had got aboard.
"You stay here, girl. I'm goin' to the observation car."
"Can I come along?"
"Didn't I just say to stay here? 'Sides, its' like a men's club there, No women allowed."
He swayed his way up the aisle and through the door into the vestibule. Seconds later a cold draft
made her shiver even harder.
At least she could lie across both seats while he was gone. It wasn't any warmer, but it
was sure a lot more comfortable. Instead of just dozing, she managed to sleep well for long
spells, as long as the train was moving. When morning came, she felt almost rested.
They were stopped in some desolate little town when Pa came back. "Wake up."
She sat up and looked around. It was almost light outside, so she reckoned it was
morning. "Where are we?"
"It don't matter. Let's go. They're servin' breakfast." He turned away and headed toward
the front of the car.
"Pa! Wait. I've got to--" But he's already pushed through the door. Knowing she risked
missing her breakfast, she ducked into the women's necessary, giving silent thanks it was empty.
As fast as her nearly numb fingers would allow, she took care of her needs and straightened her
clothes. A quick glance in the small mirror showed a pink crease in her cheek and hair that
would make any smart rat look for a better nest. "Oh, well, Pa won't notice, and I just won't
worry about anybody else." She hurried through the train, stumbling often as it swayed and
jerked.
The dining car was the fourth one forward. Pa was sitting at a table with two men and
waved her to him. When she sat, both men stared at her and she ducked her head, unwilling to
meet their eyes.
She'd no sooner sat down than a colored man in a white coat set a steaming bowl of
porridge in front of her. Pa was eating ham and eggs, and had a cup of coffee next to his plate.
"Pa, can I have some coffee?"
For a moment she thought he was going to refuse, but then he glanced across the table at
the two men and nodded.
There was a silver pitcher of cream and a matching sugarbowl right in front of her. She
helped herself generously. The first bite of the creamy, sweetened porridge was like heaven. She
could feel its warmth all the way to her belly. When she took a sip of the coffee, she almost wept
with how good it tasted. She heard Pa talking to the men across the table, but she didn't listen.
His voice had that "I'm a great man" tone to it she'd learned to hate. Had he been such a liar, such
a braggart, when she was little and thought he was only one step below God?
She didn't think so.
Her spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl with a sound that sent shivers up her spine. Pa
looked over at her and frowned. "If you're done, you can go on back to your seat. I've business
here."
There was still coffee in her cup. She grabbed it and drank rapidly, almost choking. Pa's
fingers were tapping impatiently on the tablecloth by the time she'd swallowed the last drop.
When she stood up, so did the men across the table. Pa didn't.
* * * *
They arrived in Cheyenne late on the second day. As she was stumbling toward the
vestibule on feet so cold they didn't want to work, she heard someone say the train was three
hours late. The icy wind that met her as she stepped down to the platform made her wish it had
been on time. Wouldn't it have been warmer in the daytime?
Inside the station, she collapsed gratefully on a bench while Pa talked to a man behind a
brass-barred window. He was mad, and the longer they talked, the madder he got. She couldn't
hear what they said, but decided it didn't matter anyway. She'd learn soon enough where they
were headed next.
Why didn't I tell him I wanted to stay in Virginia City? He couldn't have forced me
to come, could he?
Mrs. Flynn had said she had to go because she wasn't of age yet. But she would be,
come Christmas. Leastways she thought she would. Wasn't eighteen a woman grown?
How much duty does a daughter owe her folks, anyhow? Don't they owe her
something in return? Those were
"You stay here, girl. I'm goin' to the observation car."
"Can I come along?"
"Didn't I just say to stay here? 'Sides, its' like a men's club there, No women allowed."
He swayed his way up the aisle and through the door into the vestibule. Seconds later a cold draft
made her shiver even harder.
At least she could lie across both seats while he was gone. It wasn't any warmer, but it
was sure a lot more comfortable. Instead of just dozing, she managed to sleep well for long
spells, as long as the train was moving. When morning came, she felt almost rested.
They were stopped in some desolate little town when Pa came back. "Wake up."
She sat up and looked around. It was almost light outside, so she reckoned it was
morning. "Where are we?"
"It don't matter. Let's go. They're servin' breakfast." He turned away and headed toward
the front of the car.
"Pa! Wait. I've got to--" But he's already pushed through the door. Knowing she risked
missing her breakfast, she ducked into the women's necessary, giving silent thanks it was empty.
As fast as her nearly numb fingers would allow, she took care of her needs and straightened her
clothes. A quick glance in the small mirror showed a pink crease in her cheek and hair that
would make any smart rat look for a better nest. "Oh, well, Pa won't notice, and I just won't
worry about anybody else." She hurried through the train, stumbling often as it swayed and
jerked.
The dining car was the fourth one forward. Pa was sitting at a table with two men and
waved her to him. When she sat, both men stared at her and she ducked her head, unwilling to
meet their eyes.
She'd no sooner sat down than a colored man in a white coat set a steaming bowl of
porridge in front of her. Pa was eating ham and eggs, and had a cup of coffee next to his plate.
"Pa, can I have some coffee?"
For a moment she thought he was going to refuse, but then he glanced across the table at
the two men and nodded.
There was a silver pitcher of cream and a matching sugarbowl right in front of her. She
helped herself generously. The first bite of the creamy, sweetened porridge was like heaven. She
could feel its warmth all the way to her belly. When she took a sip of the coffee, she almost wept
with how good it tasted. She heard Pa talking to the men across the table, but she didn't listen.
His voice had that "I'm a great man" tone to it she'd learned to hate. Had he been such a liar, such
a braggart, when she was little and thought he was only one step below God?
She didn't think so.
Her spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl with a sound that sent shivers up her spine. Pa
looked over at her and frowned. "If you're done, you can go on back to your seat. I've business
here."
There was still coffee in her cup. She grabbed it and drank rapidly, almost choking. Pa's
fingers were tapping impatiently on the tablecloth by the time she'd swallowed the last drop.
When she stood up, so did the men across the table. Pa didn't.
* * * *
They arrived in Cheyenne late on the second day. As she was stumbling toward the
vestibule on feet so cold they didn't want to work, she heard someone say the train was three
hours late. The icy wind that met her as she stepped down to the platform made her wish it had
been on time. Wouldn't it have been warmer in the daytime?
Inside the station, she collapsed gratefully on a bench while Pa talked to a man behind a
brass-barred window. He was mad, and the longer they talked, the madder he got. She couldn't
hear what they said, but decided it didn't matter anyway. She'd learn soon enough where they
were headed next.
Why didn't I tell him I wanted to stay in Virginia City? He couldn't have forced me
to come, could he?
Mrs. Flynn had said she had to go because she wasn't of age yet. But she would be,
come Christmas. Leastways she thought she would. Wasn't eighteen a woman grown?
How much duty does a daughter owe her folks, anyhow? Don't they owe her
something in return? Those were
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