March 1864 Abigail POV I was exhausted. It was late and I needed to find shelter for the night. I continued to walk down the ever-darkening streets of St. Louis. It has to be here somewhere, I thought to myself. The nice man at the livery had shared with me about an orphanage and boarding house that took in young ladies who found themselves in desperate situations. I continued along the street for several more minutes and sighed in relief when I finally saw the house I had been searching for. “St. Louis Boarding House & Orphanage for Lost Souls” read the sign at the front gate. Well, in some ways, I am an orphan. And I’m definitely a lost soul, of sorts, I mused to myself as I reached out and opened the gate. I walked through the gate and latched it behind me. Then I made my way to the front door and knocked. I could hear movement from within and I straightened my shoulders and stood as tall as I could. It was difficult with my small frame; I was barely five feet four inches. As I