Breckenridge Part 3

My Take

DiVoran Lites

Story by Dora Bowers and DiVoran Bowers Lites

Mabel never went back to school after she came out of her typhoid fever quarantine. She had lost all her hair because of the disease, but when it came back it was dark and luxurious for a while. Later on, it turned prematurely white.

When Mabel was sixteen Dora Bell made the acquaintance of an older man who was from Chicago and who stayed at the hotel where they worked. He stood at 5’9”, and had reached perhaps fifty years old. He weighed 175 pounds. He was well fixed and well-dressed in a worsted-suit and a snappy Bowler-derby hat. He wore a clean shirt every day, washed by the laundress at the hotel. Big words flowed from his mouth and Dora Bell admired how well educated he was. 

One day Mr. O’Shea introduced the idea that Mabel should go back to Chicago with him so she could get educated and make something of herself. Although hesitant, Dora Bell had to agree that there was nothing for her 16 year old daughter in the small mining town except ignorance and drudgery. Dora Bell decided to trust Mr. O’Shea. 

Picture by Amazon

Picture by Pixar

Mabel was thrilled and excited at the prospect of going. She had a lovely new dress and a pretty bonnet to protect her sensitive skin from freckles and tanning. Mr. O’Shea provided her with a coat to keep her warm during the long train journey. 

Picture by Pixar

Dora Bell was alone on the mountainside now. But she did have a long-time friend to talk things over with. She had met Mr. Hunter when she nursed his wife who eventually died from typhoid fever. Mr. Hunter did everything he could to repay Dora Bell for her compassion and nursing skills. They were able to talk about their sorrows with each other, and he wanted to do what he could to help Dora Bell find Mabel. 

Even though Dora Bell wrote to the O’Shea address every week, she never got an answer. She was as worried about Mabel as she could possibly be, but she and Mr. Hunter had no idea where to begin looking for her. They started saving small amounts of cash so they could leave the mountain in case they ever found out where she was. 

DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn.  She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”

Tags: Breckenridge Colorado, Life in early 1900s Breckenridge Colorado