text: At Fort Sully, Colleen was greeted by the other laundresses, who were delighted for her when they learned she was getting married.
  
  Nell said, "We'll just have to all get dressed and attend your wedding tomorrow."
  
  "Well, that would be nice, but can you all take the time?" Colleen asked.
  
  "Of course we can," Lettie said. Lettie Nyberg was the chief laundress and what she said, nobody disputed, not even the post commander. That is, they didn't dispute it if they wanted their clothes cleaned in any type of timely fashion.
  
  "Grit... that's not your real name, is it?" Colleen asked.
  
  "No, but it's the name I've chosen, and the one I want on my tombstone."
  
  "What's your given name?"
  
  "Ah, please don't make me reveal it," Grit said.
  
  Colleen laughed. "Come on. It can't be that bad."
  
  "No, I can't do it," Grit said. "You'll torment me with it when you're angry with me."
  
  "I will not," Colleen said. "Now let's have it."
  
  "No, tomorrow you'll be marrying Grit Milburn and nobody else."
  
  Colleen sighed, "Alright, you're just being a stubborn mule."
  
  "See, you're already calling me names."
  
  "Well, I'm happy to be marrying Grit Milburn. Do you think I'll ever know what your given names are?"
  
  "Maybe when I'm old and past caring," Grit said.
  
  That afternoon, January 2, 1874, the chaplain at Fort Sully, The Reverend Silas J. Mortensen, officiated at the wedding of Grit Milburn and Colleen Anne Byrne with only the seven remaining laundresses in attendance, dressed in their finest. Afterward, Grit invited everyone to the tavern for a celebration. It was unusual for the women to be in the tavern, but since most of the troopers didn't arrive until after 5 o'clock, the wedding party had the place to themselves for a couple of hours.
  
  As they walked to the tavern, Grit noticed an overcoated trooper staring at them. "There's your friend."
  
  Colleen said, "If I never see Casper Atlock again, it'll be far too soon. I'm afraid of him."
  
  "You don't need to fear him," Grit said as he put his arm around her.
  
  Grit and Colleen spent the night in Colleen's room where the other laundresses were housed.
  
  "We may as well get used to it," Colleen said. "When we get home, we'll have to control our whoops and hollers in our lovemaking to keep from waking Paulie and Astrid."
  
  Grit laughed. "It's a strange family we've got, isn't it?"
  
  "I don't know," she said. "It's what life has dealt us, and I'm content with it. Of course, we'll undoubtedly have a few children of our own sooner or later, and it's a comfort knowing you'll be such a good papa."
  
  "How do you know that?" Grit asked.
  
  "It's obvious from the way you treat Paulie and Astrid," she said.
  
  When they arrived back home, their faces were glowing red from the cold, but it didn't take long to warm up as Paulie and Astrid welcomed them both with hugs.
  
  Astrid was excitedly bouncing on the settee in her stocking feet when Grit said, "We have something tasty for you, Astrid."
  
  She ran to him and asked, "What is it?"
  
  Grit handed her a small paper bag of candy. She opened it and said, "Oh, it's sukkertøy. Can I have one?"
  
  "Yes, of course you can," Colleen said. Sometimes Astrid used Norwegian words mixed with English.
  
  For Paulie, Grit had found a used copy of Little Men by Louisa May Alcott at the fort sutler's store. Paulie had begun to enjoy reading almost as much as Grit, and when he saw the new book, he was curious. "What's it about?"
  
  "It's the second volume after Little Women," Grit said. "We already read that. I haven't read this one, but I will after you're done."
  
  "I see the mules are doin' okay," Grit said. "You walkin' 'em?"
  
  "Twice a day for 20 or 30 minutes," Paulie said. "They don't show any signs of colic, and they're eating normally."
  
  "Wonders never cease," Grit said. "I thought sure they'd both die, and I was wondering how we'd get 'em buried."