Letters From Dockery

The first and perhaps only letter from Bohnda to Ray in the collection

00000123 00000133 00001C52 00001E47 00014829 00014829 00007AD7 00007F02 00014829 00014829

00000136 00000144 00001FF3 00002228 0002707D 0002707D 00007A90 00007EB8 0002932F 0002932F

00000138 0000013C 000022D3 00002303 000031E5 000031E5 00007D53 00007D53 0001150A 0001150A

00000191 000001A1 000067F6 000067F6 00007572 00007572 00007D33 00007E5F 00007572 00015505

0000013C 0000014A 00002B28 00002E22 000154D0 000154D0 00007A84 00007EAC 000154D0 000154D0

00000124 00000131 000032EC 00003670 00029397 00029397 00007B2F 00007F5E 00029397 00029397

At the turn of the century, J.H. Akins and Louise Cresap Akins arrive in Lewistown, Montana by way of Humansville, Missouri.  They have their two year old daughter, Bohnda in tow.  They would soon prosper in the rich civic life of Lewistown.

Dockery steals a friend's car and gets it stuck in a snowbank.  He wonders if Bohnda will respond to his outburst in his previous letter. 

Dockery did not know he was the jealous type.  But when he receives Bohnda's letter about two other men plying her for sympathy, he erupts in concern.   

Dockery is at work on a Sunday morning, as he may have a client. . .

Something has happened between Bohnda and her mother, and Dockery offers his support and advice.  Dockery has his first client, and makes plans to go to Fort Benton.  It's not time, we learn, "to spill the beans."

Dockery hears that Miles City is "a wide open town," and worries his sweetheart is staying there.  

Dockery considers a friend's request to be "used" to help him with a homestead claim.

Dockery responds to a letter, which he liked so much but also hurt so much.