Little did Joshua and Kate realize how much trouble their short trek to the Macready cabin would cause them in town.

      The Betterment League had set their sights on Kate Macready. The half dozen women who faithfully attended the group's weekly meetings had more than their share of scandalous behavior to report to the others. Katelyn Macready climbed a tree in a dress on Sunday. Katelyn Macready rode alone several times to nearby towns without returning home with one parcel that they could see. Katelyn Macready missed church and was later seen looking around the jail for those men of Jason's who had disturbed the peace. Katelyn Macready worked right alongside the loggers on that new building. Katelyn Macready lived in a room over the saloon and probably would continue to live there for the next year. And now, thanks to sharp eyed Helen, a new bit of information: Katelyn Macready was seen coming out of the woods in the early morning in the company of Joshua Bolt and only Joshua Bolt dressed in boys clothing. A small delegation from the league volunteered to approach Candy Pruitt with their concerns. They knew from past experience that talking to Jason was useless and, for some reason, Aaron Stempel refused to discuss the newcomer.

      As Candy listened to the women's complaints, she managed to hold back all manner of thoughts which would have shocked these ladies had they been voiced. If indignation could have helped Kate's cause Candy would have let fly with her opinions of their "concerns". The truth was Candy had been a little concerned herself about the impression Kate was leaving on the town. Although she knew Kate did not deserve censure, she did think her new friend would benefit from some small adjustments to her current way of life.

      Candy Pruitt spoke with Lottie about all of this one day as they watched the girl placing shingles on the roof of the news office. The two came up with a plan that might help to keep the Kate's name out of the minutes of the Betterment League for a while. The women enlisted Jason's help before they set their strategy in motion.

      Candy walked into Aaron Stempel's shed one morning. "Katie?"

      She'd seen the girl enter the shed moments before, but now there was no sign of her in the dim room.

      "Here, Candy," a disembodied voice answered from a far corner.

      "Where?"

      "Here!"

       Candy saw a hand waving at her from the middle of the printing press. Her friend was somewhere within the belly of the machine. "How did you get in there? Are you stuck?"

      Candy was amazed and, as always, amused by the reporter's predicaments.

      "No, I'm not stuck, but this blasted machine is!" Her voice was laced with frustration and anger. Kate gave the works a strong blow with a hammer and the gears finally gave with a mournful creak.

      "Yes. Victory is mine!" Katie's triumphant face beamed up from the mass of wood and metal.

      Candy laughed at the sight. "Let me help you out!"

      "Thanks. I can't believe Albert Morgan had the nerve to sell us this piece of junk for the price he did. I don't know how we're ever going to manage printing anything on it. It stops after every twenty or thirty revolutions and I have to crawl under here to get it going again."

      Kate scrambled out from under the press. She wore an old blacksmith's apron over her work dress and was smudged in grease from her forehead to her waist. Candy smiled but shook her head. The very proper New England maiden had great affection for her friend but could see where a few lessons on the fine art of feminine mystique might be just what the reporter needed. She was convinced that Kate would make a wonderful wife someday if she just learned how to bait her hook, catch her prey and reel him in. She would never in the world hurt Kate's feelings by suggesting that she change; however, she knew the brides could teach her how to settle into Seattle's society just by being around her more often.

      "What can I do for you, Candy?"

      "Katie, how would you like to move into the dormitory with us?"

      The offer surprised the girl. "Move into the dormitory?"

      "When you first got here you stayed with Lottie to finish your article. Now that you'll be here all year, I was thinking that you'd be much more comfortable over in the dorm with us. There's plenty of room now that there are only twenty-five of us living there. We want to get to know you better, Katie, and we do have a lot of fun. What do you think?"

      Kate didn't know. Jean Bolt was the only woman she remembered living closely with and that was so long ago. The whole idea of living with twenty-five girls, as wonderful as they were, seemed a little intimidating.

      "Can I tell you later? I need some time to think it over."

      Candy eased off the idea knowing that her fellow conspirators were in place in case she couldn't get Katie to go along with the plan right away.

      "Of course, but don't wait too long. Jason might want to bring in more brides before the winter sets in and all the beds would be gone," she laughed.

      Katie laughed too. "I don't think being responsible for another shipment of brides is high on Jason's list of priorities!"

      The future editor struggled with the printing press for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening she returned to Lottie's where the saloon owner provided her with dinner before playing her part in the "Great Dormitory Strategy".

      Katie brought up Candy's plan and Lottie agreed enthusiastically.

      "What a great idea. What did you tell her?"

      "I said I wanted to think it over."

      "If you want my opinion, you should move in with them and the sooner the better. I worry about you climbing out of that window up there. Besides, the brides are not only wonderful girls, but they're endless sources of information. What more could a reporter want?"

      Well, what could Katie say now when her own hostess was kicking her out of the nest?

      The girl pondered the whole situation as she finished her meal. After helping Lottie clear away the plates that were left by the dinner crowd, Katie tucked herself away at a side table to write a few more articles for her first edition. As always happened when she wrote, the hours flew by without her notice. When she finally looked up, the saloon was filled with lumbermen, sailors and mill workers all stopping by for their "one-for-the-roads"before heading home to their families.

      Jason sat down next to her with beer in hand. He was the third participant in the plot.

      He greeted her by planting a kiss on the top of her head. "How's my girl tonight?"

      "Fine, thank-you. How are you Jason? How's the contract coming?"

      "We're right on schedule," Jason smiled.

      Kate watched and listened closely. Unlike Joshua and Jeremy, Jason could pull the wool over the eyes of the devil himself without so much as a blink.

      "Things have never been better. Lottie tells me you're thinking of moving into the dormitory."

      "Candy mentioned it and Lottie has all but shown me the door. You wouldn't happen to agree with them would you? "

      Jason realized that she saw right through their plot and chuckled. "Yes, Cricket, I do. Lottie has been very good about renting the room to you but in the fall rendezvous begins and this place is full. She's going to need that room of yours."

      "I see. Believe it or not I have been thinking about moving soon. The check the Tribune sends me for my article on the brides will be the last of any money I'll see until we start selling papers."

      "So you'll move in with the brides?"

      "I was thinking of moving into my parents' cabin now that you three have made it livable."

      Jason frowned. "I don't think you should move up there, Cricket."

      "Why not?"

      The lumberman used his fingers to count off the reasons. "You'll be miles from the news office. There is no one living up there any more in case you should need help. The brides want you to move in and you don't want them to think you're unsociable. You'll be much closer to the rest of the town and anything worth reporting. The snow can get pretty deep on the mountain in winter and you could be cut off. You could also make some extra money by renting out your cabin to trappers the way we do..."

      "All right, all right, I'll move in with the brides but I'll spend my weekends on the mountain. How does that sound?"

      "I love it when you're agreeable." Jason winked at her then nodded over to the bar where Biddie stood waiting. The young woman hurried over to their table at top speed.

      "I'm so excited, Katie. The girls are looking forward to having you stay with us,"she chirped. "We'll let you choose your own bed since there are so many to choose from. Here, let's go to your room and gather up your things and then we can go over to the dormitory tonight. We girls give a concert for each other on Tuesday evenings and on Wednesdays the literary society meets. Oh, you can help us with that. On Thursdays we darn stockings and read the news from Olympia. I suppose that will change once we have our own paper now won't it? I forgot to tell you about Mondays..."

      Kate shot a look of mock thanks to Jason as the man suppressed a laugh. Kate allowed Biddie to bustle her up the stairs and help her pack her things. As Lottie and Jason waved to the girls from the saloon door later on, Kate became more determined to investigate Jason's labor troubles on the mountain for the paper. If he wanted to help arrange her living conditions perhaps he wouldn't mind helping her sell some papers by providing her with an interesting headline.

      Biddie helped Kate place her belongings into a chest at the end of Abigail's old bed by the back window. While they worked, Kate planned a little strategy of her own.

      "Biddie, how would you like to go with me on your first real assignment for the paper tomorrow?"

      "Oh, that would be so exciting. Where are we going?"

      "Sit right here and we'll discuss everything." Kate smiled, patting the edge of her bed. "Now the most important element of this assignment will be secrecy, Biddie."

      "Secrecy," the young woman nodded her eyes as wide as saucers.

      "If what we're doing is discovered too soon, the entire story will be ruined."

      "Oh my goodness, well, we certainly wouldn't want to ruin anything now would we?"

      Back at the saloon, Jason, Candy, and Lottie congratulated each other on successfully saving Kate from dissection by the Betterment League, at least for the time being.