Chapter 14

A few weeks later, Jason was doing much better. He had been up to the camp and although he could not work like he used to, he was still able to give the orders and also handle most of the problems associated with running a logging operation. It had been decided that Jeremy and Joshua would be able to live with their brother again, so they moved back to the cabin and Maggie moved to Lottie's. Her brother had gone back to Tacoma to work in his law practice. They had not seen nor heard from Burt and were worried that he might be up to something. Earl kept an ear and eye out for him. Maggie and Jason had also kept an eye out without alarming anyone in the town of Seattle as well as his brothers.

One evening just around the end of January, Jason was going through some things of their parents when he noticed something was missing. HE looked around inside the box and trunk thinking it may have fallen out. Jeremy came in with Joshua with a small load of wood. Josh put the wood in the bin without making a mess.

"Joshua, Jeremy, have you seen Da's gold watch?" Both boys looked at their brother and shook their heads no. Jason kept looking in the trunk and then in their mother's cabinets that held the dishes. He still could not find it.

"What are you looking for Jason?" Jeremy asked.

"I was looking for Da's gold watch." Jason said while going through the drawers and shelves and some of the cups and bowls. He took the covered soup bowl, that mother would ladle her special soups out of. She often kept her trinkets in there. The jewelry that had been in that soup bowl was missing. One of the pieces was a silver Brooch their father had given to their mother for their wedding. It was a family heirloom. Now Jason was really upset. He looked at both boys, and said:

"Mother's Brooch is missing, are you sure you didn't take it?" Joshua looked at his brother and said:

"Why do you think we would take that, I didn't even know it was there?" Joshua said upset that his brother had even thought that he had taken the brooch. Jeremy just stood there scared because Jason was mad, and he didn't want Jason to be mad at him either. Jason walked out of the cabin before he said or did anything that might have hurt his brothers more. He walked over to Lottie's and bought a beer and sat down. Maggie was just coming in from outside. Jason looked at her and motioned for her to sit with him.

"Do you want anything to drink Maggie?" Jason asked Maggie and said a cup of coffee would be fine. Lottie was doing something else, so Jason went and poured the coffee for her himself.

"How is everything going with your brothers?" she asked. He looked at her. He wanted to ask her, but he was hesitant to sound like he was accusing her of stealing.

"They are doing well. They are happy that we are together again." Jason said and then he added:
"I think though they wouldn't mind someone else doing the household chores!" He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Well, if you need any help I will be here for a few more days. I am going back to Tacoma to join my brother in a few days." She said, as she sipped the hot coffee. She looked at Jason, he had the same look he had when she thought he was angry with her. So, she decided to ask what was bothering him.

"Jason, may I ask why you are here and not on your mountain or with your brothers? Surely you can drink a beer at your own cabin?" Jason looked at her and decided that he would ask her.

"Maggie, while you cleaned the cabin, did you find a gold watch or a silver Brooch anywhere?" She looked at him, was he accusing her? She wondered.

"No, Jason I did not. I cleaned and cooked and folded your clothes, I swept and did some laundry and dishes. I did not see the items you are missing." She said. And waited. He either would yell at her and tell her she was lying, which she wasn't, or he would leave without saying anything. Again, he was different from most of the men she had come in contact with.

He looked at her, and knew, instinctively, that she was telling the truth. He had gotten to know her this past few months well enough to know that she was honest.
"Maggie, thank you. I am glad you are honest with me. May I see you before you leave? Maybe invite you to dinner?"

"Yes, that would be nice. When do you want me to come over?" She asked shyly. Jason was thinking he had not really planned that. And was surprised at himself for doing that. Oh, well, it is the least he could do for her after she had helped him and Jeremy.

"How about Thursday night around 7?" He said.

"That would be nice." She said. Jason stood up and said:

"I will pick you up around 7 then. We will go to the cabin and have dinner. Do you mind if we have Jeremy and Joshua attend as well?" asked Jason

"No, I do not mind that will be a very nice thing to have dinner with you and your brothers. May I ask if Tommy, I mean Earl joins us as well?" Jason felt a lot better inviting Earl. Because then he would not be alone with her. Although the thought did occur that it might be a nice thing, it was better to have a few 'chaperones' around. He smiled and said:

"Not at all, the more the merrier. Thank you, Maggie." With that he left the saloon and went back to the cabin. When he got there, the boys had torn everything apart looking for the watch and brooch.

"What happened in here?" Jason asked as he came in the door.

"It looks like a tornado hit?" He said hanging up his hat and coat.

"W-w-we we-were looking f-f-f-for the wa-watch and Brooch!" said Jeremy who had just slid out from under the bunk beds. He was full of dust and looked rather comical. Jason laughed and then looked at Joshua. Joshua had ashes from head to toe.

"And where were you looking?" Jason asked

"In the chimney, I thought maybe Da or mother might have hidden them in the chimney?" said Joshua. Jason just shook his head and said:

"Okay, you two go out and clean up. I will get dinner ready." Jason said to them.

A mysterious man rode into town. He had short hair and a mustache. He was very quiet. He said not a word. He went into the saloon and ordered a meal. He sat as far back against a dark wall as possible and watched. He saw Maggie who was helping Lottie serve the customers. He watched, she came over to his table and placed his meal on the table along with the whiskey he had ordered. He said nothing, he did not want her to know who he was, she might get spooked. He would wait until the right time. She went back to help Lottie; she was thinking about Jason:

"He would make a fine husband but is that really what she wanted?" she thought to herself. She had a chance, an opportunity to make her life better, not that life with Jason would be bad. But she just wasn't sure that was the right path to pursue. She would talk it over with her brother when he came into town. She went to take another order from another table and thought no more about it or the man in the corner of the room.