Chapter 1
"Ouch!" cried Bess when she dropped her needle. "Mama,
do I have to sew still? It's almost dark out." "In a couple
of minutes you can go out. When you get back, we will make flapjacks for
dinner." When they were finished, they started dancing around. Then,
while Bess was out, her mother fell down. When Bess got back, she found
her mother sick with a fever.
Chapter 2
Mama was no better the next day. Bess ran to the doctor's office. When
Bess was half way there, it started raining. When Bess got to the doctor's,
she told him what had happened to Mama. So they went to Bess's cabin.
The doctor said it was swamp fever.
Chapter 3
When Bess went out to do her chores, she saw one of her Ma's friends.
The friend gave Bess's family some bread and pie. Then he asked Bess how
her mother was. They went in to Bess's cabin. Bess went out to do the
chores and heard them talking about Pa.
Chapter 4
When Bess was out doing her chores, a man rode up and said, "Your
Pa owes me a hundred dollars. If you haven't paid me in three more weeks,
the farm is mine." And he left.
So Bess joined a quilting contest, hoping to win $100 for the prize.
Chapter 5
When Bess was out doing her chores, she saw Indians coming toward her cabin.
Bess ran to her Ma and told her that the Indians were heading to the cabin.
They put the cupboard in front of the door and Bess hid under the bed.
Just then, the Indians got in and Mama fainted. Bess scared the Indians
away by taking her Pa's gun and firing a shot, but no one got killed.
Chapter 6
Bess worked all night long on her quilt. She worked until ten o'clock
and that's when she finished. When her Ma was telling Bess how pretty her
quilt was, Bess fell asleep.
The next day, Bess went to the quilt contest and put up her quilt.
That night, Bess went to a friend's house whose name was Mrs. Winslow.
Chapter 7
The next morning Bess and Mrs. Winslow went to the fair. Bess saw her
friend who had traveled with her to Oregon. A little while later, Bess
and Mrs. Winslow went to the church were the quilting contest was.
Chapter 8
Bess and Mrs. Winslow were waiting to see who won. Bess had won a hundred
dollars!!! Then Bess and Mrs. Winslow went out to lunch. When Bess was
going home, she heard a voice. It was Papa!!! Bess told them all about
the fair and Papa told all about what had happened to him. He had gotten
stuck in a rain storm and since they oxen got stuck in the mud, they had
to wait for the mud to dry before they could move on. Bess's Pa got home
with the money for the farm just before Bess won the quilting contest,
so now they had $200!