My beautiful daughter, in this envelope is some money for you. It’s never as much as I would like to send, but buy yourself a pretty dress or whatever else you need.
I almost forgot. Your horse, Rosebud, had a fine colt last week. We are calling him Buddy.
Old Doctor Bites stopped by when I was writing this letter, and he sends you his best. He said he’d mail this letter for me when he goes to town.
All my love, Your father,
Carl Trask
Tears streamed down Caroline’s face as she read the letter again and again. Something was wrong.
Caroline was 11 years old when he sent her away, but she could ride and rope as well as the best cowboys. Her father had taught her how to shoot a gun, too. He joked that she’d be able to shoot the eye out of a rattlesnake 20 feet away, They’d been so happy together.
Then her mother died, and she was sent away.
Caroline looked down at her light blue satin dress with the ruffled sleeves. She felt the dark blue satin bow at her neck that kept her hat in place. She didn’t care about these fancy things. She longed to be back in Wyoming, wearing her brown split skirt and riding her horse, Rosebud, She longed to see the new colt Buddy, too.
She wondered how many cattle had died during the winter. It had to be a lot, because her father sounded worried. The money he sent was less than usual.
Caroline read again the part about the doctor stopping by. She knew without a doubt that her father must be sick. Her father would never let a doctor get within a foot of him. He was sick, or Doc Bite would never have been at the ranch.
She had to know what was wrong, and she couldn’t wait for another letter.
“I must leave right away,” she said, putting the letter back into the envelope. “Right now. I have to go to him.”
# # #
Caroline stood and hurried toward the Foxworth home to pack and to announce her departure. It was a huge house—the Foxworths were very rich. She was well taken care of—in fact, she lived like a lady, as her father said.
But all she wanted—all she’d ever wanted—was to go home and be with her father on the ranch.
She had saved some money over the years, money that her father had sent her. She hardly spent any of it. She saved most of her governess stipend, too. With the money her father had just sent, she had enough at last.
Caroline packed some traveling dresses and a few items she would want in Wyoming. Then she slipped her father’s last letter under the blue ribbon that held together all the letters he sent over the years. She carefully put the bundle into her carpetbag.
She took a last look around at her room. It was beautiful, but she never felt at home in it as she did at the Lazy Circle T with its colorful Indian blankets and its walls made out of logs.
Caroline took a last look out of the window. She had made many wishes on many stars from that window. All the wishes were to return home.
New York City couldn’t compare to the rugged mountains, the open spaces, the deep blue sky, and the sight of cattle grazing on long grass
Wyoming
She was going home at last!
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Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
Saratoga Sunrise Page 16