The week passed quickly, it seemed to Charlie. And happily. She made high marks in spelling again, and found the correct answer
when called to the chalkboard to solve an arithmetic problem.
She settled back into her desk seat, thinking with pride about how Scott would like hearing about it that night.
Mr. Beets had left, to return to Stockton, and his business at the bank. He promised he would see them all again when Scott signed the adoption papers, and then would return to Lancer to stay for Charlie's party.
On the following Saturday, with only a week remaining until the big event, Charlie went along to town with Scott to do errands. To pick up
the mail, and to go to the Mercantile. Teresa met them at the store, having driven herself in the buggy, after which she planned to have
lunch with a friend. She met them there to help Charlie look over the dresses and see about purchasing her a new one for her
adoption date.
Charlie and Scott were waiting on the sidewalk in front of the Mercantile, as Teresa drove up. When she'd stopped,
Scott stepped over to help her dismount from the buggy.
"I don't have hopes of us finding a dress here, really," Teresa was saying. As she'd been saying all morning.
"You never know," Scott said. "You might."
"I think we should have gone to Stockton," Teresa said, smoothing her dress before they entered the store.
"Let's see what you two find here first," Scott said.
"If we do go to Stockton, we'd need to go at the first of week," Teresa said. "Charlie might have to miss a day of school."
Charlie wasn't particularly fond of Stockton as the city itself. A day out with Teresa, though, which would likely involve a lunch with
major dessert options, did sound enticing. She looked at Scott to see what he would say.
"Will you at least look in here first?" Scott asked her, raising an eyebrow at Teresa's continuation of the dress subject. His eyes were
teasing. "Please?"
"Yes, Scott," Teresa said, smiling back at him. "Come on, Charlie."
They went into the mercantile, the bell tinkling over the doorway. Usually the first direction Charlie headed in the store was always the
section with books, or the candy choices. Today, though she followed Teresa to the area where there were limited dresses for Charlie's age and
size. They spent the next while looking and debating. Usually the thought of a new dress didn't give Charlie any particular joy. She would rather
wear her overalls. Still-today was a bit different. She'd promised Scott that she would agree to choose a dress and be pleased about it.
And she did want to look nice that day. Even fancy.
There were only four dresses that Teresa thought were appropriate and suitable for Charlie. Two were of a light blue color, one a pale pink,
and another a darker pink.
"Well, Charlie?" Teresa asked her, surveying the dresses with a critical eye. "Which one do you like?"
To Charlie, none of the dresses had a special sort of look to them. She knew there wasn't any more choices in the back room, though. This was
it. And the dresses weren't horrible, or anything of that nature.
"They're all alright," Charlie said, trying to summon some enthusiasm.
"Which one in particular? How about the darker pink?"
Charlie nodded in answer, and Teresa said, "Scott? What do you think?"
Scott, who'd been standing quietly, just observing, said, "I think the dark pink is real pretty." He reached out to touch one of the blue
dresses. "This one-I think it's too old for Charlie."
Teresa reviewed the blue dress, while Charlie looked at them both, confused.
"You think so?" Teresa asked him.
"I do," he said.
"You might be right," Teresa admitted.
"Why is the dress old?" Charlie asked, innocently. She lowered her voice to a near whisper. "Has Mr. Price not been able to sell it for
years?"
Teresa and Scott exchanged an amused look over the top of her head, which Charlie also did not understand.
"No, Charlie, that's not what Scott means," Teresa said, with a laugh. She laid that blue dress to the side. "Not this one, then."
"What does it mean?" Charlie asked, curious.
"I'll explain later," Teresa said. "Let's choose. One of these three."
Charlie studied the three options left. "I guess the dark pink."
"Alright," Teresa said, handing Charlie the chosen dress, and beginning to gather the other two to return to the shelves.
"I could just wear the pink one I have at home already," Charlie said. "It's about the same shade as this. Maybe not as much lace, but
mostly the same. Then we don't have to buy one."
"I thought you wanted a new dress," Scott said.
"I do," Charlie said, looking up at him. "But, it's kind of silly to buy one that's so much the same as what I have."
Teresa and Scott exchanged another look, and Charlie could see they were both a bit disconcerted.
"I'll be happy wearing the one from at home. Or this one," Charlie said, holding out the new dress she held.
"You have blue ones already, too," Teresa said, gesturing to the second blue dress.
Suddenly, Teresa took Charlie by the hand and led her over to the dress materials. "What color would you choose, if you
could choose anything?" she asked.
Charlie looked at the array of offered dress colors in bolts of cloth. Immediately, her eyes fell on a bright yellow.
She reached out to touch the yellow. "This is so bright," she said, her eyes lit up. "I like it."
"It is bright," Teresa said, thinking privately that it was a bit too bright.
Charlie was looking at her hopefully, and Scott stepped up closer.
"Only a week," he said, in a cautionary way. "There's hardly time to get a dress made up, Teresa."
"Yes, time is short," Teresa said, looking at Charlie's face.
"Oh," Charlie said, letting her hand drop from the bolt of cloth.
"I'm not that good of a seamstress," Teresa said. "But, I might be able to do it-if Maria helped me."
Charlie was again hopeful, looking at Teresa gratefully.
"Teresa, that's a lot to take on-" Scott said. He hated to take the look of pure hopefulness from Charlie's face, but felt he had
to caution as well, so that Teresa wasn't overwhelmed, or Charlie disappointed if the dress happened to not be finished in time.
''I'd like to try," Teresa told him.
"Alright," Scott conceded. "It's up to you."
Teresa nodded. "Charlie, let's have Mr. Price cut the cloth for us, then."
Charlie flashed a dimpled smile. "Thank you, Teresa!"
After they'd had the cloth cut, and packaged to take back home, Teresa put the package in the buggy seat, and went on
to meet her friend for a visit.
"I'm going to walk down and see Val at his office," Scott told Charlie, as they stood on the sunny sidewalk. "Are you going to come along?"
"I thought I might look at books now," Charlie said. "And get some jelly beans for Murdoch." She fingered the coin she carried in her overall pocket.
"Ah," Scott said, in remembrance. He put a hand in his own pocket, and pulled out some change, counting out. "I nearly forgot your
allowance for the week." He handed her the money. "Here you go."
"Thank you," Charlie said, giving him a sunny smile.
"Come down to Val's office when you're done," Scott told her. "Then we'll go get a bite of lunch. Maybe see if Val wants to
join us. How's that sound?"
Charlie nodded happily. "Yes. And then I want to invite Mr. Val to my party."
"That would be good," Scott said, and the two of them parted ways for a bit.
L
Charlie was happily leafing thru the newer books that had arrived at the Mercantile, when she was given a poke in the side.
Monte's freckled face greeted her when she looked up.
"Hey, Charlie!"
"Hi."
"What are ya doin' today?"
"We came to look at dresses for next week," Charlie told him. "For my adoption," she added, proudly.
"Are ya done doin' that? Want to go and see somethin'?"
Charlie eyed him with a bit of hesitation. With Monte, you never knew what he was on about.
"See what?" she specified. She had no wish to get in Dutch with Scott.
"Another new colt at my granddads," Monte said. "He's a real beauty. Just born a few days ago."
"Where is your grandfather's place?" Charlie asked, wanting to see the baby colt, but not wanting to go far.
"They live right next to us," Monte said. "Didn't ya know that?"
Charlie shook her head. "No."
"You wanna see him?"
"Yes. Scott's at Mr. Val's office. I better stop and ask him," Charlie said.
"Okay," Monte said, agreeably.
"He might not let me," Charlie said. "He's still keeping an eye on me-after the traps and all."
"It's me he don't trust, isn't it?" Monte asked, looking abashed.
"It's me that has to earn back his trust," Charlie said. "He doesn't think you're bad, or anything like that."
"We won't go near any traps, though," Monte said. "Won't he let you go if he knows that?"
"Maybe," Charlie said. "Let's go and I'll ask him."
The two children left the mercantile together. Charlie didn't have the purchase of a new book, but she had chosen a bag of
jellybeans. She offered one to Monte as they walked.
They had left the main street just a bit, taking a short cut and coming out on the other side, heading towards the sheriff's office,
when, without warning a voice roared at them both.
"Hey, there! I know the two of you brats! You've cost me a pretty penny setting off my traps!"
L
