley felt like her heart was going to burst from excitement as the train finally pulled into the station of their destination. It had been...days since she and Leah had fled Pittsburgh and her family's plans to find her a proper suitor to marry. She remembered the day she had managed to slip away, packing only a few items and making her way to Leah's, quickly explaining her plan and why they had to leave right away, not even leaving a note. There had been no plan on where they were going to go or how they were going to support themselves. They just knew that they had to get as far away from Sarah's family as they could get!

It had been Leah who chose the destination. It was decided that the first city they saw on the destination board would be the one they would get tickets for. That city just happened to be Chippewa Falls Wisconsin. Talk about far away, that was perfect! So they had purchased two first-class tickets on the next train to Chippewa Falls.

Now here they were, arriving in a new city, looking to start a new life.

"It's awfully quaint, don't think?" Leah looked out the window as the train came to a stop. She had noticed small shops and buildings as the train had pulled into the station. She wondered what they would end up doing here in a small town. What would they do? Who would they meet? What would people say? Will they truly be able to disappear from their former lives here? For Sarah's sake, she hoped so.

"Quaint, cozy, perfect. Father and Cal would never think of us coming here. They'd look at the big cities, where a lot is going on. Why would two young women want to come to a small town?" Sarah happily grinned.

"I don't know about this, Sarah. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. Maybe you should have at least tried to talk to your father. Maybe his plans weren't what you think they were…"

"Oh, they are. I heard both father and Cal loud and clear. They wanted me to be a mindless automation to be decorative on the arm of one of their friends. And all of their friends are old!"

"Even Cal's?"

"Well...in Cal's case, maybe not old, but arrogant and cruel. It'd be like marrying my brother and even you didn't want to do that, may I remind you."

Leah sighed. "I know. Come on, let's get ready to disembark. I hope you enjoyed this trip. I have a feeling that it'll be our last time doing anything in first class."

"Why do you say that?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "I say that because between the two of us, we have only one thousand dollars left and that will not last us very long. We're going to have to be frugal. Sarah, did you really think this through?"

"Of course I did! Okay, maybe I didn't think about the class thing and how we'll have to adjust...but I am still positive that this was a good idea. Coming here was a good idea. We'll manage."

Leah didn't say anything else. She just gathered the little bit of belongings she had and followed Sarah off the train and into the station. She frowned as she looked around as they exited the building. Outside, was no different from inside the building. People were going to and from their destinations, not paying them any mind. Well, most people anyway. There were a few on-lookers who gave them curious glances, probably wondering where their male chaperones were.

"Ok, so where do we go next?" Leah looked at her friend. This was Sarah's idea. Surely she knew what the next step was to be after fleeing Pittsburgh the way they had.

"I don't know...just...let's have a look around. Maybe we can find a cheap motel or something. Sarah's eyes scanned the streets of Chippewa Falls, trying to find some clue of where to go. Her eyes grew big as she saw a park and in that park was a stand of fresh fruit. She felt her stomach grumble. "Leah, there's food over there. Come on, let's check it out."

"Sarah wait!" Leah frowned as her friend darted off to check out the fruit stand. She groaned, feeling annoyed. Just once, she wished that Sarah would listen to her more! Sighing, she followed her friend, who was now at the fruit stand looking at some apples. "Sarah, you can't just run off like that! You have to be more reasonable!"

Sarah just rolled her eyes. "You're always so serious Leah. Look, you only have one life to live. That's why we're here! To live life the way we want, not how our families will have us live. Honestly, I'm surprised you even agreed to come with me."

"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble. And I get what you're saying and I agree. Life is short and we should do what makes us happy but within reason. We're not the only ones in the world you know."

"I know that," Sarah sighed and continued to examine the fruit on display. "I am starving…"

The girls walked along the stands eyeing the fruit when Sarah spotted a little boy standing in front of the apples, looking at the fruit with wide hungry eyes. She felt her heartache, noticing how thin and unkempt the boy was. He must be a little beggar boy, like the ones in Pittsburgh. Her father and Cal were always yelling at them and swatting them away with their fists whenever one approached begging for food or money. Sarah always found their actions appalling.

Wanting to help, Sarah walked over to the boy and picked up an apple, and handed it to the child. "You must be hungry. Here you go."

Excited, the little boy took the apple and took a big bite out of it before darting away. Sarah just chuckled and turned to return to Leah when she found her way blocked by a tall burly man with a bald head and a full beard.

"I hope you'll be paying for that," The man glared at her.

"Pay?" Sarah frowned, not getting what the man was talking about. He couldn't be talking about one simple apple from that stand? Weren't they for free? She didn't see any sign stating the price or anything.

"This is not a fruit tree, it's a fruit stand. These apples are for sale, not to be given away for free!"

"Well, there should be a sign stating that they were on sale and the price! Besides, that child was hungry! How can you live with yourself, selling perfectly good fruit with a starving child nearby?"

"I'm getting the police!"

"Now is that really necessary?" Sarah frowned, not really wanting to get the police involved. The police would lead to her father and that would destroy all of her plans!

"Well then pay for that apple!"

"What's going on here?" Leah was suddenly next to her. "Sarah?"

"Your friend here is a thief!" The man accused.

"No, I am not! I'm just not willing to let a child go hungry because he doesn't have money! What kind of monster are you, sir?" Sarah glared at the man.

"A monster who wants his money for that apple!"

"Oh dear, Sarah just pay the man!" Leah stared at her friend, not getting why Sarah was arguing about paying him. They had the money.

"It's the point of the matter, Leah."

"What is going on here?"

Two young men approached. One was an ebonied hair handsome man and the other was blond with curly hair and wore a bowler's hat. Both looked to be in work clothes. It was the ebonied hair one that spoke, his voice was accented and Sarah wondered where he was from.

"This girl here is stealing my apples!" The man growled.

"I am not! There was a hungry child and I simply handed him an apple. This man is acting like I stole one of the crown jewels or something," Sarah haughtily replied, her brown eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Sarah, please just pay the man," Leah groaned, wishing that she had just stayed at home instead of running away. This was turning into a disaster.

"I will pay for the apple," the black-haired man replied, pulling out his wallet and a couple coins.

"Sir, no you don't have to do that!" Sarah gasped.

"Someone has to," the stand owner grumbled.

"I was proving a point," Sarah huffed, folding her arms.

"Sarah just be quiet. I'm going to pay this kind gentleman back. No need for him to go without just because you want to be stubborn," Leah grumbled, reaching into her bag for the money. She pulled out the amount that the kind young man paid and held the coins out to him. "Here you go, sir. I do apologize for my friend. She's young and is not aware of the way things are done here."

"Where are you two lasses from anyway?" The blond hair man asked, his Irish accent apparent.

"She's Sarah and I'm Leah. We're from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania," Leah introduced, relieved to see some friendly faces, despite the circumstances.

"I am Tommy Ryan and this is Fabrizio DiRossi."

"You're not from here, are you? I mean...your accents…"

Tommy laughed. "I suppose that's obvious. I am from Ireland and Fabrizio is from Italy. We're staying here with a friend right now. But he's American."

"What a combination? How did you meet?" Sarah asked, finding herself curious about the two men that had come to the rescue.

"On a ship. We were in steerage and struck up a friendship and decided to stick together once we reached the states. So far, we've been doing pretty good for ourselves, don't you think, Fabri?"

Fabrizio just smiled and nodded his head. "I like America. It is nice here and you can become anything. Someday, I will become a millionaire!"

"A millionaire? Whatever for? Money is such a hindrance if you ask me," Sarah rolled her eyes. She had no idea why people wanted to have more money than they would know what to do with. What was the point? In her experience, all money did was trap you into doing and being something you weren't. Like her poor deceased friend Rose, she would rather live in a garret, poor but free! That had been both of their dreams. She remembered the days she and Rose would find free time and they would just daydream about living in Paris in one of those garrets. How they would paint or write during the day and work at the Moulin Rouge at night! It had been a dream that they knew would never come true but had been fun to imagine.

"Sarah, you're being rude! If he wants to be a millionaire that is his dream! He has a right to it!" Leah admonished her friend, feeling embarrassed.

Fabrizio just gave a good-natured laugh. "You remind me of my friend Jack's wife. She is from high society but she prefers a more modest life. It's good she found Jack. He makes her happy and she makes him happy. They are in love."

Fabrizio sighed, feeling a small sting of sadness, sure that he'd never find the happiness that Jack had found.

"See, that's the important thing. Love. Not money," Sarah nodded. "Your friend's wife seemed to have discovered the meaning of happiness."

"Looking at them, it seems that they had," Tommy nodded. "We'd all be lucky to find a love like that. Maybe someday we will be, yeah?"

"Yeah. That would be nice," Leah smiled, silently thinking that she liked the sound of Tommy's voice and the way his eyes lightened in the sun. He was rather interesting and handsome. She never thought she'd meet someone so interesting in this small town. "So Tommy...my friend and I need a place to stay. You guys wouldn't happen to know where two girls can spend the night?"

"We sure do. In fact, Fabri and I stayed there when we first came to town. It's a nice little boarding house and the owner is a real nice lady. We'll take you to it, won't we Fabri?" Tommy grinned, happy to spend some more time with the two pretty strangers.

"Yes. Follow us," Fabrizio nodded, his eyes drifting to the ebony-haired Sarah, who he had to admit was very pretty if not naive. It's been a while since he found interest of the romantic kind, but Sarah seemed to spark it. There was just something about her. He looked away as guilt hit him. How dare he find another girl pretty? What of Helga?

Happy to find help, the two girls fell in step with the two young men as they made their way to the boarding house at first in comfortable silence. It was Sarah who decided to break the silence. She was finding Fabrizio to be rather handsome and she was curious, just like Leah seemed to be interested in the Irish Tommy.

"So...Italy. I bet it's gorgeous there. When did you leave it? Why? Do you miss it?" She began to question.

"I left Italy about three years ago. I met my friend Jack who was traveling around Europe and seeing the world and I wanted to join him. Last year, we met Tommy here on a ship and we ended up here in America. It's been a big adventure. Now I settle down. Work on becoming a millionaire," Fabrizio explained, keeping his eyes focused on something in the distance, afraid to look at Sarah, not wanting to think about how pretty she was.

"How interesting. Did you leave anyone behind in Italy? Like a girlfriend or wife?"

"No, no. Only my momma. I probably won't see her again for a long time. I write to her. Tell her I'm in America now."

"I bet she's very proud of you. You set your eyes on something and you achieved it. That's what I'm doing now. I wanted to leave home and see what was outside of Pittsburgh. And look at me, here I am!" Sarah happily grinned.

Fabrizio couldn't help but smile. This girl was so...happy. She kind of reminded him of Jack when they had first met. "Do you think I'll become a millionaire?"

"If you come up with the right idea and follow it through. Anything is possible," Sarah shrugged, still thinking that there were better dreams to have, but Leah was right. Who was she to tell him that his dream to be a millionaire was stupid?

"See, that's what we like about America. Anything is indeed possible," Tommy chuckled.

Leah smiled, finding Tommy's attitude refreshing. If everyone in this town was like this charming Irishman, she would have to say leaving Pittsburgh was indeed a good idea.

The foursome walked in silence until they reached the boarding house, where the two men stopped at the front door to bid the girls goodbye.

"Just tell the lass that you want a room. She'll find you something. It's a really nice place to stay and she may even find some work for ya. Fabri and I will stop by tomorrow and check up on ya if you like."

"We'd like that very much," Sarah smiled, her eyes once again drifting to Fabrizio, a bright smile on her face. She found the Italian fascinating and wanted to get to know him better. Sadly, the young man seemed shy and didn't really talk much.

"We'll be seeing you then. Come along, Fabri. Jack and his girl probably have dinner ready by now," Tommy waved goodbye as he and Fabrizio left the girls to sign in.

"What was that about?" Tommy asked once the boarding house was out of sight.

"What do you mean?" Fabrizio frowned.

"That lass, Sarah. I think she likes you, but you had paid her no mind. What's wrong with you? Don't you think she's pretty?"

"She is. I suppose. It's just...I can't help thinking about Helga…"

Tommy sighed. Of course. He shouldn't be surprised that his friend was still stuck on the Norwegian lass. It's been a year, but Fabrizio was still grieving. But wasn't it time to stop? Shouldn't he at least try to move on? This was not at all healthy for him.

"Fabri, mate. I understand. Helga was a hell of a woman. She was beautiful and sweet. But she's gone, mate. She's gone and sadly she's not going to come back as Rose had. It's time to let go and move on. Grieve for her, sure. But don't die along with her. Live your life for her. In honor of her, because you know she wouldn't want you to wallow like this. She'd want you to go on with your life. Find a pretty lass and marry her. Start a family and make your millions like you dream. Because you won't be making any millions mourning a dead woman and letting life pass you by. You gotta make it count like boy-o always says."

"You think this Sarah is that pretty lass? We just met her."

Tommy laughed. "I don't know if she is or not. She does seem to like you, though. She's at least a start at putting yourself out there again. If it doesn't work with her, then there's the next lass until you do find that girl that you have a spark with. Just don't let your grief over Helga make you miss out on what could be the love of your life. That's all that I'm saying."

"I'll take what you say into consideration, amico."

"You do that, mate. Because it's breaking our hearts to see you so sad all the time."