Western Romance

Young Thomas Early had a hard and austere childhood. He lived with his mother and father on a small farm in Eastern Kansas. Life on the farm was laborious, difficult, and uncertain, but the family managed to eke out a meager living on the limitless, barren prairie. When young Thomas was only ten-years old, his father died. Three months later, his mother passed away and suddenly the boy became an orphan-alone on the small, primitive, family farm in the middle of a vast, desolate prairie landscape.As it turned out, Thomas wasn't entirely alone. He had a distant aunt and uncle, Millie and Zachary Stockbridge. When they heard about the death of the Thomas' parents they rode over to comfort and care for him. The three agreed that the Stockbridges would live on the Early farm as a family. Thomas, Zachary and Millie lived in the sod house and worked the farm for the next six years, then Millie Stockbridge expired. Not long after that, Zachary Stockbridge had a fatal riding accident.Without any kinsfolk Tom Early was left to work the farm by himself, but it was an impossible task. Opportunity arrived when three railroad men showed up and offered to buy the Early farm. Tom readily agreed to sell and after the sale, he rode west leaving the farm behind and hoping to find someplace to settle in-a place to make a fresh beginning and start a new life. He was able to create that new life when he settled in the town of Blossom Springs. His fresh beginning came when he met Horace Hollenbak. Hollenbak owned and published the only newspaper west of Wichita. He hired Tom as an apprentice and taught him the newspaper business.Tom lived and worked in Blossom Springs for over two years when he met a beautiful young woman, Virginia Clarey, at a church picnic. They courted for over a year and Tom asked Virginia to marry him. She agreed to be his bride and just when it seemed like they were destined to live happily ever after, a childhood acquaintance from Virginia's past appeared. The man was George Templeton, an ex-army officer. He also wanted to marry Virginia and he challenged Tom to a gun duel for her hand in marriage. Thomas Early had no experience with firearms and was forced to cede the field of honor to Templeton. Discouraged but not defeated, Thomas Early vowed to become a gunfighter and return to win back his intended bride, Virginia Clarey. He rode to the Southwest Territory to meet the notorious gunfighter Wesley Garret and learn to be a fast-draw gunslinger. Garret agreed to teach Tom to be a gunfighter but warned him that living by the gun changes a man. He becomes meaner, hardened and ruthless. Tom was sure that would never happen to him because all he wanted to do was win back his beloved Virginia and settle down to a happy married life. But soon Thomas Early was to find that goal would be harder to achieve than he ever imagined.