Excerpt
The days had been quite warm, but the nights were turning cold as fall approached. The trees were turning color and soon the leaves would be falling. Gretchen put an extra quilt over her that night. She was sleeping soundly when Suzy growling woke her. She leaned over and turned the wick up on the lamp as she looked over at her dog who was staring at the door. She whispered, “Someone out there, Suzy?” Then she heard a faint knock. She got out of bed and stood next to the door. “Who’s there?”
“Could ya please help us, Ma’am?”
“Suzy, that sounds like a child. Move back.” Gretchen reached out and removed the heavy wooden bar and propped it up against the wall, and then swung the door open. Her eyes widened as she stared down at a small boy with a baby in his arms and a little girl was crouched behind him hanging onto his shirt. “Well, glory be.” Gretchen reached out and took the baby in her arms as she ushered the children into the cabin. She quickly closed the door. The little boy and girls were shivering from the cold, and when she looked down at the baby, she could see its face was blue. “Oh, no.” She cried within her as she laid the baby on her bed, fearful of feeling for a pulse when the baby opened her mouth and mewed like a kitten.
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