The Mountain girl chapter (12)

The Mountain Girl Chapter 12
Jay, stumbles up on some interesting things.
Written by: Neet,
Dated 4-10-02

The Mystery

Jay said, "I think I, will go out to the shed, and see if I can find
anything useful."
"Angel" will you, be alright? Is there anything I, can get you, before
I go
downstairs?

Angel informed him, "she, would be fine!" Jay kissed her, on the cheek,
and told
her, "I love you, honey!" Angel grinned, and said, "I love you, too
Jay!"

Jess, and Beth were walking through the flower garden Beth, bent over,
and picked
a rose. She muttered, "I am going to take this to mama." Jess said,
"mama would
like that Beth!" Beth stuck it up to his nose, smell Jess! He told her,
"it's sort of
hard to smell just one, when the fragrance is everywhere."

Jess said, "come on Beth let's go over there pointing to a big cherry
tree." They ran
over to the tree, Beth yelled, "whoa!" Jess told her, "slow down Beth,
your going to
choke. She was stuffing her, mouth by the handfuls. Jess shouted, look
up their
"Beth" pointing to a big pod hanging on a limb.

He asked her, "do you want me to climb the tree, and shake them down
for you?"
Beth nodded her head, and smiled. Jess made his, way up the tree
carefully as not to
break any of the branches. He reached up, and started shaking the
limb.

The cherries fell to the ground Jess, yelled down at Beth, "you" had
enough?
Beth started to say "yes," but Mr. Reed, interrupted her. He was
shouting, "to the
top of his lungs you, little devils get out of my cherries!" I better
not see you, up
there again you, will break those branches!"

Beth started to sob, "you, shut up that crying you, little devil,"
Will said. Jess
yelled, "you, stop calling my sister, names Will Reed!" Will bent down,
and picked
up a stick from the ground. He said, "I should teach you some manner's
son." Jess
told him, "I'm not your son!"

Dolly was picking flowers in the garden when she, heard all the
shouting. She
hurried over to where Will, and the children, were standing.

Dolly asked. "Will", what is happening here? Will replied, "shut up
this is none of
your, affair's woman!" Dolly knew he, was drunk again. She said, "Will"
come on
in the house, and leave these children a lone they, aren't doing any
harm.

Will yelled, "they, are going to break the limbs out of my cherry
tree." She said,
"Will, you were going to cut that tree down, just a few weeks ago
remember?"
Dolly looked around at Beth, and Jess jerking her, head to one side
you, all go on
in the house. I made a fresh apple pie help yourselves!

Jess muttered, "no" thank you, ma'am! We will go see what pa, is doing.
Beth bent
over, and picked up the rose. Dolly, she mumbled, "I picked this for
mama." Dolly
said, "how nice honey you, go give it to her!"

Will said, "you, see what I, mean?" They, have been into everything
this morning.
"Will?" "It is quite all right we, have lots of roses," Dolly, replied!
Will stuttered,
"you, won't have by the time they leave!"
"Will" go into the house I, will make you, some lunch, Dolly stated!"
Will told her,
forget the lunch I, need a drink as he, stumbled back toward the
house." Dolly
watched him stagger, and thought, " that just what you, need Will Reed,
is another
drink!"

Jay was looking over all the leather goods that old Sal, had left
behind. He thought,
"I sure could use a lot of this stuff back at the cabin." But I, would
have to make
another trip.

Jay walked over, and looked in an old wooden crate. It had a lot of
wooden pegs,
wood tools, horse bits, bridles, stirrups, and all sorts of useful
things a person could
use. He noticed, a horse blanket lying in the bottom. "It had seen
better days," he,
thought. Then something shiny caught Jay's eye, it was a long square
tin can with a
little boy, and a little girl on the lid.

Jay set down on an old make shift bench. He carefully opened the tin,
inside was
some sort of metal, someone had gotten in the war, and some ladies
comb,
hairbrush, and a matching mirror. He could see a name on the brush
handle.

Jay spit on his finger, and rubbed the letters it said, "To Bess: Love
Sal." There
were a lot of pictures of a girl who must have been in her, early
teens. He turned
one over it read I love you Sal! Love your sis, Bess.

Jay scratched his head, and thought, "is this Angel's mom?" If it
were, the Reeds
would be Angel uncles. "But, it can't be" he, thought! Because, Will
said, "he was
the last of the Reed family."

She must be someone, with the same name as Angel's mom. Jay dug down to
the
bottom of the pile he, looked at another picture up close. But the face
was not clear,
her dress, and shoes were the same as the picture that Will gave Angel,
except this
one was smaller.

Jay tried to wipe the face. But, it didn't help it was too badly
damaged. He thought,
"I'm very sure this is the same person."

Jess got his attention, "pa" you, in there? Jay quickly put the
pictures back in the
tin, and said, "in here son!" He thought, "I won't say anything to
anyone, until I,
figure out this mystery."

Jess said, "What you a doing pa?" Jay replied, "I was looking at all
these things
Will gave me."

Jess explained, everything that had taken place with Mr. Reed! Pa, I
want you to
know I did not break any of the limbs. Jay said, "I believe you
son!"

But Mr. Reed was very furious at us he, was yelling and calling, "us
little devils!"
"What" Jay, said. I dare him to call my children names. Jess told him,
"let it go pa!"
Dolly came, and rescued us. Besides he, was drunk pa!
Jay said, "that's no excuse for him, to act that way toward you all!"
He should have
come to me! He shouldn't have taken it upon himself, to scold you, or
Beth. I will
still have a talk with him, it sort of hard to walk away from someone
who is bulling
your, children Jess.

"I understand what you are saying pa," Jess, responded.

Beth said, "mama" I, have something for you shut your eyes. Angel did
as she was
told. Beth said, "ok mama you, can open your eyes." Angel told her,
"Oh, Beth it is
gorgeous!" Where did it come from?

Beth muttered, "out of Dolly's garden she, has a whole bunch of roses."
Angel said,
"it sure is pretty, and smells so good." If, I get dressed would you,
take me down,
and show me the garden?" Beth replied, "yes, mama I, sure will!"

Beth helped her, get dressed, and they made there way downstairs.
Angel stopped,
and looked down into the front room. Beth said, "what's wrong mama?"
Angel
replied, "nothing honey!" I was just looking, at how nicely they, have
their house
decorated.

They walked into the front room, Angel noticed the sofa, and chair were
velvet,
everything matched the rug on the floor, dollies on the tables, drapes
that hung to
the floor she, also noticed they were very full. She sort of chuckled
to herself, and
thought, "I, bet those took a lot of material."

Angels' gaze fell upon a painting over the sofa it, was of young lady,
standing in a
flower garden. She had on a long peach dress, and matching hat, her
hair hung
down her back.

Angel wondered, "why the painter had decided to just paint her
backside." But, she
thought, "it still makes a lovely painting, it looks like me, and she,
laughed silently."
Beth broke into her thought's "she, has hair like yours mama! Angel
smiled, and
said, "yes she, does Beth!"

The fireplace was beautiful too. The stones were shiny she, had never
seen anything
like them in her lifetime. They went all the way up to the
ceiling.

Angel felt of the mantel it was slick, and the wood was solid oak.
There was
another painting, hanging above the mantel. It was an eagle in flight.
It almost
looked real.

Beth got her by the hand, "mama lets go!" I want to show you the
flower garden!
Angel walked outside, and thought, "what a nice day the sun was
shining, it felt
good on her face."

They turned the corner of the house. Angel gasped, "it was the same
flower garden
as in the painting." She thought, "who could that lady be?"
(To be continued)