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store and sat on a bench. She turned away when Mike sat beside her. ''What's wrong?" His voice sounded so gentle that she almost began to cry. |
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"I . . . I have no money, Mike." |
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She felt a wave of despair. How could she obtain enough to repay him, even if she bought only essentials? "But I'll never" |
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"Look, Abby. I don't like the fact you won't tell me who you are or why you're here. But I found you, and I know you're in trouble. Until I figure out what else to do with you, I'll make sure you're fed and clothed. Got it?" |
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"Thank you," she said in a tiny voice. |
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"There's just one thing I want in return." |
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She swallowed and looked away from him. "What's that?" |
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His insistent fingers turned her chin until she was staring him in the eye. "Honesty." |
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Of course she owed him thatbut she herself did not know what was happening, except that she now appeared to be more than 130 years in the future. How wonderful it would be if she could trust him, if she could ask him questions about all she saw and experienced. But how could she tell him the truth? He hadn't even believed her when she mentioned the wagon train. If she now explained she had traveled from the past, he would think her insane. Perhaps he would send her away to an asylum. |
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Certainly, if he put her in the hands of the authorities, as he had suggested earlier, they would commit her to an institution. |
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