NOVEMBER 20, 1861

Kathleen was pleased to hear about the judge granting custody of Halbert to Richard.  She was worried that because he owned the saloon, the judge wouldn’t allow it. Now she was worried that the judge wouldn’t let her keep little Susanna. She was single, and she was a schoolteacher. So even though she had dressed Susanna in a pretty little ruffled dress that Grace had made for the baby for Sunday mornings, she was nervous. Kathleen had dressed in her Sunday best also. She walked into the saloon, and greeted the Judge.

The judge noted, “I see here that you are the town’s teacher. When school’s in session, who will take care of the baby?”

“Well, I take her to class, and she sleeps in a cradle that I have set up beside my desk as the children work on their lessons. And the girls in the class love to take turns helping out by holding her. It’s worked real well so far.”

“Well, it unconventional, but from what everyone here says, you have a great moral character. I’m just worried about you being a single mother and working.”

“Well, my house is next door to the school, so we just walk right on over and then there is plenty of room for her to play outside as she grows.”

The judge smiled, “I know.”

“Your Honor, I grew up in an orphanage not knowing my parents. I just don’t want the same for this young baby. Now granted my orphanage was wonderful and run by the Church and Nuns, so we had lots of love from them. They knew and we knew that we weren’t theirs. I want this baby to have someone to call Ma.”

“I understand. I think your heart is in the right place, so I’ll let her stay with you for six months, and then I’ll come back and see how everything is going. If it’s going well, then we’ll draw up some adoption papers.”

“Thank you, Your Honor!”

Kathleen went to tell Richard the good news and all 4 of them went out to eat in celebration of the good news.