Good News and Bad Memories

Posted bySusan K. MarlowPosted inAndi's Journal

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March 1891

I couldn’t wait to spill ink in my journal today. The most exciting thing has transpired. Mitch, who has always been closed-mouth about any young lady friends, finally made an announcement. He told us at Sunday dinner that he is riding out to the Triple L this week and will ask Mr. Tyler Flanders for permission to court his daughter Libby–I mean Liberty.

The Triple L ranch is situated south of Fresno, closer to Visalia, actually. It’s a beautiful spread (near as nice as the Circle C), and the Kings River runs right along its southern border (like the San Joaquin runs along the Circle C’s northern border). Mr. and Mrs. Flanders have three daughters–Liberty, Laura, and Lana. If they lived closer, I’m sure Melinda and I would have grown up playing with the girls. Liberty is a year younger than Melinda, and Lana is a year younger than I. Laura squeezes right in the middle. And on those rare occasions when we did gather together, like for a ranch rodeo, we did spend happy times together.

But it was all too rare. So, why did it take Mitch so long to figure out he liked Liberty? Who knows? Mitch is not sharing why, not even with me. But I think he has admired her from afar for years. And now that I think about it, the last couple of years, he has been absent on some Sundays for both services and Sunday dinner. I suspect he has ridden down to Visalia to squire Liberty to services and join their Sunday dinners.

I can’t wait to add more to this journal as the courtship of Mitch and Libby progresses. She’s very pretty with her nutbrown eyes and dark curls. And . . . oh, dear! An incident from years ago just seared my mind. I was so worried that Libby would hate me for something I simply had to do. I was only thirteen (and looking back, not very smart about some things), but I felt in my heart I had to save my sister from a wretched young man’s clutches. I wanted to say “adios” to that fella since I was about twelve years old. Then, when I had just about given up, I nearly fell over when I saw Libby Flanders was involved too.

To read that story, click the button below.

Adios, Jeffrey Sullivan >>

Check back in a few days for a “Peek Behind the Curtain” post about the calling card Andi used in the story.

Published by Susan K. Marlow

I'm the author of the Circle C and Goldtown Adventures series. I blog as "Andi Carter," the main character in the Circle C series. She lives on a huge cattle ranch in 1880s California. These are her adventures.

30 thoughts on “Good News and Bad Memories”

  9. Finally! Mitch is courting someone! Libby is absolutely perfect.
    It’s funny to think that even his younger sisters got married before him.

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  12. I’m quite surprised! And a bit sad actually 🫣 I was almost hoping Mitch would stay single and just stay on the Circle C helping Chad. I hope there’s more stories about Mitch and Liberty though! I’d like to see what happens with their courtship and/or marriage!

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    1. To which story are you referring?
      I have permission to share “samples” to generate interest in different books. So, if I wanted to, I could share a Yosemite at Last or Stranger in the Glade story.
      Plus . . . I own all of the audio rights to all of my books so I can do whatever I want with them.

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    1. Mrs. M lets anyone write a Fan Fiction about any character in the CC world. so I’m sure Mrs. M would say you can write a Fan Fiction about them!

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    1. Most of the stories were taken down because they are being revised, rewritten, and included in a new short-story collection, Andrea Carter and More Tales from the Circle C Ranch, which releases winter 2025. The only stories left are the ones that I chose not to include in my rewrites/revisions/expansions. Like Adios, Jeffrey Sullivan. I don’t really like that story very much so I am leaving it out of the new edition.

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