knees beside her. “Your hair. Your beautiful hair!” he cried. “What have they done to you? I should have been with you!” Paul stood up from the floor.
“She was lucky, the savages killed her then scalped her. They took my Aggie's scalp while she was still alive! Rotten bunch of devils!” Paul was filled with hate, the kind that makes shivers prickle all over your body— the kind that can rip the life out of anything it chooses.
Paul noticed one of Agnes’ curtains lying on the floor where it had been ripped from the window. “She was so proud of these.” He whispered as he picked them up. “She was so proud.” He began to cry as he buried his face in the fabric. “Aggie!” he screamed out. The pain resonated in his voice. “Aggie!”
It was late evening when Marion heard a knock at the door. “Why, Mr. O'Leary! Come in.” Marion held the door open for him to enter. His usually bright and chipper face wore a serious, even grim look. “Is something wrong, Jacob? You look a bit under the weather this evening.”
“I think we should all have a seat. I have some bad news. Really bad.”
“What's the matter?” Daniel asked.
“Maybe the children should leave the room first.”
“Yes, of course.” Marion ushered them out.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this. But Paul didn't want you hearing it in a letter.”
Marion looked at Daniel then back to Mr. O'Leary. “What's happened? Is it Agnes? Is she sick? I knew she was too frail to live a life on that rough Prairie.”
“Oh, ma'am, this is hard... this is so hard to say. I don't know an easy way of putting it so I'm just going to come right out with it. She's been killed, ma'am.”
Marion felt all of the air leave her body as she let out a horrific scream that brought the children running back into the room.
“What's wrong?” John demanded.
“Please children, get back to your rooms just for now.” Mr. O'Leary spoke softly.
“Yes, sir.” They obeyed.
John and Nathan listened to the conversations through their bedroom door.
“What happened?” Daniel asked again. There was a tremble in his voice.
“It was Indians. Paul was in the field when he saw them. He tried to get there. But it all happened too quickly, he said. But he wanted you to know that she went down fighting. She killed one before they took the gun and turned it on her.”
“I can't believe it. She's gone. Agnes is gone!” Marion wailed. Though it was obvious his own pain was overwhelming, Daniel tried to comfort her.
“It's all right. She's in a better place now.” He placed his hand over hers.
“I'll never see her again. My girl... I'll never see her again!” She cried into Daniel's shoulder as he wrapped her in his arms.
John listened in shock. No! This couldn't be true! Dear, sweet Agnes, she couldn't be dead! Into this moment of grief Nathan chose to throw one of his most blistering comments. “See what you're precious savage Injuns can do? They're nothing but animals and we've got one of them in our very own house!” John threw Nathan to the floor and drew his fist back. Then he heard Agnes’ voice in his ear. “Don't, John. You promised me.” John slowly stood up trembling in fear and remorse. He had to get out of here. He had to get away from Nathan! He bolted from the room past Marion, Daniel and Mr. O'Leary, then out of the house.
“I think I will go along now and leave you all to your grief.” Mr. O'Leary slowly stood up and started toward the door.
“Thank you for coming by and letting us know.” Daniel shook Mr. O'Leary's hand. “I know it wasn't an easy thing to do.”
“She was like the daughter I never had. It breaks my heart, it does.” Mr. O'Leary bowed his head and left.
“John must have overheard.” Marion said through her tears. “I must go to him.” She quickly followed Mr. O'Leary out of the cabin.
Daniel sat there alone for a few minutes still trying to absorb the news he'd just heard. One of his children was
“She was lucky, the savages killed her then scalped her. They took my Aggie's scalp while she was still alive! Rotten bunch of devils!” Paul was filled with hate, the kind that makes shivers prickle all over your body— the kind that can rip the life out of anything it chooses.
Paul noticed one of Agnes’ curtains lying on the floor where it had been ripped from the window. “She was so proud of these.” He whispered as he picked them up. “She was so proud.” He began to cry as he buried his face in the fabric. “Aggie!” he screamed out. The pain resonated in his voice. “Aggie!”
It was late evening when Marion heard a knock at the door. “Why, Mr. O'Leary! Come in.” Marion held the door open for him to enter. His usually bright and chipper face wore a serious, even grim look. “Is something wrong, Jacob? You look a bit under the weather this evening.”
“I think we should all have a seat. I have some bad news. Really bad.”
“What's the matter?” Daniel asked.
“Maybe the children should leave the room first.”
“Yes, of course.” Marion ushered them out.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this. But Paul didn't want you hearing it in a letter.”
Marion looked at Daniel then back to Mr. O'Leary. “What's happened? Is it Agnes? Is she sick? I knew she was too frail to live a life on that rough Prairie.”
“Oh, ma'am, this is hard... this is so hard to say. I don't know an easy way of putting it so I'm just going to come right out with it. She's been killed, ma'am.”
Marion felt all of the air leave her body as she let out a horrific scream that brought the children running back into the room.
“What's wrong?” John demanded.
“Please children, get back to your rooms just for now.” Mr. O'Leary spoke softly.
“Yes, sir.” They obeyed.
John and Nathan listened to the conversations through their bedroom door.
“What happened?” Daniel asked again. There was a tremble in his voice.
“It was Indians. Paul was in the field when he saw them. He tried to get there. But it all happened too quickly, he said. But he wanted you to know that she went down fighting. She killed one before they took the gun and turned it on her.”
“I can't believe it. She's gone. Agnes is gone!” Marion wailed. Though it was obvious his own pain was overwhelming, Daniel tried to comfort her.
“It's all right. She's in a better place now.” He placed his hand over hers.
“I'll never see her again. My girl... I'll never see her again!” She cried into Daniel's shoulder as he wrapped her in his arms.
John listened in shock. No! This couldn't be true! Dear, sweet Agnes, she couldn't be dead! Into this moment of grief Nathan chose to throw one of his most blistering comments. “See what you're precious savage Injuns can do? They're nothing but animals and we've got one of them in our very own house!” John threw Nathan to the floor and drew his fist back. Then he heard Agnes’ voice in his ear. “Don't, John. You promised me.” John slowly stood up trembling in fear and remorse. He had to get out of here. He had to get away from Nathan! He bolted from the room past Marion, Daniel and Mr. O'Leary, then out of the house.
“I think I will go along now and leave you all to your grief.” Mr. O'Leary slowly stood up and started toward the door.
“Thank you for coming by and letting us know.” Daniel shook Mr. O'Leary's hand. “I know it wasn't an easy thing to do.”
“She was like the daughter I never had. It breaks my heart, it does.” Mr. O'Leary bowed his head and left.
“John must have overheard.” Marion said through her tears. “I must go to him.” She quickly followed Mr. O'Leary out of the cabin.
Daniel sat there alone for a few minutes still trying to absorb the news he'd just heard. One of his children was
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