The Gallant South- Part One

Chapter XVII- December 14-22, 1912

        Colby hadn't made an appearance since the burning of Kit's office, and everyone was glad for that. By the 14th of December, everyone was in a jolly mood and Eveline's arm had healed completely, although it left a giant scar that was very distinguishable. She didn't mind, though.
        The snow hadn't stopped its fury, so the Saturday after the Charity Ball, Bettirose had phoned Cora after lunch and told her and Eveline to come sledding in the park. Cora agreed, and it took a minute to convince Eveline that she'd most likely be safe, just sledding in the park. Besides, Kit would be there with him, and that was even worse.
        "Oh, all right," Eveline relented, pulling on a coat. "I guess it is true, I can't imagine Nielsen doing anything fun like sledding."
        "Exactly!" Cora replied as they mounted their horses and rode off for the park, both trying not to shiver in the freezing cold. Cherry Coral road had been completely shoveled, and so the horses had no problem making it down into the city, where there was less snow on the roads.
        "Wait!" Cora suddenly cried. "Were we supposed to bring sleds?"
        "Oh, no. Bettirose has dozens," Eveline joked, and Cora sighed with relief.

        They were, as usual, the last ones there. Bettirose was sitting on a sled, and Theo was sitting down on one next to her. They were at the top of a steep hill, one that seemed to be far too steep for sledding. Cora and Eveline had sheltered their horses in the stables in the corner of the park, and they had trudged through the snow to get to the others.
        "Go!" Bettirose shouted, and the two took off down the hill at high speed, just as Cora and Eveline ran over. They looked down the hill, where Theo was still going, but Bettirose had fallen right off of her sled. She lay in the snow laughing while Theo shouted in victory.
        "You don't really expect me to do this?" Cora gaped. Millie grinned. "Course! Hittin' trees is the most fun part!"
        "All of you are insane," Cora replied, taking the sled from Bettirose, who had just walked up the hill, covered head-to-toe in snow. She put the sled down on the snow and sat down. Eveline took the sled from Theo and sat down a few feet away from Cora, directly in the path of a tree. Cora tried to steer clear of them.
        "Ready?" Eveline asked, grinning at Cora.
        "No!" Cora cried, just as Bettirose shouted "GO!" and Eveline took off down the hill. Cora followed, having never gone so fast down a hill. She put her arms out to try and steer, but she was going so fast that her hands just slipped. She screamed all the way down, terrified she was going to hit a tree. She didn't, but when she got to the bottom, she jack-knifed to the right, and she was thrown from the sled and into the snow.
        "You did it!" Eveline shouted to her. "You crashed!"
        "There's snow in my eyes!" Cora cried, standing up shakily. "But alright...it was fun."
        "Told ya," Eveline gloated, and they began walking back up to the top, Cora spitting the snow out of her mouth and nose, and brushing it out of her eyes and off of her coat and face.
        "Oh no," Eveline said. Cora looked up to the top of the hill. Magalee stood there, daintily chatting with the others. Cora looked at Eveline and grinned. "I've an idea. Let Magalee get a glimpse of you, then just kind of...disappear. I'll handle everything else."
        "You're insane," Eveline said, ducking down behind a tree and out of sight. Cora walked to the top of the hill with the sled.
        "Oh Cora, you're here too!" Magalee chirped. "Who was the other person?"
        Bettirose looked worried, but Cora put on a face of confusion. "Other person? I went down alone," she said. Magalee looked equally as confused. "But- but I swear I saw someone walk up with you! It was a woman wearing a green coat!" she said.
        "You...you saw the ghost?" Cora asked, looking terrified. She was trying not to laugh. Magalee's eyes went wide. "Ghost?" she sputtered.
        Cora nodded. "Oh, yes. It's a lady that died here many years ago in a sledding accident. I heard from Bettirose here that sometimes she appears next to other sledders," she said. Bettirose nodded in agreement. "Y-yes! It's quite a terrifying story!" she added.
        "Well, I never. I'm going to go and find Matilla, I really do not want to see a ghost. Good day, everyone!" she smiled, then turned and walked away. When she was far out-of-earshot, they all burst into fits of laughter as Eveline ran back to join them.
        "You told her I'm a ghost?" Eveline cackled. "And she believed it!"
        "Masterful, Cora! Absolutely masterful!" Millie cried. "Oh, ye'll have 'er shakin' in 'er boots fer days!"
        "Her quaint, pearl-studded dancing slippers, you mean," Theo added.
        "Of course," Millie replied. "How could I forget?"