Chapter 1

Dawn was only 17years old but had wanted to teach school for most of her life, so when she saw the advertisement for a teacher in the remote hill town of Mill Creek she jumped at the opportunity to apply. Neither she, nor any of her friends or family new of the town that was deep in the hill country. However, it was an opportunity that couldn't be overlooked when opportunities were few. Dawn was even more delighted when she received a telegram that invite her to visit Bitter Springs to meet a member of the Mill Creek school board.

A week later she set out on the train journey that would change her life. Bitter Springs was just a whistle stop town with a general store, hotel and a few clap board houses. Its solitary reason to exist was to act as a hub for a number of farming and timber towns deep in the hills to the east. When Dawn arrived, fresh faced and enthusiastic, she was greeted at the station by a well groomed man in his early fifties. His suit was store bought but fitted well. His face was ruddy and he sported a pencil thin mustache on his top lip, he was otherwise clean shaven.

"Miss Purtil," he lifted his hat in greeting. When she inclined her head in acknowledgment he continued, "My name is Porter, Tom Porter. I own the Mill Creek general store."

"Mr Porter." Dawn lowered her eyes shyly as he took her arm.

"They serve lunch at the hotel and I have arranged for us to eat and have a chat. I'm sure you would also like to freshen up, I have reserved a room for you as well." They walked briskly along the dusty street toward the hotel in the full glare of the midday sun.

Upon finding the welcome cool of the hotel Dawn was escorted to the sparse hotel room. At the top of what could only generously be described as a functional staircase she washed and fixed her hair. Several minutes later she was in the small room adjacent to the lobby that served as a dining room. It had six tables. Each table seated four people and when full it would certainly be cramped. Dawn was nervous as she approached Mr Porter who rose to meet her. Playing the gentlemen he helped her chair and informed her that he had taken the liberty of ordering for her.

There was something about the man that made Dawn uncomfortable but she couldn't fault his manners at all. Through the swinging doors Dawn could see into the bar where a couple of dusty cow men lounged lazily at the bar. They in turn had not failed to notice the pretty young lady enter the dining area. In fact they had watched her and the older man with her walk down the street from the telegraph office and station a few minutes earlier.

"Now look at that Slade ain't that just the sweetest pussy you ever did see, I wonder what she's doing in this place." Dancer, no one new his other names asked his friend

"Maybe she's the new sporting girl, Goldie has been gone a week now." Slade's answer was slightly slurred from a little too much whiskey and beer

"Don't be a fucking idiot, does she look like a whore to you."

"Well ... no, but she might be." Dancer looked at his less than bright partner with disdain then ignored him and spoke directly to the barkeep.

"Who's the girl Harry," he indicated the couple at the dining room table. The barman leaned across the bar to be able to look into the dining room.

"Don't know but if she's with that weevil Porter she's in trouble.

"Who's Porter," Dancer inquired with interest.

"Owns the store in Mill Creek and this is the third girl in six months he has met at the train. Don't know what's going on but the other lasses looked just as sweet as that one does." Harry rubbed his nose and poured a drink for himself and held the bottle out to the two cow pokes "another boys?"

"Miss Purtil, we have a few things to discuss I believe," Porter words drew Dawn attention away from the men at the bar.

"Yes of course Mr Porter. You will want to see my references." Dawn began to rummage in her bag but Porter waved his hand dismissively.

"Later perhaps. For now I would like to get to know you, one can tell a lot from conversation don't you think. For example do you have any close relatives nearby." Dawn thought that this was rather a strange question to be asking to brake the Ice but she answered anyway.

"Not close by, no. I live with my parents in Emitville, that's where I came from today ... on the train. My father is the Methodist minister there but the rest of our family live back east."

"A young lady like yourself must have lots of friends, a boyfriend perhaps?" dawns brow furrowed.

"No I don't have a boyfriend but some of the young ladies that attend church are friends of mine. We have only lived in Emitville these past three months I have not become closely attached to any of them at this time. Porter seemed pleased and Dawn couldn't understand the faint hint of a smile that touched the corner of his mouth. For the next twenty minutes Porter asked further questions that had little to do with Dawns ability to teach. Finally he reached out for her references.

"Your references I'll look at them now Miss Purtil," his look was nothing more than cursory glance at each document. He handed the papers back to the girl, some unopened. "Very good, very good, you have the job if you still want it. Can you start immediately?" Although Dawn was beginning to have reservations she smiled and said that she could.

"Tomorrow then," he reached his hand out as he stood up from the table. "It's to late to start today so we will stay here tonight and leave tomorrow."

"That will be wonderful Mr Porter, Ill telegram my folks with the news right now." Porter stood, bid Dawn good evening and walked through the swinging doors into the Bar.

It was still hot outside and several mean looking dogs were lounging under the board walk in front of the hotel. They eyed Dawn lazily as she descended the four steps to the dusty street. Holding her ample skirts out of the fine dust she headed back toward the train station's telegraph office. The dogs emerged from under the building when she passed, stretched and yawned as the pretty girl daintily crossed the dusty expanse that separated the Train Station from the other buildings. Dawn looked back and saw the dogs begin to move and for a moment she thought that they would follow her but instead they headed in the direction of the corrals on the other side of the rail tracks.

Dawn flushed red as her eyes followed the direction of the three mangy curs. In the meager shade of the corral rails a big fawn and brown hound was trying to mount a much smaller and reluctant black bitch of unknown breed, while six or seven assorted dogs watched and waited. The girl lost sight of the pack as she rounded the small station building but when she reached the telegraph window the bitch had managed to evade the Hound and was trotting in the direction of the station.