Editing Gates to the Garden:White Springs (section)

====The Dogs Arrive====

The Dogs arrived in White Springs Branch, nestled in the foothills.  The Dogs were welcomed eagerly.  When the Dogs arrived, most of the town was in Temple for a wedding.  Absalom Clark, the Steward of the branch, approached the Dogs and welcomed them, saying that the town was not having much trouble.  Others, though, seemed worried, frightened, or angry.

The newlyweds, Jacob and Jessica, were happy with their new marriage, but mentioned they were worried about the soldiers from Fort McGill down the road.  Lately, they'd been pestering the women, bullying the men, firing guns and drinking in town.  Others at the wedding mentioned that the Steward, Absalom, was sometimes hard to deal with.  During the conversations, it also turned up that Absolom had declared that he would take the prettiest girl in town, Leah, as his second wife, and that, upon that news, Leah disappeared and her mother, a widow named Esther, "just ain't been the same."