A Lakota Chief Lay Dying, His Healers Beaten — The Cast-Out Woman Knew the One Cure

Two Ranchers Ordered Brides by Mail — The Wagon Delivered Them to the Wrong Doors

Twelve Years Gone, He Saw Her Through the Depot Steam — This Time He Let No Train Take Her

The Notice Said "Cook Wanted, No Family" — She Had Three Children Hidden in the Wagon

The Town Called Her Too Old and Barren to Wed — The Cattleman Married Her That Afternoon

A Lakota Chief Lay Dying, His Healers Beaten — The Cast-Out Woman Knew the One Cure

The Ranger She Loved Came Home to Die Alone — The Girl He Jilted Rode the Storm to Save Him

He Wanted a Wife Who Could Rope and Cook — The Runaway Songbird Could Do Neither

"That's the Mama I Want," the Boy Said — The Rancher Hadn't Even Meant to Stop

A Seamstress Gave Her Last Blanket to a Stranger — By Roundup His Riders Filled Her Corral

She Wed the Ruined Rancher to Escape Her Guardian — Then Dragged Him Back From the Bottle

Her Uncle Meant to Hand Her to His Creditor — A Drover Paid the Debt and Set Her Free

A Shoeless Widow and a Fevered Babe, Put Off the Stage — The Sheep Rancher Turned Back

The Groom Saw Her Scarred Hand and Walked Off — The Blacksmith Picked Up Her Trunk

He Carried a Wounded Nez Perce Woman Home — Not Knowing She Was the Peacemaker's Daughter

They Dragged the Laundress Over a Debt She Never Owed — A Drifter Said "Enough"

He Ordered a Meek Bride — She Stepped Off the Stage With a Fiddle and a Temper

Nine Years Her Letters Went Unanswered — The Half-Blind Farrier Found Her Still Waiting

The Foreman Told Her She Would Never Work a Roundup — The Trail Boss Put Her on Lead Ride

He Needed a Cook for the Cattle Drive — She Needed a Reason to Leave Missouri

Her Father Promised Her to the Banker's Son — She Promised Herself to the Farrier Instead

She Needed a Husband for the Land Grant — He Needed a Reason to Stay Sober

The Boy Asked the Wheelwright if He Could Be His Father — The Wheelwright Said He Already Was

She Had Been Sleeping in the Wagon for Three Weeks — He Said the Cabin Had Room for Two

The Landlord Said Pay Double or He Would Sell Her Furniture — The Carpenter Said Try It

He Offered Her a Marriage That Was Only a Signature — She Signed and He Could Not Stop Smiling

He Left Without Saying Goodbye Seven Years Ago — She Was Standing on the Porch When He Came Back

Her Father Said No Cattleman Would Marry a Preacher's Daughter — One Already Had the Ring

The Girl Drew a Picture of Her Mother and Gave It to the Saddler — He Framed It and Wept

The Money Lender Said Pay by Friday or Lose the Horse — The Farrier Said She Would Keep Both

Her In-Laws Said She Married Above Her Station — The Horseman Said She Was the Station

The Boy Left a Jar of Pennies on the Blacksmith's Anvil — He Left a Repaired Plow at Their Door

She Told Her Daughter They Were Just Visiting — The Daughter Asked Why the Man Set Two Extra Plates

They Called the Chinese Herbalist a Poison Seller — She Called Him the Man Who Saved Her Mother

He Mended Her Fence Every Spring Without Being Asked — She Paid His Doctor Bill Without Being Told

She Agreed to Marry Him for the Homestead — He Agreed to Let Her Leave in Spring

Her Husband Told the Whole Town She Was Barren — The Widower Next Door Said It Did Not Matter

She Brought Soup to His Door Every Sunday for a Year — He Brought Her Son Home From the War

The Landlord Said She Owed Him More Than Rent — The Carpenter Said She Owed Him Nothing

The Town Voted to Run the Mexican Healer Out — She Voted to Stand in His Doorway

Her Father Said She Was More Trouble Than She Was Worth — The Cattleman Disagreed

She Left a Plate of Supper on His Porch Every Night for a Month — He Left Firewood on Hers

He Needed a Wife on Paper to Keep the Timber Claim — She Needed a Roof That Did Not Leak

The Banker Said Pay or Lose the Land — The Blacksmith Said She Would Not Lose a Thing

Her Mother Said No Decent Man Would Want a Woman Who Read That Much — The Printer Did

She Mended His Coat Without Being Asked — He Built Her a Room She Did Not Know She Needed

The Creditor Said He Would Take Her Horse — The Farrier Said He Would Have to Go Through Him

She Left a Jar of Honey on His Porch Every Sunday — He Left the Door Open Every Monday

He Rode Off After the Argument and Did Not Come Back — She Saddled Her Own Horse and Went After Him

The Family Said She Was Too Plain to Marry Well — The Surveyor Said She Was Exactly What He Needed

The Landlord Said Get Out by Sundown — The Carpenter Said She Is Not Going Anywhere

He Needed Someone to Cook for the Logging Crew — She Needed a Place Where No One Knew Her Name

She Had Nothing but a Borrowed Coat and a Baby Who Would Not Stop Crying — He Had a Fire Going

He Left Without a Word After the Harvest — She Found Him Three Counties Away and Brought Him Home

His Boy Had Not Laughed Since the Fire — The Midwife Made Him Laugh on Her First Day

The Foreman Said a Woman Had No Business Breaking Horses — She Broke the Meanest One He Had

She Shared Her Well When Every Other Neighbor Turned Him Away — He Shared the Rest of His Life

She Arrived With a Secret She Couldn't Hide Much Longer — The Rancher Said It Didn't Matter

His Nephew Trusted No One After the Orphanage — The Widow Next Door Earned It in a Week

The Auctioneer Said No Woman Could Run a Cattle Sale — She Sold Every Head Before Noon