The Mountain Girl Ch. (11)

The Mountain Girl Chapter (11)
Angel finds herself in strange surroundings, and she receives an
inheritance.

Written By: Neet,
Dated: 4-3-02
The Twin

Angel awoke to the sun coming through the window. She looked around
her, and
thought, "Where am?" She was in a big 4poster bed, and she noticed
fresh flowers
setting on a round table next to the bed. The dresser was solid oak,
and the bureau
was the same. Everything matched, the drapes, tablecloth, linens, and
the
bedspread. It was gorgeous!

Angel had never been in a room so fancy in her entire life. She noticed
a beautiful
Victorian pitcher, and bowl setting on a washbasin.

Angel set up in bed, and stared at a painting in an oval shape frame
hanging on the
wall. It was a little girl sitting in a rocker. She must have been two
years old. She
had on a long white dress with soft pastel colors. Her boots were laced
above her
ankle. She had black hair, and brown eyes. "She was beautiful!"

Angels eyes dropped to the floor it had hardwood floors, and a
Victorian rug half
size the room. She thought, "These people that live here must be very
rich!"

Angel looked down at her nightgown, and thought, "I bet they wondered
what hole
I crawled out of." But, I'm happy with what I have! I wonder if they're
happy with
all this stuff!

All of a sudden Angel felt a stabbing pain in her left arm. She
remembered the
panther, and she could still hear Beth screaming. Her heart started to
beat faster, she
thought, "I've got to get out of here, and find out where my baby
is!"

Angel was startled when the door opened. There stood a short plump lady
with her
hair pined up into a ball, with a tray in her hand. She said, "how you
feeling
honey?"

Angel muttered, "I'm fine thank you!" Ma'am have you seen a little
girl? She
replied, "yes, ma'am" Beth, has been helping me out this morning. She
is the
sweetest thing! Angel sighed, and said, "Oh, I'm so glad she's
ok!"

She told her, "know need you worrying over her honey, she's just fine!"
We got to
tend to you, and get that infection cleared up in that arm.

Angel asked, "have you seen my husband?" The lady replied, "yes, ma'am"
he, and
the little boy are eating breakfast with Will." Mr. Crabb is worried
sick about you,
he, sat up all night caring for you!

Angel told her, "please call me Angel!" The lady smiled, and said, "
what a pretty
name." As soon as I get this bandage changed I will bring you, your
breakfast. I'll
tell your family you, are awake.

"Thank you ma'am" Angel, stated! "You may call me, Dolly,"the lady
replied!
Angel said, "nice to meet you, Dolly"! Dolly muttered, "likewise, and
reached out
her hand."

Dolly came in the kitchen, and told them, "Angel was feeling much
better."Jay took
his last sip of coffee stood up, and said, "thanks for breakfast as he,
headed for the
stairs."

Dolly prepared a tray of food for Angel. She placed a flower in a vase,
and set it on
the tray. Jess said, "Dolly do you, mind if I, take that to mama?" She
replied, "not at
all Jess, and handed the tray to him."

Beth stuck her, head around the corner and said, "mamas awake?" Dolly
replied,
"she sure is honey!" She was asking, "about you too!" Beth said, "could
I, carry the
vase Jess?"

Jess looked at Dolly, she nodded her head, and handed Beth, the vase.
Beth
mumbled, "thank you, Dolly.

Dolly whispered to Will, "how much longer you, think they will be
here?" Will
said, "I'm assuming until that gal, gets on her feet." She asked, "why
did you bring
them here?"

Will said, "Well I may be cold hearted, but I, just couldn't see
leaving them, out
there a lone with those children". Besides I, told, that feller I,
would give him, what
leather goods he, wanted out of old Sal's shop. Anyhow they, wouldn't
have made
it back to their place, with those led lines in the shape they were
in.

Will mumbled, "Old Sal always liked everybody but me!" He gave me, that
old
smelly cabin, and wanted to give her, this nice home. I could never
figure out why;
our half sister, never cared anything about us!"

Dolly thought, "no" not the way you, wanted her too!

"Shucks!" "I bet she, doesn't even know that's her mama, in that
picture, hanging
on the wall," Will, said.

Dolly asked, "you going to give her, that picture like old Sal, wanted
you to?" Will
replied, "yes, but I'm not going to tell her, who it is!"

"What about the deed for the land in Spout Holler, you still going to
give that to
her, Dolly asked? What's with all, the questions old woman? "Nothing,
Will I, was
just asking?" He said, "yes" anything to get rid of them. Besides it's
nothing but a
pile of rocks up there!

Will rattled on, "Sal" had a lot of money from panning gold. He had to
buy this big
fine home, and buy that rock pile. I would have rather had the
money!

Dolly never said anything she, just listened. She thought yea, and "you
don't own
this home either!" I to read that piece of paper you, took out of that
painting. Sal
gave her, everything except for the cabin down the road, and 10 acres
of land. But
you, have already sold 2 acres to pay off a gambling debt. She said
silently, "if you
had all the money in the world it wouldn't last long!" You, would waste
it all on
gambling, and whiskey.

Poor old Sal, worked hard for what he had. He even sent you, through
school to be
a doctor. But where did it get you? "Nowhere!"
Dolly looked over at her husband, and said under her breath, "I married
the wrong
twin!"

Jay opened the door, and peeked in on Angel. She was sitting up he,
hurried over to
the bed, and gave her, a kiss. He asked her, "how you feeling?" She
told him,
"much better!"

"Jay" Angel, asked, "where are we?" He was explaining everything when
in walked
the kids.

Jess said, "here mama's your, breakfast!" Beth muttered, "look mama
what I, have
for you, holding up the vase with the flower in it."

A broad smile came across Angels face, she said, "thank you ,Beth" it
is beautiful!
She leaned over, and gave them, each a hug.

Angel asked, " Will Reed is a doctor, and he, is a twin to Sal the
trapper?" Jay
replied, "I think he, is!" Angel said, "what do you mean Jay?"

When I, asked him, "if he, was a doctor?" He just more or less said it
like he was
part time! I really don't know Angel, but something is strange here. "I
haven't
figured it out yet, "Jay, responded.

Jay said, "Jess, you, and Beth go check on the horses!" Jess replied,
"ok, pa." Beth
mumbled, "we'll see you, in a little bit mama!" Angel said, "I'll be
right here
waiting for you two, and winked." They both smiled, and walked out the
door.

Jay went on to say, he's, sort of strange he, is really nice one
minute. But, yet he,
seems angry about something. I just can't put my finger on it
Angel!

Angel asked, "what about Dolly, is she his wife?" "Yes" Jay, said. "She
seems
really nice Jay", Angel, stated.

Angel your right Dolly, is a real nice person" Jay, stated. If only I,
knew what was
on his mind, that's what puzzles me!

Angel just sort of stared off into space, and mumbled softly, "I wonder
what it
could be!"

Jay just looked at her, and said, "I have no ideal honey!"

Dolly broke the silence, and muttered, "I think they, are nice folks
myself!" Will
said angrily, "don't even start old woman!" We are not going to chum up
to them!
Besides, I want them out of our house!

Dolly just laughed to herself, and thought, "well one thing for sure
he, can never
sell this house or property." It is all in that girls name! I should
say something to her
about it. But, I have never had anything this nice in 40 years! We
would end up in
that old cabin down the road, and I, know eventually we, wouldn't have
that. He
would end up selling it! "The only thing I, have is what little money
Sal gave me,
for taking care of him. "Will old man if you, knew that your, head
would come off
your shoulders," Dolly, thought.

Will broke into her, thoughts,"well", guess I, had better go play
doctor as he,
walked toward the stairs. He got to the top of the stairs, and peered
over the
banister. He said, "dear old brother I, sure want to thank you, for all
this stuff! I
guess you never dream I, would look behind that picture. "Well" no body
knows
that all this belongs to her. But me, myself, and I, he laughed to
himself.

Angel said, "lets get out of here, and go home!" Jay put his, finger to
his lips, and
squinted his, eyes pointing towards the door.

Will tapped on the door. Angel yelled, "come in!" Will walked in and
said, "good
morning!" How's my patience feeling? I'm Will Reed, the last of the
Reed family,
he stated.

Jay thought, "what an odd statement he, remembered Will, saying those
same words
to him!"

Angel said, "sorry to hear about your brother!" Will told her, "Well
thank you
ma'am!" But he had a long life, and a good one at that." Angel thought,
you almost
say it like you, were jealous of him. She glanced over at Jay. Jay just
sort of
shrugged his shoulders.

"Let me take a look at your arm as he, took the bandage off. You will
be good as
new in a week or two," Will, responded. Angel said, "I want to thank
you,for fixing
me up." He told her, "your more than welcome ma'am!"

It's "Angel" please call me, Angel! Will thought, "what a stupid name!"
But that
was them "Potter's" all of them, never had sense to go the road he,
chirped to
himself.

Jay asked him, "if he, thought Angel was in shape to travel?" Will
replied, "I think
she, should stay put one more day. Besides, Jay you, haven't gotten
your, stuff from
the shed yet.

"Angel", I have some things here that my, dear parted brother, wanted
you to have.
Angel said, "but why I, hardly knew him!"

Sal told me, "that you, were always good to him, when he, came up by
your place
trapping!" He said, "you always fixed him a big dinner." He also told
me "you
were the best hand to make a blackberry pie." Angel said "really" well,
how nice of
him! But, he didn't have to leave me anything. "I did that because I,
wanted to,"
Angel said.

Will thought, "I know old Sal was sweet on your mama, and I know she,
was sweet
on him too." But, she wouldn't give me a second look! She always said,
we were
only brothers to her, but I know she, thought of Sal in a different
way! Girl you
would croak if you, knew all this but you, will never find out, and he
smiled to
himself.

Angel broke in his thoughts saying, "I always liked him!" He was such a
nice
person.

Will said, "I suppose he, was but it really depended on whom he, liked
the most!"

Angel thought, "Jay is right there was something, peculiar about this
feller." She
looked over at Jay he, rolled his eyes as if to say, "I told you so!"
She watched Will
go over to the wall, and take down the painting of the little girl. Sal
wanted you, to
have this, and he, reached it to her.

Angel stated, "Oh, I can't accept that even though it is beautiful!" He
said, "Angel",
Sal wanted you to have it. A shocked look came over Angel's face.

Will said, "That's not all I, have this for you too. He reached inside
his pocket, and
handed her, a signed deed.

Angel read it aloud???. I Sal Reed, do hereby leave Angel Potter, my
40 acres
and all it's contents. Angel looked up at Will contents? "I suppose
whatever is there
ma'am trees, and etc."

Angel started to cry she, had never had anyone besides Jay, to give her
anything.
She handed it to Jay saying in between sobs, "Mr. Reed I'm sorry, but I
don't know
what to say!"

Will told her, "take it, and enjoy it." Besides you, and your family
can take another
trip someday, and look at your inheritance.

Angel looked down at the painting lying on the bed. She picked it up,
and asked,
"who is this?" Will looked away, and replied, "I suppose Sal, bought
that
somewhere!"

Will noticed, "how much Angel looked like Bess, except for her eyes.
She must
have gotten those from her, pa. He thought, "she has her, smile
too!"

Angel broke into his, thoughts by saying, "she. is so beautiful who
ever she is!"
Will muttered, "yes" she, is quite lovely isn't she?"

Will turned and said, " I'll leave you, two for now I, have some work
to do. Jay you
are more than welcome to help yourself, to whatever you, need in the
shed!"

Jay nodded, and said, "thank you I'll do that now!"

Will replied, "your more than welcome as he, closed the door."

Dolly met him at the bottom of the stairs, "how's the girl feeling,"she
asked? Will
replied, "she is all right I, gave her, everything my dear brother told
me, to give
her!"

Dolly thought, "no" you didn't you, lair! But, she didn't dare mention
the letter that
was left behind for Angel. She remembered when he, had gotten drunk,
and slunk
his coat across the room, it fell out of his pocket.

Will told her, "she ,will be ready to leave by tomorrow!"

Dolly thought, "I will miss that little girl she, is so sweet." I sure
wish I, could have
had a child!

Will broke into her, thoughts, "what are you, thinking about?" He told
her, "I
having been talking for the last 5 minutes, and you never answered me!
Dolly
asked, "what was it Will?" He yelled, "never mind"pour me a drink, and
bring it to
the setting room! Dolly replied, "Ok"and she, headed towards the
kitchen.

Angel was stunned she, asked Jay, "you reckon why the old trapper left
me all this
stuff?" "I guess honey he, really thought a lot of you," Jay
replied.

Angel said, "but Jay I, only saw him once a year!" Jay replied, "well,
darling" you,
got a way of growing on people, and he, reached over, and took her in
his arms!

(To be continued)