Kate spent an hour practicing her presentation before Josh. She explained every plan, statistic and projected cost necessary to make the project a success.

       After she had convinced herself she was ready, she asked, "Well, Squid, what do you think? Is there anything that wasn't clear? Is there anything I missed?"

       Josh smiled, "You know, this is the first time you've ever asked my opinion. Are you sure you want my advice?"

       "Of course," she grinned, "but don't get too excited, this is business, not personal,"       

       "Oh, I see." Josh conceded, "Well, there are a few things I would change. Got a pencil?"

       "Always," was Kate's quick reply. For the next ten minutes Kate and Josh bent their heads over the open file changing sequences and condensing information. The young bookkeeper's opinion was very helpful to the reporter and, as he pointed out areas that could be changed, Kate found herself wondering why she hadn't asked him for more help during the month. The boy she had dubbed "Squid" was a young man who knew his business.

       Josh sat back against the boulder and watched the young woman as she revised a few sentences. He had kept track of Katie's comings and goings in the past month through casual questioning of those who had seen her. The disciplined Kaitlyn Macready others described to him was not the same little pest he had known. Josh smiled. Jason had been right; she had shown him how to treat her. As he studied the golden head bent over the report, Josh realized that although she might always be headstrong and impulsive, she wasn't a brat but a young woman who knew her business.

       "Finished." Kate announced with pride.

       "Great, let's get back to town." Josh began to slide off the ledge but Kate stopped him.

       "Josh, the council will probably vote in favor of this paper, but when they do, like you said, the hard work really begins. So many people will be depending on me to give them a great newspaper." Katie's eyes met his," What if I can't live up to their trust?"

       Josh had never heard Kate voice her fears before. He placed a strong hand over hers. "Did the brides tell you of the time Jason wanted to make me mayor of Seattle?"

       Kate's eyes opened wide in surprise, "You, mayor?"

       "Yes, me." the young man chuckled. "I was petrified. I didn't want all that responsibility. Fortunately for me and for Seattle, it never happened. I only agreed to run because people needed someone to make things right for them."

       Josh noticed Kate's pensive mood and continued. "I would have made a lousy mayor but you have what it takes to be an editor, Cricket. I guess the question you need to answer for yourself before all of this begins is whether or not you really believe Seattle needs a paper."

       "I don't just believe she does, I'm convinced of it," she answered without a second thought.

       "Why?"

        "It's not easy to explain."

       "I'm listening. "

       "Once, Papa and I went to hear a new priest in town. I don't remember everything he said but one part of his message jumped out at me and has stuck in my heart ever since. He told us that the Good Lord once said, 'You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free'. Josh, it was like everything inside of me woke up in that moment!

       Papa and I were dirt poor and we sure didn't feel free. I wanted to drop out of school to work more hours, Papa hated that idea but I kept insisting. After I heard that sermon I saw that maybe an education was the way out of our troubles. I wanted to be as free as I'd been here in Seattle and if finding the truth was the way then I'd look for it wherever I could. I worked at odd jobs and saved enough money to take some university classes after high school. Everything I learned I shared with Papa. After a while we started to understand the way things worked in a big city. Knowing the truth set us free to challenge the way our landlord ran things. We were actually changing situations we'd felt trapped by."

       Kate set down her folder and hugged her knees to her chest. "Looking for truth in that neighborhood was tough: Corruption and apathy were everywhere. Papa and I wanted to change things for the thousands of people in Chicago who were just like us but we didn't know how.''

       "About this time I noticed something interesting about the people in our building. On Saturday nights, the adults who weren't out courting would take their newspapers out on their balconies and stoops after dinner. Those who could, read the articles out loud for everyone else. Then they'd all sit around giving their opinions and arguing with each other for hours over the way the world was being run. You should have seen the change in them, Josh. They weren't just poor immigrants; they were informed citizens. That's when I realized how important it was that what those reporters wrote in those newspapers be the truth.

       "Seattle has to have a paper, Josh. People deserve something besides word of mouth to let them know what is happening beyond their own front doors. They need something in print to argue and agree with. I hope they argue with what we write, Josh. I hope they question what we put before them, not because it's inaccurate but because they want to find the truth too. As long as they do that, Seattle will be free."

       Josh shook his head. "And I thought you were a naive little girl. I was such a jerk."

       "Yes, you were," Kate broke the serious mood with a smile, "but you haven't been today, Josh. Thank-you for keeping your promise and standing beside me."

       Josh nodded, "You're welcome ma'am. Glad to be of service."

       At that moment Jeremy came racing up the trail in a buggy.

       "Hey you two, Clancey's just pulled into port and the town council is ready to start. Jump in."

       "Oh gosh!" Kate grabbed her folder and leapt down from the ledge right into the back seat of the rig. Josh landed right beside her and the buggy took off like lightning.