After Leon beat up Lilac and left the train he went to back to Independence to get on another wagon train and go to Oregon. He found out there were no more wagon trains going west that year. He would have to wait until next year to get to Oregon.

One night about two weeks after the beating Lilac told her story: Her father had a nice farm in Ohio they were

doing well. Then came two years of bad crops. Her father was in danger of losing his farm. Then Leon came along and offered her father a lot of money for Lilac. Leon said he wanted to marry her. At first her father said no. Then Leon said they would live in nearby Toledo. Leon would start a general store and Lilac would help run it. Leon told her father he could come visit whenever he wanted. So Finally her father reluctantly agreed. Leon gave him the money and took off with Lilac. They lived in Toledo about a week then they headed towards Oregon. Leon told Lilac to tell everyone they were married. Lilac was afraid of him, so she did what she were told. When they got to Independence they got on the wagon train. Then the wagon train stepped in and told Lilac she did not have to live that way. There are no slaves west of the Missouri. When Leon told her they were leaving she stood up and said she was not going with him. He got mad and started beating on her. To save herself she fell down and pretended to be unconscious. He gave up then and took one of the horses and rode out. When Lilac tried to get up she found out she couldn’t. So she laid there on the ground until someone found her.

There was a farmer from Kentucky name Jacob Swift on the wagon train. He was traveling with his 3 sons.

Peter, James and John. He lost his wife to Pneumonia about a year ago. He decided there were too many memories

on the farm and he sold it. He was going to Oregon to make a new start.

Lilac and Jacob started spending time together. The both had a void that needed to be filled and they were filling each other’s voids. After about a month Jacob asked Lilac to marry him. She accepted. They went to tell the boys.