"Uncle Jesse, do we have to clean out the barn today?" Bo Duke muttered as he followed his cousin, Luke Duke, and his Uncle Jesse to the barn.

"Well, you don't have to, but then again, the orphanage doesn't have to have a brand new playground, does it?" Jesse replied, sharing his calm wisdom. "Besides, you two have been promising to clean that barn out for me for months now."

"I know it's for a good cause, Uncle Jesse, but it's not every weekend the Sanderson sisters come to town!"

Bo argued.

"And if it weren't for the fundraiser, the Sanderson's wouldn't be here to begin with." Jesse reminded them.

The fundraiser Jesse was referring to was a community tag sale to benefit the orphanage. Folks all over Hazzard were digging through garages and cleaning out barns to gather up their old stuff to contribute to the cause. The money they raised was going to be used to install a new gym set at the orphanage.

Jesse stopped at the entrance of the barn and turned to face the boys. "Well, you know where everything is. If we haven't used it in a few years, get rid of it, that is except for the replacement parts for the farm equipment. That ole' push mower can go, it doesn't run anymore. Don't, I repeat, do not clean out the stuff in the hayloft. The bottom floor is all we're gonna worry about."

"But Jesse, some of that stuff in the hayloft is practically antiques." Luke argued. "We could probably get more money for the orphanage from that than we could the stuff on the ground floor."

"I said don't worry about it." Jesse replied sternly, which shocked the boys. When he saw their reaction, he softened a little. "There's some things you just don't want to loose. Listen, I'm going to see what I can dig out of the pantry in the kitchen. You boys holler if you have any questions."

Jesse was just heading back toward the house when Enos showed up in his patrol car. Jesse paused as the lone deputy of Hazzard County stopped his car and got out.

"Afternoon, Uncle Jesse." Enos said, tipping his hat.

"So far." Uncle Jesse replied. Enos never stopped by the house in full uniform unless something was wrong. "Let's get to it…what's J.D. put you up to this time?"

"Well, Boss told me to deliver this to you." Enos replied handing Jesse some paperwork. Jesse took it and began to read as Bo and Luke came up behind him.

"A foreclosure notice? What's this all about our mortgage isn't due for another week!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Well, I know your mortgage used to be due at the first of the month, Uncle Jesse, but that was before it changed. It seems you're past due."

"I ain't your Uncle Jesse! And how am I supposed to know I'm past due when I don't even know the date has changed? When did he change it?"

"Yesterday. It seems….." Enos began.

"Oh never mind. Boys, I'm going into town. J.D.'s went too far this time. He can't legally kick us out with this bogus notice."

"Want us to go with you, Uncle Jesse?" Luke asked.

"No, you boys stay here and work on that barn. Don't worry, I know how to handle J.D.

This little incident doesn't cancel the tag sale. Just remember what I told you about the hay loft."

"Yes sir." Luke replied as he watched his Uncle start up his ancient Ford pickup and head into town with Enos close behind.

"That Boss Hogg, why is he pickin' on us this time?" Bo asked as he headed back toward the barn.

"You mean he needs a reason?" Luke asked as he followed Bo.

"Apparently not." Bo replied, entering a stall where some old farm supplies were stored. "It just makes me mad. Uncle Jesse has been nothing but kind and helpful to him all these years and still he's always after us for some reason."

"You're right. Boss has always been nasty to us, every since……."

Bo looked at his cousin who was paused in thought. "Every since what? Boss has always been rotten."

"No not always. I can remember when we were kids we used to go over to Boss's house sometimes and he was always nice to us."

"Hmmm. I guess you had a different childhood from me, or a dream. I don't remember that at all."

"That's because you're five years younger than me, little cousin." Luke reminded him. "I think we stopped going over there when you were one, maybe two. Boss would give us candy and everything. He would even let us sit on his lap."

"Hmmm. I'm glad I DON'T remember." Bo replied.

"Then, it's like something happened one day. You just didn't like Boss anymore. Whenever Jesse left you to visit with him you would cry and cry until Jesse took you back."

"My first impression of Boss was apparently the correct one." Bo replied as he continued to go through the things.

"I suppose, but I can remember Boss getting so mad when you didn't want to see him."

"So THAT'S why we always end up in jail. Because Boss knows we're not going to voluntarily spend time with him." Bo replied sarcastically.

"Hey, I never said it made any sense, I'm just telling it how I remember it." Luke replied.

"Well, this box is ready." Bo announced, standing up with a crate full of tractor parts he knew they were to keep. "Wonder where Uncle Jesse wants this?"

"Give it to me. I'll put it up in the hayloft with the rest of the stuff." Luke replied. He went to climb the ladder and turned to take the box from Bo.

"Just remember to put it where we can find it. Knowing our luck the tractor will break down tomorrow."

"Right." Luke replied. He turned and surveyed the contents of the loft and spied an old chest of drawers in the back.

"Hey Bo. I'm gonna sort these parts into the drawers on this chest. That way we won't have to go diggin' for them."

"Okay." Bo shouted back. "I'm gonna take this other stuff outside where we can load it on Jesse's truck when he gets back."

Luke set down the crate of parts and pulled on the top drawer of the chest. He quickly found that it was stuck and tugged harder. When he was pulling quite firmly the drawer finally gave way and Luke ended up pulling it all the way out..

It was when he was attempting to replace the drawer that he felt paper on the bottom. He flipped the drawer and looked curiously at the envelope that was adhered to the bottom. The yellowed tape that bound it there removed easily due to it's age.

Luke debated on whether or not to open it. It wasn't like Jesse to hide anything from them. Still…."

Luke opened the envelope and took out the paperwork inside. He read for just a few minutes before his face turned ashen.

"Luke!"

Luke jumped a bit before he looked down. Bo was staring at him from the doorway of the barn.

"I've been calling you for five minutes. You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Luke swallowed hard and wondered if he should tell Bo about what he had read.