Christy The Letters

TITLE: The Letters  
  
AUTHOR: Lady S  
  
E-MAIL: ladysewalton@yahoo.com  
  
SUMMARY: AUE Story (See Author's Notes) Christy has  
been Dismissed from the Mission School. Can she find  
a life outside of it or will her heart always be in  
the Smokie Mountain's?   
  
SPOILERS: The Lie  
  
DISCLAIMER: Catherine Marshall's beautiful story of  
Christy is owned by the Marshall-LeSourd Family,  
L.L.C. We are in no way seeking profit or credit for  
her story. We are continuing the story of Christy for  
our own amusement only. Any additions in story line  
and characters were invented by the writers of the  
alt.tv.christy Round Robin and the Christy Mailing  
List. The content of each story is the responsibility  
of the individual writer. The fanfic here is being  
posted as a service to the Christy mailing list, Pax  
Christy Forum and Alt.tv.christy News Group.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE'S: AUE - Alternate Universe Ending - I  
have taken the episode "The Lie" and changed the  
ending so that Christy was dismissed after all. The  
beginning is a little dull but it will get better, I  
promise.  
  
AN2: These chap's will tend to be on the short side as  
they have been broken down by location instead of  
events. Some will be VERY short, other moderately.   
However this will ensure a post per weekday. I hope  
you enjoy this Fic. Feel free to let me know what you  
think. ... SEW  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter One  
  
  
Cutter Gap/Asheville, TN  
  
  
What had begun as a beautiful day turned into a  
nightmare fast than she could blink her eyes. As  
Christy rode in the wagon beside Dr Ferrand she  
thought back to the moment her life had spun out of  
control. The morning had begun well enough. Miss  
Alice and Dr MacNeill had gone off to handle a train  
derailment near El Pano this morning. No sooner had  
they gone than Dr Ferrand had knocked on the mission  
door wanting to cast a surprise inspection of the  
mission. That morning he inspected it and found  
everything in top-notch order, quite pleased with the  
way things were running.  
  
Needing to get over to Cataleechie before catching a  
train to Asheville from there he opted to attend  
services in the cove before continuing his way. After  
silent reflection on the day Christy decided that it  
was that exact moment when her life had begun to fall  
apart. There, in the middle of services, Bessie  
Coburn had stood up and announced the terrible lie  
that had led to Christy's expulsion as teacher of the  
Cutter Gap children.  
  
Standing in the middle of the mission house, an angry  
Dr Ferrand walking in circles around her, Christy  
never had a chance to defend herself other than to say  
that while she had been by the river with someone,  
that someone had not been with John Spencer. Furious  
at her alleged lack of morals Jacob Ferrand had  
ordered her to gather her things; she would return  
home with him at once. David had hung back in the  
corner, crushed by the news he had heard in the  
church. Ruby Mae had watched on with tears in her  
eyes as her heroine was expelled from the cove.  
  
Near tears, but refusing to lose her control in front  
of Dr Ferrand, Christy had climbed the stairs to her  
room to pack her few belonging's into a satchel,  
leaving almost everything behind for the children to  
use. Sitting down at the desk she had written two  
letters, one she left on Miss Alice's night stand and  
the other she begged Ruby Mae to deliver to Dr  
MacNeill's cabin after she had left with Dr Ferrand.   
As they had said good bye Ruby Mae had told Christy  
that she didn't believe 'that dern ol' Bessie'.  
  
'What will I do now?' Christy thought to herself as  
she rode in silence with the still furious Dr Ferrand.  
'The cove was my home, my life was there with those  
children.'  
  
The wagon ride to Cataleechie and the train ride after  
were thick with frosty silence. It wasn't until they  
were standing at the station in Asheville that Dr  
Ferrand finally spoke to Christy.  
  
"I don't know what to say, Miss Huddleston. I am very  
disappointed and I had hoped that things would have  
work out better for you at the mission. I suggest  
that you go home and make your amends with yourself  
and with God. Oh and Miss Huddleston," he turned back  
just before stepping into the carriage to face Christy  
as she clung to the handle on her satchel. "I would  
suggest that you don't use the mission as a reference,  
it will not be a good one."  
  
Watching Jacob Ferrand close the door of the carriage  
and the carriage drive off Christy's lip trembled and  
she felt tears stinging at her eyes. It was over.   
The life she'd dreamed of in Cutter Gap, being a  
teacher to the children she loved so dearly was ripped  
to shreds before her very eyes. Walking away from the  
train station, down the various streets, Christy found  
her way to the front door of her childhood home.   
Knocking on the door she waited for it to open.  
  
Following the servant into the den Christy saw her  
father rise from his reading chair and toss the paper  
aside, crossing the room to his daughter. Unable to  
hold herself together Christy leaned on the older man,  
the man that had always been a pillar of strength, and  
wept for the life she no longer had.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Chapter Two  
  
  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
  
Tired, sore, and in desperate need of a bath Miss  
Alice dropped her saddlebags onto the floor of her  
bedroom before shedding her coat onto the bed. The  
mission was empty, the whole cove had seemed so, and  
she hadn't passed a soul on her ride home. The quiet  
was a nice change from the hectic pace of the last few  
days. Undressing she did what she could to wash from  
the basin in the corner before sitting down on the bed  
to get some much needed sleep. About to lie down she  
saw a folded piece of paper sitting propped up against  
her small oil lamp on the table next to her bed.  
  
Taking the paper in her hands, wondering what it could  
possibly be, Alice unfolded it and began to read what  
she recognized as Christy's script.  
  
'Dearest Miss Alice;'  
  
'By the time you get this I will be well on my way to  
Asheville if not there already. Dr Ferrand has  
dismissed me from the mission school. I'm so sorry to  
have been a disappointment to the cove and though I  
know the accusations were made in the heat of jealousy  
I pray that you will believe me when I tell you they  
are not true. I was by the river that night but it  
was not to meet with John Spencer. I pray that you  
believe me. I have left many of the supplies for the  
children to use for I know they will be put to a  
better use here than with me.'  
  
'I will never forget anything you have taught me  
during my time in Cutter Gap and you will always hold  
a very special place in my heart. I will pray for you  
and for my home every day for I know that God will  
watch over you and help you to remember how much I  
love you since I cannot be there to do so myself.   
Please help the children and their families to  
understand that I love them all very much. And I beg  
of you to make sure the teacher who will replace me  
loves them as much as I always will.'  
  
'I am sorry.'  
  
'All my love,'  
  
'Christy'  
  
Sitting on her bed Alice was overwhelmed by sadness  
and confusion all at once. What was going on?   
Hurriedly re-dressing, her sleep forgotten, Alice  
rushed out of her room down the hall to Christy's and  
found it empty. Many of her things were still in the  
room but they were piled neatly on the desk as if she  
had stacked them to be carried somewhere. Her bureau  
was empty, the closet as well; all the personal items  
had been taken, pictures the children had drawn, the  
picture of her family; it was all gone.  
  
Standing in the doorway, staring at the silent room in  
shock she heard a noise from downstairs and rushed  
down to find the person, praying they would know what  
had happened. Stepping off the last stair she saw  
David stacking firewood by the fireplace. "David,  
what is going on here?" she asked. "I came home to  
find Christy gone and a letter telling me she has been  
dismissed. What happened?"  
  
His face hard David tells Miss Alice what happened  
during service a few days ago. "Dr Ferrand was here  
to see it and when he left he ordered Christy to go  
with him. She was dismissed Alice, there's nothing to  
be done."  
  
"Surely thee does not believe that Christy would have  
such a relationship with one of her students?"   
Watching David's face Alice suddenly realized that he  
did. "David thee knows Christy better than that!"  
  
"All I know is that I saw here leaving the mission  
that night, she was walking toward the river. That's  
all I can say for sure."  
  
"Very well then David. Believe what thee will."   
Moving through the room to the mission phone Alice  
called Jacob Ferrand to speak with him personally.   
After going back and forth over the topic for some  
time Alice began to lose her patience. "Dr Ferrand, I  
know that Christy would do nothing of the sort. There  
must be a reason."  
  
"Miss Henderson, the girl said the words herself, she  
was by the river that night. I cannot have a woman  
such as her teaching the impressionable young minds of  
the children. Now I will not discuss this any  
further. Good day."  
  
Hanging up the phone in disgust Alice tried to think  
of someone she could speak with who would not be so  
set against Christy in this rumor. She needed to find  
the truth. Neil! Neil had yet to hear of this awful  
rumor, he would help Alice to clear Christy's name.   
He too would never believe this rumor. Perhaps he had  
seen something that night as his cabin was near the  
river. Saddling Goldie Alice rode out of the mission  
yard in search of the man whose company she had only  
recently left.  
  
All the while Neil, too, was thinking of how glad he  
was to finally be home. Climbing the steps to his  
cabin, one fatiguing step at a time, Neil trudged into  
his cabin and began to rummage through his cupboards  
in search of something easy and quick so he could get  
some sleep as fast as possible. Finding some dried  
fruit he munched on it while leaning against the table  
to kick off his shoes. Something white caught his eye  
and he picked up a piece of paper. Unfolding it he  
read what was written.  
  
'Neil;'  
  
'I hope everything has gone well in El Pano, though  
I'm sure you were able to help all the people who  
needed you. By the time your reading this I'll be  
back in Asheville. I've been dismissed from the  
school. This morning during service it was announced  
that I had been seen by the river with one of my  
students. While we both know that is not true that  
fact remains that I was seen by the river with a  
married man. Dr Ferrand was with us this morning and  
dismissed me immediately.'  
  
'There are so many things that I want to thank you for  
but the one that meant the most was that of your  
friendship. You were right; I was horribly unprepared  
for life here in Cutter Gap. But you challenged me to  
see past the pain and suffering and as time went on I  
saw the beauty that life in the cove had to offer,  
beauty that far outweighed the darkness. I will  
always treasure my time in the mountains and I will  
never forget my children, my home, and the friendship  
of those people I care about.'  
  
'Thank You Neil.'  
  
'Christy'  
  
Eyes wide in anger and disbelief Neil finished reading  
the letter and fought not to crumple it in his rage.   
This couldn't be happening! Christy was gone because  
someone had seen them by the river that night. But  
why would they lie about it and say it was John  
Spencer and not Neil? Who was it? When did this  
happen? Why hadn't anyone tried to stop it? Many  
questions stormed through Neil's mind as he pulled on  
his boots once more. Forget his tiredness, he needed  
to get this straightened out and get Christy back in  
the cove. Flinging open the door he stopped short  
when he saw Alice poised to pound on it.  
  
"Alice?"  
  
"Neil, did thee hear what has happened?"  
  
"What is going on? Why didn't anyone try to stop  
this? We have to get her back Alice, she's done  
nothing wrong!"  
  
"What happened that night? Did you see anyone by the  
river?"  
  
Moving back into the cabin Neil told Alice everything  
that had happened that night by the river, under the  
light of the moon. "All we did was talk Alice,  
nothing more. She doesn't deserve to be let go  
because of that!"  
  
"I agree, but I have already spoken with Dr Ferrand,  
he says that Christy will not be welcomed back to the  
mission. He has dismissed her and there is nothing  
more he will say on the matter."  
  
"That is ridiculous!" Neil yelled as he paced the  
cabin. "There has got to be something we can do!"  
  
"There is, Neil. We can tell these people the truth.   
Christy cannot defend herself to them as she is not  
here but I will not let them think that the lie is the  
truth. Come with me tomorrow so they may hear the  
truth."  
  
"There must be someway to get her back!"  
  
Sitting in a chair in Neil's cabin Alice watched him  
pacing the floor, his face filled with emotion; it was  
more than just a friend worrying about another friend.  
Alice didn't want to admit it, she hated to admit it,  
but there was a special bond between Neil and Christy.  
Something that went deeper than either of them  
realized. Alice prayed that things would work out for  
the best but she knew in her heart that it would not  
be an easy road.  
  
The next few days passed slowly and that Sunday  
morning the little church was filled with it's normal  
crowd, the air subdued as everyone waited to see if  
anything was going to happen this week as it ad last  
week. No sooner had David said three sentences than  
there was a commotion from the back of the room. Neil  
strode up the walkway and turned to face the crowd  
while Miss Alice stood up from her seat and motioned  
for David to sit down.  
  
"Last week service was interrupted by a lie," Alice  
began. "This week we interrupt it with the truth."  
  
"You all know that Miss Huddleston was dismissed  
because someone saw her by the river with John  
Spencer. That is nothing more than a lie. However,  
as with all lies, there is a nugget of truth hidden  
within it. Yes, Miss Huddleston was seen by the river  
that night, and no, she was not alone." Murmuring  
began to run through the crowd but Neil continued on,  
raising his voice above the crowd to make sure he was  
heard.  
  
"She was with me. That night Miss Huddleston couldn't  
sleep so she went for a walk along the river. It just  
so happened that I was sitting by the river when we  
crossed paths. We talked for a little while, we said  
goodnight, and she returned to the mission alone.   
That is all that happened."  
  
Kyle Coburn stood up from the back of the room. "Is  
you a'callin' ma girl a ly'er?" he demanded.  
  
Before Neil could speak Bessie stood up and moved into  
the aisle way. "Th' doc's raght!" she cried, her face  
awash with guilt. "I nevuh ment fer Miz Christy to  
leeve, I waz jest angry. Itz all m'fault! Th' doc's  
raght!"  
  
Kyle's anger turned from Neil to his daughter in a  
heartbeat. Even as he advanced on her the frightened  
girl took off running. "You best not show yer face  
fer awhile gal! I'm in th' mind ta tan yer hide!"  
  
While the crowd watched the Coburn's Neil noticed that  
in the front row little Mountie had begun to cry.   
Kneeling down next to her Neil wiped the tear away  
from her grimy little face. Her lower lip trembling  
Mountie threw her arms around Neil and cried.  
  
"Why are you crying, wee one?"  
  
"Miz Christy don' luv uz no'mor," she whispered.  
  
"That's foolish talk, Mountie. Miss Christy loves you  
all very much, she told me so herself." Picking up  
the little girl Neil stood and addressed the crowd.   
"Miss Huddleston knew that eventually you would find  
out the truth and she wanted you all to remember how  
much she loves each and every one of you. She'll  
never forget the people she cares about and she hoped  
that you would never forget her."  
  
"We dun Miz Christy wrong," Fairlight said, her eyes  
shiny with unshed tears when she remembered the way  
she had shunned her friend. "Cain't we getz 'er  
back?"  
  
"We're trying to," Miss Alice said. "But right now  
that doesn't look like a possibility. I'd like to  
draw up a petition for everyone to sign requesting  
that Christy be brought back to the mission. It may  
help to convince Dr Ferrand that she is wanted back  
here and that she has done no wrong."  
  
The group agreed and in no time at all a petition was  
drawn up.  
  
'We the people of Cutter Gap request that Miss Christy  
Huddleston be returned to her position as teach of the  
mission school. She was wrongfully accused and should  
not have been dismissed. We who have signed our mark  
below wish her to be returned directly.'  
  
The petition was signed by the entire cove, though  
most marked theirs with an 'X' and Miss Alice filled  
in their name. Children and adults alike signed until  
they had almost five pages to send to Dr Ferrand. The  
petition was went off with Ben Pentland and a few  
weeks later the telephone at the mission rang.   
Answering it Alice listened to the man on the other  
end before hanging up and sitting in the nearest  
chair.  
  
He had refused. 'What was done was done' in his book.  
Jacob Ferrand would not listen to any further  
arguments on the matter and if they persisted he would  
be forced to remove the mission itself from Cutter  
Gap. Her last hope was gone. That night Alice sat  
down at her desk, tears stinging at her time hardened  
eyes and wrote a letter to the young woman she loved  
as a daughter.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Three  
  
  
  
  
Asheville, TN  
  
  
Sitting in a small café with her friend Janice Christy  
found her thoughts drifting away from the topic of  
last night's party and back, over the mountains, to  
the children and home she had left behind. Though she  
had been home for a week now Christy found it  
impossible to re-enter the life she had left behind  
when she had gone to Cutter Gap. How could she get  
excited over a party or an afternoon of shopping and  
tea when she knew the life others were leading?  
  
"Christy, are you even listening to me?"  
  
Jolted back to the woman across the table Christy  
smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Janice. My thoughts  
were a hundred miles a way. What were you saying?"  
  
Forgiving her old friend Janice repeated her previous  
sentence. "I was telling you that since I was getting  
married next week I had to leave my job at the  
college. I'm going to miss my old roommate, we had  
some good times together."  
  
"What did you do at the college?"  
  
"I was a secretary for one of the professors, a Doctor  
Peter Kinnigan. A splendid fellow, he and his wife  
Susan were always very nice to me. I feel a little  
bad now that I'm not there he'll have to find another  
secretary."  
  
"What did he teach?"  
  
"Ophthalmology. It's the study of the eyes. He  
teaches future doctors at the Jefferson Medical  
College in Pennsylvania."  
  
Christy suddenly became very interested in this  
conversation, an idea forming in her head. If she  
couldn't be there to teach the children the least she  
could do was to have some small part in something that  
might benefit them in the long run. "Has he found a  
replacement yet?"  
  
"Well no, not yet." Looking closely at her friend  
Janice saw the sudden interest. "Surely you don't  
want the position. You've only just now come home  
yourself, Christy. Don't you want to take some time  
off for a little while? To enjoy society again?"  
  
"Janice the school I taught at and the mountains I  
lived in were rampant with Trachoma. If I can play  
even a small part in helping to find a cure for that  
then I would feel so much better. Even something as  
small as filing and writing notes for a professor whom  
teaches Ophthalmology would be helping them. What if  
one of the students he teaches finds a cure for  
Trachoma so that one day the children won't have to  
lose their eyesight? I would have had a part in that,  
in helping them to live a better life."  
  
Listening to Christy, watching her friend come alive  
again, Janice could see how much she loved the  
children she had left behind. But it made her wonder...  
"Christy if you love the children so much why did you  
leave?" No sooner were the words out of her mouth  
than Christy became subdued again and Janice knew she  
had made a mistake. "Oh, darling, I'm sorry! I  
should never have asked, it wasn't right of me,  
please, please forgive me."  
  
Trying to muster up a smile Christy shook her head.   
"No, Janice it's all right. I'm sorry, but it hurts  
too much to talk about it, not yet."  
  
"All right. Why don't we finish our tea and then you  
and I can go home to my mothers house and I'll make  
the call to Professor Kinnigan?"  
  
"I'd like that very much," Christy smiled, some of her  
enthusiasm coming back into her eyes. "Very much  
indeed."  
  
True to her word the two friends finished their tea,  
gathered their packages, and went back to the house  
Janice had called home to make the call. That night,  
over the dinner table at her own home, Christy made an  
announcement to her parents, praying it would be well  
received.  
  
"Mother, Daddy, there's something I need to tell you."  
Both of them looked to her, waiting for their  
daughter to continue. "I've taken a job."  
  
"A job?" Julia repeated. "What on earth for? You've  
only just come home, surely you planned on taking some  
time off before you did anything else?"  
  
"What it the job, Christy?" her father asked.   
Secretly he was glad that some of the spirit had come  
back into her eyes, there was a marked difference in  
her from this morning, and if it meant that she had  
taken a job... so be it.  
  
"I'll be a secretary."  
  
"Well then that's not so bad," Julia smiled. "You'll  
be working in the city then."  
  
Biting her lip Christy replied, "I will be in a city,  
yes," stressing the 'a'.  
  
"Just not our city," William concluded, catching the  
stress she had put on the one word. Christy shook her  
head. "Where is the job then?"  
  
"Pennsylvania."  
  
"Pennsylvania!" Julia cried, dropping her fork to the  
table. "But you'll be in a complete other state!"  
  
"Julia please," William glanced at his wife. "Let  
Christy speak." Looking at Christy he saw the  
determination and spirit in her eyes and wondered what  
it was about this job that had put it there. "Why  
this job darling? Tell me about it."  
  
"It's a secretarial position at Jefferson Medical  
College in Pennsylvania. It was Janice's position  
until she got engaged, but now that she's left it's  
vacant and I've taken it. I'll be working under  
Professor Peter Kinnigan MD; he's the head of the  
Ophthalmology department. I want to do this Daddy, I  
need to."  
  
William looked at his daughter with curiosity. "Why  
need?"  
  
Playing with her food for a moment Christy looked up  
and he could see the sadness in her eyes. It was as  
fresh as the day she had wept in his arms. "I can't  
be there to teach my children Daddy but maybe if I  
help this Professor to teach new doctors just maybe  
one of them will find a cure for Trachoma. Ne... Dr  
MacNeill has done so much research but he doesn't have  
the time to devote to finding a cure. More and more  
people are loosing their sight to Trachoma in the cove  
but if one doctor can find a cure because of what  
Professor Kinnigan has taught him then I'll feel like  
I've done my part to help my children."  
  
"I know it's a very slim possibility but I can only  
pray that my small part will help. There is no  
returning to the life I that led before I went to  
Cutter Gap, Daddy; I'm not that same little girl  
anymore. I need to do something, to feel as if  
somehow I'm making a difference in this world. I'll  
not make that difference by going to parties and  
having tea with my friends."  
  
William stared at his daughter for a moment. "You've  
already made up your mind haven't you?" Christy  
nodded. "Then we won't try and stop you. I'm sure we  
won't like having you so far away from us but at least  
we'll know that you're safely tucked away at a medical  
college."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Four  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
And so it was. Three days later Christy boarded a  
train to Pennsylvania and her life as a secretary  
began. Settling into the one bedroom apartment that  
she would share with Janice's friend, Marcy St.Paul,  
the two women knew that they'd be good friends the  
instant they met. Over the next month Christy learned  
the route to get to the college, the layout of the  
campus itself, the ropes of being a secretary to a  
medical professor, as well as trying to make new  
friends among the staff and students at Jefferson  
Medical College.   
  
Her biggest adjustment was getting used to living in a  
bustling metropolis instead of the quiet majesty of  
her mountains. But, as the young often do, she  
adjusted well enough and life went on. Christy missed  
her children with every beat of her heart and not  
often did a day go by when she wouldn't mention them  
to someone in conversation.   
  
On a warm summer day Christy was walking back to the  
apartment when she heard a familiar Scottish brogue.   
Hurrying to catch the person she turned the corner to  
see a man she'd never met speaking to another man on  
the street corner, both of them speaking in their  
native Scottish accent. Feeling foolish she continued  
on her way home, surprised at the sudden pain that had  
gripped her heart. She knew that she still missed the  
people of Cutter Gap but Christy's actions had  
surprised even her.  
  
Opening the door to their apartment she saw Marcy  
standing at the stove cooking some dinner for them  
both. "What's wrong, sweetie? You look like someone  
just stole your favorite book."  
  
Shaking her head Christy smiled. "It's nothing, just  
foolishness. Dinner smells wonderful."  
  
"Oh, thanks. There was some mail for you; I put it on  
the bed. Why don't you go read it and then we can  
have dinner? I need to get to the library after  
dinner so I probably won't see you until tomorrow."  
  
"Then I'll wait and read the letters later, while your  
gone. Why don't I set the table and we can eat at the  
same time."  
  
Working side by side Marcy and Christy had prepared  
and eaten their meal together. While Marcy readied to  
leave for the library Christy washed and dried their  
dishes. "Come with me, Christy. You always stay  
home, why not come out with me tonight? After the  
library a small group of us are going to get some  
coffee. You could join us."  
  
"No, thank you. I'll stay in tonight."  
  
Shaking her head Marcy smiled and left. Her chore  
complete Christy went into the bedroom and brought her  
mail back out to read by the window. Settled  
comfortable at the desk she opened the first letter  
from her father. He told her that all was well,  
George was doing well in college and her mother sent  
her hello. William finished his letter by telling her  
that he had forwarded some mail to Christy in the same  
envelope and that he hoped all was well with her.   
Looking at the second envelope she quickly tore it  
open with anxious fingers.  
  
It was from Miss Alice.  
  
'Dearest Christy,'  
  
'Oh how I wish this letter contained glad news for  
thee. Upon returning to the mission I found thy  
letter and my heart was saddened by what was written.   
Thee were wrongly accused, everyone now knows the  
truth, and we wish thee back home with us but Dr  
Ferrand simply will not allow it. If only I had been  
here to stop things before they had gone as far as  
they did. The people of Cutter Gap are sorrowed by  
their misdeeds toward thee and they wish thee to know  
how sorry they are.'  
  
'I am worried that thee think thee are not missed. I  
cannot begin to tell thee how much thee are missed by  
the entire cove. The mission is too quiet without thy  
laughter or thy sweet story of thy day at school. I  
pray that thee will forgive this old woman for not  
defending thee justly and returning thee to thy  
rightful place as teacher to the children thee love so  
much. May God keep thee safe and our memories in thy  
heart.'  
  
'All my love to thee,'  
  
'Alice'  
  
Alone in the apartment Christy's eyes overflowed with  
tears, both joyous and sorrowful, at the letter she  
read from Miss Alice. The cove knew the truth. They  
all missed her; they wanted her back. But she could  
never go back, Dr Ferrand had seen to that. Wanting,  
needing to spill her thoughts and her heard to Miss  
Alice Christy immediately began to write back to the  
woman.  
  
'Dearest Miss Alice,'  
  
'I cannot begin to convey to you how happy I am to  
hear from you, to know that everyone is well in the  
cove. I have missed each and every one of you with  
all my heart. Please, let no one feel badly over what  
has happened; tell them that I do not hold it against  
them. Let Bessie know that I forgive her and that I  
still hope she finds the happiness she longs for. I  
will always love my children and all of the family's  
in the cove, each one holds a very special place in my  
heart.'  
  
'Even though I cannot be there to help the children  
and their families I am doing a small part to help  
them. I've taken a job as a secretary to an  
Ophthalmology Professor at a Medical College in  
Pennsylvania. I hope that one of the students he  
teaches will one day find a cure for the troubles that  
plague my children. Life in the city is so very  
different from that in the cove but I would trade it  
in an instant to be back among the mountains I love so  
much.'  
  
'Please, Miss Alice I beg of you, tell no one where I  
am. Let them know that I am well and that I miss them  
terribly but I pray you will not tell them where I am.  
We must each of us learn to accept that I cannot  
return to my home in the cove. Life must go on, and  
if the children are led to believe that one day I will  
return it will only cause heartache when I do not.   
Tell them I love them with all my heart and that I  
will never forget them for as long as I live for they  
are my children, my very special children.'  
  
'I send all of my love to you and I will pray that God  
keeps you safe in the mountains. Never will I forget  
the lessons you have taught me about life and loving  
those around us. Perhaps one day we shall be able to  
meet again face to face, but until that day I will  
carry your memory in my heart, you will never leave my  
side and for that I will always be grateful.'  
  
'All of my love,'  
  
'Christy'  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Five  
  
  
  
  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
  
"U-nited States Mail!"  
  
Jolted from her reading by the fire Miss Alice stood  
and stretched her legs. Glancing at the clock she saw  
that time had gotten away from her and she was glad  
that the call had caught her attention. Walking out  
to the mission yard she saw Ben Pentland waiting  
patiently for someone to greet him. "Good morning,  
Mr. Pentland."  
  
"Mornin' ta ya, Miz Alice. I got'z ya a lettuh."  
  
Taking the small envelope from the postman Alice  
thanked him, watching as he moved away, another letter  
to deliver to another fortunate person in the cove.   
His weekly trips were always a big to do in the cove  
and Miss Alice hoped whoever got their letter was  
receiving good news. Looking at the address on the  
letter she saw that it was from Pennsylvania and  
wondered whom she knew out there.  
  
Some time later, sitting on the porch of the mission  
house, letter in hand, Miss Alice wiped the tears from  
her eyes with her handkerchief. Glancing up at the  
school an idea came to her mind and she smiled.   
Stopping at the pump to freshen her face Miss Alice  
walked over to the school and climbed its stairs.   
Seeing David at the chalkboard she waited to make eye  
contact with him before making her way to the front of  
the class.  
  
"Children, I have something to read to you and I think  
thee will all be very pleased with what it says. I  
received this letter this morning and I wanted to  
share it with thee."  
  
Picking out certain sentences Alice sent out the gist  
of Christy's letter to the children, telling them that  
she was all right and that she loved them very much.   
She read the part about praying for God to keep them  
safe and how much she missed them as well as the part  
about carrying their memories in her heart. Finishing  
the letter Miss Alice looked up to find the entire  
classroom silent, most of the girls had tears in their  
eyes, and a few of the boys were trying to blink  
theirs away.  
  
"I have a very special assignment for each and every  
one of thee. For the rest of the morning I want each  
of thee to write a letter to Miss Christy and tell her  
anything thee want to. When thy letter is written I  
want thee to think of something very special that thee  
can send to her. It can be anything thee want, but it  
must be something that thee love as much as she would.  
That way she will always have a piece of thee with  
her wherever she goes."  
  
Excitedly the children took out a piece of paper and  
their pencils and began to write. Those who couldn't  
write the words drew a picture. While the children  
worked David drew Alice out to the schoolyard to speak  
in private. "Where is she, Alice? Is she really all  
right?"  
  
"Yes, David, Christy is well. However I cannot tell  
thee where she is. Christy has asked that I not tell  
anyone. She realizes that she cannot come back to the  
cove and she asks that the people she cares for move  
on with their lives. That is what thee must do."  
  
"I can't just forget her Alice."  
  
Smiling Alice patted his shoulder and moved back into  
the schoolroom. She had nothing to say to him, there  
were no words that would help. David had fallen for  
Christy and while she may have thought him a pretty  
face and a kind heart Alice knew that Christy did not  
love him with the fervor that David would have  
believed. Watching the children work she saw that  
many of them began their letters with an apology for  
not believing in her. Walking up and down the aisles  
she saw that Bessie wasn't writing, just sitting in  
her desk looking glum.  
  
"Bessie, may I speak with thee for a moment?" Nodding  
the young girl got up and followed Alice out to the  
porch. Patting the seat next to her Alice took  
Bessie's hand in hers and smiled at the sad child. "I  
wanted thee to know that Miss Christy mentioned thee  
by name specifically." Alice could see the shock in  
Bessie's eyes. "She asked me to tell thee that she  
has forgiven thee for thy lie and that she wants thee  
to be happy."  
  
Taking in the information Alice had just laid bare  
Bessie's eyes began to fill with tears. "Hit ain't  
raght Miz Alice, I'm the reazon she dun lift th' cove!  
How cin she fergive me fer wat I dun?"  
  
"Because she loves thee child and she knows thee did  
not mean for this to happen. If thee is truly sorry  
then write to her and tell her what thee feels."  
  
"I will Miz Alice, I shorely will."  
  
Bessie sat in her desk again and Alice watched her  
begin to write with a passion, her pencil making the  
words carefully so as not to mess them up. When the  
children had done their letters Miss Alice collected  
them and reminded them to bring something in tomorrow  
to include. Dismissing them she watched the children  
leave, all but one child that is. Slowly Mountie  
approached Alice with her paper in her hand.  
  
"Yes Mountie? Did thee need something?"  
  
"Kin ya holp me rite them letterz? I wantz ta tell  
Teacher som'thin."  
  
Smiing at the young girl, it was the longest sentence  
she had ever heard from Mountie, she nodded. Sitting  
down at the desk Alice took the paper and poised her  
pencil over a clean spot near the top. "What did thee  
wish to tell her?"  
  
"Dear Teacher, I miss ya som'thin fierce. I hopez ya  
still luv me 'cauz I still luv ya." Mountie stopped  
and looked as Miss Alice wrote the words on the paper.  
Taking the pencil in her small grimy hands she put an  
'X' at the bottom and Miss Alice wrote Mounties name  
next to it. "Thank ya, Miz Alice."  
  
"Thee are very welcome, Mountie. Now thee had better  
get on home before thy mother begins to worry."  
  
Watching Mountie scamper off down the steps Alice sat  
at the desk and withdrew some paper to write her own  
letter. There was a vital piece of information that  
Christy needed to know.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Six  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
"Well that will be all for today, I think. I'm sure  
you want to go home and get ready for the big dance  
tonight," Peter Kinnigan teased his secretary.  
  
Smiling Christy shook her head. "Thank you, but I'm  
not going tonight."  
  
Peter looked at her with astonishment. "Surely one of  
the gentlemen has asked to escort you?"  
  
"Oh they have, but I'm not interested in going."  
  
Watching her straighten the papers, filing them in the  
cabinet Peter shook his head. "You're far too young  
to act like such an old maid, Christy. Why aren't you  
interested in going?"  
  
Smiling she gathered her coat, the papers filed away,  
and turned to face the professor. Janice had been  
right, he really was a dear man. "I'm just not I  
suppose. Parties aren't too high on my list of  
priorities right now." Opening the door she turned to  
face him. "Have a good weekend, Professor."  
  
"You too, Christy."  
  
Shutting the door behind her Christy paused to put her  
coat on before she headed out into the early winter  
chill. There was a small layer of snow on the ground  
and she loved the way it sparkled in certain areas of  
the lawn, those places that neither foot or hoof had  
marred yet. Walking along the sidewalk she made her  
way to the apartment and entered to find it empty.   
Marcy had gone straight to her friend's house to  
prepare for the party tonight. Knocking on their  
neighbor's door she waited for the old woman to open  
the door.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Johansson. How are you doing today?"  
  
"Well enough Christy, well enough. There was a  
package for you today, let me get it, one moment."   
The old woman disappeared and Christy wondered which  
of them the package was for. "Here you go,  
sweetheart."  
  
"Thank you, Mrs. Johansson. I'll be making some bread  
over the weekend, would you like me to bring you  
some?"  
  
"Oh why that would be wonderful! When you bring it  
over we can have some tea and you can tell me some  
more about your children."  
  
Nodding Christy moved back down the hall to her door  
and slipped inside. Once the door was shut she looked  
at the package and saw that it was postmarked El Pano.  
Excitedly she opened the box to find it filled with  
many pieces of paper, each one folded with something  
in it.   
  
Opening the first one she laughed and cried at the  
same time. The paper held a picture of two people,  
one that looked like it was supposed to be her and the  
other was a little girl with blond hair. Reading the  
note that was written in Miss Alice's script tears  
filled her eyes. Within the folded letter was a small  
blue button from Mountie.  
  
The next letter was from Bessie Coburn. Unfolding the  
letter she saw a small stone fall out into her hand;  
it was shiny and had been smoothed down and polished  
by the river. Looking at the letter she read the note  
that was written. 'Deer Miz Christy; I be sorry fer  
all the stuff I dun wrong ta ya. I don no y I lide ta  
evreone but I be reel sorry I did. Pleese fergiv me  
mam, I hops ya kan cuz I luv ya an I be reel sorry.   
Bessie Coburn'   
  
Folding the letter Christy wiped the tear from her  
cheek and smiled as she opened another. One after  
another she opened the letters, finding a small  
trinket in each one. Zady had sent a small poem that  
Rob had helped her write, John sent a song he'd  
written, Rob a story, Burl a leaf with four different  
colors, Creed an arrowhead; little nothings that meant  
as much to her as they did to the children.   
  
Opening another letter she saw that if wasn't from one  
of the children but rather it was from Fairlight. She  
had written of her sorrow that she hadn't believed her  
friend when the time had come. Fairlight prayed that  
Christy would forgive her and that she missed her very  
much. Promising herself that she would write a reply  
to her dear friend Christy opened the next letter.   
Recognizing David's scrawl she read yet another  
apology. His letter however ended a little  
differently than the others.   
  
'I pray that you will never forget me Christy for I  
know that I will never forget you. I love you  
Christy. Will you marry me?'  
  
Sitting in shocked silence Christy stared at the four  
words, reading and rereading them time and again.   
David had asked her to marry him! But as she sat  
there, reading the words, Christy realized that her  
answer would be no. She didn't love him like that.   
Perhaps at one time she had but that time was over.   
He needed to know the truth. Putting his letter aside  
she picked up the last one, by far the longest, and  
Christy knew it was from Miss Alice. Anticipating the  
news of the cove she would receive Christy opened the  
letter and began to read it with eager eyes.  
  
'Dearest Christy,'  
  
'I hope you have enjoyed all the letters from the  
children. When I received thy letter I could not  
contain my joy and wished to share the news of thy  
well being with the children. I have kept thy request  
and not told anyone where thee are, only that thee are  
well and love him or her very much. As thee can see  
the children return thy love with all of their hearts  
as well.'  
  
'The cove is well but there is a piece of news I fear  
may bring some sadness to thy world. Four weeks ago,  
not long after my letter was sent to thee, Margaret  
was murdered. A man she was servicing was not happy  
with her and killed her. It seems that she had not  
left as we had thought but that rather she was living  
in El Pano under a disguise. When Neil was called to  
help her he discovered who she truly was but it was  
too late.'  
  
'Margaret was buried in the cemetery at El Pano and a  
few days later I left for a retreat in the mountains.   
What I will tell thee next may shock thee but I pray  
thee will understand. As I prayed in the mountains I  
came to realize that while my daughter had returned to  
my life it was not as the role of my daughter. I fear  
that the woman I knew as my daughter died in my heart  
many years ago. This woman was one I did not know and  
therefore while I was saddened by it the blow was not  
a devastating one.'  
  
'Have I shocked thee? If so I am sorry, but it is the  
truth. I am comforted by the thought that there lives  
a young woman who will always reside in my heart as my  
daughter though she lives so far away in  
Pennsylvania.'  
  
'Neil has taken the news well enough. Though he was  
as shocked as I upon finding out the truth I suppose  
he is of the same mind as I, Margaret died many years  
ago, this woman was not the one we knew. He continues  
his work here in the cove though these past few months  
I have seen the spring in his step diminish and I fear  
I do not know if it will ever return.'  
  
'I am sorry this letter must contain such terrible  
news but I knew thee would want to know. I pray that  
thy life is going well and that thee find's happiness  
in thy life in Pennsylvania. Thee will always have a  
home by my fire, wherever that may be.'  
  
'All my love to thee,'  
  
'Alice'  
  
Bowing her head Christy prayed that Miss Alice would  
be all right and, though he didn't believe, that God  
would watch over Neil. Now more than ever the man  
needed the love that God offered his people. Getting  
out her pencils and paper she set out to write to each  
and every one of her children. Writing them each a  
letter, including a small sketch in each, Christy  
didn't realize how late it was until she heard the  
midnight bells toll in the silence of the night.   
Though she was tired there were still some letters she  
needed to write, needing to get it done immediately.  
  
'Dear David,'  
  
'I do not hold any ill feelings toward you for what  
happened that awful morning. You could not have known  
that it was a lie. I am glad to hear that you have  
made progress with the families of the cove, even a  
small step is still a step in the right direction.'  
  
'I have thought about your question to me David and I  
must give you my answer. I cannot marry you. I hope  
that you realize it simply would not work, there are  
too many things standing between you and I. You must  
move on with your life and one day you will find a  
woman who loves you as much as you do her. She will  
make you very happy.'  
  
'Keep well David,'  
  
'Christy'  
  
Folding it carefully she added it to her stack and  
pulled out another sheet, this time addressing it to  
Miss Alice. Writing her mentor a letter Christy  
updated her on her life in the city and thanked her  
for the wonderful idea; she enjoyed the bundle very  
much. Ending her letter by sending the woman her love  
and prayers she folded the paper and sat back for a  
moment. There was one more letter she wanted to write  
but Christy didn't know how to phrase everything she  
wanted to say. Praying for the right words Christy  
took a deep breath and began to write.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
  
"So make sure you all have your essays on the history  
of the United States written before you come back on  
Monday. That gives you the whole weekend to work on  
it so I expect them to be really good."  
  
Standing before the classroom David was about to  
release them to enjoy their weekend when he saw Miss  
Alice climb the stairs a crate in her arms. Smiling  
he had a good idea who it was from and moved down the  
aisle to help her. Taking the crate from her arms  
David carried it back to the desk while Miss Alice  
faced the curious crowd of children.  
  
"Before thee are dismissed for the weekend there is  
something I believe all of thee would enjoy hearing.   
This morning Mr. Pentland brought me a letter and this  
crate. Shall I read the letter to thee?" A round of  
excited 'yes's rang out. Standing before them she  
read the letter to the classroom.   
  
'Dear Children,'  
  
'What a surprise to have received all of your gifts  
and your wonderful letters. I miss each of you very  
much and I know that you are all being very good boys  
and girls for your teacher. I have heard that each of  
you passed your test before the harvest break so I  
have sent along something to congratulate each of you  
for your hard work.'  
  
'I love you all!'  
  
'Miss Christy'  
  
"Now Miss Christy has grouped thee by thy family to  
make it easier so when I call thy last name please  
come forward." The children nodded each one restless  
with excitement. "Spencer."  
  
Eagerly all four Spencer children, John, Zady, Clara,  
and Lulu, came forward. Handing each one a letter  
with their name on it and a small package, also with  
their name on it, Alice called Zady back. "Please  
give this to thy mother, Zady."  
  
"Yes'm" she said, holding the package's and letter's  
securely in her hands before they raced off to show  
their Ma and Pa what Miss Christy had given them.  
  
One by on Alice called up the children until they had  
all gone. Once the children were off scampering for  
home she turned to David and handed him his letter  
before leaving him to his news. Saddling Goldie she  
rode through the snow until she had reached her  
destination. Checking the cabin first she was  
surprised to find a fire going but no one there.   
Standing on the porch, wondering where he could be,  
Alice spotted movement down by the riverbank and  
walked towards it.  
  
"Fishing in the middle of winter, Neil?"  
  
"Yes, Alice. A man does have to eat and I had a  
hankering for steamed fish today."  
  
Alice shook her head. "Make sure thee does not get  
sick, the last thing this cove needs is a sick  
doctor."  
  
Shaking his head Neil grinned. "Yes, mother."  
  
Smiling Alice pulled a letter from her pocket and held  
it out to him. "This came for thee. I thought thee  
would want it as soon as possible." Neil looked at  
the letter but a tug on his line caught his attention.  
"It's from Christy."  
  
Immediately Neil turned around, his line forgotten,  
and took the letter from Alice. Staring at it for a  
moment he looked up and thanked Alice for bringing it.  
Nodding she climbed the hill to Goldie and soon she  
was gone. Taking the letter inside Neil lit an oil  
lamp and sat down at his desk to read it.  
  
'Dear Neil,'  
  
'I wanted to let you know that I'm okay. Life  
certainly has thrown me a few unexpected twists and  
turns in this last year. My life now isn't quite what  
I had hoped it would be but it's not so bad. I have a  
job and I'm doing some good for the world. It's not  
the life I had dreamed of but I'm sure God has a  
reason for me to be here.'  
  
'Miss Alice wrote to me about Margaret. I'm sorry  
that things had to end in that way. Maybe now you can  
finally get on with your life the way you wanted to.'  
  
'I miss everyone so much, I can only imagine how much  
the children must have grown since I've left; they  
grow so quickly it seems. There are times when I find  
myself thinking, 'That is something I should share  
with the children,' only to remember that I can't.   
Life outside of the cove has been much harder to  
adjust to than it was to move into the cove.'  
  
'But that is what life is all about, isn't it, the  
challenges that face us, the tests of our inner  
strength and character. I miss our conversations, the  
one that used to make me so furious that I wanted to  
scream. I've yet to find someone who can make my  
blood boil as quickly as you did. I have to laugh  
when I think of how I used to think you were out to  
make me so mad that I would leave the cove. Because I  
see now that you weren't trying to get rid of me, you  
were preparing me for life in Cutter Gap. And that  
has prepared me for life in the world.'  
  
'So thank you Neil MacNeill. Cutter Gap and its  
people will always carry a very special place in my  
heart.'  
  
'I miss you all.'  
  
'Christy'  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Eight  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
Sitting at the small café on a busy Saturday afternoon  
Christy worked on her sketch while her friends talked  
around her. She needed to get this finished before  
Monday so that she could deliver it to Mrs. Brenker,  
the wife of the Livery Owner. Since she had begun  
mailing things back to Cutter Gap Christy had found  
that funds could be a problem. Sketching various  
people and places for a small fee had allowed her to  
offset that cost.  
  
"That's coming along very well, Christy."  
  
"Thank you," she smiled at Adrienne. "I just hope I  
can finish it in time."  
  
"I'm sure you will. Where is this place, it's quite  
pretty."   
  
"It's a section of the river I used to walk along when  
I needed to think," Christy explained.  
  
Though she left out many details of her past the girls  
she called friends knew that it was too painful for  
her to talk about. None of them had been able to get  
the details out of her except for Marcy and she  
refused to speak about it. It was a much-debated  
topic of gossip when Christy wasn't around, but none  
more so than the fact that she turned down every man  
who asked to escort her somewhere.   
  
"Well hello ladies," a man's voice intruded in their  
conversation. Looking up they all saw Richard Gentry,  
an upper class medical student. "I was hoping I'd  
find you all here."  
  
"Hello, Richard," Marcy greeted him. "Why were you  
looking for us?"  
  
"Well, not all of you per say, I was hoping to catch a  
moment with Christy."  
  
Raising her eyes from her sketch Christy prayed he  
wasn't going to ask, yet again, what she thought he  
was. "Did you need something Richard?"  
  
"How would you like to come with me to the social next  
Friday?"  
  
Suppressing her sigh Christy shook her head and smiled  
sadly. "I'm sorry, Richard. I won't be going."  
  
An angry look passed over his face but it vanished in  
a twinkling. Smirking as though he had thought of a  
hidden joke he sauntered off without another word.   
Christy watched him in confusion as he walked away,  
wondering what had made him smirk so, but Marcy only  
sighed and shook her head. Motioning to the other  
girls they took the hint and made their excuses,  
leaving the roommates alone in the corner of the busy  
café.  
  
"Christy, what's going on? Since the day you came  
here you refuse to step out with a man. You won't  
dance with one, you won't go for a cup of coffee with  
one; it's as though you want to be an old maid."  
  
Sighing Christy put down her pencil and met Marcy's  
eyes. "It's not that I want to be an old maid, Marcy,  
I do want a family. I just can't see myself with any  
of the men I've met here. When I picture the life I  
want it's not one with them."  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
"I don't know, all I know is what its not," Christy  
said sadly.  
  
"Sweetie, you need to know something. I know its mean  
and normally I wouldn't say anything, but I think that  
you should know this. The men on campus are starting  
to call you a mean name."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Marcy shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "They're  
calling you the Ice Queen; always polite, but never  
interested."  
  
"Oh..." was all that Christy could think to say. Ice  
Queen? She could feel the tears stinging at her eyes.  
Not wanting to make a scene she quickly gathered her  
things and left the café, walking as fast as she could  
to get to her apartment. Running up the steps she  
stood at their door, fumbling with the key as her  
vision became blurry with tears.  
  
"Christy dear?" A soft hand patted her shoulder and  
Christy turned a teary face to see Mrs. Johansson  
standing next to her. With a kind face she pulled on  
Christy's hand. "Come with me," she said. Inside of  
the old widow's apartment Christy sat next to her at  
the small wooden table and stared at the knobby hands  
that covered hers. "Tell me what's happened."  
  
With a choked voice Christy told the old woman what  
had happened in the small café, from beginning to end,  
until she had nothing more to say. Sitting side by  
side they sat in silence and Christy was reminded of  
all the times she had sat with Miss Alice in an all  
too similar quiet. At the thought of the woman she  
missed so dearly Christy cried all the harder. For  
some time they sat in silence, Christy crying and  
Widow Johansson simply holding her hand. When at last  
Christy dried her eyes she looked at her friend as the  
old woman finally spoke.  
  
"Now don't you feel a little better?" Christy nodded,  
a sheepish smile crossing her face. "You don't care  
one bit about the names they call you, you're too good  
for that. That's not really why you were crying."   
Christy hung her head a bit. "No need to be ashamed,  
girl. Crying is good for your heart, it let's you  
grieve the things you miss. You never grieved what  
you lost when you left your cove. I'm sure you cried,  
but you never truly grieved. Did you?"   
  
Christy shook her head. "I guess a part of me always  
dreamed that I'd be able to go back someday."  
  
"You will."  
  
Looking up the young blue eyes met the older ones. "I  
can't. Dr Ferrand said I'd never be allowed back at  
the mission."  
  
"Fiddlesticks!" Widow Johansson squeezed Christy's  
hands with a smile. "Nothing can ever keep you from  
something you love. You'll make it back some day; you  
love those people too much to stay away forever."  
  
Praying her old friend was right Christy dried her wet  
cheeks and hugged the woman before returning to her  
own apartment. Entering the small room she saw an  
envelope on the table. Recognizing the handwriting as  
Miss Alice's Christy tore open the letter, desperate  
for some good news from home. After reading the news  
of the cove she read,  
  
'The children are well and they all have fallen in  
love with thy gifts. Fairlight stopped by the mission  
to show me the China teacup and saucer thee sent her.   
She treasures it and wanted me to thank thee for the  
beautiful gift. Not a day passes that someone doesn't  
stop and ask for me to read them the latest letter  
from thee. We all miss thee dearly. I have enclosed  
a letter from Neil, he asked me to send it to thee.   
Always remember, it is never too late to follow thy  
heart.'  
  
Miss Alice's letter finished Christy unfolded the  
other letter and smiled at Neil's scrawl. Sometimes  
his handwriting was impossible to read but she could  
tell that he had taken his time to make sure it was  
easily read. Still smiling she began to read the  
letter, wondering what he would say to her.  
  
'Dear Christy,'  
  
'Your letter was a ray of sunshine on a stormy day.   
Though I will never be glad that you have left the  
cove I am glad that you have found a job that you  
like. You belong here in the cove, Lass, teaching the  
children, helping them to make their lives a little  
better than before.'  
  
'Everyone here misses you, but none more so than I do.  
Tell me where you are Christy; tell me what city sees  
you every day the way I did. I miss you.'  
  
'Neil'  
  
Reading his letter, for the first time since she had  
made the decision, Christy felt a twinge of guilt that  
she didn't tell anyone besides Miss Alice where she  
was. Taking out a pencil and paper she chewed on the  
one end for a moment trying to decide what to say. In  
the end she decided to go with honesty in how she felt  
about her life as it was now.  
  
'Dear Neil,'  
  
'I am glad that everyone is well in the cove; yourself  
included in the well health, for what would the cove  
do if their only doctor fell sick? I do miss all of  
my children, how I would love to be standing before  
them, seeing their smiling faces all streaked with  
dirt as they watched me from their seat. Not a day  
passes when I don't think of which family you may be  
visiting that day, which child may be sick and in need  
of your skills to get better.'   
  
'There is nowhere in this world that I would rather be  
than in my mountains. I call them mine because in my  
heart they will always be my home. There are nights  
when I look out the window to see the tall buildings  
of the city and imagine that they are in actuality the  
mountains that I love so. Each building has a name  
for one of my favorite spots; one for God's Fist,  
another for the cave where we discovered the O'Teale's  
past, so on and so forth.'  
  
'I know it may seem childish to daydream but it helps  
me to get through the days when I feel I simply cannot  
go on. There are times when I will be sitting at my  
desk and I will catch a glimpse of one of the children  
darting around the corner, or I will hear someone  
speaking with a Scottish Brogue and for just a moment  
I wonder if it is one of my children, or one of my  
friends that has found me somehow. But in the next  
moment I realize that it simply cannot be, for I know  
that Miss Alice would never have told them where I  
was.'  
  
'This is how it must be, Neil. My time in the cove  
was drawn to a close and while my heart will always be  
with the people of my home I know that life, both  
there and here, must go on. The children will find a  
new teacher to love them and they will continue in  
their lives. My friends will always have the precious  
times we spent together to keep in their memories, as  
I will of them. And when the pain of their memories  
becomes too much I pray that they will be safe and  
that God grants me the strength to keep living another  
day without the people I care for.'  
  
'This is the life I must live Neil. It is the life  
you must as well. My thoughts will always be with the  
people I love and every day I pray that it is one less  
day between now and the time that I may be re-united  
with them. Until that day comes I know that you will  
watch over my children and love them a little more,  
just for me.'  
  
'Christy'  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Nine  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
  
Sitting in his reading chair Neil pondered the fire as  
it blazed before him. Letter in hand he mulled over  
the words Christy had written to him, the things she  
had said as well as the things she had left unsaid.   
Neil could read between the lines of her poignant  
letter. She was miserable in the city, her heart  
longed for the Smokie Mountains and the people she  
loved. 'But,' he wondered to himself. 'Where do I  
fall?'  
  
Moving over to the desk Neil began to write, pouring  
his heart out onto the paper, writing the words he had  
never been able to say before. He had to tell her,  
every fiber in his body screamed to tell her what was  
in his heart and if it meant having to do so on paper...  
so be it.  
  
'Dearest Christy,'  
  
'There are many things that I as a doctor, need to  
know. Some are obvious things such as what to do when  
a child has a fever; others are not so obvious. There  
are several things I have come to know since the day  
you left, things that are as obvious as a child's  
fever. You didn't leave by choice; you were forced to  
leave. Another blatantly obvious fact is how much the  
lives of the people in Cutter Gap have changed since  
you came to live among us, as one of us.'  
  
'When you first came here you know, as well as I do,  
that I was not happy with the changes you were trying  
to make. I thought that you were trying to make the  
cove into what you felt it should be. But I see now  
that you were only striving to make it a better place  
for the people who live here. Were it not for you the  
mission would have no phone; Mountie would still be  
the shy little girl that never speaks; Rob would never  
have the chance to attend college.'  
  
'Had you not come to the cove Fairlight would never  
know the joy of reading for herself; I would never  
have found the courage to try the procedure on Becky  
or to help Dan Scott to learn medicine. It was you  
alone Christy that made these changes in the cove,  
your heart the overflowed with love for everyone that  
you met in Cutter Gap.'  
  
'Without you I would still be living my life as though  
it were only a thing to be done. You have shown me  
that life is not simply to be lived but that it is to  
be experienced for all the joy, and sorrow at times,  
that it can. That with the hard work and  
determination of one person, whether it be woman or  
man, all can benefit, as you have shown me time and  
again by your own deeds and actions.'  
  
'I will not try to bring you back Christy, if that is  
not what you want. I know that wherever you are,  
whoever is fortunate enough to have you in their  
lives, that they are better for it. No matter where  
you are or where you will be, your loving heart makes  
the world a better place.'  
  
'Lass, there is something I need to tell you,  
something that I need for you to know before it is too  
late. Not a day passes that I do not think about you,  
wonder where you are, and wish that you were back here  
in the cove. I miss you. Every time I stand at the  
river with my fishing pole I my hands I remember the  
times we stood there together, talking out a problem  
that we were having in our lives. Much the way you  
see the children dart around the corner and hear the  
accent of the people I hear your laughter in that of  
the children, I see you smile in theirs, your eyes in  
the sky and your beauty in the sunrise.'  
  
'I love you.'  
  
'Neil'  
  
Carefully creasing the papers Neil folded the letter,  
sealing it with a bit of candle wax before leaving his  
cabin to find Alice before she headed out to El Pano  
to visit the people there. Mounting Charlie Neil  
hurried his friend along a path they both knew well  
and Neil allowed his thoughts to drift.   
  
"I've never asked for anything," he whispered to the  
trees. "Never have I wanted to admit that there was a  
higher power, but now I need to believe that somewhere  
out there is someone who can help me to get Christy  
back where she belongs. Help me to find my way to her  
and she to me so that she may see how much I love  
her."  
  
Silence descended, save for the noise of Charlie's  
canter, and Neil realized suddenly that he had prayed.  
Chuckling to himself he wondered what Christy and  
Alice would have to say about that. No doubt they  
would rejoice and ask to see him in a pew next Sunday.  
Pulling Charlie to a stop Neil saw Alice riding  
towards him. Handing her the letter she smiles and  
nods, knowing what he is asking her to do. While she  
continues to El Pano Neil sees Ruby Mae standing on  
the mission steps desperately trying to get his  
attention.  
  
"Doc!" she cries. "Ya gotz a teleefone call fer ya!"  
  
Thanking her Neil hitched Charlie to the post and  
climbed the steps to the mission house. Standing at  
the phone he picked up the receiver and spoke into the  
mouthpiece. "Hello?"  
  
"Neil? Is that you?"  
  
"Aye, who's this?"  
  
"This is Peter Kinnigan from College," the man on the  
other end replied.  
  
"Professor Peter Kinnigan?" Neil was stunned. It had  
been many a year since he had spoken to his mentor.   
"What brings you to call here?"  
  
Explaining that there were to be several Ophthalmology  
lectures in one month's time at the college Peter asks  
one of his brightest alumni students to come and give  
his own lecture, as well as take in those of the other  
speakers. Delighted to, hoping it would help him to  
get his mind off the letter he had just sent to  
Christy, Neil accepted his old mentor's invitation,  
promising to be at his old stomping grounds, Jefferson  
Medical College in one month's time.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Ten  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
Sitting at her desk Christy finished alphabetizing the  
list of incoming speakers and the hotels they had been  
booked to stay in. For the last few weeks time had  
flown by, barely having a moment to herself to think.   
Between arrangements for the visiting speakers and  
their hotel rooms, typing up the handwritten notes of  
the professor, and her daily work Christy had been  
running around like a mad woman to get all of it done.  
  
  
To top the busy day off she was already running late  
today to get to the O'Meara's for their sitting. Word  
had spread quickly of the sketching Christy did,  
thanks to the help of a few kind women, and it had  
soon become a popular thing to have the sketch of  
Christy's work hanging on the wall. Sometimes it was  
a sketch of the family or the children, as in the case  
of the O'Meara's, other times it was a sketch of a  
nature scene. And all the money she made went toward  
postage to mail things to the cove.  
  
Finishing up her last list Christy gathered her things  
and raced toward the apartment to pick up her  
sketching materials before hurrying over to Elm  
Street, the rich part of town. Once inside, after a  
lecture on being prompt, Christy set down to sketch  
the two little girls, Annabelle and Lizbeth, daughters  
of the wealthy banker. Getting the basics down as  
quickly as she could Christy worked on the details  
until the two girls began to fidget and become  
irritable. Losing her models Christy finished the  
sketch from memory and presented it to Martha O'Meara.  
  
"Oh it's simply wonderful! Christy dear, you simply  
must allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine, he  
too is an artist. I'm sure you would get along  
splendidly. Come back tomorrow night for my ball, I  
can introduce you then." Seeing Christy begin to beg  
off Martha cut her off. "I refuse to take no as an  
answer. The carriage will call for you and Marcy at  
half past six."  
  
Resignedly Christy agreed, praying that something  
credible would prevent her from going. The walk home  
is short, her mind a jumble of prayers and thoughts,  
wishes and regrets, and soon she sets her bag down on  
the chair by the front door. At the table writing in  
her journal was Marcy. Looking up she smiles at her  
roommate but it quickly dissipates when she sees the  
glum look on Christy's face. "Whatever is the  
matter?"  
  
"You and I have been invited to a ball at the  
O'Meara's tomorrow night," she replied as she sank  
down into the chair opposite her friend. "A carriage  
will be here at half past six."  
  
"A ball, how wonderful!" Reaching across the table  
Marcy took Christy's hand in hers. "I know you don't  
want to go but maybe this is a step in the right  
direction to finally put your other life behind you."   
Christy shrugged. It was only one night; she could  
muck her way through it. Smiling Marcy pushed an  
envelope into Christy's hands. "A letter came for you  
today, maybe it will contain some good news."  
  
Taking the envelope, smiling at Miss Alice's familiar  
writing she opened it and was surprised to see no  
letter from the Quaker woman, rather just one letter,  
from Neil. Opening the wax seal she read the letter  
and the farther she got into the words, the feelings  
that were enclosed, the more her eyes began to tear.   
Refolding the letter she put her hand to her mouth as  
her tears poured from her eyes.  
  
"Christy?" Marcy asked, worried. "Sweetie, what is  
it? Was it bad news?"  
  
Christy shook her head no.  
  
"Good news then?"  
  
Again she shook her head no.  
  
"Sweetie, tell me what it is, your worrying me."  
  
Looking up at her roommate Christy tried to quell her  
tears. "He loves me!" she said at last.  
  
Wide-eyed Marcy took the letter from Christy and read  
it for herself. Sitting back in her chair she smiled  
at her friend "This is wonderful! Christy I know you  
have feeling for this man, you talk about him so much.  
Don't deny you have feelings for Neil."  
  
"I never knew," Christy began, her shock beginning to  
wear off as reality set in. "I always thought of him  
as a friend, a confidant. But love?" Searching her  
heart, forcing herself to be honest Christy realized  
quite suddenly, like removing a blindfold from her  
eyes, that she did. With all her heart she did love  
Neil. Picturing him in her mind she saw all the times  
he had made her blood boil, made her laugh and smile,  
or rise above a challenge. Neil was so much more to  
her than she had ever imagined.  
  
But within the very next moment reality crashed her  
fragile new truth.  
  
"Oh Marcy, what does it matter? Nothing can ever come  
of it. I live in Philadelphia, he lives in Cutter Gap  
and I can never go back there."  
  
"We can figure something out, you just need to give it  
some time. Trust in God Christy, he can do anything.   
If you and Neil are meant to be together it will work  
out somehow."  
  
Nodding Christy begged off the rest of the night and  
retired to bed. Dressed for bed she rested her head  
on the pillow but her mind was wide-awake. Against  
her closed eyes she pictured his unruly curls as he  
was bent over his microscope, adjusting it for the  
children to see something. Smiling blue eyes that  
peered down at her, the corner of his mouth struggling  
not to lift in a grin when she had said something in  
all seriousness, even though it made him want to  
laugh. Sighing she squeezed her eyes shut but sleep  
was a long time coming. Lying in bed, staring out the  
window at the Spring rain that drizzled against it,  
she prayed for the words to answer him when she  
replied to the letter.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Eleven  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
Stepping off the train Neil gathered his baggage from  
the baggage man and began to walk away from the train,  
scanning the crowd until he saw his old professor and  
friend. Greeting each other the two men climbed into  
a waiting carriage and took off for the professor's  
home. "I'm glad you could make it, Neil."  
  
"So am I, Peter. I needed a bit of a break from my  
life in Cutter Gap, hopefully this will be just what I  
need."  
  
"Are things going that bad for you?"  
  
"The patients are fine, it's just my personal life  
that seems to be in an upheaval right now." Neil  
flashed his friend a grin.  
  
"Sorry to hear that. Is that wife of yours still  
giving you some problems?"  
  
Neil groaned at the mention of Margaret. Filling in  
only the most basic of information Neil told Peter  
that Margaret and he had been apart before she died.   
Offering his condolences Neil accepted them and  
quickly changed the conversation asking about the  
schedule for the lectures.   
  
"Well we won't actually be beginning them until  
Monday. Tonight you'll meet the other doctors who'll  
be lecturing and then tomorrow night there's a ball  
that we have been invited to. The host and hostess  
have extended an invitation to you and I accepted on  
your behalf. This will give you a chance to dust off  
those old dancing shoes of yours. I'm sure it's been  
a while since you went dancing."  
  
Neil smiled. "Dancing. I haven't gone dancing  
since..." his voice trailing off Neil remembered the  
last time he had danced. On the riverbank with  
Christy in his arms, it had been a good night.   
Pulling himself from his reverie Neil flashed another  
grin to Peter. "Sounds like fun."  
  
Peter watched his friend closely. Something was off  
with the man, as though his mind were elsewhere.   
Wondering just what it was that had his life in an  
upheaval he let the conversation lapse until they were  
passing through the front door. Introducing his wife  
to Neil the two men made their way into the den where  
the other doctors were already seated and  
introductions were made all over again.  
  
Passing the night by with brandy and medical  
discussions Neil retired to the guest room when the  
last of the men had left, wishing his friend and his  
friends wife a good nights sleep. Lying in bed he  
stared at the ceiling wondering whether Christy had  
received his letter. What was she thinking of him  
right now? Was she upset? Did she feel the same way?  
He'd heard that she had refused Grantland but he  
wondered if perhaps there was another man, a city man,  
who was courting her, seeing her smiling eyes every  
day.  
  
Groaning Neil rolled over, punching his pillow and  
trying to force his mind to shut off so he could  
sleep. Staring out the window at the Spring rain that  
was hitting it in a light shower he wondered what she  
was doing. Surely she was asleep; it was almost  
midnight after all. Against his will Neil's mind  
recalled watching her sleep the first time he'd helped  
her as a patient, when the burning rafter of the  
schoolhouse had hit her over the head. She always  
looked so peaceful when she slept.  
  
For the second time since he had given that letter to  
Alice Neil prayed that his words would find their way  
into her heart and he to her side. Though the feeling  
was still a strange one to Neil, it was a little  
easier for him to pray to the God he'd fought against  
for so long.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twelve  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
Sitting in the carriage Christy prayed for some divine  
intervention, something to keep her from going to this  
ball. Her heart simply was not into the spirit of a  
party. When it stopped before the house, the doorman  
opened the door and Christy climbed out after Marcy,  
both women taking a moment to adjust their cloaks.   
Thankfully the rain had stopped but there was still a  
chill to the night air. Climbing the steps to the  
front door the friends were escorted inside where  
their cloaks were taken and they were shown a small  
room where they could primp and make sure all was in  
its place.  
  
Across the crowded rooms Christy and Marcy were led to  
Martha and Franklin O'Meara and officially introduced.  
While they stood their talking Christy startled when  
she heard a Scottish Brogue coming from somewhere  
behind her. Chastising herself for being so foolish,  
remembering the day she had run after a similar  
brogue, Christy refused to allow herself to turn  
around and look. When their introduction was complete  
Marcy and Christy moved away to speak with their other  
friends while another small group was introduced to  
the O'Meara's.  
  
Shaking hands with Franklin O'Meara, and his wife  
Martha, Neil passively scanned the crowd, not looking  
for anything but rather getting a feel for the crowd  
and the layout of the rooms he was in. As his gaze  
passed a small doorway his heart stopped for a second.  
'That woman... she almost looked like...' he thought.   
Giving himself a mental slap Neil pulled himself  
together. That was impossible.   
  
Wasn't it?  
  
Moving away from their host and hostess with Peter and  
Susan Neil quickly became embroiled in a medical  
debate with some of the upper classmen and other  
doctors at the party. He saw a small group of young  
women approaching the group. Several of them were  
asked to dance but a few remained to listen to the  
debate.  
  
"That is an interesting perspective, Doctor," one  
woman said with a smile. "My name is Marcy St Paul.   
I must say I've yet to hear someone debate the  
necessity of using morphine for after surgery pain."  
  
"In most cases a little is fine, Miss St Paul. But  
there has been documentation of a patient becoming  
addicted to it even after the smallest of doses. I  
prefer to limit that risk by using it only in extreme  
situations." Smiling at her he took her hand to shake  
it. "I'm Dr. Neil MacNeill."   
  
Marcy's smile slipped. Surely not... But the accent,  
the red curls, the blue eyes...  
  
"Miss St Paul?"  
  
Shaking her head to clear it she smiled at him once  
more. "I'm sure this will seem an odd question Dr.  
but where are you from?"  
  
"I come from a little cove called Cutter Gap." Neil  
watched as her skin paled a shade or two and wondered  
why this news would affect her so. "Are you all  
right, miss?"  
  
Glancing at the terrace doors Marcy said, "Perhaps I  
could get some fresh air, I'm feeling a little faint."  
  
"Of course," Neil said, taking her arm in his, ever  
the gentleman. "Right this way."  
  
Walking out to the terrace Marcy frowned when she saw  
it empty. Moving to the railing she scanned the  
garden below until her eyes found the one person she  
was searching for. "May we walk in the garden for a  
moment?"  
  
"If you wish," escorting her to the steps Neil  
wondered what she was doing, hoping she wasn't simply  
trying to get him alone.  
  
She had come out here to get away from the idle  
chatter of the guests; their need to talk about  
trivial nothing's was giving her a headache. Sitting  
on the stone bench in the middle of the garden Christy  
heard someone approaching and, when she recognized  
Marcy's voice, she stood and turned to face her  
friend. No sooner had her eyes fell on the pair that  
was walking towards her than she froze in place with a  
gasp, too shocked to move at the man she saw arm in  
arm with Marcy. Against her will tears of both  
sadness and joy began to fill her eyes.  
  
Still wondering where the woman was heading Neil  
looked up when he heard someone gasp. Stopping in his  
tracks he stared at the beauty that stood only a few  
feet before him, wondering if his eyes were playing  
tricks on him. "Christy," he whispered, a prayer and  
a wish, both granted when he saw the tear fall from  
her eye.  
  
Oblivious to both Neil and Christy Marcy, her job  
complete, stepped back down the path she had just  
come, moving back to the terrace to watch her  
handiwork from a distance.  
  
"Neil..." Christy breathed, praying this wasn't a dream  
and yet at the same time praying it was.   
  
Taking a step forward she touched his sleeve with her  
fingers and knew that he was really here. Meeting his  
eyes, blue on blue, both filled with joy and sadness;  
Christy acted before she knew what had happened,  
throwing her arms around him. Neil wrapped his arms  
around her small frame, holding her tightly as if she  
would drift away again. It had truly happened, God  
had granted his prayer. Neil had found Christy.  
  
After a few moments they sat side-by-side on the stone  
bench, each one filled with questions. "Neil what are  
you doing here?"  
  
"Me? What are you doing here? You've been in  
Philadelphia all this time?"  
  
Christy nodded. "I work as a secretary for one of the  
professor's, his name is Peter Kinnigan, he's the head  
of the Ophthalmology Department."  
  
"Your Peter's 'little secretary'? I don't believe  
this. I'm here for the lectures; he called me at the  
mission house and asked me to come for a few weeks."  
  
"The lectures? But your name wasn't on any of the  
hotel lists, where are you staying?"  
  
"With Peter and Susan," he replied. Staring at each  
other for a moment, their shock rapidly turning into  
joy. Neil took her hand in his, a serious look  
overshadowing his joy. "Lass, I am so sorry for  
everything. You should never have been dismissed. We  
tried to..."  
  
"Stop; Neil stop," Christy said quickly. "It's over.   
What's done is done. I'm not angry at anyone, I just  
want to forget that day."  
  
The call for dinner interrupted them and both Neil and  
Christy realized they'd been outside for almost half  
an hour. Hurrying indoor Marcy met them at the door,  
separating Christy from Neil so that they could  
freshen her windblown hair before sitting down at the  
dinner table. Seated, Christy saw that Neil was only  
two chairs down on the opposite side of the table. He  
was sitting with Professor Kinnigan and his wife  
Susan.   
  
"I'd say tonight is a good night after all, wouldn't  
you Christy? You seem to be smiling much more than  
before," Marcy whispered as she gave a playfully  
conspiratorial wink to her friend.  
  
Equally playful Christy whispered back, "Wouldn't you  
be?"  
  
Choking on her laughter Marcy put her napkin to her  
mouth while Christy pretended to be concerned for her  
friend all the while hiding her smile. Once she was  
recovered Marcy carefully avoided looking directly at  
Christy and Neil lest she start to laugh again.   
Dinner commenced and conversation began to flow over  
the table. Two people were particularly silent, each  
one having many things they wanted to say but not  
being able to do so in a crowd.  
  
"Christy," Peter said after some time. "I don't  
believe I got a chance to introduce my good friend,  
Dr. Neil MacNeill."  
  
Smiling at Peter and then at Neil Christy greeted him.  
"Dr MacNeill, a pleasure I'm sure."  
  
"Likewise," he returned, raising an eyebrow at the  
laughter he saw in her eyes.  
  
Franklin O'Meara interrupted their 'introduction' when  
he stood to announce that the dancing would begin in  
just a moment, for the men to choose their partners.   
from the corner of her eye Christy saw Neil smile at  
her and quirk his eyebrow. Smilng she nodded her  
acceptance of his offer. Before he could say anything  
another man laid his hand on Christy's shoulder.   
Jumping at the contact she looked up and bit back a  
groan at the man she saw behind her.  
  
"Perhaps I can have a dance, Christy?" Richard said  
with a polite smile on his face. Next to him Jack  
Kendall held his hand out to Marcy who agreed to the  
dance. "Shall we?"  
  
Neil watched as the man invited Christy to dance with  
him and he felt his fist clench under the table.   
Looking down to Christy he saw her glance at him with  
a half-hidden plea for help. Smiling Neil stood and  
looked at Richard. "I'm afraid you'll have to try  
again later. Miss Huddleston has already promised me  
the first dance."   
  
Holding his hand out to her he saw her smile as she  
stood and moved over to take his hand, the relief in  
her bright blue eyes was easily seen by Neil. As they  
walked away from the table a muttered sentence floated  
out to his ears and it was all he could do to not stop  
and turn around. Promising himself he would take care  
of it later Neil pulled Christy into a respectable  
stance and they began to dance to the music.  
  
No words were spoken, neither one knowing how to make  
polite chit chat when they had such heavy questions on  
their mind. When the music ended Neil pressed her  
hand to his lips and whispered, "May I have your dance  
card, Miss Huddleston?"  
  
Smiling, a small blush tainting her cheeks, Christy  
nodded. "I would like that Doctor."  
  
Staying out for a few more dances they retired to the  
table for a drink of water and Christy was pulled away  
by one of the young ladies to the powder room leaving  
Neil to face the Cheshire Cat grin of his friend.   
"How did you know her name was Huddleston?" Peter  
asked when Neil was seated. "I never gave her last  
name; how did you know it?"  
  
Caught, Neil grinned. "Christy and I already know  
each other. She taught the mission school in Cutter  
Gap."  
  
"Ah," Peter said. "She never speaks much of where she  
taught but she has mentioned the children often."  
  
Nodding, "She loves the children very much."  
  
Lowering his voice Peter leaned closer to his friend.   
"And you love her don't you?" Seeing the shock at  
being discovered in Neil's eyes Peter smiled again.   
"I thought so. Well old friend I wish you the best of  
luck."  
  
Neil's good mod was cut short when he caught sight of  
Richard on the terrace. Excusing himself he crossed  
the room and passed through the windowed doors,  
shutting them behind him. "I'd like a word with you,"  
he said with an even tone.  
  
Looking to see who it was Richard shook his head,  
"Another time perhaps."  
  
"No," Neil said simply. "Now." Richard saw that the  
man meant business and bit off his retort, waiting for  
the Doctor to continue. "I don't know who you are or  
how you know Miss Huddleston, but if you ever make  
another comment like that one you made tonight you had  
better pray that I don't find you."  
  
Neil's blue eyes glittered with anger, his face set in  
stone, and his hand clenched in fists by his side.   
Richard could see that he meant what he said. This  
man was more to Christy than just a visitor or a  
friend of Professor Kinnigan's and Richard knew that  
he had better watch his words around the burly  
mountain man.   
  
Taking a step closer to the medical student Neil  
pierced him through with an ice-cold, rock hard gaze.   
"Make sure all of your friends get the same message.   
No one..." emphasizing the two words. "... calls Christy  
an Ice Queen. Understood?"  
  
"Perfectly."  
  
With one last look Neil opened the doors to the  
terrace and headed back inside to rejoin the party.   
That night he never left Christy's side, nor did she  
his. Several more times they danced until eventually  
the two friends opted to leave when the time was  
appropriate. Making their goodnights Neil and Christy  
walked along the sidewalks of the city, heading back  
towards the apartment. Catching up on things that had  
been happening in their lives since they had last seen  
one another the time passed quickly and before they  
knew it the couple had reached the apartment.  
  
Standing on the first step Christy was almost the same  
height as Neil as she turned back to face him. "Thank  
you for walking me home, Neil."  
  
"It was my pleasure, Christy."  
  
Staring at each other for a moment Christy finally  
worked up the courage to say what she'd wanted to say  
since she had first seen him standing only a few feet  
away in the garden. "I'm glad you're here, Neil," she  
said with a small smile.  
  
"So am I, Lass."  
  
Dropping her eyes to stare at her clasped hands  
holding tightly to her purse strings Christy glanced  
back up at him with a shy smile. "Goodnight," she  
whispered.  
  
Smiling at her Neil could see that she was a little  
nervous and he wondered at it. Was she nervous  
because she had received his letter or because she had  
not?  
  
"Goodnight, Christy."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Thirteen  
  
Philadelphia, PA   
  
  
Standing outside in the warm sunshine Christy and  
Marcy were talking with a few friends, service over  
for the Sunday morning, when Christy felt a hand on  
her shoulder. Turning around she saw Susan Kinnigan  
smiling at her and Christy took a few steps away from  
her friends to speak with the woman.  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Christy, but I was hoping  
you would join my husband and I for a small dinner  
party tonight. We realize it's last minute but we  
would love to have you there if you don't already have  
plans."  
  
Christy smiled. "Thank you Mrs. Kinnigan, I would  
love to."  
  
"Wonderful. Shall I send a carriage?"  
  
"Oh, no, that's not necessary, I'll walk, thank you.   
What time shall I arrive?"  
  
"Six o'clock. And please, call me Susan."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Parting ways she watched as Susan climbed into the  
carriage and only after the woman had gone did Christy  
and Marcy head back to their apartment. Once there  
Christy searched her closet for something to wear,  
settling on her plain white shirt and a plaid skirt  
she had bought a month or so ago. The plaid had  
seemed so familiar to her but she couldn't think of  
where she had seen it, finally just assuming she had  
seen it when she passed by the storefront in the  
morning on her way to the college.  
  
Dressed, her hair curled and pinned, Christy was  
walking out the door when Marcy stopped her. "Here,  
come here Christy." A bottle in her hand Marcy dabbed  
the top against Christy's neck. "Just right for your  
meeting tonight."  
  
"Marcy..."  
  
"Oh don't even say it. He loves you and I know for a  
fact that you love him. You can fool anyone you want  
to Christy Rudd Huddleston, but you cannot fool me."  
  
Swallowing a giggle Christy hugged her roommate  
goodbye and descended the stairs to the street.   
Standing on the front step of the Kinnigan's townhouse  
she nervously smoothed her skirt and wondered for the  
hundredth time why she was so nervous. It was a  
simple dinner with her boss and his wife. No, that  
didn't bother her. What made her nervous was their  
guest, the handsome Scott who had sent her a beautiful  
letter to which she still did not know what to say.  
  
Oh she knew her heart; Christy loved Neil, she had no  
doubt of it. But what kind of life could they have  
together? She could never ask him to leave the cove,  
nor would she ever let him, he was too needed there.   
At the same time what could she do there? Perhaps, if  
they were to marry, she could simply stay at the cabin  
and care for him and their home. But how could she do  
that when she knew how much the children of the cove  
needed a teacher?  
  
Questions were still floating in a mad flurry in her  
mind while she stood at the door, afore mentioned door  
opening before she could raise a hand to knock. The  
butler, a quiet man that reminded Christy of her own  
father, took her coat and, allowing her a moment to  
check her appearance, showed her to the sitting room  
where Susan and a woman Christy didn't know were  
already deep in conversation.  
  
"Christy," Susan smiled when the butler had announced  
the young woman. "I'm so glad you're here. Nadienne  
this is the young artist I was telling you about.   
Christy Huddleston, I'd like you to meet my sister,  
Nadienne Weisz."  
  
Smiling the two women greeted each other before  
settling back into their conversation. "My sister was  
telling me that you sketch, Miss Huddleston," she said  
with a slight accent.  
  
"Please, call me Christy."  
  
Nodding her head once in acceptance the refined woman  
replied, "Then you may call me Nadienne."  
  
"Thank you." Christy marveled at the woman's air. It  
was humble and yet proud all at the same time. Much  
like the mountain people of her home. Christy knew  
right away that she would like this woman. "Yes, I do  
sketch. It is merely for entertainment though. Only  
recently have I begun to sell them."  
  
"This was the first one she ever sold," Susan boasted,  
pointing to a sketch of the cityscape on the wall.   
"At first she refused the money but I was able to  
convince her to take it."  
  
Getting up from her seat Nadienne moved over to the  
framed sketch. "This is yours? Why this is  
wonderful! Tell me, have you ever tried painting or  
do you simply sketch?"  
  
"Mostly I sketch, though I did do some work with  
paints when I lived at home in Asheville. It's been  
quite some time though."  
  
Sitting back down Nadienne took Christy's hand in  
hers. "Would you paint for me? I would love to see  
you work. It has been so long since I have seen the  
artists painting on the streets of Paris; I do miss it  
so."  
  
"You been to Paris?" Christy said with awe.  
  
"Oui," Nadienne smiled with a fond look in her eyes,  
as though she could still see the artists with their  
paintbrush in hand, working on the streets of Paris.   
"I used to walk along the sidewalks watching the men  
and women paint whatever they saw before them. How I  
did love to watch them while they worked, I would sit  
for hours sipping my coffee in a small café, listening  
to them debate the great artists."  
  
Her eyes returning to the present, Nadienne smiled at  
Christy with such warmth that she knew she could not  
say no. "I would love to paint for you."  
  
"Then it is settled, Wednesday you shall come."  
  
"Inviting a guest as though you lived her, eh  
Nadienne?" Peter smiled at them from the doorway.  
  
Shaking her head Nadienne squeezed Christy's hand.   
"Pay my brother in law no heed, Christy, he is only a  
man who does not understand the beauty of an artist at  
work."  
  
"No, I probably don't. But I do understand the beauty  
of a good meal with friends and family. Dinner is  
served ladies."  
  
The three women stood and moved out to the dining room  
where Christy saw Neil and another man she did not  
know entering from the other end. Neil's eyes widened  
in surprise for a moment before he smiled at her and  
made his way to her side to say hello. Pulling out  
the chair he pushed it back in once she was seated,  
taking his place beside her. Dinner was served and  
conversation once more picked up.  
  
"How long have you been an artist Christy?" Nadienne  
asked.  
  
"Since I was a little girl. I've always loved to  
sketch, it helps me to relax."  
  
"Christy's sketches are all the rage here in the city.  
She sells them so that she may send packages to her  
old mission school. Christy is always talking about  
her children."  
  
"You taught schoolchildren?"  
  
"Yes," Christy smiled, always ready to talk about her  
children.  
  
"Do tell me about them."  
  
Watching her tell the couple about the children she  
loved so dearly Neil saw Christy's eyes brighten, as  
they always had when she thought about her children.   
When he'd first seen her in the garden last night Neil  
had been shocked by the changes he'd seen. She had  
lost some weight, taking the roundness from her face,  
but it was the light in her eyes that had shocked him  
most. That spark of life and laughter that he had  
always seen in her bluer than blue eyes had been  
dimmed. The natural curiosity and zeal for love and  
life was gone.  
  
But now, listening to her, watching her, he saw it  
returning and Neil knew, now more than ever before,  
that she belonged in the cove. While she may have  
grown up in the city, Christy was no more a city folk  
than he was. Life in the mountains had burrowed deep  
under her skin, leaving its mark on her heart. She  
would never be as happy anywhere in the world as she  
was in the mountains.  
  
"You must have truly loved it there."  
  
"I did," Christy replied, the honesty of her answer  
tugging at the hearts of those who were listening.  
  
"Then why did you leave?" Nadienne asked, wondering  
why the young woman would have left a place that she  
loved as much as she herself did Paris.  
  
With a blink the light that had filled Christy's eyes  
was gone, the laughter, the joy of the children  
snuffed out by the memory of that awful Sunday  
morning. "It, umm... it, it didn't work out the way I  
had hoped it would," she softly stuttered, struggling  
to keep her emotions in check. Though it had been  
almost a year Christy still could not discuss her  
dismissal without tears stinging at the back of her  
eyes.  
  
"I'm so sorry, ma cherie. I should never have asked."  
Nadienne watched as Christy fought to keep her  
emotions in check.  
  
"It's quite all right," she assured the woman,  
offering a small smile. "It's the past. Sometimes  
the past is better left in its place."  
  
The air of the dinner table was thick with silence, no  
one knowing what to say. Feeling bad that the joy was  
gone from the air Christy tried to find a topic they  
all could discuss.  
  
"Nadienne, can you tell me what Paris is like?"  
Christy asked. "I've never been there but I've heard  
stories that it is a wonderful place."  
  
Immediately the woman brightened. "Paris. It is the  
city of love, a magical place for lovers, a dreamer's  
palace, an artist's inspiration. You, ma cherie,  
belong there as a hand does a glove."  
  
"As much as I would love to go, I'm afraid I don't  
speak French."  
  
"No one speaks French. It is a language and a culture  
that is to be experienced. One does not say the  
words; they feel them as they flow from within their  
heart. To know France is to know your heart, to have  
a thirst for life, and an imagination to live it  
with." Nadienne smiled. "I have traveled all over  
the world but Paris is my home."  
  
"Where else have you been?"  
  
"Everywhere," she smiled. "My husbands business takes  
us all over the world. Spain, England, Russia,  
Africa, South America, Scotland; I doubt there is a  
country we have not at least passed through. I do so  
love to travel, but it is just as nice to stay in one  
place for a while."  
  
"Which is usually when she comes here," Peter  
interjected with a teasing smile.  
  
Laughing, the group enjoyed their evening together  
until it was time for Christy to leave. Since the  
rain was falling again Neil took her home in the  
Kinnigan's carriage. Sitting side-by-side, alone,  
Christy was finally able to ask a question that had  
been on her mind all night. "Neil, when I first  
arrived you looked surprised. Did Susan not tell you  
I was coming?"  
  
"No, she told me," he assured her quickly. "Actually  
I was a little surprised by your skirt."  
  
Confused Christy looked down at the bit of her skirt  
that was peaking out between the edges of her coat.   
"My skirt?"  
  
"Aye. The plaid design and colors are the same as my  
clan's tartan. The kilt and tartan I have are the  
same exact colors and design."  
  
"That's where I recognized it from!" Christy realized  
with a small laugh.  
  
"What do you mean, Lass?"  
  
"When I first saw this skirt in the window I thought I  
recognized it from somewhere, but I assumed it was  
just because I had seen it before. Now I remember;  
you wore your tartan when you showed the children the  
Scottish games. That's where I recognized it from."   
  
"Well it suits you," Neil smiled at her, pleased that  
she had remembered the design and colors of his clan,  
even if she didn't realize it.  
  
The carriage jolted when it passed over a rut in the  
street and Christy bumped into Neil, his hands  
automatically reaching out to steady her. Feeling the  
warmth of his hands on her arms Christy felt her skin  
tingle. Before she could say anything the carriage  
stopped and the driver opened the door. Helping her  
out of the carriage Neil watched as Christy ran up the  
stairs quickly to escape the rain. Pausing under the  
small awning she turned and looked back to see him  
watching her. Smiling at him she waved goodnight as  
she slipped inside. Sitting back in the carriage as  
it was driven back to the house Neil couldn't stop the  
smile from spreading over his face.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Fourteen  
  
Philadelphia, PA   
  
  
Stretching his legs during the mid-afternoon break in  
the lectures Neil walked down the hallway of his old  
college. So many memories filled his mind, the times  
he'd spent here learning everything he needed to  
become a doctor, learning the skills that would save  
many a person when he returned to his home. Smiling  
he turned the corner and stopped, leaning against the  
doorjamb to watch the scene before him. It reminded  
him of all the times he had stood in the doorway of  
the school, watching her work before she realized he  
was there.  
  
Christy sat at the desk alphabetizing the papers  
before her, a stack that sat at over a foot high.   
She'd been working on it all morning while the  
professor and his colleagues along with Neil and the  
other doctors were in the lecture hall. Now, four  
hours later she was almost done. She was so intent on  
her task that Christy jumped when the phone rang.  
  
"Professor Kinnigan's office, may I help you?"  
  
"Is the professor in?"  
  
"No, I'm sorry he's in the lecture hall, may I take a  
message?"  
  
"Oh no, that's quite all right dear. Tell me, are you  
the same Miss Huddleston that does portraiture?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Wonderful! I am in need of a sketch of myself as a  
present for my husband. Could you come over, perhaps  
tonight and we could begin as soon as possible?"  
  
Taking down the woman's address Christy said she would  
be there at seven o'clock. Hanging up the phone she  
turned back to her project, placing the final papers  
in their order and stood to file them away.  
  
All the while she worked Neil watched her; content to  
watch her move around, doing her work, Neil stayed  
silent. He could hear her humming to herself, a tune  
he recognized as one of Jeb's ballads, as she filed  
the papers she had just organized, her toes tapping in  
time to the song she hummed. The final paper away in  
its place Christy bumped the drawer closed with her  
hip and turned around. "Oh!" she cried when she saw  
Neil standing in the doorway, a smile on his face.   
Laughing at herself she sat back down behind the desk.  
  
"Are the lectures on a break?"  
  
"Yes, I needed to stretch my legs so I went for a  
walk."  
  
"And you just happened to walk this way?" she teased.  
  
Neil laughed, never leaving his place in the doorway.   
"I suppose there my have been a reason to my  
direction." Looking at her head bent to look at the  
paper she was writing on Neil saw her smile.   
"Actually I was wondering if you were available  
tomorrow night. Peter and Susan have asked me to join  
them at the opera and I had hoped you would allow me  
to escort you."  
  
Raising her eyes Christy smiled. "I'd love to."  
  
"Good. I'll pick you up at half past six tomorrow  
evening then."  
  
"Until then," she smiled at him.  
  
Smiling back Neil said goodbye and headed back towards  
the lectures, leaving Christy to her work. A few  
hours later, her work complete, Christy left a note  
for Peter and left the office, walking through the  
hallway to get to the front door. As she neared a  
cross path in the corridors she heard someone call her  
name.  
  
"Hello, Richard." The one man she did not want to see  
and here he was walking side by side with her.  
  
"So how is your mountain man doing today?" he asked  
with contempt.  
  
Christy closed her eyes for a moment but kept walking.  
"Dr MacNeill is fine. You could ask him yourself, he  
is still at the lecture hall."  
  
"Oh I thought it would be more fun to talk to you,  
find out what it is about this mountain man that  
finally got you to act like a woman."  
  
Suppressing a sigh, ignoring his comment, Christy  
picked up her pace but Richard matched it evenly.   
Side by side they kept walking, Christy ignoring him  
and Richard taunting her, until finally Christy's  
patience was worn thin. "What do you want, Richard?"  
she asked him, stopping in the next open corridor.   
Face to face, neither one saw the two men that had  
emerged from the lecture hall a few feet away.  
  
"I want to know what it is about this mountain man  
that thawed your heart," his words intentionally  
cruel, using his sharpest barb to hurt her.  
  
Straightening herself Christy met his eyes with a  
steely gaze. "Tell me something Richard, which is it  
that bothers you more, the fact that I didn't choose  
you or the fact that I chose Neil over you? Because  
let me tell you," she laughed a small humorless laugh,  
"There was never a contest." Glaring at him for a  
moment she finished their conversation with a firm,  
"Good day Richard."  
  
Turning on her heel Christy left the scene, passing  
through the doors at the end of the hall and out into  
the open. Glaring at her back Richard took a step  
towards the doors to have his say to her when he felt  
an iron grip on his arm. Looking to his left Richard  
saw the raging blue eyes of the red haired doctor  
piercing him through. Recalling the conversation on  
the terrace only a few days ago Richard knew the  
trouble that Neil's look meant. Before either man  
could do anything Peter put a restraining hand on his  
friends shoulder.  
  
"Let me handle him, Neil, you go find Christy. Tell  
her we'll take her home in the carriage." With a  
friendly squeeze and a slight pull Peter was relieved  
when Neil strode down the hallway after Christy.   
Turning to the imbecile student Peter glared at the  
young man. "You, Mr. Fehera, are in more trouble than  
even you know what to do with. Come with me."  
  
Bursting out through the doors Neil scanned the  
brightly lit campus, the early afternoon sun shining  
down upon the earth with a warm glow. Off to the one  
side he saw a skirt disappear around the corner of the  
building and he raced towards it. Sure enough he saw  
Christy stomping down the sidewalk her one fist  
clenched in a fist at her side while the other gripped  
her books tightly.  
  
She was furious.  
  
Taking a few long strides to reach her, grabbing her  
arm, Neil stopped the angry woman from continuing.   
Looking up at him Christy tried to smile but she could  
see in Neil's eyes that he was just as mad as she was.  
"You heard it, didn't you?"  
  
"Aye, I heard."  
  
Sighing Christy shook her head, her one fist clenching  
and unclenching by her side. "I never like him but  
that was the first time he's ever been so... so...,"  
Christy couldn't think of a word strong enough to  
describe what Richard had done. "Argh!" she cried.   
"Who does he think he is? What right does he have to  
demean you because of where you come from? He doesn't  
know anything about you! He's never seen the miracles  
you've done for the cove or all the times you've had  
to risk your own life to save someone else's! How  
dare he! That... that... that bastard!"  
  
Though he was furious at the so called man that had  
made Christy so man Neil couldn't help but smile at  
Christy's passionate speech, her words telling him in  
a roundabout way what she really thought of him, as a  
doctor if nothing else. Her angry words warmed Neil's  
heart; she was fighting for him in the face of someone  
who had tried to demean him. Even if she hadn't said  
the words Neil could see that she did care for him, if  
only he knew how much. How deep did that feeling go?   
Brotherly Affection? Friendship? Love?   
  
"Come on, Lass," he said when she had finished. "Come  
back inside, we'll take you home in the carriage."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Fifteen  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
Sitting in the darkened box both Neil and Christy were  
captivated, she by the opera and he by her. While  
Christy watched the stage Neil watched her, the entire  
night he had kept her in his sight, from the moment  
she had joined them in the sitting room to the moment  
the opera had begun. Though the room was dark the  
lighting from the stage played over her features, the  
beautiful music a perfect backdrop to the woman he  
loved.  
  
She looked beautiful tonight. Her hair had been  
curled and, while the bottom half had been left to  
hang free, the top half was pulled up in a twist,  
curls spilling free from the top of it. The crème  
colored dress, one that was in the height of fashion,  
was a perfect fit, as though it had been tailored to  
her body. It was her eyes that held him in their  
spell tonight. Those blue orbs he knew so well  
snapped with laughter and life.  
  
Though Christy watched the performance on stage,  
enjoying every moment of it, she was keenly aware of  
Neil sitting a respectable distance away. With her  
minds eyes she saw him in his suit. Though she had  
always known him best in his flannel shirts and wear  
of the mountain life there had been a few times when  
she had seen him looking dashingly handsome in a suit.  
None of those occasions held a candle to the way he  
looked tonight, as though he had stepped out of  
perfection itself.  
  
The opera house came alive with conversation as the  
intermission began, men and women rising from their  
seats to stretch their legs and get a glass of wine  
from the lobby. While Neil and Peter left the box to  
get a glass for everyone Susan took the opportunity to  
speak to Christy.  
  
"I pray you don't think I'm being too forward by  
saying this Christy but I had to speak while we have  
the chance." Wondering what she wanted to talk about  
Christy turned in her seat to face the older woman.   
"Since Neil arrived four days ago I have seen so many  
changes in you that I can't help but wonder if I  
really knew you at all. You smile so much more than  
before, and true smiles, not a forced or polite one.   
I hear your laughter and I can see your joy shining  
out to the world, and it makes me wish I had known you  
before you had left your school. I feel as though you  
were a much happier person there."  
  
Looking at her gloved hands Christy was silent for a  
moment. "You're right Susan," she said at last. "I  
was a very different woman then. The cove was my  
home. I'm afraid my heart is still there."  
  
"No," Susan smiled. "I dare say that your heart is  
here in Philadelphia, until Saturday that is."  
  
Drawing her brow in confusion Christy met Susan's  
smiling eyes for a moment until the meaning of her  
words dawned in Christy's mind. Instantly her cheeks  
flushed a deep pink, heat filling them in response to  
her embarrassment by Susan's comment. Biting back her  
laughter at Christy's flush Susan saw the curtain part  
and when Neil followed Peter into their box seats she  
couldn't contain her small laugh as the young woman's  
cheeks turned an even darker shade, almost crimson.  
  
Looking from the smiling Susan to the chagrined  
Christy Neil knew something had happened while they  
had stepped out. Reclaiming his seat he handed  
Christy a flute of wine and watched as she took it,  
never meeting his eyes but rather averting them to the  
empty stage. Her fingers were nervously tapping on  
her knee; a sign that Neil knew meant she was  
flustered and unsure of what to do. More curious than  
ever he peered back at Susan but she simply grinned  
and shook her head, refusing to speak.  
  
The opera began again but Christy couldn't  
concentrate; so many questions running through her  
mind it was impossible to focus on anything but the  
man sitting next to her and the letter she had yet to  
answer. Her heart knew the truth; it was quite simple  
really.   
  
Neil loved her.  
  
She loved him.  
  
No, there was no doubt in her mind about that. But  
everything else was a jumble of unsurity, confusion,  
bafflement, and chaos. They ruled her mind, barring  
her thoughts from anything else. The future was  
shrouded in a mist of puzzlement and beyond Saturday  
Christy did not know what her life would be, where it  
would play itself out, and who would be the main  
characters.  
  
Still muddling through her chasm of questions Christy  
looked up suddenly to see that the opera was over.   
Taking Neil's offered arm she was led back to the  
carriage and, too soon for her liking, was standing at  
the door of her apartment. Squeezing her hand for a  
moment Neil said nothing other than 'Goodnight, Lass'  
and left her to her thoughts. He could sense the  
turmoil in her mind and, though his own was filled  
with curiosity, Neil knew better than to try and force  
her to talk before she was ready. Christy needed to  
work out her own mind and Neil left her to do it.  
  
"Well?"  
  
Looking up Christy saw Marcy waiting for her in their  
reading chair by the fire. "Hi, Marcy," she smiled at  
her friend as she took a seat in the other chair,  
pulling the satin gloves from her hands.  
  
"Don't 'Hi' me, how was the opera?"  
  
"Very beautiful."  
  
"Did she die in the end? Jack is taking me to see it  
on Saturday but I know I'm going to cry if she dies in  
the end." Looking at her roommate closely Marcy  
snapped to catch the woman's attention. "Christy?   
Christy! Did you hear me? Tell me, does she die?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Who? Christy... the main character of the Opera, does  
she die?"  
  
"Oh, umm... I'm afraid I don't know."  
  
Marcy stared. "You don't know? Sweetie, did you even  
see the opera?"  
  
Christy laughed as Marcy stood and put her hand to  
Christy's forehead. Pushing her hand away with a  
smile she grew serious again. Marcy could see that  
she had ended their conversation and left the girl  
alone. Praying she followed her heart Marcy turned  
back to her book.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Sixteen  
  
Philadelphia, PA - 16  
  
Standing at the easel, canvas blank, mind in jumbles,  
Christy wondered what she could paint. Several  
options came to her mind but she rejected them  
immediately. She wasn't here to impress Nadienne;  
simply to paint, which was something she hadn't done  
in quite some time. After a while she turned to  
Nadienne with a helpless expression on her face. "I'm  
sorry, I can't think of anything."  
  
Nadienne smiled softly. "Paint for me what is in your  
heart. Something that makes you happy, or something  
that makes you sad. What do you feel Christy?"  
  
'What do I feel?' she asked herself. 'What makes me  
happy and what makes me sad?' Staring at the plain  
white canvas the answer came to her and Christy picked  
up the brush, dabbed some paint on it, and began.  
  
With long strokes she built the base of her painting,  
using softer lighter strokes to build upon it.   
Engrossed with her work Christy was oblivious to those  
around her as she painted. The quintet that watched  
on conversed with each other but she didn't hear them;  
they ate but she didn't smell the food; hours passed  
but she never took note of the time. Her heart and  
soul was poured into the painting, the emotions she  
was putting onto the canvas both happy and sad, for it  
was only one thing that made her feel both to such  
extremes.  
  
Nadienne watched the young artist painting and she  
could see the intensity on her face, the emotions  
playing over her features as she worked. Glancing  
around the room she saw that her family was still  
involved with their discussion but their visitor was  
absorbed in watching Christy, making a comment only  
when he was asked a question and then floundering to  
recall the topic. Nadienne could read the love in his  
eyes and she smiled. It was plain to see that Neil  
loved Christy very much.  
  
As Neil watched Christy he was amazed by how open she  
was to him, the emotions she was feeling as easy to  
read as a book. It had been almost a year since she  
had left the cove, dragged from the cove, and it hurt  
his heart to see the changes in the woman he loved.   
Where once had stood an openly loving and beautiful  
woman stood a reserved, cautious one who had been  
burned by someone she had thought of as a friend.   
  
'How can I ever hope to get her back to the cove?' he  
thought to himself. 'She won't even talk to me about  
it. I need to talk to her; I need to speak face to  
face about everything I wrote in my letter. Help me  
find the words.'  
  
His inner thoughts coming to a close Neil was shocked  
to realize that he had just prayed. Again! Watching  
Christy he suddenly realized that it had taken loosing  
the one thing he held dearer than anything else to  
open his eyes and his heart to the possibility of  
accepting the God he had fought all his life. Neil  
had to smile. Christy hadn't pestered him, hadn't  
preached to him relentlessly, all she had done was to  
live her life with the love of God in her heart and  
she had somehow managed to warm his to that same love  
as well. She had done all that, and she didn't even  
realize it.  
  
Christy stepped back from the painting and put her  
brush down. Everything ached, fingers, wrists, back,  
eyes, but it was done. In the rush of emotions that  
had poured forth from her heart had poured a painting  
as well. Lacing her arms around her shoulders she  
looked at what she had painted and an unbidden tear  
came to her eye. This was her dream; it was her joy  
and her pain, the life she wanted and the one she knew  
could never have. Swallowing the lump in her throat  
she blinked and the tear fell, gently sliding down her  
cheek unnoticed.  
  
"Christy?"  
  
Glancing up at the people sitting a few feet away,  
suddenly remembering that they were there in the room  
before her she saw Nadienne get up from her seat and  
cross the room to the easel. Taking a deep breath  
Christy tried to smile. "It's done," she whispered  
with a shaky voice. Shaking her head, "I'm sorry, I  
don't know what's wrong with me."  
  
"Your heart is in this painting, it's a part of  
yourself. That is always an emotional thing."  
  
Looking at her painting again Christy smiled sadly.   
"Yes," she said softly. "My heart is in this  
painting."  
  
"May we see?" Nadienne asked.   
  
Nodding Christy stepped away and stood by the  
fireplace, warming her hands against the blaze.   
Closing her eyes she prayed that they, that he, would  
like what was about to be seen. Susan motioned for  
two of the servants to carefully turn the painting  
around. No sooner had they turned the painting than  
Neil's heart stopped in his chest at the picture he  
saw before him.  
  
There, in a flurry of color, was a peaceful river  
surrounded by a forest that was in the height of  
autumn. Red's, gold's, brown's, and green's filling  
the backdrop, reflecting the sunshine that shone down  
brightly through the branches. On the pebbly shore  
sat a phonograph, one could almost hear the sweet  
music that was playing from its record. A small fire  
ate its wooden meal while a black cast iron frying pan  
sat on the ground next to it. In the center of the  
painting stood a man with his back turned, wading  
boots on, standing knee deep in the water with a  
fishing pole in his hands, patiently waiting for the  
dance to be complete.  
  
Neil turned his eyes from the painting to see Christy  
watching him, waiting for his reaction to what she had  
laid bare for all to see. Her arms were still laced  
around herself in a comforting hug, still shaken over  
the emotions she had put into the painting. The words  
she had spoken to Nadienne played in his mind like a  
broken phonograph record. 'My heart is in this  
painting.' Her bright blue eyes held his and no words  
were needed.  
  
"What are you going to title it, Christy?" Peter  
asked. "How about 'The River'?"  
  
"I was thinking the same thing," Susan spoke up.  
  
"No, no, that's no kind of title for this. This  
painting is so much more," Nadienne said, dismissing  
their title.  
  
"It's called 'The Dance'," Christy said, her eyes  
still locked with Neil's. "The dance is always more  
important."  
  
An urgent knock sounded on the front door and the  
butler left the room to answer it. Seconds later  
Marcy rushed into the room fracturing the unspoken  
message that hung in the air. "Christy!" she cried,  
rushing to her friend's side, trying to catch her  
breath. "Christy you've got to come!"  
  
"Marcy? What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
"Its Mrs. Johanson, she fell down the stairs and the  
doctor won't come because she can't pay!"  
  
"Oh my God!" Christy turned to Neil, her eyes  
pleading. "Neil..."  
  
"I'll get my bags," he said as he ran from the room,  
up the stairs to his guestroom.  
  
Moments later the carriage was hitched and they were  
racing down the streets to get to the injured old  
woman. Up the stairs to the third floor Christy  
pushed through the crowded hallway to get into the  
apartment. Right behind her when they entered the  
small bedroom of the old woman Neil immediately set to  
work, assessing the injuries, working to make a  
diagnosis and healing what he could. Pulling the  
covers up to her chin Neil looked across the bed to  
see Christy smoothing back the grayish white hairs  
that had fallen over the old woman's eyes.  
  
"She'll be all right, Christy." Looking up to meet  
his eyes Christy asked for more information. "She has  
a broken wrist and a slight concussion. I'll need to  
keep a close eye on her until she wakes but once she  
does she'll be fine. She'll be in pain but she will  
recover." Taking her hand in his Neil pulled Christy  
up from the bed. "Come on, you need some tea."  
  
Out in the main room Neil saw that Marcy already had  
some coffee waiting for them. Sitting down at the  
table he watched as Christy toyed with her teacup,  
twirling it around and not drinking out of it.   
"Lass," he said, hoping she would talk to him about  
what was troubling her.  
  
Looking up at him Christy flashed him a small smile.   
"She was the first person here who befriended me  
besides Marcy. I used to sit with her over some tea  
and some fresh bread and tell her all about my  
children and my life in the cove. Mrs. Johansson knew  
the whole story, start to finish. She reminds me so  
much of Miss Alice that I could almost imagine it was  
her I was talking to instead."  
  
Reaching across the table Neil took Christy's hand in  
his. "She's going to be all right, Lass, you'll see."  
  
"I hope so, Neil. I can't lose another person I love  
in my life right now. My heart couldn't take it."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Seventeen  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
Neil smiled at the old woman. "My name is Neil  
MacNeill, I'm a doctor."  
  
"You speak funny."  
  
Trying not to laugh Neil nodded. "I'm Scottish, I'm  
afraid I'll always have this accent."  
  
"How did you get here?"  
  
'What a cantankerous woman!' Neil thought to himself.   
"Marcy came for Christy after you fell. She asked me  
to help you."  
  
Suddenly a light came into the old woman's eyes and  
she smiled. "You're him, aren't you? The doctor  
she's always talking about, the one from her mission  
school in Cutter Gap." Smiling Neil nodded. "Well  
it's about time you came out here to take her home!   
What took you so long boy? The poor girl's been  
miserable since the day she got here. She shouldn't  
be cooped up in a city, she needs to go home, so you  
had better take her there, you hear me?"  
  
"Mrs. Johansson," Neil grinned. "I think you and I  
are going to be very good friends."  
  
All afternoon they talked, she telling him of  
Christy's life in Philadelphia and he telling her of  
the cove, his life there and the ancestry of his  
people, the people she knew from Christy's  
descriptions and sketches. Several hours later  
Christy interrupted their conversation when she came  
home from the college.  
  
"Mrs. Johansson, how are you feeling?"  
  
"Better, dear. Have you come to sit with me as well?"  
  
Christy smiled. "Of course I have."  
  
"Well I'm too tired for company. Take your man out to  
stretch his legs." The old woman hid her grin when  
Christy's cheeks turned scarlet while she busied  
herself putting some fresh flowers next to the bed.   
"Go on, his accent is giving me a headache and he kept  
me awake all afternoon."  
  
The last of the two to leave the room Neil turned back  
and winked at the old woman that had claimed a  
headache. She smiled back and waved him off,  
reminding him of his promise. Down the stairs and out  
into the world again Neil breathed in deeply, the  
fresh air a welcome change. "Shall we walk in the  
park? I need to see a little bit of nature again."   
Nodding Christy had turned to head towards the park  
when Neil caught her arm. "Not that one, Lass,  
there's a better park this way."  
  
Though they had started out heading toward Elm Street  
they were soon twisting and turning until Christy was  
quite lost. Neil stopped on a bridge overlooking a  
beautiful pond; the park that surrounded them was  
indeed better than the one she knew of. "This is  
beautiful!"  
  
"This is a bit of a private park. The dean of the  
school owns it. He doesn't let the word out often but  
those who know of it are always welcome here."  
  
Walking side by side they stopped at a bench under a  
weeping willow tree and sat down.  
  
"I know you missed the lectures this morning so I took  
notes for you. I don't know if they'll make any sense  
or not, I didn't understand any of it but you probably  
will."  
  
"Thank you, you didn't have to do that." Neil smiled  
down at her as she bent over to pick a small flower  
that had been growing near her feet. "That Mrs.  
Johansson is quite a character."  
  
Christy laughed. "Yes she is. I hope she wasn't too  
mean to you. She can be quite upsetting when she  
wants to be."  
  
"Not too bad. We spent most of the morning talking  
about you."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"M-hmm. She told me all about your life here and I  
told her all about Cutter Gap, though I must say she  
did already know most of it." Spotting a pretzel  
vendor taking a shortcut through the park Neil  
motioned for him to come over. Buying two of the soft  
hot pretzels Neil handed one to Christy. "I'd  
forgotten how much I enjoy these," he smiled.  
  
Turning in her seat to face Neil Christy sat sideways  
on the bench. "Neil, how is the cove, in all truth,  
tell me how everyone is. We really haven't had a time  
like this to just talk about everything."  
  
Neil also twisted in his seat and faced her. "No, we  
haven't," he agreed. "All in all everyone is  
physically okay. Lizzette had a bad scrape a few  
months ago but she pulled through. Other than that  
everyone is doing as well as can be expected. The  
winter was hard but thankfully everyone pulled  
through."  
  
"What of Miss Alice? How has she been? She writes to  
me but I get the feeling she doesn't tell me  
everything."  
  
"Alice has been trying to keep the mission running but  
there are times I can't help but wonder if her heart  
is in it anymore. She seems to have lost a little of  
her drive. I think that running between all three  
missions is beginning to catch up to her."  
  
"Haven't they hired another teacher to help out yet?"  
  
"There was one girl for a few weeks but she left. She  
may have been a good teacher but all she cold see was  
the dirt and the poor quality of the life the cove  
leads."  
  
"She never saw the diamonds through the coal."  
  
Neil smiled. "Exactly."  
  
Christy shook her head with a sigh. "She lost out on  
a great thing."  
  
"You have no idea how glad it makes me to hear you say  
that, Christy." She glanced up at him to speak but he  
kept going. "When you first came to the cove I was  
sure you wouldn't last, but you proved me wrong time  
and again. You feel for my people the same kind of  
love that ties me to them. You don't see the poor  
quality of their life but you see them for the rich  
heritage they have, the beauty of the mountains that  
they live in, and the love they carry in their hearts.  
But I think that the reason you can see it is because  
you carry that same kind of heritage, beauty, and love  
in your own heart."  
  
Christy was speechless. She could feel tears stinging  
at her eyes and fought to keep control over them but  
it was hopeless. Salty drops fell from her lashes and  
she swiped them away. Neil offered her a soft white  
handkerchief and she wiped the tears with it until she  
was back in control. Hesitating for a moment she  
reached into the small bag she carried with her and  
pulled out a piece of paper that Neil recognized all  
too well. The seams of the fold were worn as though  
it had been read and handled many, many times.  
  
Unfolding it Christy read the words again, though she  
knew them by heart. Neil could see that little drops  
of water had smeared the pencil and he suddenly  
realized that she had cried while she had read his  
letter.  
  
"I've read this letter so many times that I know it by  
heart but I still can't get all the way through  
without crying. I haven't written back yet because I  
didn't know what to write." Looking up Christy met  
his eyes. "I know how I feel and I know what I want,  
but those are so very different from what I can have.   
Neil I do love you, I love you very much."  
  
Sitting under the tree, across from the woman he  
loved, Neil's heart soared only to plummet back down  
to the ground with her next words.  
  
"But nothing can ever happen between us. I have no  
place in Cutter Gap anymore."  
  
"Lass we can work something out. There are plenty of  
jobs for me here in Philadelphia or Asheville if you  
wanted to move back near your family. I could..."  
  
Christy put a hand over his lips to stop him from  
breaking her heart anymore. "No, Neil. You need to  
stay in Cutter Gap. The cove needs you. I'm only one  
person compared to hundreds of families. I don't  
matter. Please..." she whispered as she stood. "Please  
understand."  
  
His heart breaking Neil watched her run away from him.  
On the bench next to him lay the flower Christy had  
picked and he picked it up as tears stung at his eyes.  
  
  
"You do matter, Lass. You matter very much."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Eighteen  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA   
  
  
"Many of you are familiar with the terms 'granular  
conjunctivitis' or 'Egyptian ophthalmia'. Simply put  
it is the eventual scarring of the conjunctivae and  
corneas of the eyes. Trachoma is a very rampant  
disease among the poor and the isolated communities.   
It begins with a bacterium called chlamydia  
trachomatis and is characterized by swelling of the  
eyelids, sensitivity to light, and the afore mentioned  
scarring of the conjunctivae and corneas of the eyes."  
  
"Now for those students who haven't taken Professor  
Kinnigan's class on Ophthalmology yet, the conjunctiva  
is the clear mucous membrane that lines the inside of  
the eyelid and covers the white part, or the sclera,  
of the eye. Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the  
conjunctiva. Now with this disease the eyelashes  
eventually turn in, rubbing on the cornea at the front  
of the eye. The scarring on the cornea leads to severe  
vision loss and blindness. Removing eyelashes, a  
common treatment, is at best only a temporary measure,  
because eyelashes grow back."  
  
"Many doctors feel that it is best to leave the  
patient be, forcing them to live with the blindness.   
Now with certain patients this remains true however I  
have found that with the removal of the scaring on the  
inner eyelid there can be a hope for those who have  
not already gone blind."  
  
As Neil stood behind the podium on the stage of the  
Lecture Hall Christy sat in back of everyone else,  
watching, her heart filling with pride for the man who  
was addressing the crowd. He stood straight and tall,  
looking every bit the educated man she knew him to be.  
Yet even through all that she could see, plain as  
day, the love he had for his people and the ties that  
bound him to them. She didn't understand half of the  
words that were coming out of his mouth but that  
didn't matter to her.  
  
Watching him she recalled the night before, when she  
had fled the small park, her heart broken in two by  
the words both he and she had spoken. She had run as  
far and as fast as she could until she found suddenly  
found herself at the college campus. Collapsing onto  
a bench she had wept until she had no more tears to  
shed. Neil had offered her everything she had wanted  
but she had turned him away. Sitting in her seat  
Christy put her head in her hands, trying desperately  
to quell the tears that threatened her yet again.  
  
The tears never got a chance to fall as her attention  
was drawn to one of the doctors in the audience.   
Standing he broke into Neil's lecture with his own  
opinion.  
  
"That is pure conjecture, Doctor. Why should we sit  
here and listen to a man who hasn't been published in  
over five years?"  
  
"Because I know what I'm talking about, Doctor  
Jacob's. Trachoma is my specialty."  
  
"You speak of a procedure to cure it yet you offer us  
no proof." The doctor moved out into the aisle, his  
coat in his hands. "Go back to your pigs, Country  
Doctor. They are your specialty. I for one have  
better things to do than listen to a phantom procedure  
that has no medical backing whatsoever."  
  
Sitting in her seat, watching what was going on before  
her very eyes, Christy was furious! Dr Jacobs was  
tearing Neil down because of where he practiced his  
medicine. Leaning forward in her seat she waited for  
Neil to defend himself against the attack. Before her  
unbelieving eyes she saw him shake his head as though  
in disappointment and close his eyes for a moment.  
  
"As I was saying, gentlemen, by removing the scarred  
tissue..."  
  
Neil continued on with his lecture, watching as many  
other men followed Dr Jacob's lead until only a small  
handful remained in their seats. As he made his  
closing statement he saw Christy sitting in the back,  
her face a mixture of anger and disappointment, and he  
wondered what was passing through her mind at that  
moment. When he stepped off the stage he saw her  
leaving through the back doors and followed her. Down  
the hallway Neil finally caught up with Christy in  
Peters office.  
  
Watching her pace for a moment he entered the room.   
"What's wrong?"  
  
Stopping mid-stride she stared at him in disbelief.   
"What's wrong? You mean you really don't know what's  
wrong?" With a shake of her head she resumed her  
pacing, waving her hands as she spoke her mind. "You  
didn't even defend yourself Neil! You let him degrade  
you and then you kept going as though nothing  
happened. How could you let him do that to you? Why  
didn't you speak up?"  
  
Sighing Neil moved into the office, shutting the door  
behind him, and put his papers on the desk. "I have  
been fighting people like him since I first came here  
as a student. I'm through defending my right to be a  
doctor to his kind of mentality. If people want to  
listen then I'll be happy to tell them but if not I'm  
not going to become belligerent and demand they hear  
me out." He could see that she was still furious and  
Neil felt his own control over his anger slipping.  
  
"So you'll let him say whatever he wants about you  
because you're not going to stand up and defend  
yourself? It doesn't bother you that he degraded you  
in front of your peers?"  
  
"Of course it bothers me!" Neil lashed out. Closing  
his eyes he calmed his temper, reminding himself that  
Christy was only trying to help. Claming himself down  
he continued. "Yes, it bothers me, of course it  
bothers me, but I'm not going to let some fool needle  
me into a war of words and accusations. It's not  
worth it."  
  
Neil was having trouble keeping his cool in this  
conversation. Emotions still running high from last  
night it was all he could do to not yell aloud, angry  
at the world and needing to vent off some steam before  
he exploded. But he would not do it to Christy, not  
when there was still a chance for them. He would not  
blow that.  
  
His passive stance on the situation at hand bothered  
her for some reason. Christy wanted to throttle that  
Dr Jacob's for everything he had said. He had dared  
to belittle one of the greatest men she knew and that  
did not sit well with Christy at all. "So you just  
turn your back and walk away like it doesn't matter."  
  
Turning his back Neil ran a frustrated hand through  
his hair and muttered to himself, "No, that's what you  
do." A horrified gasp sounded behind him and Neil  
winced when he realized she had heard the words he  
hadn't meant to say. Especially not out loud and  
never ever would he have said them in her presence.   
Turning back to face her he saw her blue eyes open  
wide and filling with tears and his heart was ripped  
in two. Berating himself he took a step toward her  
but Christy stepped back. "Christy..."  
  
His voice snapped her out of her trance and she  
blinked rapidly, the tears that had been resting on  
her lashes falling down her face. Turning she  
gathered her coat and bag and crossed the room to the  
office door. With her hand on the doorknob Neil  
grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him.  
  
"I didn't mean it Lass," he whispered, trying  
desperately to see her cast down eyes. "I was angry.   
You know I would never..."  
  
Christy held up her hand to silence him. "Don't say  
anything. Please..." her voice was filled with pain and  
Neil knew without a doubt that he was responsible for  
it.  
  
Twisting out of his grasp she opened the door and  
slipped out of the room. Once in the hallway, not  
caring who saw or what they thought, she broke into a  
run. Neil opened the door mere seconds after she had  
closed it behind her and saw her disappear around a  
corner, her hand over her mouth and tears streaming  
from her eyes. Following her he ran to the corner,  
rounding it only to find her gone. There was any  
number of turns she could have taken and Neil knew  
he'd never find her.  
  
She was gone.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Nineteen  
  
  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
He sat in the chair.  
  
He stared at the fire's flames.  
  
He cursed himself time and again for his stupidity.  
  
Sitting in the den of the Kinnigan's townhouse Neil  
kept replaying Christy's voice as she had fled the  
office, the pain and tears that had filled it. He had  
no idea where she was, what she was thinking, but he  
was sure that she was hurting and it was all because  
of his stupid mouth. He had to make amends, every  
cell in his body was screaming at him to do so, yet  
how could he when he had no idea where she was? All  
afternoon he'd scoured the city, searching every spot  
he could think of until it began to downpour and he  
was forced to return to the townhouse.  
  
Standing in the doorway, watching her husband's  
friend, her friend, Susan knew Neil was hurting. He  
was brooding; he had been as friendly as a Grizzly  
Bear when he'd stormed into their home a few hours  
ago. After changing out of his soaking wet clothes  
he'd sat in front of the fire, refusing to entertain  
any sort of a conversation, refusing the food and  
coffee she had left for him and only nursing the  
brandy Peter had handed him.  
  
Though she wished she could have stayed to help him,  
do something to find out what was hurting him so,  
Peter pulled her away to their dinner engagement.   
During their ride over Peter told Susan what had  
happened during the lecture today, telling her that  
was probably why he was so down, but she knew it was  
more than that. Something much deeper was bothering  
him. Before she had a chance to discuss it with her  
husband they were at the house of their host's.  
  
Cocktails over, the meal had begun when the butler  
bent over near Sylvia's ear. Their hostess became  
excited and nodded to her servant. "Oh I have the  
most wonderful surprise for you, dear," she smiled at  
her husband. "I have had so much fun keeping it from  
you this past few days but now I can finally present  
it to you. I simply cannot wait."  
  
Laughing at his wife Dr Harold Jacob's motioned for  
her to proceed. "I'm surprised you were able to keep  
it to yourself all this time," he teased.  
  
Throwing him a playful glare she motioned to the young  
woman standing in the doorway and when she entered the  
dining room Susan saw that it was Christy, a large  
package in her hands. Scanning the crowd quickly  
Christy stiffened when she saw Dr Jacob's sitting at  
the head of the table. Blinking she forced herself to  
focus on her reason for being here.  
  
"As promised Madam," she looked to Sylvia Jacob's with  
a polite smile.  
  
"Oh do open it! I simply cannot wait for Harold to  
see it."  
  
While the butler held the package Christy tore the  
paper from it, revealing a framed sketch of Sylvia and  
her precious cat, Tinkleberry. Exclamations of praise  
came form every chair at the table. Smiling at his  
wife Harold clapped his hands.   
  
"A most excellent surprise, darling. I love it."  
  
"The artist did a wonderful job, you simply must give  
me their name," one woman declared.  
  
"Oh why she's right here, Christy Huddleston."  
  
For the first time Harold saw the young woman,  
recognizing Christy from her time with Neil. "Such  
talent, but tell me, Miss Huddleston, do draw  
livestock as well? Or only people?" He couldn't  
resist getting in another barb at Neil, knowing how  
close the two friends were. But Harold Jacob's was  
unprepared for the response from this seemingly timid  
little secretary.  
  
"I would draw you, Dr Jacob's," she said with a  
carefully even tone. "Does that count?"  
  
Hands flew to mouths as gasps rang out throughout the  
room, horrified by the brazenness and mean spirit of  
such a lovely young woman. Not giving him a chance to  
reply Christy kept going.  
  
"You don't know how you have handicapped yourself by  
what you did today, Doctor. Had you stayed in that  
lecture you would have found out that there is indeed  
medical backing for Dr MacNeill's procedure. But you  
didn't keep quiet long enough to hear him out. You  
never heard the story of little girl who was going  
blind from Trachoma, the same little girl who now has  
full use of her eyes thanks to Dr MacNeill's 'Phantom  
Procedure'."  
  
Christy was still furious.  
  
"You assume that because he doesn't have a practice in  
a big city like you do that he's no better than a  
doctor for pigs. Well you're wrong! I've seen this  
man labor for hours on end to save the life of a  
little boy whom by all rights should have died. For  
days he's stayed up with his patients, forgoing sleep  
and food to make sure that they are going to survive.   
And when he finally can rest he is called away to help  
yet another patient in another part of the mountains."  
  
Her tone was even, her voice never raising above the  
normal level, but Christy's words were filled with a  
fierce pride, an unwavering loyalty, for the man she  
defended.  
  
  
"This 'Country Doctor' you claim should stick to  
doctoring his pigs has saved more lives than even he  
can remember. You... doctor... will never be half the  
doctor," Christy spit out, "Or half the man that Neil  
MacNeill is."  
  
Silence hung heavily in the dining room. No one had  
ever witnessed such a spectacle; the doctor berated  
openly by a woman with such ferocity that it was  
impossible to not be affected by her words and wonder  
whom this man was that she defended so passionately.   
The silence continued even after Christy apologized to  
Sylvia for her interruption and left the room. No one  
knew quite what to say.  
  
"Well," one man said with a snide smile. "You always  
did have the best entertainment Harold."  
  
A few people gave a small laugh, more from relief than  
from humor. Staring at the people who went on as  
though nothing had happened Peter was disgusted.   
Standing he tossed his napkin to the table and held  
his hand out to Susan. "I'm afraid we must be on our  
way. There is an important matter we need to attend  
to."  
  
Without another word the Kinnigan's left the room,  
gathered their coats and called for the carriage. The  
ride home was a silent one, each one lost in his and  
her thoughts, and it wasn't until they were inside  
their townhouse that they met each other's eyes. It  
was obvious to each of them how disgusted they both  
were with what they had witnessed at the Jacob's  
household. By silent agreement they went in search of  
Neil, not surprised to find him in the same spot they  
had left him in.  
  
"Neil," Peter said, clearing his throat to get his  
attention.  
  
Glancing up Neil frowned when he saw them. "I thought  
you were going out?"  
  
"We did, but we couldn't stay there."  
  
Sitting in the den Peter explained to Neil what had  
happened, relaying to him everything that Christy had  
said. By the time they were finished Neil thought his  
heart was going to burst out of his chest. "I've got  
to find her!"  
  
Grabbing his coat from the rack in the hallway Neil  
took his hat, forgoing an umbrella in his haste. Once  
on the street he suddenly realized that he still had  
no idea where to look. She could be anywhere.   
Rushing off in the direction of her apartment he  
figured he'd try there first. Marcy answered the door  
and, taking in his drenched appearance and wild eyes,  
she told him Christy had gone to the library.  
  
Back down various streets Neil made his way to the  
library, combing every aisle to try and find her. She  
wasn't there. Stopping at the doors he asked the  
doorman if he had seen a young woman, describing  
Christy to the man. He had seen her all right; she'd  
headed down towards Elm Street. A thought came to  
Neil's mind and he thanked the man before rushing down  
the street. Twisting and turning, rounding various  
corners he stopped at the bridge that overlooked the  
park, scanning it as best he could only to find it  
empty.  
  
While he was standing there, his heart sinking with  
every raindrop that hit him, Neil heard a woman's  
scream a little ways away and his heart stopped cold.   
Running, racing towards the sound he rounded the  
corner and saw a sight that would be forever burned in  
his mind, replaying in his nightmares for quite some  
time.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twenty  
  
  
  
Philadelphia, PA  
  
  
There, at the entrance of a dark alleyway, a sinister  
looking man was holding Christy up to the brick wall;  
his hand covering her mouth while the other gripped  
her waist. She fought him off as much as she could  
but the man was too strong for her. Biting the hand  
that covered her mouth she siezed the moment he  
removed it to let loose another scream before he  
slapped her.  
  
Running towards them as fast as his legs could carry  
him Neil dragged the man away from Christy, throwing  
him into the wall where he collapsed into a heap.   
Gathering Christy in his arms he held her tightly to  
him as she wrapped her arms around the safety he  
provided. Walking a few feet to a nearby window sill  
he sat her down under the awning, his trained eyes  
looking for damage. Other than the red cheek from  
where the man had slapped her he saw none.  
  
Shaking, both from the chill of her experience and  
that of the night air, Christy looked up at Neil, his  
blue eyes staring down at her with such intensity she  
felt as though she couldn't breathe. "I'm so sorry,"  
she whispered. "I'm sorry Neil, I..."  
  
"It's okay, Lass, it's okay now, everything is going  
to be all right. I need to get you to a fire, can you  
walk?"   
  
Christy nodded and stood. During the walk back to the  
townhouse Neil kept his arms around his Lass, warming  
her as best he could, comforting her, supporting her  
until they reached their destination. Once she was  
settled in front of the fire, her soaked coat shed and  
a quilt over her, chair pulled close to the fire both  
Susan and Peter left the couple alone, sensing they  
needed to talk. After a few moments of silence it was  
Christy who spoke first.  
  
"How did you know where to find me?"  
  
"I searched everywhere. Marcy had said you were at  
the library but the doorman there said you had headed  
towards Elm Street. I was at the park when I heard  
you scream." Involuntarily Neil shuddered at the  
memory. "I don't ever want to have to hear that sound  
again."  
  
"Neil... I... I'm sorry for what I said, and what I did  
and I..."  
  
Putting his hand over her mouth gently, Neil silenced  
her apologies.   
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for. All you tried to  
do was defend me. That means more to me than you'll  
ever know." Sitting on the edge of the chair's  
armrest Neil put his arm around Christy and pulled her  
close. "But you did say something that bothered me."  
  
"That night when you left me in the park you said that  
you don't matter. But you were wrong. You do matter,  
Lass, you matter very much. I love you and nothing  
will ever change that. I'll figure something out, I  
promise you I will find a way to make this work.   
Because you are all that matters to me."  
  
Within the warmth and safety of Neil's arms Christy  
knew that he was right, that somehow everything would  
be okay, so long as she remembered one very important  
fact. Love. Love was the most powerful thing to have  
on your side. They would figure something out.   
  
As they were sitting there a small cough sounded from  
the doorway.  
  
"I'm sorry Neil, there's a man on the phone, says he  
needs to speak with you immediately."  
  
Laying a quick kiss on her forehead Neil moved away  
from Christy to answer the phone. Some time later he  
returned to the den, a worried from covering his face,  
etched deeply into his eyes as she kneeled before  
Christy. A sinking feeling hung in her heart and she  
knew his news was bad.  
  
"That was Dan Scott. I'm needed back in the cove.   
There's been an outbreak of influenza. I have to  
leave."  
  
Standing, tossing the quilt aside, Christy met his  
eyes as he stood as well. "I'm coming back with you."  
  
"Oh no you're not!"  
  
"Yes, Neil I am! These are my children, I have to be  
there!"  
  
"No, Christy, I'm not going to let you come. I can't  
risk you catching influenza, you'll be safer here in  
the city."  
  
"I can catch influenza just as easily here in the city  
as I can in the cove Neil. You need every pair of  
hands you can get and here's a pair that's ready to  
help. I'm coming with you."  
  
"I'm not going to argue this, Christy. You're not  
coming, its too risky, I'll not lose you like that."  
  
Taking a step toward him Christy put her hand on his  
arms and looked up into his blue eyes. "You almost  
lost me tonight, Neil." Pausing for a moment she  
whispered, "I'm not letting you go without me."  
  
Leaning his head down against hers Neil took a deep  
breath. She was right; he couldn't leave her behind  
and concentrate on the people who needed his help. He  
would worry too much that she wasn't safe. "What do  
you need to get?"  
  
A few hours later Neil and Peter shook their hand  
goodbye on the platform of the train station while  
Susan and Christy hugged their good-byes. After  
almost a year in the city Christy had become quite  
fond of the older couple and promised to call to let  
them know how everything was. Slipping Christy a  
letter she told her to read it later and sent her off  
to board the train with Neil.  
  
The journey underway, train barreling down the tracks,  
Neil looked down to see Christy asleep against his  
arm, soft mews coming from her as she slept. Taking  
his coat off the seat next to him he spread it over  
the both of them and leaned his head back. They both  
would need all the sleep they could get as Neil knew  
once they got to the cove there would be little time  
to sleep.  
  
Some hours later Neil awoke with a start to realize  
that Christy was no longer leaning against him.   
Looking around he saw her sitting in the opposite  
seat, sketch pad in hand, pencil flying over the  
paper, her eyes darting up every now and then to where  
he had been sleeping. Under hooded eyes he watched  
her as she sketched, thinking he was still asleep.   
Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she  
drew, tilting her head back and forth as she examined  
her work. It was too much; he had to smile.  
  
"You're awake," she whispered.  
  
"Aye." Sitting up he opened his eyes. Reaching out  
he tried to take the sketchpad from her but she  
gripped it tightly, refusing to let him see, closing  
it and putting it away in her bag. "How long have you  
been awake?"  
  
"Not long. The conductor says we should be at the  
next stop in another few hours. There'll be a half  
hour delay so he suggested we take a walk and stretch  
our legs."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea."  
  
Getting up to stretch his legs after sleeping Neil  
walked up and down the aisle of the boxcar for a  
moment and when he returned to their seats he saw  
Christy pull a letter out of her bag. "Who's that  
from?" he asked.  
  
"Susan handed it to me and said I should read it  
later. Now seemed as good a time as any."  
  
Leaning back in his seat Neil watched her unfold the  
letter and begin to read. Her eyebrows quirked  
together and he could tell that something she read had  
puzzled her but in almost the very next moment  
Christy's eyes grew wide, bright blue circles framed  
by her long brown bangs. Her mouth formed a little  
'o' before it drew back into a small, disbelieving  
smile. When she finally looked up from her letter he  
could see the joy radiating from her very soul and he  
wondered what Susan had written to evoke such a  
reaction.  
  
"Neil, this is it!" she cried excitedly, waving the  
letter in front of him.  
  
"What is what, Lass?"  
  
"This is how I can stay in the cove!" Christy could  
see the confused look on his face and with a small  
laugh she switched seats to sit next to him, showing  
him what was written in the letter. "The letter is  
from Nadienne. She showed my painting to one of her  
friends who happened to be an art dealer and he  
already had a customer to buy it! He has agreed to  
buy the next painting I do as well and once he sees  
how well those sell he might buy more to sell overseas  
at an exhibit he plans every year!"  
  
"Neil! With this money I can stay in the cove! I can  
rent a room at Mrs. Tatum's and live in El Pano. It's  
just close enough that I can still be near the  
children, and the mission, and... and you," she finished  
softly. "I can come home for good."  
  
Neil could feel his grin growing. "That's wonderful,  
Christy."  
  
"Oh," she said softly, "But I had wanted you to have  
that painting."  
  
"Actually, Lass, I do."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I bought the painting from the man Nadienne showed it  
to. Once it's dried and packed away it will be  
shipped to El Pano and I'll take it home to hang in my  
cabin."  
  
Christy stared at him dumbfounded. "You bought it?"  
  
"Well of course. The dance is always more important,  
and now I'll have a constant reminder of that hanging  
in my laboratory."  
  
Staring at him a slow smile spread itself over her  
face. Still smiling she leaned against him, taking  
his arm in hers and stared out the window, her mind  
and heart filled with thoughts and feeling she  
couldn't quite describe; each and everyone focused in  
on the man who sat beside her.  
  
She loved him so much she wanted to cry.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twenty One  
  
  
  
El Pano/Cutter Gap, TN   
  
  
"Next stop, El Pano!" the conductor called as he  
traversed the aisle way.   
  
Gathering their things together Neil and Christy were  
the first ones off the train, hurrying to get back to  
the cove. Collecting Charlie from the stables where  
Neil had left him to be cared for they were on their  
way, heading towards Cutter gap as fast as they could.  
As they rode it began to rain, the rain quickly  
turning into a downpour forcing them to stop and find  
shelter. Sheltered in a cave Neil lit a small fire  
and he and Christy huddled together for warmth against  
the chill of the night air, a chill made worse by the  
dampness of the rains.  
  
"Christy," Neil asked suddenly. "What made you choose  
Philadelphia? Why not just stay in Asheville and get  
a job there?"  
  
"I needed to help somehow, Neil. I know it's an  
extremely small thing but what if one of the students  
that Peter taught had gone on to cure a disease that  
plagues the cove? Then maybe I would have had a small  
part in that as a helper to the professor that taught  
that young doctor."  
  
Neil shook his head. "Hundreds of miles away and you  
were still doing everything you could to help the  
children."  
  
Warmed from the fire and the body heat Neil exuded  
Christy found herself drifting off, sleepiness  
overcoming her as her head began to nod until it  
finally fell onto his chest. Leaning his head against  
hers Neil took a deep breath, smelling the soap she  
had used in her hair and the sweetness that was  
Christy. Falling asleep himself he was surprised to  
wake suddenly and see sunlight creeping into the  
entrance of the cave, the fire burned out.  
  
Standing up as best he could under the low ceiling of  
their little cave Neil walked outside to stretch his  
legs. Taking in a few deep breaths of clean air he  
went back into the cave. Passing their bags he saw  
the edge of her sketchpad and immediately Neil  
recalled the way she had kept him from seeing her  
sketch from the train. Glancing at her, seeing that  
she was still asleep, his curiosity getting the better  
of him; Neil opened her bag and took out the  
sketchpad. Flipping it open he skipped past various  
ones, recognizing the different places and people  
until he came to the sketch of him.  
  
Staring down at it Neil's heart skipped a beat before  
it soon spread a warmth through him like he had never  
felt before. There he was, asleep like he had been on  
the train, his face peaceful, feet up on a chair in  
what he recognized as a corner of his cabin. But in  
his arms, wrapped in a soft blanket, was a little baby  
as sound asleep as he was, safe, content, and relaxed  
in his arms.  
  
Lifting his eyes from the paper he looked across the  
cave at Christy, sleeping soundly, curled into a ball  
on the hard ground. She had drawn this. Neil sat  
back against the cave wall and stared. He loved her  
so much and though he knew that she loved him as well,  
seeing this sketch, drawn by her own hands, he knew,  
now more than ever, that he would never let her go.   
Never would she leave the cove again unless it was by  
his side. As he sat there Christy stirred in her  
sleep and he hurriedly put the pad back into her bag.   
She wasn't ready for him to see it yet. He could wait  
until she was ready, no matter how long it took.  
  
Waking Christy they quickly got underway again and in  
almost no time at all they were trotting up the hill  
to the mission house. Lowering Christy to the ground  
first Neil swung down from Charlie, grabbed his  
saddlebags, and together the two travelers ran up the  
stairs and into the mission house. The main room of  
the mission house was filled with various tables and  
cots, each one occupied by a sick person. With a  
quick squeeze of her hand Neil released Christy and  
they both split up, going in opposite directions to  
help those who needed them.  
  
Kneeling by the first cot she came to Christy saw  
Bessie Coburn staring up at her with big brown eyes  
that began to fill with tears. "I be dyin' I rekon.   
God be grantin me mah one wish. I wisht I culd seez  
ya one last tahm teacher, even if it be a vizion, soz  
I culd say how sorry I waz."  
  
"No; no Bessie, you're not dying. I'm really here.   
Feel my hands," placing a cool hand to the girls  
burning forehead. "I'm really here and you're not  
going to die do you hear me? Doctor MacNeill is going  
to take care of you. You'll be fine."  
  
Felling the cool hand on her forehead Bessie's hazed  
eyes became lucid for a moment and she stared at the  
woman she had wronged so long ago. "Teacher," she  
whispered, her weak voice trembling with exhaustion  
and emotion. "Hit be you, fer shorely, ya dun come  
back ta us!"  
  
Bessie struggled to sit up but Christy pushed her back  
down onto the cot. "You lie still do you hear me  
Bessie Coburn. You're going to get better but you  
need to lie still and do as I say, understand?"  
  
The girl nodded as sleep overtook her and she closed  
her eyes, drifting off into the painless world of her  
dreams. Getting up from the cot Christy moved from  
Bessie to the next one over and from that one to the  
next. Most of the patients were asleep or too dazed  
to recognize who was caring for them. As she stood to  
go to the next cot she heard a gurgling cough from  
behind her and turned quickly to the sleeping Bessie  
begin to throw up while sleeping on her back.  
  
Springing to the girl's side she rolled her onto one  
side while holding a nearby bucket under her mouth.   
Once the young girl stopped Christy set the bucket  
down and wiped Bessie's mouth with a handkerchief from  
her pocket. Once she was settled back into her sleep  
Christy gave a sigh of relief that she would be okay  
and returned to checking on the other patients.   
  
Across the room Neil had looked up when he heard the  
gurgling cough, knowing full well what was happening  
but before he could move Christy was there by the  
girls side, doing exactly what was needed as though it  
were second nature to her. Not once did she flinch or  
recoil from the sight and Neil had to smile when he  
remembered the way she had nearly fainted, so long  
ago, at the mere sight of blood. His Lass had found a  
way to see past that and Neil wondered where she drew  
her strength from to do so.  
  
His once over of all the patients at the mission done  
Neil was wondering where everyone was, Alice and Dan  
Scott, when he heard Christy cry out for him from the  
kitchen. Rushing to her side he saw Ruby Mae  
collapsed in a heap on the wooden floor, her body  
burning up with fever. As Neil carried her into the  
other room Christy cleared the only remaining spot for  
her to lie down on, the dining room table.  
  
"Doc!"  
  
Both Neil and Christy looked up sharply to see Jeb  
Spencer entering the mission, the mans face was  
exhausted, his body sagging, but his eyes and his tone  
urgent.  
  
"Jeb! Where is everyone? Why isn't anyone here?"  
  
"Preacher be a visit'n his kin back eastand Miz Alice  
had ta go ta the O'Teale's they be raght sik and Dan  
Scott be with th' Allen's. I come ta see if ya'd made  
it bak yit. Ya gotz ta come quick! Zady be reel bad  
off."  
  
Nodding Neil turned to Christy. "I need you to stay  
here Lass. Keep doing what you've been doing. Make  
them as comfortable as possible and make sure they  
stay still. I'm going to the Spencer's. If Dan Scott  
or Alice comes back then send them there right away,  
understand?"  
  
Christy nodded and walked with the two men to the  
porch. Swinging himself up onto Charlie's back Neil  
gave her one last look before wheeling his horse  
around and galloping off toward the Spencer cabin, Jeb  
following as fast as he could on foot. For several  
hours Christy did as Neil directed, caring for the  
sick, making them as comfortable as possible. Putting  
up water to boil she kept some aside for drinking, not  
knowing where the contamination had come from, and  
used the rest to clean, scrubbing wooden floors of the  
vomit that had missed the bucket.  
  
As she tossed the bucket of filthy water out onto the  
grass she saw a rider approaching from the north.   
Dropping the bucket she ran to greet the man she had  
already recognized as Dan Scott. Not even letting him  
dismount she told him of Neil's instructions and he  
was off, heading out to the Spencer's. Alone again  
Christy returned to her task, working diligently to  
keep the patients comfortable. There were so many,  
sixteen people in the mission alone.  
  
Most were the children, Bessie, Will, Ruby Mae, Isaac  
and others but a few were the adults as well, both  
Coburn's were there, Ault Allen as well.  
  
Hours later, her back aching, hands red and sore from  
the heat of the water, eyes teary from the lye she was  
using, she heard a rider approach and saw Neil  
striding into the mission house. Christy moved toward  
him, already telling him of the changes in the  
patients, which were worse and which seemed to be  
getting better. Waving one of her hands as she talked  
Neil caught it deftly in his hands, softly rubbing the  
red knuckles, seeing the abuse they had been put  
through since he'd left.  
  
"It's nothing," she said quickly, pulling her hands  
out of his grasp. "You have much more important  
things to worry about. Bessie is getting worse,"  
worriedly glancing at the young girl.   
  
Allowing her to escape for now, promising himself he  
would get some balm for her hands from his cabin, Neil  
moved to sit next to Bessie. "It's not good," he said  
after examining her. "She's critical but stable;  
right now it could go either way. Keep a close eye on  
her."  
  
Nodding she asked, "What of Zady?"  
  
"She definitely has influenza. The question remains,  
just how bad off is she? I won't know until she  
becomes critical. That's the worst part of influenza,  
there is nothing you can do except make them  
comfortable and wait."  
  
"And pray, Neil."  
  
Glancing up he saw the hurt in her eyes and he  
remembered that she was not a trained nurse, even if  
her actions said otherwise. Christy was a  
schoolteacher who was watching her children and their  
kin, people she loved with all her heart, suffer,  
possibly even die. Standing he put his arms around  
her for a moment, holding her close. "Yes, Lass, we  
can pray."  
  
Closing her eyes as she stood within the safety of his  
arms Christy didn't miss that he had said 'we' instead  
of 'you'. Praying that his heart had been opened to  
God at long last Christy hugged him back for a moment  
before stepping away from him to look out the door at  
the sound of an approaching rider.  
  
"Miss Alice!" she breathed, her eyes taking in the  
sight of a friend too long missed.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twenty Two  
  
  
Cutter Gap  
  
  
Goldie cantered up the yard of the mission and stopped  
before the hitching post next to Charlie. Seeing  
Neil's horse Alice thanked God that he had returned.   
Wrapping the reins around the post she turned to climb  
the steps when she heard the clatter of shoes coming  
down them, the sound too light to be a mans. Looking  
up she thought for sure she was seeing things but when  
the arms of her daughter closed around her tired  
shoulders, squeezing tight, Alice knew this was real.  
  
"Christy!" she cried wrapping her arms around the girl  
with an equal force.  
  
"Oh Miss Alice, I've missed you so much!"  
  
Tears sprang to the old woman's eyes and try as she  
may to blink them back she could not, the tears  
rolling down her cheeks. From the top of the stairs  
Neil watched the reunion with a small tug at his  
heart, the emotion of the moment too much to ignore.   
Alice and Christy were as close as any mother and  
daughter making the sight before him all the more  
poignant.  
  
"When did thee return?" she asked after a moment,  
pulling her self back to try and calm the storm of  
emotion raging in her heart.  
  
"Just today, with Neil. I couldn't stay away when I  
knew how sick the cove was. I'm needed here, Miss  
Alice, I'm not leaving until I'm no longer needed in  
the cove."  
  
"Then perhaps thee may never leave," Alice said  
softly, putting a hand to Christy's cheek in a gesture  
filled with love.  
  
"I pray for that every moment, Miss Alice," she  
whispered.  
  
As much as he wished they could continue Neil knew  
things needed to be done. Clearing his throat he  
caught their attention, descending the stairs to stand  
with them on the grass. "Dan Scott and Jeb said you  
were at the O'Teale's Alice, how do they fare?"  
  
"Not well, I'm afraid," shaking Neil's hand in welcome  
home. "We lost Wilmer this morning and I fear both  
Swannie and Mountie have fallen ill. I left to come  
and check on Ruby Mae, we left the poor girl to tend  
to everyone at the mission. I am sure she was  
overwhelmed."  
  
"Actually, she fell sick to influenza," Neil informed  
her. "We found her collapsed on the floor."  
  
A look of horror crossed Miss Alice's face and she  
raced up the stairs into the mission, both Neil and  
Christy following close behind. Checking on the young  
girl Alice saw that she was resting as peacefully as  
the fever would allow. Standing beside the table she  
prayed for God to forgive her for leaving Ruby Mae  
alone as she had.  
  
"There was no way for you to have seen this coming  
Alice, don't blame yourself for this one. It was out  
of even your control," Neil told her, putting his hand  
on her shoulder.  
  
After a moment Alice nodded her hand and took a deep  
breath. "Now that thee is back I will gladly hand the  
control over to thee once more. I shall stay here at  
the mission unless thee wished me to go elsewhere, to  
another family."  
  
"No, I think you should stay here. Christy can you go  
care for the O'Teale's? I want someone there who can  
do a thorough cleaning of the cabin while they're  
unable to stop you. I'll try to send one of the women  
over to help you."  
  
"They need to care for their families, I can handle it  
on my own."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked me, placing one hand on my  
shoulder with a slight squeeze. "That's quite an  
undertaking and you've been working here since we got  
back."  
  
"I'll be okay," I nodded, smiling to show him that I  
meant it.  
  
"All right then, we'll ride over there so I can check  
on them myself and then I'll head out to the Allen's,  
Dan Scott wanted me to check on them as well."   
Glancing out the window he continued, "We'd better get  
moving, it will be pretty dark soon."  
  
With a few final instructions he went outside to  
gather Charlie from the hitching post. Turning to  
Alice Christy wrapped her arms around the woman once  
more, kissing her cheek. "When this is all over you  
and I are going to have a long talk, Miss Alice."  
  
"That we shall child, that we shall."  
  
Going outside Christy held her hand up to Neil and he  
swung her up onto Charlie's back. Holding tight to  
him they quickly rode out of the mission yard towards  
the O'Teale's. The ride there was too short a time  
for Neil and Christy to spend alone with each other  
and yet at the same time too long a time to get to the  
O'Teale's who needed their help desperately. Pulling  
to a stop in the yard Neil handed Smith the reins to  
tether Charlie while he and Christy entered the stuffy  
cabin.  
  
While Neil set about to check on Swannie and Mountie  
Christy drew the healthy children to her, hugging and  
kissing her hellos before sending each of them off on  
a chore that would get them out into the fresh air of  
the Spring weather. As Neil finished his examinations  
Christy set up the rest of the clean water to boil,  
adding the lye once it was hot enough, and set out to  
find a clean rag. Her search of the cabin didn't find  
one and she knew that none of the rags she did find  
there were anywhere near clean enough to use. Out of  
options she turned her back to Neil, facing the  
corner, lifted the front of her outer skirt and tore a  
piece of cloth from her petticoat. It would do as a  
rag.  
  
Neil had just finished his exam of Swannie and was  
moving over to Mountie when he heard a tearing sound.   
Looking up he saw Christy straighten up, her skirt  
dropping back to the floor, and a large piece of white  
cloth with torn edges in her hands that she plunged  
into the lye water. Realization dawned as to where  
she had gotten the cloth from and Neil had to smile.   
The things she wouldn't do for the people of the cove,  
his people... her people. Still smiling he turned to  
begin his examination of Mountie, the little girl  
shaking under the thin, threadbare blanket.  
  
When he had finished his examinations Neil stood to go  
in search of a better blanket for the young girl.   
Before he could take two steps he saw Christy  
approaching, her coat in her hands. "I've already  
looked, there're no other blankets," she told him as  
she laid her coat over the little girl. "This will  
have to do for now. I'll make sure that some blankets  
are brought over from the mission as soon as  
possible."  
  
Once more she amazed him, as though she had read his  
mind, providing what was needed before he could think  
to ask or do so himself. Watching her tuck the coat  
in tightly around Mountie he saw her gently push a  
stray lock off the girls fevered face, her touch as  
gentle and loving as that of a mothers, her love for  
them was much the same. Straightening she turned to  
him for directions and he provided them.  
  
"They can have one dose of aspirin in two hours, try  
to make them drink as much of it as you can, all of it  
if possible. Keep doing what you've been doing and  
I'll be back to check on them as soon as I can."   
Heading out to the yard both of them drank in the  
fresh air. "If anyone comes searching for me I'll be  
at the Allen's, then the McHone's, then the Spencer's,  
and after them the Holcombe's. I'll pass by here on  
my way back to the mission before I go back out  
again."  
  
"Be careful, Neil. If you get too tired out you'll be  
more susceptible to the disease."  
  
Looking down at her with a smile, "And where did you  
pick up that little tidbit of medical knowledge, Miss  
Huddleston?" he teased.  
  
"Well I did used to work at a medical college," she  
smiled. Though a smile rested on her lips her eyes  
were serious. "Please take care of yourself Neil."  
  
"Same goes for you, Lass."   
  
Hesitating for the barest of seconds Neil put his hand  
on Christy's cheek and lowered his mouth to hers in  
the gentlest brush of a kiss before swinging himself  
up onto Charlie's back and heading out of the yard.   
Christy watched him go for a moment, her fingers  
pressed against her lips in memory of the sweetness of  
their first kiss, before her attention was caught up  
by the children and she turned her mind back to the  
task at hand.   
  
At the edge of the turn Neil looked back and saw her  
heading toward the cabin, a child under each arm as  
she listened to the story they wanted to tell Teacher,  
some small event that had taken place while she was  
gone. With a small smile Neil urged Charlie into a  
gallop, hurrying on to his next patient as quickly as  
he could.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twenty Three  
  
  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
  
On her hands and knees, Christy had just finished  
scrubbing the floors when she heard a horse galloping  
into the yard. Dropping the rag over the side of the  
bucket, though it was actually the third rag she'd  
made since the other two had become useless, she  
headed towards the door, her ears picking up the  
children calling out to "Doc" as he dismounted.   
  
from the doorway she watched as he took a moment with  
each one. The caresses that seemed to be made only  
out of love for the child Christy knew were actually  
his own ways of checking each child for symptoms  
without them knowing it. Taking his time he greeted  
each child, from Smith on down to Mary, a moment with  
each until he was done and sent them back to the fire  
Christy had them sitting around, cooking the rabbit  
Smith had caught in one of his traps.  
  
In the harsh light of the afternoon sun Christy  
watched Neil approaching the cabin. His shoulders  
sagged with the weight of the coves illness. The  
needs of the cove, the pressure he was under to help  
as many as he could, was tremendous yet instead of  
feeling taxed by it she could see in his eyes that is  
was as though he was fulfilled by it. His blue eyes  
were bloodshot and tired but they sought hers out and  
he smiled at her.  
  
As he approached the cabin, satisfied that the  
children were well, he saw Christy leaning against the  
doorway of the O'Teale's cabin, her arms folded over  
her chest. Her eyes had raked him over and he knew  
she could see how tired he was, she saw it in him as  
much as he saw it in her. Her hands were red and raw,  
the lye she'd been cleaning with had stripped them of  
their softness, and Neil could see that they were  
beginning to crack and bleed around the knuckles.   
  
He wanted to take her in his arms and massage a  
healing ointment into every knuckle until they were  
better. But he knew now was not the time, that would  
have to wait until he could take the time to do for  
her what she had done for everyone else since she had  
returned home. When this was all over Neil could care  
for her the way she had cared so unselfishly for  
everyone else.  
  
Smiling at him Christy moved aside so he could enter  
the cabin and check on his patients. As his first  
foot set itself past the threshold he was amazed by  
the difference he saw before him. Where once had  
stood a dirty, filthy cabin, now stood a clean one;  
sparklingly sanitized from ceiling to floorboard.   
Once more she amazed him; Christy had said she would  
do the work and she had certainly done so. Standing  
beside him as he examined the mother and then the  
daughter she updated him of their condition.  
  
"Swannie took all the medicine but I could only get  
Mountie to take about two-thirds of it. A little  
later I mixed the rest of the medicine in some diluted  
broth and she took it that way. She's yet to vomit it  
back up and that was about an hour ago."  
  
"Good," Neil nodded. "I think Mountie will be fine.   
And given Swannie's improvement as well I think it's  
safe to say she too will recover. I checked over the  
children and they seem to be fine, no symptoms yet,  
but that doesn't mean they won't show up at all.   
However with the cabin so clean I must say the chances  
are very minimal that they'll get sick." Looking up  
at Christy Neil smiled, "You've done some amazing work  
here, Lass."  
  
"I'm just glad they'll be okay." Together they moved  
over to the table. Christy saw Neil wince as he sat  
down for a moment and she knew he was more tired than  
he was letting on. "Stay there." Moving over to the  
doorway she motioned to one of the children and  
moments later and Becky appeared in the doorway, a  
plate in her hands that she handed off to Christy.   
Adding some of the stewed vegetables from a pot  
simmering over the fire Christy set the plate before  
Neil. "Eat."  
  
"What about you?" he asked as he speared a chunk of  
potato.  
  
"I ate as it was cooking."  
  
It was the truth, she had popped a carrot or two into  
her mouth but Christy refused to take any more of  
their precious supply of food. She could eat when she  
returned to the mission. Sitting down across the  
table from Neil she folded her hands gingerly and  
looked over at Mountie as the young girl shifted on  
the bed. Seeing the coat slipping from around her  
shoulders Christy stood and moved over to the young  
girl and tucked it back in tightly. Neil heard  
Mountie whisper something to Christy and the woman  
smiled at her. Shifting o the bed so that Mountie's  
head was in her lap Christy began to croon a soft,  
comforting, song to her, to the little girl that held  
a very special place in Christy's heart.  
  
"Oh God, My God is my Shepherd; so why should I fear  
or Fret?  
For he who cares for his sheep so much will none of  
his own forget.  
By quiet waters he leads me, my soul he does restore  
and bless.  
He guides my steps for his own names sake in pathways  
of righteousness.  
He guides my steps for his own names sake in pathways  
of righteousness."  
  
"Tho' in the vale of deep shadow I walk, I need fear  
no harm,  
For my Great Shepherd is always near; His staff keeps  
me from alarm.  
My head with oil he refreshes; my cup he has filled up  
well.  
His loving kindness will follow me, and e'er in his  
house I'll dwell.  
His loving kindness will follow me, and e'er in his  
house I'll dwell."  
  
"How wise and loving my Shepherd! His praises with  
joy I sing.  
The cheering news of his tender care to sheep-like  
ones I will bring.  
His Word I'll faithfully follow, walk carefully in his  
way.  
My glorious treasure of serving him I'll gratefully  
use each day.  
My glorious treasure of serving him I'll gratefully  
use each day."  
  
Sitting at the table Neil forgot his food, his hunger,  
and even his exhaustion as he listened to Christy  
singing softly to Mountie. From the corner of his eye  
he saw that the other children had gathered in the  
doorway, paying strict adherence to Christy admonition  
to stay outside where it was safe and warm by the  
fire, listening to their Teacher as well. Slipping  
his eyes back to her he saw that Mountie was awake,  
listening to the song with tears in her little eyes.   
Only when Christy had finished her song did Mountie  
speak.  
  
"Luv ya, T'cher," she whispered and Christy pulled the  
dear little girl into her arms, hugging her and  
whispering of her own love in return.  
  
Though Neil could easily have been content to watch  
the touching scene for a much longer time he knew it  
was time to move on. The meal, as nutritious as it  
was, sat heavily in his stomach and he hoped moving  
around would help to digest it faster. Getting to his  
feet with a groan, his muscles protesting the sudden  
movement after sitting still for a short time, he  
moved to the door and watched the children scramble  
back to the fire. Out in the yard another rider  
approached and Neil saw that it was Dan Scott.  
  
"You're needed at the mission, Doctor," he announced.   
"I'll take over for the O'Teale's for a little bit."  
  
"Very well, I'll take Christy back to the mission with  
me. Keep an eye on Swannie, she's not doing as well  
as Mountie but both of them should be fine." Turning  
to the children he ordered, "You all pay heed to Mr.  
Scott, you hear me?"  
  
Each child nodded and Neil called for Christy to join  
him on Charlie, swinging her up after he had mounted.   
With a slight nod to Dan Scott Neil turned Charlie in  
the direction of the mission, letting his friend pick  
his own way on the steep trail. Once they had reached  
level land Neil relaxed and urged Charlie to go a  
little faster. He could feel Christy leaning against  
him heard her even breathing over the sound of the  
forest. She was asleep. Nodding his own head in a  
light doze Neil woke when Charlie stopped and saw that  
they had reached the mission.  
  
"Lass," he called softly, turning his head to look at  
her, gingerly squeezing one of the hands he held in  
his own large ones. "We're here."  
  
With soft groans Christy woke and looked up, blue on  
blue, and their eyes met. With a deep breath she  
lowered herself to the ground with Neil's help,  
waiting for him to dismount as well. Together they  
walked up the stairs of the mission house to see Alice  
standing by the fire with a cup of tea in her hands.   
Her expression was sad, teary, as she watched them  
enter.   
  
It was Neil who noticed first.  
  
"Where's Bessie?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at  
Alice.   
  
Without saying a word Alice shook her head slightly  
and turned away, gazing at the fire instead. Closing  
his eyes for a moment Neil muttered under his breath.   
Hearing his voice but not understanding his words  
Christy looked up, laying a gentle hand on his arm.   
"Neil, what is it? What's wrong?"  
  
Turning, Neil led her out to the porch. Standing  
before her he placed both hands gently on her  
shoulder. "There's no easy way to say this, Lass," he  
began but with those few words he saw the truth dawn  
in Christy's eyes. "Bessie's died."  
  
Her lower lip trembling, Christy lowered her eyes from  
Neil's, staring at the mismatched button on his  
flannel shirt that he had changed into at some point.   
It was out of place that little mismatched button. A  
square little button when the rest were round. Her  
eyes focused on it she suddenly realized how much she  
had in common with that one little button. So out of  
place and yet still there, doing its job despite being  
so out of place with the rest.   
  
That was how she felt as she took in the knowledge of  
Bessie's death. Horribly out of place, as though this  
weren't her world, but rather some nightmare and when  
she woke the young girl would be alive and ready to  
give her lesson in school.  
  
"Lass?"  
  
Neil was concerned by her silence. Other than the  
trembling lip there was no sign that she had heard  
him. Her eyes were focused straight ahead as though  
she were staring through him. Squeezing her shoulders  
he hooked a finger under her chin and forced her to  
meet his eyes.  
  
"Bessie's dead," she whispered.  
  
Neil nodded. Closing her eyes for a moment Christy  
suddenly leaned forward, leaning against Neil's chest  
as her tears began to prick at her eyes. Moments  
later Neil was holding her as she wept for her  
student, a young girl who had so much life still left  
to live. Picking her up Neil carried Christy up the  
mission stairs to her old room, laying her on the bed  
and covering her with a quilt, sitting with her until  
she had cried herself to sleep, her body to exhausted  
to stay awake for long.  
  
The toll of the last two days had taken their toll and  
Christy slept a deep, dreamless sleep. It wasn't  
until many hours later that she began to wake.   
Slowly, savoring the softness of the pillow under her  
head, Christy woke, stretching out her limbs to waken  
them again. Opening her eyes she stared at the  
ceiling in confusion. Those weren't the wooden planks  
of her apartment ceiling. And the normal sounds of  
the city were unusually quiet as well. Furrowing her  
brow, trying to fully waken from her slumber, she  
wondered at the difference.   
  
As suddenly as a bolt of lighting the memory of the  
last two days came to her mind and she sprang out of  
the bed. Still dressed in her skirt and shirt Christy  
hurried down the stairs to see Neil sitting next to  
Ault Allen, his hand on the mans head feeling for a  
temperature. Standing on the last step Christy grew  
concerned as she watched Neil. He was exhausted, his  
eyes could barely stay open as he sat next to the Ault  
Allen. She could see that he was in pain from the  
scrunch of his face, brow drawn as she had seen  
before.  
  
When he stood up from the mans side Neil saw Christy  
and a small smile came to his face, barely touching  
the pain and exhaustion she saw there still.  
  
"Neil, could I see you upstairs for a moment?"  
  
"Of course, is everything okay?"  
  
Not saying a word she motioned for him to follow her.   
from the corner of her eye Christy saw Miss Alice  
watching, a small smile on her lips while she nodded  
her head. She knew what Christy was doing, and the  
young woman had her full support. Nodding back she  
climbed the stairs, Neil following behind, and led the  
way to the room she had just woken up from.  
  
Standing in the middle of the room Neil turned to look  
at Christy. "What did you need, Lass?"  
  
"I need for you to keep your promise."  
  
Her simple words hung in the air and Neil tried to  
think of what she was saying but his mind couldn't  
wrap itself around her words. "What are you talking  
about, Christy?" he finally said, unable to think of  
what she meant.  
  
Sighing Christy shook her head and motioned for him to  
sit on the bed. Wearily Neil sat. "You made me a  
promise Neil and I made you one in return. I've kept  
my end of the promise and now it's your turn to sleep.  
Miss Alice and I can handle the patients here at the  
mission until you wake up."  
  
Shaking his head Neil stood. "I have too many  
patients to care for," he argued.  
  
Moving to stand in front of his Christy reached up and  
placed a soft hand on his stubbly cheek. Meeting his  
tired blue eyes with her concerned ones, "You promised  
me Neil. Please," she whispered. "Only for a couple  
of hours. I promise to wake you if there is an  
emergency." She saw the hesitation in his eyes and  
pressed forward with her plea. "I'm worried about  
you."  
  
Neil's shoulders sagged in defeat. "All right, Lass,  
you win. But you promise to wake me if someone asks  
for me?" Christy nodded. "All right," he sighed,  
sitting back down on the bed, his fatigued body  
screaming for joy at the prospect of rest. Lying back  
with his eyes closed he felt Christy taking his shoes  
off before she laid a quilt over him. Neil was almost  
asleep when he felt her gentle lips press against his  
forehead. A second later he was out cold, never  
hearing the click of the door as Christy shut it  
behind her.  
  
Descending the stairs once more she saw Miss Alice  
sitting at the table, now clear since Ruby Mae had  
been moved to the cot Bessie had been occupying, her  
bible in her hands, reading. Fixing herself a cup of  
tea and grabbing a slice of bread from the kitchen  
Christy went to sit next to her dear mentor. No  
sooner had she sat than Miss Alice reached out for her  
hands. Sitting across from each other the two women  
stared at the others eyes for a moment.  
  
"Thy return is an answered prayer to me, Christy."  
  
"I missed you so much, Miss Alice."  
  
For a little while, the patients sleeping, they were  
able to catch up on everything that had happened  
during the last years or so of their lives. Christy  
told Alice of the letter she had received from  
Nadienne and the older woman was thrilled. As they  
sat discussing the children a rider approached from  
the mission yard and both women stood to see who it  
was. Dan Scott dismounted Prince and walked up to the  
mission stairs, stopping when he reached the women.  
  
"Miss Alice, Miss Christy," he greeted them. "How is  
everyone doing here?"  
  
"Well enough. We lost Bessie but everyone else seems  
to be hanging on."  
  
"Four people so far," Dan shook his head. "I pray we  
don't lose any more."  
  
"Four?" Christy cried. "Who else did we lose?"  
  
"Besides Wilmer and Bessie the cove lost Liz Ann  
Robertson and Clarabelle Beck. At least there've been  
no new cases to report. We may win out over this  
yet."  
  
While Christy took this news in Dan Scott turned to  
Alice. "Have you perchance seen or heard from the  
Taylor clan? I've managed to confirm the health of  
almost everyone else except them."  
  
Alice frowned. "The Taylor's have always kept to  
themselves but I fear this news will only mean  
trouble. Someone will need to go search them out."  
  
Dan Scott nodded. "I'll go."  
  
Alice shook her head. "I do not believe that would be  
wise for thee, Daniel. The Taylor's have made their  
feelings about thee quite clear."  
  
"I'll go," Christy spoke up.  
  
Both Dan Scott and Alice protested immediately. "I  
can't let you do that Miss Christy," Dan said.  
  
"You can't go, Dan, they'll shoot first and ask  
questions later. And Miss Alice," seeing the woman  
open her mouth to speak, "You're needed her at the  
mission. And I refuse to wake Neil unless it is  
absolutely necessary. That leaves me. I'll go find  
them."  
  
"It could be dangerous for thee, Christy. They do not  
like people on their land."  
  
"I know that, but they know me and I'm hoping that  
will give them pause before raising their gun.   
Besides no man of the cove would hurt a woman."  
  
Christy had won her argument and, with a prayer in her  
heart, she left the mission yard to find the Taylor  
men. Through the forest, walking along trails she had  
almost forgotten Christy searched for the Taylor  
Cabin. Nearing where she remembered it to be Christy  
called out a 'Hellooo!' to warn them she was coming  
lest they shoot first. With no response coming back  
her way Christy pressed onward until she came to a  
cabin. Knocking on the door she opened it and peered  
into the dark interior.  
  
Closing her eyes after she had shut the door Christy  
gave them a moment to adjust to the darkness. Opening  
them again she looked around and saw a bed with a lump  
on it against one wall while another was on the floor  
by the cold hearth. Moving first to the man on the  
floor she saw that it was Lundy, the poor boy  
trembling and shaking from his fever and lying in a  
pool of his own vomit. Pulling him away from the  
filth Christy wiped his face with a rag she saw on the  
small table.   
  
Standing she moved to check on the other man in the  
bed. He too was shaking from the fever but she saw no  
signs of vomit in the bed with him. Grabbing a bucket  
from by the front door Christy hurried down to the  
river and back again. Building a fire in the cabin  
she cleaned as best she could with the limited  
resources and made sure both men were as comfortable  
as they could be. Unsure of what she could do next  
she was startled to hear a mans voice calling from a  
distance. Standing in the doorway of the cabin she  
laughed with relief when she saw Jeb climbing up the  
hill.  
  
"Mr. Spencer!" she called out to him.  
  
"Miz Christy," he answered, taking his hat off when he  
stopped a few feet away. "Doc ask'd me ta com'n' chik  
on ya."  
  
"You're timing is near perfect," she smiled. "Do you  
have your wagon with you?" Jeb nodded. "Good, We  
need to move both men to the mission, can you help me  
load them into the wagon?"  
  
Working together the two friends moved both Taylor men  
down the mountain and onto the back of Jeb's wagon.   
Exhausted by the work of carrying them to the wagon  
Christy was grateful to ride back to the mission  
instead of walking. Once at the mission Dan Scott and  
Jeb moved the two men into the mission while Christy  
went to find Alice. The Quaker woman breathed a sigh  
of relief when she saw Christy approaching her.   
  
"Thank the dear Lord thee is safe," she said as she  
hugged the young woman briefly. "When thee did not  
return we began to fear the worst."  
  
"Both Lundy and Birdseye are sick. Lundy was a mess I  
tried to do some cleaning while I was there, but there  
wasn't much I could do. Mr. Spencer said that Neil  
had sent him to find me, is he still here?"  
  
Alice shook her head. "When Neil rose he was furious  
that thee had gone after the Taylor's alone. He was  
going to go after thee himself but he was called away  
to the Beck's. I was just leaving to get some  
medicine from his cabin, we are almost out."  
  
"Why don't you stay here and I'll go get the medicine?  
You have a good handle on what is happening here and  
I hope you can help Lundy, he's pretty bad off right  
now."  
  
Nodding she withdrew a list from her pocket. "This is  
what thee will need. Thee know not to take all of it,  
only half of each. Neil may meet thee there, he was  
heading there himself after checking in at the Becks  
Cabin."  
  
Instructions given and list in hand Christy set off  
for Neil's cabin. The night was steadily approaching  
and by the time she reached the cabin by the river it  
was dark out. Hurrying up the steps she threw open  
the door and hurried into the dark cabin; the layout  
clear in her mind from previous visits she didn't  
bother lighting a lamp. Crossing the cabin floor  
Christy screamed when she tripped and fell to the  
wooden floor, something was in her path.  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The Letters - Chatper Twenty Four  
  
  
  
Cutter Gap, TN  
  
Sprawled out on the floor Christy groaned in pain as  
she rolled over. Taking a moment to flex her limbs,  
making sure everything worked she stood hesitantly and  
shuffled over to the mantle. Feeling for a match she  
struck it and lit the oil lamp resting in the very  
center of the mantle. Turning back around to see what  
she had tripped over Christy wanted to scream again.  
  
"Neil!"  
  
Setting the oil lamp on the table Christy dropped to  
her knees by his side, rolling the still man onto his  
back. Touching the back of her fingers to his cheek  
and forehead she realized he was burning with fever  
even as she felt the trembling. No sooner had she  
removed her hand than Neil began to vomit. Hurriedly  
she rolled him onto his side, watching as he released  
all that he had eaten at the O'Teale's. 'He's been  
sick since then!' she realized with despair. Once he  
had finished she wiped his mouth and chin before  
pulling him away from the mess.  
  
Christy realized she had to get him into a bed. There  
was no cot downstairs, it had already been brought to  
the mission, and the couch was too small for his long  
frame. Staring at the stairs Christy prayed for the  
strength of two people and set to work. Hooking her  
hands under his arms Christy pulled him towards the  
stairs. With all her might she backed up the stairs,  
dragging the unconscious doctor with her. After what  
seemed like forever, she stepped into the bedroom  
still dragging Neil with her across the floor.  
  
Pausing for a moment to get her breath Christy sat  
Neil up against the bed and, placing his arm over her  
shoulders and her arm around him she lifted him only  
to lose her balance and collapse onto his lap. With a  
short cry of frustration after it happened a second  
time she tried again and this time managed to get him  
onto the bed. Rolling him this way and that she  
pulled the covers out from under him and, after  
removing his boots, pulled the quilts up to his waist.  
Stopping herself from pulling them up farther she  
realized that some of the vomit had clung to his  
shirt.  
  
Quickly she unbuttoned his outer shirt; grateful he  
was still sleeping, blushing furiously, she removed  
it, tossing it into the corner to deal with later.   
Searching the drawers for another shirt she found a  
warm flannel and struggled to put it on him. Task  
complete, buttons buttoned, Christy pulled the quilt  
up to his chin and turned to get a bucket from the  
yard, just in case there was more in his stomach.   
Hurrying to get back to Neil Christy ran down to the  
river with buckets in hand to bring water back.  
  
Building a fire she set up one bucket to boil, setting  
out the lye to add once it had done so, and took the  
other bucket up to the bedroom. No sooner had she set  
the bucket down a gurgling cough rose in Neil's throat  
and she turned him onto his side, holding the bucket  
under his mouth. When he was finished Christy dipped  
a clean rag into the bucket of water and, wringing it  
out, she wiped the sheen of sweat from Neil's face and  
neck. The man still trembled under her care and  
Christy pulled another quilt out of a small closet  
where she knew he kept them.  
  
Running downstairs she opened the door to the lab and  
scanned the shelf for the bottle of aspirin powder.   
Praying she was using the right amounts Christy mixed  
powder with water and took the glass upstairs to Neil.  
Lifting his head, trying to wake him up, she forced  
the mixture past his lips a little at a time.   
Satisfied that he was keeping it down, at least for  
now, she went back downstairs, taking the soiled shirt  
with her, to check on the boiling water. Adding the  
lye to the bucket Christy cleaned up the mess on the  
floor and put the filthy shirt in the bucket to soak.   
It would wear the shirt down faster but at least it  
would sanitize it as well.  
  
Her work downstairs complete Christ went back upstairs  
and sat down in a chair by the bed, her eyes never  
leaving Neil's face, and prayed. She begged God to  
keep Neil safe, that he would recover from this  
illness that had already claimed four lives. She  
thanked Him as well for keeping those whom weren't  
sick from becoming so and she prayed that He continue  
to watch over those who were still fighting the  
disease. Head bowed in prayer Christy's exhaustion  
overcame her and she drifted off to sleep, not  
realizing that she had done so until she suddenly  
became aware of the dawn streaming in through the  
small window on the eastern side of the house.  
  
Chastising herself for falling asleep Christy leaned  
forward to check on Neil and she found that his fever  
had worsened. Mixing some more powder with water  
Christy forced it down Neil's throat. Watching  
helplessly as he tossed and turned under the covers,  
the fever producing nightmares she could only wonder  
at, a memory from her time at home sprang to her mind  
and Christy decided to follow her mothers advice.  
  
Praying for God's forgiveness at being so forward she  
pulled the covers off Neil's feet and was shocked at  
how cold they were. Like ice. Rubbing vigorously she  
tried to draw the heat down from his head as her  
mother had always told her to do when her brother or  
sister had gotten sick. Christy could feel the heat  
rising in her cheeks as she sat at the edge of the  
bed, Neil's feet in her hands. Grateful that no one  
was there to witness her actions she finished with the  
one and turned her attention to the other.  
  
While she was still working on the second foot a  
pounding resounded on the front door only to creak  
open a moment later. "Neil? Christy? Are thee  
here?"  
  
"Miss Alice!" Christy cried. Covering his feet back  
up Christy ran from the room and down the stairs in  
time to see Alice crossing the cabin, a worried look  
on her face.  
  
"What happened?" she cried. "Thee did not return to  
the mission last night!"  
  
"Miss Alice, its Neil! He's sick!"  
  
The two women hurried back up to the bedroom and Alice  
examined the feverish doctor while Christy told her  
everything she had done. Nodding her head as she  
listened, Alice assured her that she had done  
everything correctly, no different than she herself  
would have done had their roles been switched.   
Needing to get back to the mission with the medicine  
she told Christy that she would have Dan Scott check  
in, in a few hours, and that she should keep doing all  
that she had been.  
  
"All thee can do now is wait, Christy. Keep him  
comfortable and warm; and most importantly keep him in  
that bed. No doubt he will want to rise and check on  
his patients but if he does he will have a relapse and  
it will be even worse than this time. His stubborn  
streak will no doubt raise the roof. Use whatever  
thee needs to to keep him confined to his bed."  
  
Watching Alice ride away Christy stayed on the porch  
for a moment before returning to her vigil by Neil's  
side. Setting up some weak broth for when he was  
feeling better Christy kept it warming over the fire  
and went in search of a book to read while she waited.  
Scanning the medical books she was surprised to find  
a Bible on the shelving. Pulling it down Christy  
realized that it was very old; it had to have been  
handed down through the generations.  
  
Taking it with her she climbed the stairs and sat  
under the window of the bedroom, Neil in her sights,  
so that she could read by the light that streamed in.   
Opening it to no place in particular she saw that it  
fell open to the first of Paul's two letters to the  
Christians in Corinth. In the fold of the thirteenth  
chapter she saw several folded pieces of paper had  
been stuck in between the pages. Opening one she  
recognized her own writing.   
  
These were her letters to Neil!  
  
Christy realized that he must have stuck these in  
there himself. Looking down at the bible pages her  
eyes were caught up by the fourth verse and Christy  
began to read the words to herself.  
  
'Love is longsuffering and kind. Love is not jealous,  
it does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not  
behave indecently, does not look for its own  
interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep  
account of injury. It does not rejoice over  
unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. It bears  
all things, believes all things, hopes all things,  
endures all things. Love never fails...'  
  
"I should have known you'd choose the bible."  
  
Glancing up quickly Christy smiled with relief and  
sheer joy at seeing Neil watching her from the bed.   
His eyes were a little glazed from the fever but he  
was awake and she could finally see that he was okay.   
Tucking the letters back into the bible she set in on  
the chair as she crossed to his side, kneeling next to  
the bed and taking his hand in hers.  
  
"You had me so worried, Neil," she told him.  
  
Frowning Neil closed his eyes as he tried to remember,  
"What happened?"  
  
"I came into the cabin to get some medicine for the  
mission and I found you unconscious on the floor.   
You're sick."  
  
"Aye," he groaned. "I feel it. How did I get up  
here? Who was with you?"  
  
"No one was with me." Taking the cloth from the  
bucket of water Christy wrung it out again and pressed  
it to Neil's forehead. The cool relief felt wonderful  
and Neil kept his eyes closed to enjoy it. "Miss  
Alice was here a few hours ago and Dan Scott will be  
stopping by soon."  
  
"Lass, I don't understand, if you were alone how did I  
get up here?"  
  
"I dragged you," Christy answered in a soft voice as  
she re-wetted the cloth before pressing it to his  
forehead again.  
  
"All by yourself?" Neil opened his eyes to stare at  
her. It took a lot of effort to do so but he needed  
to see her face. There was a blush on her face and  
Neil realized that she had indeed been caring for him  
all by herself. Groaning he wondered what he had done  
to make her blush so deeply. "Lass, I didn't...?"  
  
Shaking her head she smiled. "You were unconscious  
Neil," she confirmed. "I was the only one here with  
you but I wasn't alone." She could see the confusion  
in his blue eyes and Christy explained. "I prayed,  
Neil. I know you won't believe me but I know that it  
was God that gave me the strength to get you up here.   
I never could have done it on my own."  
  
Closing his eyes Neil mumbled, "I believe you."  
  
"You do?" she whispered.  
  
"Aye," he whispered with his eyes still closed.   
Though his body wanted nothing more than to go back to  
sleep Neil wanted to say this before he lost his  
nerve. "When I got your letter I prayed that I would  
be able to find you and bring you home." Opening his  
eyes he turned to see Christy's puddling with tears as  
she stared at him. "And here you are."  
  
"Oh, Neil," she breathed.  
  
"But don't expect to see me in that pew every Sunday."  
  
"I won't, I promise."  
  
Her reaction to hearing that he had prayed was not the  
one he had expected. "You're not going to badger me  
to go to church just because I prayed?" Christy shook  
her head and a tear fell down her cheek. "Why not?"  
  
With a shaky smile Christy met his gaze. "Because I  
know you're not ready for that yet," she answered him,  
her voice filled with such joy and confidence as Neil  
had never heard before. "But you took that first step  
Neil, you approached God and he showed you that he  
does care. I can wait for you to take that second  
step. I'll wait as long as you need."  
  
Neil was speechless. He didn't know what to say to  
the woman who was kneeling by his side. How did he  
respond to that kind of deep confidence in him, her  
unwavering faith that he would take that next step and  
her endless supply of patience with him? Squeezing  
her hand he found that he could have answered her if  
he'd wanted to, his throat had closed off. Smiling at  
him she pushed a stray curl from his eyes.  
  
"Sleep Neil, you need to rest so you can get better."  
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
The Letters - Chapter Twenty Five  
  
Cutter Gap, TN - 25 - Epilogue  
  
  
Sitting at his desk in his laboratory up stairs Neil  
finished making his notes before putting the notebook  
away for now. Sitting at his desk he looked up at the  
sketch that was framed and hanging on the wall.   
Smiling he remembered the day she had finally shown it  
to him. That had been a good day, one that had  
brought more news than he realized.   
  
Standing he slid the notebook onto the top shelf of  
the unit, since he had already filled the second  
shelf, and watched as an envelope slid down the wall,  
landing on the floor. Bending over he picked it up  
and recognized his name written in Christy's beautiful  
script. It had been carefully written in ink, as  
though she wanted it to last through the years.   
Unfolding the papers he began to read.  
  
'My Dearest Neil;'  
  
'It seems only fitting that I write this on the eve of  
our new life together. A letter was how we came to  
find out the secrets of each others hearts and now I  
end my days as a single woman by writing to you the  
feelings that live in the innermost section of my  
heart.'  
  
'I love you.'  
  
'I know that I have said this many times to you, and I  
am sure I will continue to say it as often as I can,  
but I want you to know that it is one thing in this  
ever changing world that will always remain a  
constant. My love for you began as an irritating  
friendship with a man I barely knew. But as time went  
on I learned to see the man behind the doctor and I  
was forever caught by his warm blue eyes and deep  
voice that spoke of the love he held in his heart.'  
  
'I don't know how long our dance will continue on this  
earth but I will treasure every day I spend as your  
wife, mother to our children, keeper of that one  
little section of your heart that will always hold  
your love for me. I thank God every day for bringing  
me to Cutter Gap all those years ago and for opening  
your heart to him so that he could help you bring me  
home to the place, and to the man, that I belong to.'  
  
'I love you with every beat of my heart, for as long  
as I live,'  
  
'Christy'  
  
Staring at the yellowed papers Neil wiped an unbidden  
tear from his eyes and left his lab, down the stairs  
to the first floor of the MacNeill cabin. There by  
the fire, asleep after a long night, Christy sat with  
their infant daughter Esther in her arms. Both mother  
and daughter were fast asleep after a long night of  
restlessness. As he stared at them Neil saw that both  
of the women he loved were as beautiful in this moment  
as they were the moment they had first made a place in  
his heart.  
  
A tugging on his pant leg caught his attention and  
Neil looked down into the big blue eyes of his son.   
Bending down he lifted the toddler into his arms and  
grinned at the little boy. Setting the letter  
carefully on the table Neil wrapped his son up in a  
bear hug and whispered to the giggling little boy,  
"Sshh..."  
  
"Fish, Pa! Fish!"  
  
Neil chuckled. "All right Gideon. Let's go see the  
fish so Ma can sleep. She's had a long night with  
your baby sister and she's very tired."  
  
With the little boy in his arms Neil walked out of the  
cabin, grabbing his fishing pole on the way, and  
headed down to the river, never seeing his wife crack  
open her eyes and smile at him. When Christy's gaze  
found the letter resting on the table she thought back  
to the night she had penned it for him, tucking it  
away in his lab for him to find years later. Her  
words were as true today as they were back then.  
  
"I love you," she whispered to her husband.  
  
  
The End   
  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 


End file.
