Chapter 1

The job of cutting and felling trees

Joshua Bolt looked up at the tree that he and his crew were cutting. The wedge had just been placed and they were getting ready to fell the tree. Corky had checked the nearby ravine that the tree would fall towards and made sure no one was in the way. Swede had looked towards the other side of the tree as well. When he nodded, Joshua shouted:

"Timber!" As the tree fell towards the ravine, birds took off in flight and some smaller animals headed away from the falling tree. The sound of the falling tree was loud, branches cracking, and leaves flying here and there. It landed with a large 'THUD'! The men immediately went to the tree to start cutting the extra branches and limbs, trimming the log and planning to cut it into lengths for transport to the mill.

"Joshua, that tree landed perfectly!' Swede said as he took the axe ready to assist with the trimming and cutting.

"Thanks Swede, but I can't take all the credit, Jeremy came up with the idea of chopping the tree so that it would fall a certain way." Joshua said as he walked over to the water barrel they kept nearby to drink water when needed.

"I know that Jeremy helped with placing the wedge just right, but still, you knew how to make the cut for the tree to fall in a particular place! Sort of like billiards, when you play sometimes at the saloon in Clearwater and say exactly where the ball will go into the pocket!" Joshua smiled, yes, he was particularly adept at shooting pool. He would study and observe, the same way he was able to win the poker game that one time playing on Clancy's ship.

"I am going to head back to the main camp. Do you need anything Swede?" Joshua asked as he gathered his axe and started to walk away from the area. Swede said no, so he went back to the main camp. He wanted to check in with Jason before he took off to town for the afternoon.

Jason was at the tent getting ready to meet with Aaron about the latest contract.

"Jason, before you leave, I want to talk to you about something!"

"Can it wait, I have to get to town to meet with Aaron?" Jason said continuing to walk. Joshua followed and walked up beside him and said:

"Are you going to talk to him about creating a set of homes for employees?" Joshua asked.

"Well, yes, we were going to discuss the amount of lumber and what houses would be built and where. Why do you ask?" Jason looked at Joshua.

"Well, I was thinking we could do that as well?" Jason looked quizzically at Joshua and then said:

"What do you mean?"

"We can provide housing for some of our employees!"
"Why would we do that? They are usually seasonal and Corky and Swede and the few others who have married the brides have stayed here in Seattle. I certainly don't foresee more need for laborers and especially building homes for them would cost us money! No, Joshua, I don't agree with you. Now I am running late and need to see Aaron." Jason said to Joshua and walked away quickly before Joshua could come up with an argument. Josh looked at his older brother and thought:
"Just once, without an argument, if he could only listen and agree!" he shook his head and walked towards the tent. He heard some singing and looked behind him. Jeremy was coming up the hill and he had Candy with him. He was singing a nice tune to Candy and both were smiling.

"What has you all in a fuss?" Candy asked Joshua as she placed the picnic basket down on the bench. Josh smiled. He genuinely liked Candy, he had thought about her for a short time, when they had first met. Jason's prediction about her remaining a spinster did not come true. Neither he nor Jason thought that Jeremy and she would work out. They were surprised and happy for their brother, but they still weren't sure if it would work. After all, Miss Pruitt was rather outspoken for a lady and neither he nor Jason expected or wanted that in a woman!

"Oh, Miss Pruitt, nothing that is of any importance, Jeremy, you were singing again!" Joshua made that remark not have to talk in front of Candy about his brother.

"Yes, yes, I was, Joshua, and do you know why?" Josh looked at his brother and shook his head 'no'.

"Well, I cam from the telegraph office and it seems that we may getting a new logger with a family coming! Have you seen Jason, I wanted to talk to him about maybe doing like Mr. Stemple and providing a house for them." Joshua looked at his brother, well, Jeremy was always inclined to try new things, maybe this would help to get Jason on board?

"He went to a meeting with Mr. Stemple. He said he would not be back the rest of the day!"

"Oh, I think we have time, They will be coming by wagon train. They won't be here at least until around September. We will have plenty of time to build a house or two!" Jeremy stated. Swede came to the tent at that moment and asked for help. Both Josh and Jeremy went to help him. Candy said good bye and took the basket and went back to town to the dormitory.

Chapter 2

Eliza Wilson

Eliza sat at her writing desk, she was now 24, unmarried and wondered if posting in the Matrimonial Newsletter would help. The civil war had finally come to an end, he parents had passed away and she was now languishing in a position as a housemaid for her aunt and Uncle, who only took her and her brother in on the condition that they would 'help' and work until such a time as she married, or her brother came of age to support his sister. Uncle Robert G. Stillwell, had been an officer in the Union Army and was now considered a 'gentleman farmer'. This only meant that Andrew and his cousins George, Robbie and Stanley would all attend school and work on the farm. George was now old enough to attend a formal school and was in the 8th grade planning to become a lawyer. Their other uncle, Mr. Pennyworth, was a lawyer himself and was paying for George's education. Robbie was the same age as Andy, 11 and was still learning the ropes on a farm. He seemed to enjoy being outdoors and working with animals. The decision not to send him to school was made early on. He would become a farmer and farm the land there in Westchester Pennsylvania. The youngest child was only 6 and was just learning his letters. Andy and Stanley got along quite well, being that Andy was 5 years older. But Stanley's brother Robbie, was not at all kind to his youngest brother. So Andy found himself sticking up for Stanley when Robbie would do something to get Stanley in trouble.

Eliza wrote the letter and sealed it. She went to the kitchen to gather the list for the groceries they would need. She had just picked up the basket to go to the farmer's market, when Her Aunt Celeste came into the kitchen.

"Eliza, where are you going?"

"Aunt Celeste, I am going to the farmer's market to get the ingredients for tonight s dinner! Is there something else you would like me to pick up?" Eliza stood there holding the basket and waited. Celest took a look at Eliza and then told her:

"Have you finished cleaning the upstairs rooms? Especially my room, the curtains need to be taken down and beaten!" Eliza did not make a look or roll her eyes but said:

"Aunt Celeste, I will be doing that after I return with the groceries."

"But the curtains need beating now!" Celeste looked at her niece with stern disapproval.

"I have been talking with Mr. Pennyworth and he is suspicious of your trips to the market! Are you seeing anyone?" Eliza looked at her aunt and said:

"No, Aunt Celeste, I am not. In fact, there is no one that I have met so far that I have even been inclined to talk to at all." Celeste smiled then and said:

"I am glad. Your Uncle would like you to be married and he feels that he has found a suitor that is proper to your station in life! I have taken the liberty of sending an introductory letter to Mr. Beason. Their son, Carlisle, is looking to start a family. He is planning to head out west as soon as he is married!"

Eliza looked at her aunt and did not know what to say, she stood with her mouth open and a surprised look on her face. She had met Carlisle when they went to school together. When he was in school, he was a bit of a bully and enjoyed bothering other children less fortunate than he was. In fact, Eliza had given him a black eye, when he attempted to kiss her. She had been about 12 and that was the end of her schooling since her father and mother had not wanted their daughter around Carlisle. His activities not only included harassing young ladies, but also harassing younger students, and stealing. That is why he was sent to the military and when the war broke out between the states, he had been sent to fight in the union army.

"Aunt Celeste, I do not think that I need to be married, and I definitely do not want to marry Carlisle! Now, I need to get to the market if I am going to get the ingredients you need for your dinner and also if I am going to have time to clean your drapes!" Eliza walked out of the door and left her aunt standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Celeste held her head up and thought to herself:

"Foolish girl, she is 24, what does she know, she has never had a proposal but we will make sure she is married off!" Uncle came into the kitchen when Celeste told her husband he said:

"Well, she will be married to Carlisle! I did not give them a large dowry for her not to marry him!" They walked out of the kitchen.

Andy, had been hiding in the potato bin and heard everything. He climbed out and hurried to get to the market and let Eliza know what was happening. However, just as he was heading down the lane to go to town, Robbie came walking towards his home.

"Andy where is my brother Stanley? I thought you were watching him today?" Robbie asked as he grabbed Andy's arm. Andy stopped and looked at Robbie, he did not like his cousin and would have preferred Stanley's company to that of Robbie's' or George's for that matter.

"I think he was in the barn feeding the horses." Andy said as he started to walk away.

"Hey, I didn't dismiss you yet! Why aren't you in the barn with Stanley?"

"Because I have other things to do, you forget, I am 11 and I am not in charge of your brother!" Andy said walking away as fast as he could.

"Oh, you aren't going away from me now are you? I want you to come with me! You see, I have to teach Stanely some discipline and if you aren't there, I cant teach him!" Robbie said, grabbing Andy's arm and twisting it back behind him. He marched Andy to the barn, Stanely was feeding one of the horses and when he heard the noise he turned around. He did not say anything deciding that silence was the better part of valor.

'Stanley, put those carrots down and come over here! I need to teach you a lesson." Robbie said. Andy stood still where he was , he was working on a plan to get him and Stanley out of the predicament when Robbie grabbed a hold of him again and said to Stanley:

"Now we know that Andy is a cousin, do you agree with me Stanley?" Robbie asked, Stanley looked at Andy who blinked his eyes twice. Stanley then said:

"Yes, he is our cousin!"
"Good, then being a cousin, he has to learn his place in our house, right!" Stanley looked at Andy and nodded in assent. Both Stanely and Andy knew what was coming next. George came up behind Stanley and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Now, Stanley, this is how the Pennyworths' take care of cousins who tell lies about us!"

Suddenly Andy grabbed Robbie's arm and twisted it, then he tossed Robbie over on to the floor. George let go of Stanley and ran to grab Andy, Stanley ran the opposite direction and out the barn. Andy ran and slipped under the stall and crawled back behind the walls of the stall, he and Stanley had dug a hideout that they could get between the walls of the barn and out before Robbie or George could catch them!

Mr. Pennyworth, came out of the house with his shotgun and started to shoot randomly at anything that moved. He did not have his glasses, so he did not see his oldest son running out of the barn. The shot rang out and since he never missed his mark, he shot his son.

Chapter 3

An Unwanted Union

Eliza returned home from her shopping, she did not hear anything in the house, she thought that her Aunt and Uncle were outside sitting on the porch. She put the food away and got out the apron in order to take the drapes down to take them outside to 'dust' them. She carried them down the stairs and took them out to the clothesline, hung them over th line and grabbed the 'beater' and started to beat the drapes.

"Eliza!" She stopped and turned around and saw her Aunt and Uncle looking at her, there was a policeman standing with them.

"Do you know where your brother is?"

"No, I don't Aunt Celeste." She looked at her aunt and uncle and then at the policeman, then she saw Robbie standing next to the policeman, with 'tears' in his eyes.

"What happened?" Eliza asked. He uncle said:

"It seems that your brother has killed George and Stanley! He has run away!" Eliza looked at them and put her hand to her mouth and said:
"No, Andy would not do that?"

"Apparently he did, we have George's body, but we are now looking for Stanley's as well! He is the only one who could have done that!" MR. Pennyworth said.

"He had dad's shotgun and was showing Stanley how to use it and then he shot George, I went over to fight him but he hit me with the gun. Then Stanely took off and Andy took off, we heard another shot and we think he killed Stanely as well!" Eliza did not know what to do or say.

"Miss, I am going to have to tell you, if your brother comes back for you, you need to tell us, so we can arrest him! Is that clear!" the policeman said. Eliza was in shock and did not know what else to do so she agreed. When the policeman left. Celeste took Eliza's hand gently at first, then tugged on her arm as she took her away to the cellar.

"My dear child, you will be married off to Carlisle and sent to the west, that is the only thing I can do for you now. If your brother returns, he will be sent to jail and hung for killing our sons George and Stanley. Until then, to make sure you do not escape, I am placing you in the cellar and notifying Mr. Beason that they can come and take you with them as soon as possible!" She shoved Eliza into the cellar and then went back upstairs, there was still dinner to be made but celeste hired a day maid to do that and then leave. Everything she needed would be upstairs in the kitchen, no one would hear the cries coming from the cellar.

The next day, they released her from the cellar, sent her to her room to pack her things and a carriage arrived to take her to Beason's address. Andy had hidden out in the barn, along with Stanley. And they had discussed what to do.

"Andy, they think I am dead, that you killed me? What do you think we should do?" Stanley asked, he was looking for guidance, being 6 years old, he thought Andy would help him. He was right when Andy said:

"Okay, do you want to go home and tell everyone that you are alive? You could be back at home, you mom and dad would be very happy with having you alive, I know that. Or, do you want to stay 'dead' and come with Eliza and me to the west?" Stanley thought about it for a while and then said:

"Andy, I don't want to go back, you are more like a big brother to me than Robbie or George ever were!" Stanley said. Andy looked at Stan and then asked one more time:

" Stanley, I want you to be sure, this has to be what you want, if you leave, we will be living on our own, stealing food and trying to get by and trying to save my sister. If you say yes to this, I make a promise right now, I will be your big brother and will do my best to help you. But if you have second thoughts, and you want to return home, or if you get mad at me and want to return home, it will be your choice. Do you understand?" Andy looked at Stanley, he hoped that Stanley would come with him, but he did not want to keep him from his family either.

"Andy, I am with you forever and always, I will be your brother and your sisters brother if she will have me. I do not want to return to those people who were my family because they did not treat me as family!"

"Not even your mother? Didn't she want you either?" Stanley thought about his mother for a moment and tried to remember if there was ever a time that she had shown she had cared for him. He searched, it wasn't a long memory but he remembered several nurses and nanny's who took care of him, his mother would only sit with him for a little while when family were visiting but then gave him to the nanny's and maids to take care of him. He shook his head and said:

"Andy, I don't think she really cared for me. I know that father thought I was just an extra mouth to feed. Robbie got the farm, and George would have had a well-paying job when he got out of school but for me, they had no interest in me. I was closer to the maids and housekeepers than I was to my parents! So, I think, that I will go with you!" Andy smiled, he liked Stan, and said:

"Is it all right if I call you Stan, instead of Stanley?" Stanley smiled and said,

"Sure!" There was a noise in the barn and so both boys stayed quiet inside the hideaway in the barn. Robbie and his father were in the barn and they started to talk:

"Robbie, I will be needing you to take the place of your brother George now. It seems as if you will inherit more than the farm, you will also have an education. Your mother and I will make sure that you will receive the best you can get." Robbie smiled at his father and said:

"Thank you father, I hope to show you that I am an excellent choice!"

"Robbie, Robert! Oh, there you are! I wanted to tell you that I have just sent Eliza to Beason's and she will never set foot in this house again. Those two children of my sisters were ungrateful little monster's, I do hope that her brother does show up, I will be glad to see him hang!"

"As we all will, come Celeste, Robbie, let us go and rid our home of anything that may still be theirs!" Robert Pennyworth, took his wife's arm and his son's hand and they strolled back to their house not one tear between them!