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He was the cutest little boy, and the men in the camp adored him. Jim always made sure he stayed away from danger, but he had Jim’s wit and he would say things that made the men laugh. Jim could remember that day even old grouchy Clarkston was teasing Jimmy. “Now, are you going to grow up and be like Jim? Wouldn’t you like to grow up and be like me instead?” Jimmy didn’t miss a beat. “Nah, I will plan to take a bath once in a while.” The men roared at that, and old Clarkston just grinned. “Yip. You’re going to be like Jim, all right.” It wasn’t too long after Jimmy was born that they received their first letter from Mary’s father. He told her he loved her and was sorry for how he had acted. He told her he was working to save money so he and Mary’s mother could come visit and see her and their grandson, and meet their son-in-law. Each year they had planned to come the very next year, but something would always come up. Then, when Jimmy was five, the flu epidemic hit, and very few people traveled anywhere. That horrible flu epidemic... It had taken Mary and Jimmy. Jim started to think about that night, but the pain was too great, and he took his cane and slammed it down on the crate next to him. He hadn’t thought about that night for a long time and he wasn’t ready to think about it now. He did think about how dark things had been in his life after that. He had become angry and hated even being alive. He worked every minute of the day just so he wouldn’t have to go home and face an empty house. 59