Free Wind Song by Margaret Brownley

Mr. Boxer said, although he looked none too eager to leave. He walked over to her and lowered his voice. "I can only talk a minute. We're right in the middle of a very important meeting." He was a short man, his head barely reaching the height of her shoulder.
    "I won't keep you. But it's most important that we talk." She followed him to the back of the room. "I feel rather awkward bringing this matter up, under the circumstances, but I was promised the second half of my advance upon my arrival."
    Mr. Boxer looked startled. "Your what?"
    "My advance. You paid me the first half with the agreement that I would receive the second half upon my arrival in Colton."
    "Good heavens, woman! You're not asking for more money, are you?" He spoke loud enough to be heard by the others, and there was a noticeable silence in the room as all heads swung in their direction.
    Maddie dropped her voice to a whisper and hoped he would follow her lead. "According to my contract--"
    "Oh, that!" He waved his small pudgy hand. "That was before the fire."
    Refusing to be deterred, she pulled the contract from the pocket of her skirt and unfolded it, grateful that she had thought to retrieve it from her valise, where she had put it for safekeeping. "As you can see, it clearly states that the second half of my advance would be paid upon demand."
    "Miss Percy! It's obvious you have no understand of contracts. The contract calls for you to begin classes upon your arrival."
    "That's true, Mr. Boxer." She made no effort to lower her voice and, indeed, had completely forgotten the others. "But the advance was contingent upon my traveling to Colton, which, as you can plainly see, I've done. I'm fully prepared to conduct classes."
    "I'm most delighted to hear that, Miss Percy. As soon as I've made the necessary financial arrangements, we shall rebuild our school, at which time classes will begin and you shall be paid in accordance with our agreement."
    "And what, may I ask, am I supposed to do in the meantime? I feel that human decency requires you to pay me the money you owe me so that I might return home."
    "Return home?" His glasses almost feel off his nose. "Why in the world would you want to do that?"
    The ordeal of the last twenty-four hours suddenly took its toll. At that moment, she didn't care if Mr. Boxer fired her on the spot. "I can think of quite a few reasons, Mr. Boxer. I was left stranded at the train station. I came perilously close to being scalped by Indians, trampled by buffalo, blown away by a wind storm and…accosted by a snake."
    "My word!" Mr. Boxer exclaimed. "Did you say you were accosted by a snake?"
    She forced herself to control her impatience. "Mr. Boxer, I have had an extremely trying time since arriving in Kansas, and I see no point in my staying any longer."
    "Miss Percy, may I remind you that a contract is a contract? And your contract spells out the terms of our agreement quite clearly. We've simply had a temporary setback."
    "Is that what you call it, Mr. Boxer? A temporary setback? There is no school. There's not even a town."
    "Of course, of course. No wonder you're upset. Come over and I'll set your mind at ease. Gentlemen! If I may interrupt." Mr. Boxer took her by the arm and led her to the chart. He turned to the group. "I would like to introduce Miss Percy. She has agreed to be Colton's very first schoolteacher." He pointed to each man as he made introductions. "This is Sheriff Beckleworth, Max Weedler, Cobb Hobson, and Colton's very own acting mayor, Horace Mettle." The men nodded in turn as they were introduced.
    "Ma'am."
    "Pleased to meet you."
    Mr. Boxer turned and pointed to the chart. "This, Miss Percy, is the town of Colton. We are going to do something that to my knowledge has never been done before."
    The tall, skinny man with a sweeping mustache stepped forward and pulled himself up by his suspenders. "It does me proud to be the mayor of the first planned town."
    "What do you mean, ‘planned town'?" Maddie