The weather had grown colder throughout the day. Christmas was in the air. Simon was thankful that he had been able to make some progress after all. After a determined effort, the tree had been pruned and decorated. All it needed now was to be crowned with the glittering star of gold in his hand.

Simon scrambled up the wooden ladder. He was anxious to complete the project and head home to the supper that his wife Ruth was preparing.

“Good afternoon Simon. I was wondering if...”

“Funny, I was just thinkin bout trouble an here ya are.” Simon jiggled the star, attempting in vain to get it to accept its position in life.

“I do not understand.”

“I guess you wouldn’t. Ahem. Ya find the Muller place alright this mornin?” Success! The star was in place. All he needed to do now was to finish a few more of the decorations and then he could head home. Simon began his descent to the station platform.

“Yes. I did find Muller place. ”

“Ha. I see yer dressed a little warmer now.” Simon teased as he reached the ground.

“Yes. The other dress was much too cold, you know...icy...”

Simon couldn’t help but smirk as he surveyed the slender figure of Marie Fontaine. The flimsy dress she had worn in the morning was now covered in a thick coat of fur. “It’s pretty rough country out there by the Big Grass Marsh ain’t it?”

“Oooh! You right! Is that what you want me to say!? I spend all morning looking for the Muller house and when I finally find it, Mister Muller tell me foreigners not welcome there.”

“He’d rather see his wife givin birth alone?” Simon tilted the ladder and began lowering it to the station platform.

“That’s what he said. Then he tell me to get back to town. And to hurry!”

“Herman sure ain’t the brightest lantern in the barn is he?”

“Lantern in barn? I do not understand that.”

“I’m just sayin, Herman must’ve forgotten that it was Christmas time.” Simon turned his attention from the ladder. A surge of pride ran through him as he surveyed his handiwork. Yes, the day had been productive.

“Oh. I understand. Yes. Now he send his boy to town to beg me to come back there.”

“Probably because nobody else will help them.” Evelyn nodded her appreciation as she swept onto the station platform. It was obvious that the sights of the season pleased her.

“I believe that...still, I will go help them. That is my duty as midwife. But before I go, I must ask a small favor of you.” Marie took a step toward Simon.

“Sorry ma’m, if I’m gonna get everything done by supper time I’m gonna hafta stay workin.”

“It not hard favor. Just take this.” Marie fished a key from a pocket in her thick coat of fur and thrust it toward Simon.

“What is this?”

“A key for Father’s room. I reserve room number four at the Alhambra Hotel in his name. You give him this when he come in on train...please?”

“Well.” Marie’s pleading blue eyes melted away Simon’s resistance. “I guess I ken do that fer ya. You just get out there to Big Grass Marsh and help that poor Muller woman before it’s too late.”

“I do what I can. At least Muller woman is sensible. Better than some people around here.” With that Marie shoved Evelyn aside and headed out toward the Big Grass Marsh.

“I don’t know what I ever did to her.” Evelyn was the picture of exasperation as she watched Marie vanish into the distance. “Every time I try and talk to her, she just shoves me aside.”

“Could be cause yer always standin in her way.” Simon grabbed a box near his feet and and began pulling decorations from it.

“I guess you’re right. She’s in a hurry and I’m not paying much attention.” Evelyn took a deep breath. “I thought you’d have this project done by now.”

“So did I. By the look of this box here, I’m gonna hafta go get more stuff ta finish it. You still lookin fer Adam?”

“Yes. Has he been here?” Evelyn’s eyes danced with hope.

“I know your gonna hate me fer sayin this...”

“But he was just here a few minutes ago, looking for me.”

“Yep. It’s the same story I told ya this mornin.”

“Hm. I wonder if he’s on the way out to the schoolhouse? Which way did he go?”

“He seems pretty determined ta find ya. Ya think he’s really gonna ask ya this time?” Simon shoved the wooden box of decorations aside and straightened.

“After ten years of waiting for that man, I sure hope so.”

“Well, see, the thing about Adam is he’s a bit bashful around women.”

“A bit bashful around women? He’s been keeping me waiting for ten years!”

“Maybe so, but Adam is worth the wait, he’s a fine fella...and he’s a doctor ta boot, so he’s never short of work.” Something about the way Evelyn crossed her arms told Simon that he better get on with it. “Ahem. He went thatta way, if ya run ya might catch up to’em.”

“Thank you Simon. You’ll be the first person I invite to the wedding.”

“I’ll look forward to tha big day.” Simon peered around him as if looking for enemy soldiers. “Well, looks like the coast is clear, I better go on and get those extra decorations over here before somethin else goes wrong.”

On that note, Simon headed off toward the snow-covered path that was optimistically called a street. Almost as soon as he had left, Evelyn was forced backwards onto the station platform by the trio of chattering busybodies.

“Evelyn! We’ve been looking all over for you.” Gertrude’s strident tone carried a tinge of festive joy.

“I’m afraid we have some awful news.” Hilda moaned.

“We wanted ta be the first to tell ya about it.” Margaret spat on the ground as she strode with her companions.

“I don’t have time for this. I have to get to get to over to the schoolhouse.” Evelyn made a brave attempt to fend off her attackers but their assaults drove her steadily backward along the station platform.

“Oh, I think you’ll want to hear what we have to say.”

“I’m afraid it’s about Adam.”

“Like the old sayin goes, that boy ain’t the man ya think he is.”

“What...what...do you mean?” The once confident figure of Evelyn was wilting steadily. Still, the attacks continued. Driving nails of death into all that she had hoped and dreamed for the future.

“What do we mean she says? This morning we followed that Jezebel.”

“That immigrant! All the way out to a great barren wilderness.”

“Plumas I think they called it.”

“So what! That doesn’t prove anything!” Summoning up an inner reserve, Evelyn stood her ground. Forcing her attackers to cease their assault.

“Tosh. What would any honest woman want in a wasteland like that? I ask you.” Gertrude crossed her arms and raised her chin.

“You three were out there weren’t you?” Evelyn shot back.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say.” Hilda grumbled. “We had very good reason to be out there.”

“That’s right Hilda. We were investigatin.” Margaret pulled a magnifying glass from her purse and began to clean it.

“We saw the whole thing. Adam was out there chopping wood!”

“When that wicked woman marched right up to him.”

“You know how French girls are!”

“And you won’t believe what we saw next!”

“That horrible woman went running off with your man!”

“At least she could’ve had the courtesy to ask ya about it first!”

“No! Adam is a fine man, he would never do something like that!” Despite her attempts to put on a brave face, Evelyn was starting to tremble. Everything she had hoped for…everything she had dreamed of was being torn from her grasp.

“Oh. We weren’t done yet. It’s far worse than you think!”

“Wait until you hear what else we saw! It was terrible!”

“I’m sure glad I brought these along.” Margaret was surveying the station grounds again. Using her binoculars to search for any sign of mischief.

“We better go and tell Betsy!” As Gertrude marched toward the entrance of the train station, her scarf snagged one of the branches of the Christmas tree. Angry at the hold up, she gave it a vicious yank. “I told you we were onto something big!”

On that triumphant note, the three ladies marched into the train station. Behind them the Christmas tree swayed, tilted, and then slowly collapsed toward the ground.