Thus, upon Colter’s inheritance of the Beaver Hole, his first month’s profit was used to complete Ol’ Brown’s plan to bring Cousin Johnny over.  Since his own father had passed away somewhere back in Korea, Colter and his siblings had been left alone with their mother, making Colter the man of the house.  Ol’ Brown had been the only older man in his life.  With only a snapshot remaining of his father in uniform, the image had hung together in a small wooden frame with the issued American flag sent to his family by the army above the hearth, all faded with age.  Directly beneath it, tacked to the wall, was a clipped bible verse - David and Goliath - hanging with a pair dog tags.  The parable had been Grandfather Hobbes’ favorite; my grandmother had found the remains of the yellowed sheet stuffed into an old shirt pocket, when taking up the sleeves for Colter’s high school prom.

Colter Wayne Hobbes