Chapter 1

Tossing and turning in her bed, first she was hot then cold, then a dog somewhere outside started to bark. She used the pillow to cover her ears, but that did not help at all. Finally, she sat up and lit the oil lamp that she kept by the bed. She had no idea what the time was, but she knew it was dark outside and that she had not been sleeping for very long. She got out of bed and shivered. It was cold, of course, this being the middle of the night or very early morning hour. It was also the middle of winter. She sighed and walked to the next room to see if the coals in the stove were hot enough to start a fire.

"Ouch!" she cried as she stubbed her toe on the chair leg. Moving the chair out of the way with a shove she bent down and checked the coals in the stove. She could feel nothing but cold. The coals had died during the night. She had forgotten to open the damper again. She went to the coal bucket and took a basket of coals back to the stove. She put several of them in and then lit a piece of paper with the match that was used for the stove. She waited and watched as the fire started to dance and spread to the coals. It would be a while, she wondered if she should get a piece of wood to help the fire.

Again, she looked out the window, there was a moon but not a full moon. She noticed that she could not see the stars like she had seen earlier. She was about to go back to the stove when she noticed something moving outside. Thinking that it might be some kind of animal that was hurt, she took a blanket and a stick just in case and went out onto the porch to see what it was going to do. When she stepped out on the porch, she saw that it was not an animal but there were two people who were walking very slowly. They looked like they had been walking all night. She ran to them to see what she could do.

"My name is Margaret, Maggie if it is easier for you to say, come into my cabin, It will help you get warm." She said ad then took the hand of the smaller one to help. It looked like he was just a boy. The other person put his hand on her shoulder indicating that he would walk holding her shoulder. The wind had just started and the snow was beginning to blow around them. They trudged up to the cabin. Both the boy and the man took off their boots before they entered the cabin. Maggie opened the door, the cabin now seemed warmer than it was when she woke up.

"Come, sit at the table. I will warm some soup up for you. I have coffee as well. Is the boy allowed to drink coffee?" Maggie asked assuming the man was his father. The man helped the boy to sit on the chair, and then turned to answer her as he took off his coat.

"He is allowed, I am his older brother, Jason." He reached out to shake hers and she shook his.

"I am pleased to meet you, Jason. What is your brother's name?"
"It is Jeremy he is 10 years old." Said Jason as he sat down, Maggie poured the coffee for them both and offered some honey or cream or both. They said neither.

"I did not know that children should drink coffee, I always thought it would stunt their growth, but what do I know? I have never had any children myself!" Maggie said as she put the coffee back on the stove. She sat in the chair opposite them. There was a bit of silence, then Maggie asked:

"So, why are you out on a night like this? Are you lost?" Jason shook his head no, but she noticed that Jeremy shook his head yes. She looked at the boy and said:
"You are Jeremy? Is that short for Jeremiah?" Jeremy shook his head no and then hid behind the coffee cup. Maggie smiled and then looked at Jason and asked:

"Well, is it short for Jeremiah?" she asked.

"Know, it is not, he has always been Jeremy." Said Jason as he took a much-needed sip of coffee.

"So, again, why are you out on a night like this?" she asked. Jason was careful with what he said to people. His father had taught him to think before speaking and then not to say too much. Jeremy wouldn't say much because of his stuttering so he did not consider that Jeremy would answer the question since it was directed at Jason. But sometimes Jeremy would surprise him.

"W-w-we are on-on-a t-tr-tri-trip from O-ol-ol-Olympia!" He said with a smile on his face. Jason wasn't too happy that his brother had said something but seeing as he was still a boy, he just rolled with it.

"Yes, we went to Olympia, I promised him a trip to Olympia for his birthday, but we had been too busy in July, so we went this time." Said Jason as Maggie put out some soup and bread for them.

"How did you get to Olympia you don't have horses and we are at least a couple of miles from Tacoma?" She asked. Jason did not want to say what happened, in fact he looked at Jeremy who looked like he was going to say something and made a gesture that only Jeremy would understand. So, Jeremy sipped his coffee and kept his mouth shut. Maggie sat waiting to find out. At this time of the year, it was unusual to have people without at least one horse or a wagon to travel with.

Jason kept silent and then said:

"Miss…."

"Oh, please call me Maggie, I have a last name, but it is not important!"

"Maggie, it is, I really rather not discuss this at the moment!" Jason said nodding his head toward Jeremy to indicate that he did not want to say anything in front of the child. She took the cue and decided to ask other questions so that the child could be a part of the conversation. But Jeremy in spite of the soup and coffee was starting to nod off. She showed Jason a small bed off to the side of the cabin that would be perfect for Jeremy. So, Jason picked him up and put him to sleep on the bed. She then took the small curtain that was hanging near the bed and drew it to give them privacy.