-
John requests Polly's hand in marriage
Both Jack and Polly's parents were vary happy when they got engaged. Polly did not need to worry about her family not liking John because who ever Polly loved her parents loved. They courted for three years after they got engaged. People should have thought more about John's character when he said he would blow his brains out if Polly didn't marry him, but no one thought he was serious. -
John and Polly get married
-
Polly and John's son George is born
Polly was very happy when George was born because she had always wanted a family. John was a good father for his son. As soon as the boy could walk he was following his father footsteps everywhere he went. Everyone would always mention the close bond John and his son had. -
John moves to Canada
-
John and Polly's second child is born
Polly almost died when the new baby was born. Polly named the little girl Helen after her grandmother. They called her Ella to avoid confusion between the two names. John had been gone away for quite awhile and Polly hoped the news of a daughter would possibly bring John home. When she was able to tell him it didn't change his mind like she hoped it would. -
Britain Declared War
-
John is shipped to Blaine Lake
John worked very hard with the RNWMP during his time in Blaine Lake. One of John's main tasks was to watch over a colony of Dukobors that had immigrated to the area. Blaine Lake was a very busy town with a hotel, a bank, a school and lots of other businesses. It was thought that the RNWMP did not have great living conditions in Blaine Lake because the secretary of the RNWMP wrote to the district office asking for "new quarters for the Mounted Police." (Pg.24) -
John joins the the Royal North West Mounted Police
John tried to sign up for the war immediately but his lungs were too weak and they denied him. He found out that the RNWMP were looking for people to join so he applied and got accepted. He did his training in Regina and graduated easily. He felt like he had a new chance at life. Jack wrote a letter to Polly to tell her the news. "Then
I heard that the Mounties were wanting men so I applied and they accepted me." (Pg. 22). -
John meets Jessie
-
John tries to sign up for war again
-
John gets diagnosed with tuberculosis
John was diagnosed positive for tuberculosis. Only a small amount of people survived. The doctor said to John "You'll soon be so ill you'll have to be in bed. You should be there now." (Pg.32). John didn't know what he was going to do because he had nobody to take care of him. The RNWMP fired John and gave him a tent to quarantine himself. Jessie took care of John during this time. " She was good to me above everyone else" (Pg.33). -
Polly decides to go to Canada to find John
-
John asks Jessie to marry him
John had admitted to Jessie that his wife was not dead but that he was divorcing her. Jessie believed this was why John sometimes looked upset. Jessie said yes to marrying John and was excited about it. Many people Jessie's age, 17, would have had second thoughts about marrying a person like John because he was so sick and had no job, but Jessie loved him very much and was excited. -
Polly arrives in Halifax
-
Polly gets to Regina and talks to John in Prince Albert
-
John hides Polly and Jessie from each other
For the next few months Jack did everything he could to keep the women a secret from each other. He stayed with Polly and she even became pregnant. During this time he wrote letters to Jessie lying about where he was and what he was doing. Polly later finds a letter that Jessie wrote to Jack about the wedding and divorce from Polly. John lies to Polly about what Jessie really means to him and Polly forgives John. -
John moves to Saskatoon
John asked Polly to leave Regina and move to Saskatoon with him. He is also telling Jessie to meet him in Saskatoon at the same time. He still wants to get married to her and is still busy planning his new life there with her. Polly thought that they were moving to Saskatoon to start a new life and would bring the kids from Scotland there later. She had no idea that the affair between John and Jessie was still happening. -
John shoots Polly
"No, Jack, don't!" (Pg.79) Polly said as John held the gun to her face. John had lied to Polly about going hunting and heading to Blaine Lake to break off the affair with Jessie and ended up murdering her and her unborn baby. John is horrified by the scene he created. He is not sure how he is going to cover his tracks and finally decides to bury her under a culvert. -
John burns the car
After John buries Polly he gets in the car to get away from the murder scene before the sun comes up and someone comes by. He ends up crashing the car trying to get away without headlights and under the influence of alcohol. He burns the car and then makes his way to a farmers to get help. John lies to the farmer but the farmer suspects that something is not right. -
John marries Jessie
