Candy was dusting the shelves in her store when the door suddenly and violently opened, hitting the wall with a loud bang and setting the bells to jangling.
"Candy! Candy! Oh, my heavens, Candy!" Biddie exclaimed, running wildly into the store.
"Biddie, what? What is it?" Candy asked, alarmed, dropping the duster.
Biddie stopped, gasping for breath. She fanned herself with a newspaper.
Candy rushed over to her friend. "Biddie, are you all right?" she asked.
"Oh, I never would have thought it of him! Never, ever would I have thought it!" Biddie wailed.
"Thought what?" inquired the bewildered Candy.
"Oh, sure, he did get rid of that judge in Tacoma. But I understood that," Biddie continued. "He just wanted to be alone with his girl. But this! I never thought he'd do something like this! No, never, Candy!"
"Biddie Cloom St. John..."
"And to think, I even told him that I approved of him. Oh, how could I? I feel so awful now, just awful!"
Candy stamped her foot. "Biddie, if you don't tell me what's happened this instant, I'll scream!"
"Do you have any water, Candy? I need a drink of water after a shock like that, and after running all the way from the library." Biddie fanned herself with the paper again.
Candy dashed to the back of the store, poured Biddie a glass of water, and ran back with it. Biddie took it and drank in quick, loud gulps, her eyes practically popping out of her head.
"Thank you ever so much, Candy!"
"All right," Candy said, trying to be calm. "Now, tell me what this is all about."
"Why, Candy Pruitt Bolt! You obviously haven't been paying attention to a word
I've said! Isn't it obvious who I'm talking about?
"BIDDIE!"
"Why, Aaron Jr., of course!"
"Aaron Jr.? What about him?"
"Well, now, Candy, as you know, the Post-Intelligencer is delivered to the library
every morning."
"Yes, Biddie, get to the point, please!"
"And Mrs. Hingle, the assistant librarian, handed me this morning's copy, like usual."
"Right," Candy said tensely, wishing there was some way of speeding Biddie up, but knowing from experience that there wasn't.
"And oh, Candy, it's all just so upsetting!"
"Biddie, I demand that you tell me what this is all about right now!"
"Well...here. Read this." Biddie handed Candy the newspaper she'd been fanning herself with. Candy grabbed it, hurriedly unfolded it, and looked at the page it had been opened to. An interview immediately caught her eye...an interview with Roger Merwin, Aaron Jr.'s assistant at the sawmill. Candy began scanning the article.
"Yes...yes...'the Stempel Sawmill is on an extensive scale...'" Candy read aloud.
"No, not that part. Read the third paragraph from the bottom," Biddie instructed, pointing.
Candy obeyed, and when she did so, she gasped. The interviewer was quoted as saying to Merwin, "Several Seattle logging operations have been taken over by the Stempel Sawmill Company, causing it to become one of the biggest and most successful milling companies in the Sound. Bolt Brothers Lumber, however, is one of the few hold-outs...an independent logging outfit that has resisted takeover. Lately there have been rumors that Bolt Brothers is struggling. Will the Stempel company step in and attempt to take them over now?"
Merwin's reply was, "Of course. Naturally it is the goal of Mr. Stempel to take over Bolt Brothers. They are the nearest logging outfit and one of the biggest, and one we've had our eye on for some time. As Mr. Stempel's right-hand man, I assure you that it is only a matter of time before we acquire Bolt Brothers."
Candy slowly lowered the paper, her face a picture of dismay.
"Isn't it dreadful, Candy? I just had to come right over and tell you!"
"I've got to tell Jeremy about this!" Candy exclaimed. "Biddie, can you watch the store for a while?"
"Well, of course, Candy. Mrs. Hingle can handle things at the library while I'm gone. Do tell Jeremy I'm sorry I didn't believe him about Stempel Jr. That little scalawag! Aaron, of course, not Jeremy."
But Candy did not hear. She was too busy throwing off her apron and running out of the store as fast as she could. She raced home, saddled up a horse, and rode, hell-bent for leather, up to the camp. She tied her horse to a hitching post right outside the camp office and burst inside, finding Louisa working at her desk.
"Oh, hi, Aunt Candy. What are you doing..."
Candy interrupted, taking no time for niceties. "Louisa, where are your father and your uncles?"
At first Lou just stared at her aunt, who was panting and out of breath. "Well, Uncle Jeremy and Uncle Joshua are out with crews. You just missed Papa. He left about two minutes ago and headed over to the north ridge with some men."
"Thanks," Candy said, and dashed out of the office.
"Hey...what's the matter?" Lou yelled, but it was too late. Candy was gone.
Jason stood near the north ridge, giving instructions to a foreman. "All right, we should be able to clear this area by the end of the week and then move the crews to the other side of the..."
"Jason! Jason!" Candy's voice called out.
Jason turned to see his sister-in-law running towards him as if she was being chased by one hundred grizzlies. He put down the ax he'd been carrying and looked at her worriedly. "Candy! What's wrong? What are you doing up here?"
Candy could not reply at first, but stood with her hand on her stomach, bent over slightly and taking deep gulps of air. Jason turned to the men. "Boys, go on ahead. I'll join you later." The crew continued up the hill. Jason turned back to his sister-in-law. "All right, Candy, calm down. What's happened?"
"The paper...Aaron...Bolt Brothers..." Candy gasped.
"Take a deep breath," Jason instructed. "Here," he said, offering her a canteen of water.
She took the canteen and drank from it, put the cover back on and gave it back to him. "Thank you, Jason," she managed to say.
"Now...just catch your breath and tell me what it is you're so upset about," he said.
She handed him the newspaper. "Here...read this."
As Jason read, his face grew angrier and angrier. "So it's true, then, the note Lou found! Why that little..." Jason glanced at Candy, remembered that he mustn't swear in front of a lady, and he bit his tongue. "If Merwin is telling the newspapers this, then Stempel must've given him permission to do so," Jason raged. "And Stempel, the lying little..." He glanced at Candy again. "...coward even arranged to be out of town when the news hit!"
"Yes, he must have planned it all in advance," Candy said bitterly.
"Thanks for bringing this, Candy. I'll call a meeting with Josh, Jeremy, and Jonny right away."
"All right, Jason. I'd better get back to the store."
Candy departed, and Jason took one more look at the article. He stuffed the newspaper into his pocket. Then he picked up the ax he'd dropped, swung it back, and forcefully chopped it into a tree stump as hard as he could, causing the wood chips to fly. Feeling only slightly better, he ran back to camp.
* * *
Jeremy and Candy lightly knocked on Jessica's bedroom door. Receiving no reply, they opened it and went inside.
They found their daughter face down on her bed, crying brokenheartedly. The copy of the newspaper containing the interview with Merwin was crumpled on the floor beside the bed. Candy and Jeremy looked at each other. Jessica knew.
Jeremy and Candy sat on the bed and Jeremy gathered Jessie into his arms. He held her, while Candy stroked her hair. "Jessica, Honey, I'm so sorry," Jeremy said.
"Oh, Daddy, Mother!"
"Sshh, Honey, it's okay," Candy said soothingly.
"You two were right all along," Jessie cried out. "Why didn't I listen to you?"
"We're just sorry you were hurt, Jessie," Candy said.
"How could I have been so stupid...so blind?" Jessica sobbed.
"It's not your fault, sweetheart," Jeremy said. "That Stempel probably talked a good game."
Jessica clung to her father and cried into his shoulder. "Everyone tried to tell me...Maggie, Louisa, you two...but I wouldn't listen. I feel like such a fool."
"You're not a fool," Jeremy murmured. "You're a sweet, trusting girl, and we wouldn't have you any other way."
"I'll never believe another man as long as I live," she declared.
"Now, don't say that, Jessie," Candy said. "Believe me, someday you'll find a man who's loving and honest and good to you...just like I found your father."
"Well, I don't ever want to see Aaron's face again...ever!" she said forcefully.
At that, Jeremy looked at his wife behind Jessie's back. He gave Candy a thrilled and triumphant grin, overjoyed at their daughter's last words. In response, Candy frowned and gave him a disapproving look, reminding him that the situation was serious. He adopted a proper, sober expression.
"Don't worry, Jessica," he said. "You don't ever have to see that lying scoundrel again. If he has the nerve to show his face here, your mother or Jonny or I will give him the boot. He won't hurt you anymore."
"I'm just so sorry I let you both down," Jessie said bitterly.
"You didn't let us down, Honey," Candy protested.
"But I wasn't pleasant with you both at times. I was...well, I was stubborn."
Candy and Jeremy exchanged looks again. "Uh, it's that Pruitt stubbornness," Jeremy said wryly. "You inherited it from your mother."
Candy put her hands on her hips. "And what about the BOLT stubbornness?"
"Let's face it, Candy. No matter who she took after, she was bound to be stubborn," he replied.
"Well, I won't ever fail you again," their daughter said staunchly.
"Honey, it's not a matter of failing us. We don't look at it that way," Jeremy told her.
"And Jess," Candy added, "it's safe to say you will make mistakes again. We
all do. The important thing is to learn from them."
"Maybe I'll just stay away from young men altogether!" she blurted.
Candy smiled patiently. "You'll change your mind about that soon enough, believe me."
"Now, wait a minute, Candy. Maybe that's not such a bad idea!"
Candy gave Jeremy a look that was half amused, half warning.
"All right, all right," Jeremy conceded. "There are some nice young men out there, Jess, and I'm sure you'll find one someday who's good enough for you."
"Would you mind if I just spent some time alone right now?" Jessica asked, gently pulling away from her father.
"Of course, sweetheart," he said, wiping her tears away.
"If you need anything, just holler," Candy added, giving Jessie a quick hug.
"Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Daddy."
Candy and Jeremy lovingly kissed their daughter and quietly left the room. Jessie picked up a handkerchief, wiped her eyes and blew her nose. Then she spotted the crumpled newspaper on the floor. She picked it up and tore it viciously, threw it back on the floor, stood up, and stomped on it. She spoke, adopting a mocking tone. "Oh, I don't want to take over your father's company, Jessie!" STOMP! She stamped her foot on the paper again. "I would never use a young lady to get to her father's company, Jessie!" STOMP! "Oh, give me your picture so I can look at it in Olympia, Jessie!" STOMP!
"Scurrilous wharf rat!" she exclaimed. "Arrogant cad!" She kicked the wad of paper with the toe of her shoe, sending it flying across the room, watching with satisfaction as it hit the wall.
"Oh! Take that, Mr. Stempel, and good riddance to you!"
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