SECRETS OF THEN

© HJ 2000

Chapter 1

"Sweetwater!" The conductor announced.
Lynn hopped off the coach and onto the hard ground. She stretched her back before accepting her case from the driver. She approached the first person she saw that looked friendly.
"Can you tell me where I can find the Pony Express Station?" She asked.

"No Kid I won't go to the Valentine's Day Dance with you. I can't dress like a girl. Everyone will know then." Lou practiced her little speech to Kid in front of the mirror. When she heard the chuckling behind her she looked past her reflection to Jimmy and Buck standing behind her.
"I could never go to the dance with you Kid." Jimmy said mockingly. Lou picked up the pillow lying on the nearby bunk and threw it at him. She missed and hit Buck in the side instead. He groaned and rolled to the floor playfully.
"She got me Jimmy." He coughed. "Everything is going black. I love ya Jimmy." He coughed, his body shook, and then he lay silent. The whole time Jimmy had been laughing hysterically. Buck, no longer able to contain himself, started laughing. Kid walked in from his ride at that moment.
"What's going on here?" He asked.
"We're just joking around with Lou. She was…"
"That's enough Buck. Don't you and Jimmy have work to do?"
"Of course Lou. Come on Jimmy." The two smirked and walked out the door.
"By the way Lou." Jimmy threw in his two cents. "I'll make you go if you don't say yes." Lou stamped her foot and looked at the closing door.
"What's he talking about?" Kid asked.
"Never mind. Why don't you get some rest from your long run?" She asked seductively trying to get out of the conversation she knew was coming.
"Lou, I just went to Rock Creek and back on a special run for Teaspoon. I'm not that tired after an hour ride."
"Two if you count back and forth."
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing. I..I just got chores to do that's all. Well, see ya later Kid."
"Lou wait."
Oh no. She thought.
"Will you go with me to the Valentine's Day dance at the church?" She was out the door before he could finish the sentence.

This must be it. I wonder if Louise will remember me? I'm glad she got a job as a station mistress. Oh please remember me. I need help.
Lynn came up to the wooden building and rapped on the door. A very beautiful blonde hair, blue-eyed women, who was definitely not Louise, came to the door.
"May I help you?" The women asked.
"I'm looking for Louise McCloud."
Rachel was stunned for a moment and then realized that this girl must have been one of Louise's friends from the orphanage.
"Well, I believe she's in the barn."
"Thank you. My name is Lynn Jacobs by the way."
"I'm Rachel."
"Nice to meet you Miss Rachel."
"Just Rachel, honey. There's no formalities around this place."
"Sure. I'm just going to go see Louise."
"Well, why don't you leave your bag here. I'll get one of the boys to bring it in." Rachel reached for the carpetbag.
"NO! That's okay really. I'll just take it with me." Lynn headed for the barn.

"Cody, just give me a hand with this door!" Noah shouted.
"Noah, that is your job not mine. You volunteered to fix the door to the barn, and now you have to do it."
"If I remember correctly. YOU volunteered to fix the door with me!" Cody wasn't paying any attention to Noah after that. A beautiful red head with green eyes had just walked in the door.
"Oh my God! Noah look at that!"
"I don't care Cody, just give me a hand!" Cody jumped down from the pile of hay he had been sitting on.
"Hello, and who may you be?"
"My name is Lynn Jacobs. Do you know where Louise McCloud is?"
"I'm William F. Cody. Lou is just up in the loft. I'll get her for you."
"Thank you ever so much." Cody loved the touch of southern accent in her speech. He also liked the dress she was wearing. It exposed just enough for her modesty's sake, but also enough for a young man, such as himself, to ogle. He climbed up the later in no time flat and looked around the hayloft for Lou.
"Lou?"
"Over here Cody." He headed for the biggest pile of hay.
"Watcha doin'?" he asked as she tucked something pretty under a piece of hay.
"Nothin' much. Just sitting here. What did you want Cody?"
"There's a really pretty girl downstairs."
"That's nice. Why are you telling me?"
"She's looking for you. Her names Lynn Jacobs."
"She's downstairs!!"
"Yeah."
"Oh great! Perfect!" Lou began to pace the loft.
"What's the mater Lou?"
"Nothing. Just go tell her that..um..that I'll meet her in the bunkhouse I have a couple of things to do."
"Okay?"
"No wait. I need to get into the bunkhouse." She talked to herself out loud. "Uh tell her to meet me at the salon in an hour I have a few chores to do."
"Lou, what's wrong?"
"Nothing Cody, just go do it!"
"Sheesh, okay I will." He hopped back down the ladder to the pretty girl waiting with the carpetbag. "Um Miss Jacobs, Lou says that she has a couple of chores to finish, but she'll meet you at the salon in an hour."
"Oh okay. Were might that be?"
"Well, you go straight through town to the last building on your left. You can't miss it."
"Thank you Mr. Cody."
"I would be glad to accompany you if you would like?"
"That would be perfect Mr. Cody." Cody put out the crook of his arm and Lynn took. Noah looked up as Cody left the barn with the pretty lady on his arm.
"Cody! Get back here! You're supposed to be helping me with this door! You dirty snake!"

"Oh great! This is not good! How am I gonna explain to Kid that I need to use a dress when he's sitting on my bunk!" Lou was staring into the bunkhouse window. She was looking at a half-awake Kid who happened to be falling asleep on her bunk. Lou kicked up her courage a couple of notches and entered the bunkhouse. She tiptoed over to were Kid slept and tired to slip her hand under the bunk without waking him. It didn't work.
"Lou?"
"Good afternoon Kid! Sleep well!"
"Don't shout Lou. I've got a headache."
"Sorry. Could you hop down from there for a minute?"
"Why?"
"Well it's my bunk and I need it for a second."
"You never minded me coming up here before." He smiled and reached down to pull her up. "Especially when you were on it."
"Kid, now you put me down!"
"I'm sorry Lou," he put her gently back on the ground, "I was just fooling around."
"Could you please get down?"
"One second."
"Thank you. Now could you turn your back?"
"Why are you acting so weird?"
"Just do it and you can go back to bed, okay?"
"Okay." She reached under the bunk and pulled out her blue dress. The only one she owned, stuffed it into a ball, and stuffed it down her vest. "Can I turn around yet Lou?"
"Yeah okay." She tried to keep her back turned to him so he wouldn't notice the lump at the bottom of her stomach. Kid had other ideas though. He turned her fast and was prepared to kiss her when the lump got in the way.
"What's this?"
"Nothing. Um…I got to go."
"Lou you're acting really odd. What is it?"
"I can't tell you."
"You're not leaving here until you tell me. You know what I think of secrets. Remember what happened last time you wouldn't tell me a secret. We broke up."
"I know, but…"
"No buts Louise! Tell me!" He tightened his grip on her arms.
"Kid? Let me go! You're hurting me!"
"Tell me Lou. We can't have secrets between the two of us. I don't want to lose you again."
"What are you talking about. You're not gonna lose me over one little thing. Now let go your hurting me!"
"I'm sorry Lou." He loosened his grip. "I just get nervous that you're keeping something from me. Now what is that?"
"It's my dress."
"What do you want it for?" She thought of something and smiled.
"There's a small hole in it and I didn't want to get picked on by the boys while I'm trying to fix it tonight so I was going to take it down to the barn and fix it instead."
"Well why were you trying to hide it from me? You know I wouldn't say anything. Why don't you just take it to Rachel?"
"I wanted to try and do it myself." She tried to blush, and she saw Kid's face soften so she guessed it had worked.
"I understand. Lou I'm sorry for getting crazy about that secret thing. It just worries me sometimes. I saw what happened when Wicks came into town. That secret you held ate away at you. I just want to be part of your life. Someone you can confined in. I'm real sorry."
"It's okay Kid." She kissed him on the cheek. "I understand. I want the same with you."
"Then will you let me take you to the Valentine's Day Dance? As a girl?"
"No Kid." She began her speech that she had prepared for him and stopped. Would it be so bad going to the Valentine's Day Dance as a girl? Especially with Kid. "Kid, I'm not going to say no right away. Let me think about it and I'll get back to you before bed. Can you leave me alone for the rest of the day, though?"
"Sure Lou. But where will you be?"
"I have a quick errand to make and then I'll be back for supper."
"Okay Lou." He climbed into his own bunk below hers.
"Kid, why don't you use my bunk it's a lot more comfortable then yours."
"Thanks." She walked out the door.

Lynn waited patiently with the handsome rider. He was great company, but she really needed to talk to Lou.
"And then the bear lay down right next to the gravestone. I bet he hasn't moved since. Boy he was a loyal thing. Must have weighed a ton though and really hard to feed."
"Mr. Cody how long has Louise been at the express station?"
"Why almost a year now."
"Is she a good station mistress?"
"Station mistress? Lou? Ma'am I think you've got the wrong idea of our Lou."
"Cody! How nice of you to be taken care of my good friend Lynn! I believe that you've got chores to do!"
"I've finished mine, but she thinks that…"
"That's a boy off you go." Cody took the hint and left.
"I be right back. Gotta make sure he gets to the station and not to a store or something." Lou caught Cody outside heading for the station. "Cody."
"What's going on in there and why do you have a dress on?"
"Please don't say anything. This is an old friend of mine. I told her I was a station mistress at the Rock Creek station. I couldn't tell her I ran for them instead. Can you please cover my chores?"
"I guess, but it's gonna cost you."
"My helping at dinner?"
"That would make up for the extra work."
"Great. Tell Rachel that I'm feeling under the weather and I told you that she should give you mine."
"Okay. But Kid will be asking where you are, and I don't want to get into an argument with him about your health."
"Just tell him I'm in the barn. He knows what I'm doing."
"Oh, so you told him."
"NO, don't you peep a word about this William F. Cody!"
"Okay, okay. That's a lot to ask for just one helping of dinner."
" You can have it for the rest of the week if you keep this quiet."
"It's a deal."
"I've gotta go back inside so you get hurrying. Dinner's in an hour and you've gotta a lot of work to do."
"See ya later Lou, and good luck."
"Thanks I'll need it."

"Lynn, what are you doing in Rock Creek?"
"I was looking for you. I figured that if you could make it in the West without being what we used to be, then I could to."
"Lynn these people don't know what I used to be." Lou took a sip of her saspirilla that she had ordered and looked a Lynn's shots of whiskey, wishing she herself could drink that. Just like old times. She thought.
"I figured they didn't. Don't worry I won't tell them. A round for me and my friend please bar tender."
"Not for me. I don't drink that stuff. Not since St. Joe."
"Okay, well one more for me. You got guts Lou. Leaving Wicks, stop drinking, dressing proper."
"Me, I'm just trying to make a living out of what God has dealt me so far."
"Well, I didn't have the courage to run out on Wicks until he died and his partner took over. Nice guy. Sanes is his name. Only held a handful of girls to their contracts. I wasn't one of them so of course I left. A few stayed that didn't have to, though. They didn't know where else to go. You're still being held to your contract Lou."
"I figured as much. But, if they can't find me then they can't hold me to it.'
"They've lost a lot of money since their best girl left." She smiled and refilled her shot glass.
"I was the highest paid one there."
"Will be even higher when you go back."
"I'll never go back."
"You're going to have to Louise. It's inevitable now. They've got private detectives, been paying people inside all sorts of record places, and they've even started making fake wanted posters saying those girls murdered people. There's going to been a few women fugitives in a couple of weeks."
"Well Lynn I can't get caught."
"You will Louise."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"What?"
"I'm not a station mistress at the Rock Creek Pony Express Station. I'm a rider there."
"What?"
"I've been disguising as a boy for about a year now."
"You're kidding. It's worked? I mean I can tell you're Louise now, but in the disguise it's worked?"
"Yup. Well, I'm sure people are getting suspicious, especially since I stopped cutting my hair, but I've fooled everyone so far."
"That's ingenious. When did you start."
"I'll tell you all you want to know later. But, I've got to get back to the station. They're going to be expecting me soon. I'll go change and get you a room at the hotel."
"Okay."
"Meet you back here in twenty minutes."
"Sure."

"Now where's Louise?"
"She wasn't feeling good Rachel so I told her to lie down and I'd do her chores for her. She told me to take her food."
"Why that's very nice of you Cody, but I better take that to her later."
"Oh, well she told me that she would see you later and maybe you could make some broth for her."
"I guess so. Well I won't waste good food so I guess you can have it."
"Thanks Rachel."
"Are you sure she wasn't feeling good Cody?" Kid asked.
"She told me to tell you that if she fells like it she'll be up in the barn later. You can tell for yourself."
"She shouldn't be out in the cold if she's not feeling good! Didn't you tell her that isn't good for her! Cody you can be so stupid sometimes!"
"I'm not going to get in an argument with you Kid. That's just what she told me to say. You know as well as I do that she wouldn't do anything I told her to do anyways.
"Cody." Teaspoon cut in. "When is your next run." He glared at Kid telling him to stop the last conversation.
"Tomorrow morning. I think I'm going towards Seneca."

"Horace, I need a room."
"One room Lou?"
"Yeah just for Miss Jacobs here."
"I'm sorry, but there are no rooms. I would think you would know that Lou. There's that special meeting for the Express Riders tomorrow. Every hotel from here to Seneca is booked up."
"Are you sure you don't have a room? I can't have her staying at the station. She's a friend of my sisters from out of town."
"The Maple Tree Hotel in Seneca has one or two rooms left. I was just wired to send anyone there who may need a room."
"That sounds fine. Wire them back and tell them to book two rooms."
"Two?"
"Yes, um my sister is probably coming going to meet up with Miss Jacobs in Seneca so they'll both need a room."
"I'll do that right now."
"Tell them it'll be for a few nights."
"Sure."
Lou escorted Lynn back out the door.
"You're sister?" Lynn whispered.
"Me, I'll get sometime off from Teaspoon. I deserve it. And I'll meet up with you in Seneca tomorrow. In fact I think Cody's got a ride there so I'll go with him."
"That sounds good and we can catch up a little more."
"That's the plan. I'll be able to relax while spending time with an old friend. At least that's what I'll tell Teaspoon. By the way who'd you speak to today?"
"Why?"
"Well I'll have a lot of explaining to do to Cody and whoever else you met."
"A lady named Rachel."
"Okay that oughta be easy enough to explain to."
"What's there to explain? Do these people not no anything about what you went through?"
The two had been walking down Main Street towards the ticket office.
"They know that I'd been raped by Wicks. They don't know that I went to work for him after that. They don't know I was Louise The Magnificent to every man that came through those swinging doors. I don't want them to know. Especially one of the boys.
"Louise, do you have a sweet heart?"
"Sort of."
"It's a yes or no question."
"Then yes."
"Oh I want to hear all about this tomorrow in Seneca."
"I promise you will. Now wait here while I go get your ticket. How much luggage do you have?"
"Just this old carpet bag that I've been carrying around."
"What's in it?"
"Some of our old dresses.
"What?"
"Some of the old dresses we used to wear at Wicks'."
"Why don't you just get rid of them?"
"'Cause they're the only things I got to wear and yours fit me too."
"To each his own I guess, but we'll get some nice pretty dresses in Seneca."
"Fine with me."
Lou got Lynn's ticket and hung around until the stage came an hour later and whisked Lynn away until tomorrow.

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