the

Birthday

Stockings

without beginning - without end

Gunsmoke fanfiction

littlegreenlake

I

January 1888

Dottie Bender did fancy work. Her embroidery had won her blue ribbons at every sociable and fair in the Dodge City and the Ford County area for over ten years. Dottie, plump, pretty and pleasant, was in her sixties and had raised a family of eight sons. All of her boys were married and running successful farms of their own. She and her husband Harry, after giving up farming life, lived at Ma Smalley's boarding house and were active in community and church life.

Folks often came to Dottie when they had a special needlework request. She'd decorated baby blankets with rosebuds; mourning hankies with black tatted edgings. She'd monogramed towels and pillowcases for newlyweds, in fact just about every life event in the small community had Dottie's mark on it.

So, it was natural, on that cold winter morning, when the Marshal had something he wanted decorated by needle and thread, that he paid a visit to Dottie Bender.

Miss Dottie, eye glasses resting upon her nose, was sitting in the boarding house parlor, next to the window, working with needlepoint in hand, when Ma poked her head in the room. "Marshal Dillon wants to see you, dear." Ma told her boarder and then ushered the lawman in.

When Matt Dillon entered the room, it grew instantly smaller in his presence. Wearing his winter coat, he resembled a stuffed grizzly bear, Miss Dottie had seen once at a circus sideshow. "Good heavens!" She exclaimed in alarm, struggling to her pudgy little feet. "Have I done something wrong?"

"Oh no, nothing like that Ma'am." He took her arm and assisted her back in the rocking chair. When she was settled again, he asked, "I was wondering if you could sew something for me? I'd pay you for it, of course."

She stared up at the looming figure Matt presented, "Marshal, I'm not a seamstress and even if I was, I wouldn't know the first thing about sewing something for a man as big as you."

He smiled a little, "It's not for me. It's for Miss Kitty."

"Miss Kitty?" She noticed then, that he had a brown paper package under his arm, like the kind Mr. Lathrop wrapped parcels in, at the General Store.

He undid the twine holding the package together, to reveal three pairs of ladies stockings.

"Oh my …" Stockings were just slightly removed from underwear, and her little old heart went a flutter at the thought the Marshal had any intents and purposes in that direction.

He handed over the stockings and she examined them. They were white wool and of fine quality. She'd never been asked to do fancy work on stockings, although she knew some folks did like to brighten up the ordinary, with a stitch or two. She looked up at him squinting over her spectacles. "What did you have in mind."

"Something real pretty, I'd leave that up to you. Something, a lady like Miss Russell would appreciate."

Dotty furrowed her brow, as she tried to put together the term lady with a woman of Miss Kitty's reputation. She attempted a smile and spoke with hesitation, "I don't know Marshal, I wouldn't know what to embroider." She had visions of cupids and a bare breasted Greek Goddesses dancing in her brain. A blush crept up her neck to redden her face.

He noticed her reaction and it confused him a little. He smiled and attempted to reassure the old lady, "I'm sure she'd like anything you think is pretty."

Miss Dottie wasn't so sure. She was certain she had little in common with the beautiful and flamboyant owner of the infamous Long Branch Saloon. Dottie liked to embroider violets and lazy daisies, both seemed too countrified to suit a woman in Miss Kitty's worldly profession. However, as the handsome Marshal smiled down upon her, Dottie conceded, it would have to be a strong woman indeed to refuse Matt Dillon when he looked at her like that. Her pale eyelashes fluttered and her dimples showed, "Well, since it's you doing the asking. I'll give it a go."

"Thank you, Miss Dotty. One more thing. This is going to be a special present for Miss Kitty, so if you could, have the stockings ready by her birthday on February 20th." He paused for a moment, reckoning to the uncertainties of his occupation. "If I'm out of town, please see that she gets them."

xoxo

Harry Bender, thin haired, and ruddy faced, was a content little man, who enjoyed his retirement to the fullest. His daily activities, after a boarding house breakfast, usually started with checkers at the general store with gents of a similar age as he. A noon beer with pickled eggs and pretzels, at the Bull's head followed. Then, a hand or two of penny poker with some of the same men he'd played checkers with earlier, either at the Lady Gay or the Long Branch; another beer or two and back to the boarding house.

Miss Dottie, kept busy as well, perusing the latest bonnets at the millinery shop and gazing at the newest gown to hang on the dressmakers dummy in Miss Mary's Dress Store window and at least once a week, a trip to the general store to browse the latest sewing notions. Depending on the day of the week, she had meetings of Ladies Aid Society, Sewing Circle, and the Quilting Club, to occupy her time and talents. Both spouses would pick up news and scuttlebutt as they went about their routines and gleefully share what they'd learned. It was a bit of a game between them, to see who came home with the juiciest gossip.

Dottie told Harry about the Marshal's visit when he came home that afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Bender sat together in the parlor, drinking an afternoon tea and discussing the comings and goings of the day. Harry disclosed,"I heard Mrs. Will Roniger is in the family way again, and expecting her fifth grandchild to boot." It was a, 'top that if you can' moment.

Dottie gave him a sly smile and he knew he'd been trumped. "Marshal Dillon wants me to do fancy work on stockings for Miss Kitty." She produced the stockings from her sewing bag.

Harry seemed amused, and Dottie thought his reaction inappropriate, She spoke to him in a stern voice, "Not exactly the kind of gift a gentleman gives a lady."

Harry shook his head kindly at his wife, "Mrs. Bender, the Marshal ain't that much of a gentleman and Miss Kitty certainly ain't no lady."

Dottie examined the stocking in her hand, "Everyone says she is, despite her um … line of work."

Harry produced a little flask of whiskey from his pocket and poured some in his tea, and then put a little in Mrs. Bender's tea too. "Well of course they do, she's got money and she contributes to the coffers of the school board and the church. Not to mention, the fact she's buddy buddy with some of the town's most influential citizens, and a member of that there chamber of commerce, she helped organize. But a lady, no ma'am … she ain't no lady, leastwise not in the common sense."

Dottie took a drink of the spiked tea and then motioned for Harry to put a little more whiskey in her cup. "Maybe I should tell the Marshal I won't do the fancy work?"

He poured a generous amount, "He's gonna pay you, ain't he?"

"Yes, he already did." She reached in her pocket and pulled out a fine handful of coins.

Harry's eyebrows popped up, "You ain't given that back! That's more than you got for embroidering Ruby Baskin's tablecloth and them 12 napkins for her daughter's wedding present."

Dottie took another sip and smiled, "Twice as much."

"I think we can do the Christian thing here, and overlook a few sins." He chuckled then.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"Him, getting fancy socks for a 'fancy' lady."

She giggled too. "I'm just glad he didn't ask me to stitch rosebuds on her bloomers."

to be continued