Catherine waited for Bird to step in and close the office door. Eddie watched everything from the reception. He was curious about what was going on. Catherine had arrived from one of her rides a few days earlier and she seemed to be thinking a lot about something.

Eddie stood at the reception, organizing some files when the wind blew through the door and threw the papers on the ground. Eddie gets down to pick them up, and when he was next to the office door he overheard Catherine and Bird talking.

"You are saying that the boy who was here with Teaspoon the day of the shooting is a girl?" Bird asked.

"Yeah, Lee, one of the riders," Catherine confirmed, "He is a she, Bird. Lee is a girl."

"Oh, well it seems that this town . . ." Bird started saying.

Eddie stood up quickly after hearing about Lee. This is the secret that Catherine found out about someone at the Pony Express, he thought .He picked all the papers up and dropped them on the reception table, and then he headed off for the kitchen.

"Hey Laura," Eddie said as he walked into the kitchen, "Can you stay at the reception for me, please. I need to go out for a little while."

Laura looked at him curiously, but she agreed. "Course Eddie, but don't stay out too long. Catherine won't like it."

Eddie went out through the back door and mounting Fame. He rode off to the waystation. Upon arriving there he was happily to immediately meet Lee.

"Excuse me," Eddie said as he was getting down from the horse, "May I have a word with you?"

Lee looked at him, suspiciously. She knew he worked at the hotel, and that he was very close to Catherine. He seemed to have an attitude with Kid when he thought that Kid had said something bad about Catherine.

"Mr. Cole, what can I do for you?" Lee replied.

"Can we go for a ride? I really would like to talk with you," Eddie asked mounting Fame again.

Lee wasn't sure, but she was curious so she agreed. She went to the barn and saddled Black, and a few minutes later Eddie and Lee were riding off.

"What do you want with me Mr. Cole?" Lee inquired hoping against hope that she wouldn't need to use the new fighting techniques that Jimmy and Kid were showing her.

"Well," he started embarrassed, "Actually I'm thinking about writing a book and I would like to ask you a few questions."

Lee looked at him surprise, "Why me, Mr. Cole? There's a lot of people in town," Lee replied.

"I know you are a girl, Lee," Eddie said.

Lee quickly stopped riding, "What are you talking about?"

"Look Lee, I promise not to tell anyone, and to tell you the truth I don't know how I didn't notice before," Eddie affirmed as he stopped next to her.

"Who told you? Oh let me guess, Catherine." Lee said disappointed. Catherine said she wouldn't tell.

"Well, Miss Catherine didn't tell me, not directly. I overheard her telling Bird about it. She tells him everything." Eddie explained.

Lee stood in silence for a second, and then she said, "Ok Mr. Cole, I guess I can answer a few things, but you need to promise not to mention my name."

"I promise, Lee, it will be an anonymous source," Eddie replied smiling. Lee nodded.

"So"

"Well, first why did you choose to be a Pony Express rider?"

"Because my sister wants to be a nurse, and I had to find some way to pay for her schooling. "Lee replied as they both started riding again.

"I understand, but why a Pony Express rider? Didn't you find another kind of work? A work where you could be yourself?"

"I saw the Pony Express sign. They needed riders, and I needed a job. I like what I do, Mr. Cole, of course some times I want to stop pretending, but I like this work and I can make enough money to help my sister, " Lee explained.

"What do you hope for your future, Lee? Where are you going from here?"

"I'm not sure, Mr. Cole. I would love to go to school and become a vet, but I'm not sure I'll be able to do that." Lee answered.

"Thank you, Lee, I don't have any more questions now. You are a brave woman, and it's a honor to meet someone like you." Eddie affirmed smiling happily.

"Thanks Mr. Cole, I hope I helped you somehow and," Lee was saying, and Eddie interrupted her.

"I won't say a word about it Lee. I promise, and please don't blame Miss Catherine. She is a good woman." Eddie affirmed, "See you later, Lee," and with that Eddie rode back to town.

Lee nodded and rode back to the station. Back at the hotel Eddie quickly left Fame at the stable behind the hotel and ran back to the reception. When he got there Catherine was at the hotel's doorway. "Eddie!" She exclaimed

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Catherine, I needed to go out for a little while," Eddie explained.

"Eddie, I don't mind if you need to go out and have some time to yourself just please let me know. I don't want Laura alone taking care of everything, ok?" Catherine replied as she started to walk towards her office.

"Sure Miss Catherine, I'm sorry it won't happen again." Eddie took his place behind the reception table.