The next couple of days passed without major problem or incident. As far as Burl was concerned. Val came over for supper

on the second night, bringing then news that school would be resuming the next Monday. Miss Susan was back from visiting her mother,

and would be there Monday morning to ring the school bell.

Charlie had mixed feelings about the news. She missed seeing Rebecca every day and some of the other kids, but she liked

being at home, too. Spending the day at Lancer, and being able to help out with Burl. Still, there was nothing to be done about it.

They all, between them, had perfected a few things about filling Burl's time. Maria had discovered that he enjoyed working in

the garden, keeping the weeds pulled, and collecting the produce. Between doing that, and working on his sewing projects, and taking

several walks a day accompanied by either Charlie or Teresa, he seemed content for the most part.

On the fourth day that he'd been at the ranch, while out walking with Burl, Charlie was in a quandary as to what to do, when

Burl decided that he wanted to walk out further than was usual. Murdoch had given both Charlie and Teresa strict instructions

to not go past the perimeters that he'd set out. If Burl insisted, they were to call for Cip or one of the other ranch hands to

intervene, if Johnny, Scott or Murdoch were none of them nearby.

So, on this particular day, when Burl pointed to a grove of trees leading to the creek, Charlie tried to deter him.

"Let's walk the other way," she suggested, trying to sound firm.

But Burl was insistent. "I wanna see those trees down that way," he said, and began to stride towards the creek bank, amazingly well

for a man with a limp.

Charlie stood for a few moments, as he walked the opposite direction, considering what she should do. She didn't see Cip anywhere

nearby to holler to, and if she didn't catch up to Burl, who knows what he might take it into his head to do?

So, she ran to catch up with him, surprised at how far ahead he had gotten. Once at the creek, Burl looked around in apparent enjoyment

at the trees and sat down, with a satisfied sigh.

"I've been here before, haven't I?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Charlie said.

"I remember those trees, though-" Burl said, with a gesture. "I'm sure of it-"

"Maybe so," Charlie settled for saying. She didn't want to upset Burl by arguing with him.

Burl began to talk then, about constructing a net and using it to catch fish.

"That sounds like a fine plan, don't you think?" he asked Charlie.

"I've never seen it done-it would be a good way to catch fish alright," Charlie agreed.

"I like it here fine," Burl said, sounding vastly satisfied. "Mighty fine. It's a mighty pretty place."

Burl became quieter as time passed, and the sunlight began to filter thru the trees. He got so quiet, in fact, that Charlie scooted

closer to peer into his face. He was asleep. Just as quickly and easily as that.

Charlie left Burl sleeping there, in the safety of the grassy creek bank, and rolled up the hems of her overalls, and

went wading. She wasn't certain just how much time had passed, when she heard a whistling coming from above the creek

bank. The whistle sounded several times, and then her name was being called out strongly.

Charlie hurried thru the water to the bank, and climbed up, and from there she could see Scott in the distance. Johnny, too,

from the other direction. She called out in answer, waving her hand so that they would see her.

"Over here!" she called.

She walked a bit thru the grass in her bare feet to meet them halfway.

"We've been looking for you," Scott said, sounding disapproving. "Why didn't you tell somebody where you were

going off to?"

"I'm sorry-" Charlie said, as Johnny reached them as well. "Burl took it into his head to come down here, and I didn't want

him to go alone-I looked around for Cip but I didn't see him-"

"Where is the codger?" Johnny asked.

Charlie turned to point. "He's sitting on the bank, sleeping."

"You should have told Maria or Teresa you were coming this far," Scott went on.

"I thought he might get too far ahead of me," Charlie explained. "He was walking awfully fast-"

"The old fella can step it off when he wants to, sure enough," Johnny said, mildly, and Charlie knew he was trying to

stick up for her, so Scott would stop his scolding.

"Alright," Scott said, in apparent acceptance of she and Johnny's comments. When Scott wasn't looking, Charlie gave

Johnny a grateful smile, and Johnny, in return, gave her a wink.

"Well, it's near time for supper," Johnny said. "We'd best see about rousin' him so he'll still sleep tonight."

Johnny went first, and Charlie went on along behind, with Scott. At the edge of the bank, Scott looked down at

Charlie's bare, wet feet, and the wet hem of her overalls.

"Best get your shoes on," he told her.

Charlie went to do that, scrambling down the bank, and going to the spot where she'd been wading, and where she'd left

her shoes and socks. Sitting down to pull on her socks, she looked up, to see Johnny crouched beside Burl,

as Burl leaned against the tree. Johnny appeared to be giving Burl a good shake, and Charlie shook her head, amused.

Burl must be in a deep sleep.

She heard Johnny saying something, but couldn't hear the exact words. Johnny was still crouched down, and Scott had come over

to stand beside him. Charlie was in the midst of putting on her first shoe, when she saw Scott crouch down, as well. She

saw Scott looking down then, towards her, as if to see if she was coming along.

Charlie gave him a slight smile, and held up her second shoe, in a sign that she was nearly finished.

Scott stood up, and, after a couple of moments, Johnny did, too. They stood together, talking, and then Scott

proceeded to walk down the bank until he was standing just above Charlie.

By now, the second shoe was on, and Charlie got to her feet. She hesitated, looking up at Scott.

"Burl says he might make a net-to use to catch fish in," Charlie reported. She gestured to the water behind her. "Would this be

a good place to have it, do you think?"

Instead of answering that, Scott held out a hand. "Come on up," he said, to her.

Charlie reached out to grasp his offered hand, and he pulled her up onto the bank. And then, to Charlie's puzzlement, Scott

said, quietly, "I want you to walk with me, alright?"

"Okay," Charlie said, looking up at him, puzzled. Scott kept her hand in his, and began to walk away from the creek, and

back towards the hacienda.

Pulling slightly, Charlie said, "Is Johnny bringing Burl?"

Scott kept walking, his hand tight around hers, and Charlie looked up at him. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

The muscles at the side of Scott's jaw were moving in and out, a sure sign that he was either angry or upset.

"Scott?" Charlie asked, getting a knot in her stomach.

Scott stopped walking and turned to face her, dropping her hand, and, instead, putting his hands on her upper arms. He leaned down

a bit so that he was nearly eye to eye with her.

"Charlie-" he began, and then paused. "Burl's dead."

Charlie stared at his face, her forehead furrowing. "What?" She looked back towards the bank, as if expecting to see

Johnny heading their way, with Burl alongside of him.

"He passed away, while he was sitting there-in his sleep," Scott said.

"How could he?" Charlie asked. "He was fine-he was talking, and he was walking real fast just before that-"

"I know," Scott said, softly. "Sometimes, it just happens that way."

"Maybe he's just sleeping hard, or maybe he had one of his fits, or something," Charlie said, not wanting to believe it.

Scott tightened his hold on her arms. "No, kiddo," he said, sounding sorry.

"I want to see him," Charlie said, and moved as if to go round him, and race down the creek bank. Scott grasped her arms,

and said, "No, Charlie."

"Why?" Charlie asked, looking up at him. She felt tears dropping from her cheeks onto the front of her overalls. "I want to, Scott!"

"I know," he said again, sounding regretful.

And then, he gathered Charlie up, big girl that she was, and proceeded to carry her towards the house. Tears dropping onto

Scott's shoulder, Charlie kept looking behind them.

"What's Johnny doing?" she said, her voice catching on a sob.

"He'll be along," Scott said.

"You're not going to leave Burl there, are you?" Charlie asked, her thoughts racing, horrified.

"No. We're not," he assured her.

Charlie buried her face in his neck, crying.

Carried in the front door, the noise brought Teresa, her hands full of flowers that she'd been arranging.

"Where's Murdoch?" Scott asked her.

"In the library-what is it? What's happened?" Teresa asked. "Is Charlie hurt?"

"No. Come on into the library," Scott said. The three of them went into the library, and Murdoch looked up in surprise,

from where she sat, at his desk.

"What is it?" he asked, standing immediately.

"It's Burl," Scott answered, quietly, and he and Murdoch must have exchanged a look without words. "I need to help Johnny."

"Of course," Murdoch said, and a few minutes later, Charlie was ensconced in Murdoch's oversized chair, covered with a quilt, with Teresa

sitting next to her. Murdoch had gone to fetch a ranch hand to ride to town, and ask the doctor and Val to come.

When Murdoch came back, he came over quietly, and without speaking, lifted Charlie up, and settled himself into the chair, with

her on his lap.

"I'll make her a cup of hot tea with sugar," Teresa said, and scurried from the room.

"Murdoch?" Charlie said, softly, into the quiet.

"Hmm?"

"How can a person just die like that? He was talking to me-about fishing, and the trees, and then he went to sleep. What made him

die like that?" she asked.

"It's the way it happens sometimes," Murdoch said, his words echoing Scott's from earlier.

"But-I always thought that you could tell, that somebody would act different or something, when they were about to die-" she said.

"Not always," Murdoch told her.

"What are Johnny and Scott going to do with-" Charlie hesitated, stumbling over her words. "What are they going to do?"

"They will bring him up, from the creek," Murdoch said. "And Doctor Burton, and Val, will-they'll decide what to do."

"Are they going to take him? Away from here, to town?"

"Yes. They will," he said. "They'll take him to the undertakers."

"I don't understand it, Murdoch," Charlie said, sorrowfully, resting her cheek on his chest.

"I'm very much older than you, darling, and I don't understand everything, myself," he said.

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Val and the doctor arrived, and Charlie only knew that because the pups were barking, announcing their arrival. Murdoch

prepared to go outside, and Charlie followed him to the front door.

"I want to go, Murdoch," she said. It wasn't so much that she wanted to see Burl-she wasn't sure now that she did, at all. It was more

that she felt detached, and frightened, and wanted to be near Scott.

"Not right now," he said, his tone kind, but firm. He left her with Teresa, who tried to tempt her with the hot, sugary tea.

Charlie tried a couple of sips, mainly to pacify Teresa, who seemed nervous and upset.

The girls were sitting together, in the entry way, holding hands, when all the men came into the house. Teresa said she

would fetch some coffee, and Charlie stood there, taking in the somber group of five men.

"No coffee for us, Teresa," Val called after her. "We'll be heading on back to town."

Val gave Charlie a sympathetic look. "Rough, huh, Charlie?"

Charlie nodded, but found it too hard to speak just then.

Val ran his hand over Charlie's hair. "You were a good friend to him, kiddo," he said, quietly. "Don't forget that."

Charlie nodded, silent.

Doctor Burton paused beside Charlie as well. "It seems a shock," he said. "But this is much better than a prolonged illness, or

slow, painful death. He passed peacefully, without any pain, I think. And, at least he was here with folks who cared, enjoying the outdoors."

Charlie nodded again. As the two other men prepared to leave for town, Charlie thought to look, to where Burl was-in the

back of the wagon Val had driven out, but Scott took her hand and led her back to the library.

The family sat there, in the cozy comfort of the large room, and, sitting beside Scott on the sofa, Charlie was surprised when

Teresa spilled some coffee while pouring. Well, the spilling wasn't the surprise. It was what happened after the spill.

Teresa said, "Oh!" And then, promptly she looked toward Murdoch, and began to cry.

Murdoch stood, immediately, and wrapped his arms around Teresa.

"It's just so-sad," Teresa said. "I know he's at peace, but it's so unexpected-"

Murdoch smoothed Teresa's hair. "Johnny, some brandy," he said.

Johnny went to pour a small glass of brandy, and brought it to where Murdoch had gone to sit on the other sofa, Teresa beside him.

Teresa held the glass in her hands, which were still trembling a bit, and sipped at it. "I don't know why I'm behaving this way," she said.

"He had a way of making himself felt," Murdoch told her. "It's normal to feel shocked, and sorry."

"Will there be a funeral?" Teresa asked, after a few minutes had passed, and she was more in control of herself.

"We'll see about a service," Murdoch said.

"Nobody will come," Charlie spoke up, her voice small. "I mean-only us. And Mr. Val."

"It can still be a nice service," Scott told her.

"The friends that are there will have been his true friends," Murdoch said.

Upstairs, later, when Charlie was in her nightgown, she went to sit at her window seat, looking out at the stars.

Scott paused at the doorway, and then came over to the window seat. He sat down beside Charlie, and she looked at

him in the darkness, lit only by the hall lamps.

They both sat, looking out the window for a few long minutes.

"There's so many stars tonight," Charlie said.

"There is," Scott agreed.

"Do you think Burl will go to heaven, Scott?" Charlie asked, wistfully.

Scott let a few moments pass, and then said, quietly, "I believe he will."

"I hope so," she said fervently. She scooted over closer to him, and they sat for a bit longer, looking at the stars.

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The funeral service was set for two days after that. Murdoch had made all the arrangements, and Charlie was fairly certain

that he'd paid for things, as well.

The day before the service was to be held, Scott waited until after supper was over, and then asked Charlie if she

wanted to go to the undertaker's, and view Burl. That wasn't exactly the way that he expressed it.

"Tomorrow, at the service, the casket will be closed at the cemetery," Scott told her. "This would be your opportunity to see

Burl-to see his face. If you want to."

"Oh," Charlie said, startled. She hesitated. "I thought you didn't want me to," she said. "At the creek, you wouldn't let me, when

I wanted to see him-"

"No," Scott agreed. "I don't think that would have been the right time for you to see him. I think it might have been too

much for you."

"But, you think it's alright now?" she asked.

"I don't know, kiddo," Scott said. "It might help you, to see him, to have some closure. To say goodbye that way. But, you don't

have to. It's whatever you want, that's what I'll try to help you with."

Charlie bit at her lip, thinking. "I think I'd like to," she said, finally.

So, they went. Charlie rode behind Scott on horseback to town, and once there, in front of the undertakers, Charlie grasped

his arm and slid down. He dismounted, and began tying the reins to the post.

Turning to look at Charlie, he said, "Ready?"

"I don't know-" she faltered. "Will you be angry if I can't?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"Because. You brought me all the way to town so I could do it."

"Charlie, if you can't, then that's alright," he said, quietly.

Charlie hesitated, and then said, "Maybe-if I hold your hand, then I can," she said.

Scott reached down and took her small hand in his. "You can even squeeze it, if you want," he said.

Charlie had never been in the undertakers before. It was dark in the front, though the undertaker seemed nice. He

showed them to the back, where there was more light from the windows, and said, "I'll be up in the front. Take your time."

Standing in front of the coffin in which Burl was lying, Charlie held her breath, looking at Burl's familiar face. He looked younger,

somehow, to Charlie.

"That's a nice suit that he's wearing," Charlie said.

"Val found it, in the bottom of one of those trunks of Burl's," Scott said.

"Oh."

Charlie took another step or two closer to the casket. She studied Burl's face again. "He looks-peaceful, don't you think, Scott?"

"I think he does look very peaceful."

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It was, indeed, a sparse number that stood at the edges of the grave the next morning. The coffin had been lowered into

the earth, and only waited for a few words and dirt to cover it. Val, his deputy, Doctor Burton, Jelly, Maria and Cip, and the five members

of the Lancer family were those that stood and listened to the minister say the somber words about Burl. Charlie listened, but found

her attention wandering in and out. Hearing certain phrases about Burl, or reading of Bible verses, but then other moments she was

lost in thoughts of Burl. Memories.

Wearing his dirty old overalls, clomping thru the woods near his old cabin; his dogs jumping all over him in excitement; sitting and

sewing on bright-colored material; tipping back a whiskey bottle.

When it was over, and the minister was finished speaking, he closed his Bible, and everyone began to walk away.

Teresa took Charlie's hand, and the girls walked ahead.

Murdoch suggested that the group go to the hotel restaurant for pie and coffee. At first that made Charlie feel sort of

strange.

"Is it like we're celebrating or something?" she whispered to Teresa.

"No, of course not. We're just a group of people who wanted to show respect to Burl, and maybe talk about him together," Teresa

said. Maria and Cip went with Jelly back to the ranch, but the others gathered together at the restaurant.

At the large table, the doctor shared that he believed it was a sudden heart attack that had taken Burl's life.

"He would have wanted it that way," Val said. "He didn't strike me as a fellow who would have wanted things drawn out."

"At least he never had to go to one of those horrible asylum places," Teresa said.

Charlie, whose usual unflappable appetite was missing, felt glad about what Teresa had said, too. Still, she only nibbled at

her cherry pie.

As they prepared to leave the restaurant, Val began to talk about the trunks of Burl's that were at the jail.

"We'll come in with the wagon and pick 'em up," Johnny said.

Charlie began to wonder what all treasures might be lurking in the bottom of those trunks.

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At home, after the buggy and horses had been put away, the family headed inside for their lunch. Maria met them at the door of

the dining room, her face wreathed in smiles.

"What is it?" Teresa asked her.

"Debes ver," Maria said. "You must see."

The table was set in grand style, with candles, and underneath all the dishes was an elaborate, delicately crafted

tablecloth. Bright in a hue of blue that resembled a robins egg, and edged with lace, it was indeed striking.

"Oh my," Teresa said, breathlessly.

"It's beautiful," Murdoch said.

"Where did it come from?" Johnny asked Maria.

"En la comoda en la sala de Burl's habitacion," Maria said. "On the dresser in Burl's room."

"That's what he's been sewing on for the last few days," Teresa said. "I recognize the color now."

"He must have meant it for us-" Teresa said, going to touch the edge of the tablecloth. "He said it was to be a gift to

thank us for having him here. He never would say what it was going to be, though."

"He was very talented," Murdoch said, sounding strangely emotional.

Later, Charlie went outdoors. She was sitting in front of the barn, with the two pups romping around her. Scott came out of the

house, and walked across the courtyard to her.

He crouched down to rub one of the pups behind the ears.

"You alright?" he asked Charlie.

"I guess so. I feel sad, and sort of-empty."

At Scott's nod of understanding, Charlie said, "I've never been to a funeral before. Except for my mother's, but I don't really remember

much about it."

Charlie wrinkled her forehead, puzzled. "How do you think he knew things, Scott? Like sometimes it would seem he just knew things about

us. Me and Johnny, I mean."

"I'm not sure, Charlie. Maybe it just seemed that way," he said. Then he added, "Burl seemed to have quite a few mysteries about himself. Maybe

that's another one."

They were quiet for a few moments, both petting the dogs.

"I was thinking," Charlie said, finally. "That I might call this puppy Lettie. Sort of as a memory of her. Burl loved her an awfully lot."

"I think that's fine," Scott said, giving her a slight smile. "I'm sure he'd like that."

Charlie reached out to pet the male pup. "Maybe I could call this one Burl," she said, then. She swung her eyes up to

look at Scott. "Or is that foolish?"

Scott smiled again. "I don't think it's foolish at all," he said. "I think it's-" he paused, searching for the word he wanted. "I think it's

fitting. A tribute."

He stood, and held out his hand to Charlie. Charlie put her hand in his, and let Scott pull her to her feet.

Lancer

Conclusion to this story of Charlie and the Lancer family. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me thru it, and written reviews. I appreciate it

so much. There is more Charlie to come.