Age: 16 (June 4, 1843)

Description: She’s has pony-tailed brown-haired, green eyes, 5’5" and very much a tomboy. She’s very independent, self-sufficient, loves animals, doesn’t trust people very easily, and looks after her sister. She doesn’t like guys much due to the fact that her father abandoned her.

Father: Scott Davis (Traveling Salesman that abandoned his family.)

Grandfather: Jack Davis (Respectable sheriff)

Grandmother: Dorothy Davis (dressmaker)

Mother: Ella Marie Davis Hagan (She went back to using her maiden name after her husband left them.)

Grandfather: J. L. Hagan (whereabouts unknown)

Grandmother: Emma Marie Hagan (whereabouts unknown)

Summary: Jacyella and her sister Melissa go to Dreamville because their grandfather had sent his daughter, both girl’s mother, the deed and key to a newspaper office located there.

Love Interest: None right now but that might change in the future!

Description: She has long blond hair which she imitates her sister, Jacyella, by wearing her hair in ponytails tied with pink ribbons, 4’ 9", and bright green eyes. She’s a tomboy, very outgoing, polite to her elders, and loves her sister very much.

Father: Same as Jacyella’s

Grandfather: Same as Jacyella's

Grandmother: Same as Jacyella's

Mother: Same as Jacyella's

Grandfather: Same as Jacyella’s

Grandmother: Same as Jacyella's

Summary: Melissa was very reluctantly to leave the only home she has ever known, but she accompanied Jacyella to Dreamville. Their new home and business would be the newspaper office. Mysteriously their mother had disappeared and the sheriff of their hometown was of no help in locating her, so Jacyella sold the farm and moved them to Dreamville.

Love Interest: At this age she’s more interested in froggin’ and fishin’ than boys.

Ella
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INTRODUCING JACY AND MELISSA!

Jacyella grew up fast by working the farm, taking care of the home, hunting for their supper most of the time, and looking after Melissa. Her mother never remarried and when her mother started getting weak and couldn’t do much, Jacyella took over the family and did most of the work.

About a year ago Jacyella’s ma took ill. Although Jacyella had to take care of her ma and do her chores, she still kept up with her book learnin’ and she even helped Melissa with her lessons. One day when the girls came home from school, they couldn’t find their ma anywhere. The next day Jacyella told the sheriff and he did some searching for her but came up empty-handed. The girls hoped and prayed for many days that their ma would come back to them. Finally, Jacyella decided their ma wasn’t ever coming back. Something terrible must have happened to her, so Jacyella did what she thought was right for her and Melissa.

Jacyella looked at her home one last time and then she climbed aboard the wagon and sat down next to her little sister. Melissa was sad to be leaving the only home she had ever known, but she understood Jacyella’s reasons for leaving. "Don’t be sad, Melissa. We’re going on an adventure." Jacyella smiled and Melissa grinned too and settled back in the wagon to relax for it would be a long journey.

It had taken Jacyella two months after her mother’s disappearance to get their affairs in order and to sell the farm. She hadn’t got nearly enough money as she had wanted but it would have to do.

It took them about a month to arrive in Dreamville. They hadn’t eaten for two days. Even though Jacyella had rationed their food and whenever they came upon a stream or river Jacyella would do her best to catch some food. Most of the time Melissa was lucky enough to at least catch one fish but sometimes they just weren’t biting and they would have to settle for just biscuits. Not to mention that a bear earlier on in their journey had ransacked their food and before Jacyella had spotted the bear and knew what was happening, he had ate about half of their food. Jacyella did scare the bear off though by shooting her six-shooter into the air.

Melissa couldn’t wait to get Dreamville. She was worn-out and hungry. Though they were almost to town Melissa was fast asleep with her head lying against her sister’s side and Jacyella had her right arm around Melissa with the reins in her left hand. Jacyella was right-handed but she didn’t mind using her left hand while Melissa slept. Besides she had the two horses clip clopping at a steady pace.

But all of sudden her horses started acting up and Jacyella couldn’t figure out why, so she swatted at them to make them go. Unfortunately, for Jacyella she didn’t know that there was a snake in the road and as the horse got to near the snake the snake struck and bit the horse, the horse on the left side, and in turn the horse reared and crushed the snake with his left hoof.

Next the horse bolted. This action was so fast that it jerked the reins out of Jacyella’s hands. And then lickety split Jacyella was no longer in control of the horses. The jerky movement of Jacyella and the wagon woke Melissa and she anxiously looked to Jacyella for an answer to their horrible predicament they were in.

Out of the corner of her eye Jacyella saw a rider fly by her and jump on the back of the bolted horse, grab the reins and pull hard with one hand while hollering WHOA! Also at the same time he reached across and pulled back on the reins of the other horse. Jacyella was totally surprised and relieved that they had a savior. Melissa watched the young rider do the most amazing thing she had ever seen.

The young rider dismounted and inspected the horses. Shaken but relieved, Jacyella got down out of the wagon with Melissa right behind her. "That was marvelous! I’ve never seen anything like that before." Melissa praised the young rider as she walked up to him.

"Aw! That was nothin’! All in the day of a pony express rider to help pretty gals out of sticky situations." The young rider tipped his hat to the young gals as he replied to Melissa. Turning back to the horses, "Your horse has been bitten by a snake. There’s nothin’ I can do for him. He’ll have to be put down."

"No!!!" Melissa screamed for she hated any living thing to be killed. Jacyella took a look at her favorite horse Prancer and knew the young rider was right. With tears streaming down her eyes, Melissa was told by her sister that it was the proper thing to do instead of letting the horse suffer. Melissa finally nodded her head.

Jacyella pulled their only old rifle out of the back of the wagon. She knew how to use it for her ma had taught her, but she hated firing a rifle cause it had a terrible back kick. She hated having to kill anything and especially with a rifle because it always made her shoulder sore when she used it.

The young rider saw how slow the young lady was at taking out her rifle and walking over to the horse. Figuring she was reluctant to shoot her own horse, the young rider volunteered to do it for her. Jacyella knew it was her responsibility to do it, but the young rider persisted and she relented. After handing her rifle to the young rider and watching him unhitch the horse and take him off the beaten path to shoot him, she let out a sigh of relief.

The young rider came back and started hitching his horse to the wagon, but Jacyella started to protest. But eventually it ended up being two against one with Melissa on the young rider’s side. After hitching up his horse he helped the gals into the wagon, took the reins, and drove the wagon into town.

Melissa liked this young rider. He was very cute and nice. She kept looking over at him until Jacyella finally elbowed her back and whispered, "It’s not polite to stare." Melissa frowned at her sister and then settled back.

"I guess we should make introductions and I should find out where you two pretty gals are heading." He smiled at them and Melissa smiled back.

Jacyella kept her face serious as she replied, "We’re heading to Dreamville. I’m Jacyella and this is . . ."

But before she could finish, Melissa piped in, "I’m Melissa. Please to meet ya."

"Please to meet ya, Melissa, Jacyella." The young rider gave them a big grin and said, "I’m James Butler Hickok at your service ladies, but you can call me Jimmy. Melissa gave him a big smile but Jacyella’s expression stayed the same. There was only ten more minutes of their journey left before they rolled into town, so in that time they were all silent.