by Leigh Smith
Sadie Hinsdale was cleaning up the kitchen after her father and brothers had left for the day. Since her Ma died, she was responsible for the cooking, cleaning, laundry, mending, gardening and every other damn thing that her brothers didn't want to do. She never had time for herself anymore, and she was tired. If she complained too often, or didn't get her chores done, or sassed back, her father wasted no time in reminding her that he was never too tired, nor was she ever too old to get a strapping. Even her brothers never hesitated in taking her to task if she sassed them. She hated being a girl.
While she was getting water from the well - another chore she had to do - she thought about running away. The least her brothers could do was bring in water and milk the cow, but no, they were too busy for that too. If she ran away, they would have to do all those damn chores by themselves. She knew she would never be able to get away as a girl. They'd find her, and she didn't even want to think of the strapping her pa would deliver. Her welts would have welts, but it was a nice thought and one that often carried her through her long workdays.
That night at the dinner table, Cael, her oldest brother, announced he was getting married. Her other brothers and her father congratulated him, and all Sadie could think of was finally she would get some help in doing the chores. The thought didn't last long, though, because he was marrying Mary Elizabeth Casey, the daughter of the Casey Mercantile in town. Cael announced she would continue to help out at her family's store but would take her meals and sleep here.
"Does that mean I'm responsible for taking care of another person too? I need help, not more work."
"Sadie, be happy for your brother and quit complaining."
"I am happy for him; I'd be even happier if she shared the load, instead of adding to it."
"Sadie, enough," her Pa said and in that tone of voice that said no more or else.
She got up from the table and walked out the door. The hell with all of them, she thought to herself. She saddled Brindl and went for a ride. She never had time to ride during the day, and although she knew it wasn't safe to ride alone at night, she was so angry she didn't care.
Sadie had rode out further than their ranch and almost to the forest when she heard a noise that sounded like someone crying. She went in the direction of the noise and found a young Indian girl who was huge with child. She looked around for signs of anyone else and saw none. The girl had no English, and she didn't speak Indian but she could see the fear in the young girl's eyes.
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