The Secret Annie Oakley/Talk Down/Jewelled Path/A Solitary Dance [antikvár]

In the summer of 1903, a bizarre story was headlined in newspapers across the country. Annie Oaidey, the toast of two continents, star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, had been arrested for stealing in order to buy morphine. It wasn't true, of course. Actually arrested was a drug-addicted impostor named Maude Fontenella. But the tabloids spread the story, and Annie's career came to an abrupt halt. She sued for libel, and one of the news organizations responded by setting private detectives to dog her trail. Their assignment: to dig into the past life of Little Sure Shot, exposing any secret, hidden places. It was a bitter exercise, made even more cruel by the fact that there was a secret in Annie's past. Something she could not bear to look at in the light of day. All this is true. Here, in this remarkable novel, Marcy Heidish has marshaled the known facts about Annie Oakley: her grim childhood, her spectacular career, and her idyllic marriage to Frank Butler. These the author has fashioned into a brilliant work of the imagination, bringing a legendary heroine to vivid life. NEWARK,NEW JERSEY JULY 14,1905 "And so. I decided. I decided, and I'm telling you this so you II understand, I wouldn't let anyone find out. I would be free of it once and for all. I would not let this mark me anymore—not me, not my family, not anything I might have. I made the changes, made them where changes last. In the Bible records, in the graveyard, on the stone. And had done with it—I thought. "No one knew. I was careful, I made sure. I realized no one would understand. And now, if they turn it up, if they bring it out after all this time—I just couldn't bear it is all. "Over the years, mostly, it got to seeming farther away. As if it had to do with someone else, not me. Off and on, of course, I've been afraid someone would find out. But no one did, and we were busy—and then this Chicago business happened." This Chicago business—damn it to hell for all it's done and all it's caused, damn it double for refusing to end. The detectives were here, I saw them. They sifted our trash, talked to the tradesmen, Lord knows who else, and moved on. They've been to Cincinnati, worse, they've been to Greenville, asking their questions, creasing their dollars. Even when we can't see them,