Moses and Duncan had helped Eli load all his cast iron boxes in the wagon Duncan was driving. They smiled at Eli as they lifted the big strongboxes, s...me loaded heavily with gold, others full of paper money, all of them locked with padlocks.Eli and Sissy were constantly riding from front to back of the small wagon train, ever watchful of anything that would mean trouble for the family. Eli had told all of them, if there was trouble, kill whoever came at them and they’d worry about right and. The two of them seemed so young; Malia, and especially Saralinda. My college years were suddenly feeling like ancient history. Images of Indiana University Northwest, my lovely alma mater, couldn't be suppressed at that moment, no matter how hard I tried. IUN wasn't exactly Harvard, and I had been living at home, of course. I suppose it hadn't been all bad; I'd managed to get a useful degree, not that I'd used it much...But USP was a bigger deal for Malia than IUN ever was for me. And her goals. She was pushing a stroller with sleeping twins in it but was,only around 16, about 5'4" tall, extremely heavily pregnant (possibly lookingthat way because of her small frame), cheaply dressed, and african or westindian.As she waddled slowly towards me, and I strolled towards the train to board,she stumbled, looking as if she was in pain, and my immediate reaction was tocatch her and prevent her from falling and pushing over the pram ... andinjuring herself or her baby as well."Watch it, miss. Jennifer went on to say that, "Beth, we love you and want to keep youhere. We really do. And I appreciate the sacrifices you've made to be afemale staff member for our clients. But you can't keep coming to work inthose clothes. Those old Dockers and faded Polo shirts have to go if youwant to remain employed here. And just look at your shoes! You wear thesame pair of Skechers day in and day out. Besides, you don't dress like aBeth would, do you? Would a Beth have a old smelly wallet in her.