Gunsmoke:After All This Time

Part 2

Kitty Russell walked through her comfy home opening curtains and windows. The first blast of thick, warm air let her know that it was going to be a scorcher out. Her skin was already glistening and it was only seven o'clock in the morning. She pulled a hanky from between her bosoms and blotted her neck and upper chest as she walked down the stairs to begin her day. Because of the heat, she wore a thin, yellow, button down shirt and a light blue skirt to match. Her hair was tied up in a French twist to help keep her cool.

The fine-looking, country home had immediately caught her eye when she came to Baton Rouge and lucky for her, it was vacant. Right away, she inquired with one of the bankers in town and purchased it. The house was a two-story, French style with a beautiful porch that stretched across the entire front. The upstairs held three bedrooms, a washroom and an attic. It was really much more space than she needed, but she decided to indulge, although, it really wasn't much of one. She knew how to handle her money and she knew what she could and couldn't afford. The home was really very modest compared to some of the plantations, mansions, and antebellum homes located further out.

When she sold the Long Branch, it left her very well off and if she added her savings to that amount it was nearly doubled. When she arrived in Baton Rouge, she invested part of her funds into a saloon called The Pelican. It was considered one of the best saloons in town and was run by a friend of hers named Brandon Vasseur who she had met years ago when she came to Baton Rouge to visit a friend. He was a gentleman in every way and Kitty had come to trust him inexplicably. Sick of the saloon life, this time she was truly a silent partner.

Kitty set about boiling a pot of water for her dinner later on and then made her way outside. Further back on her property sat a barn and a coral. She had two horses, one male and the other female, six chickens and a couple of cats to help with mice in the barn. Every morning she would get up early, feed the animals and then tend to her garden that was a good ways from the house, but closer than the barn. At first she wasn't sure what she would do to keep herself busy each day. Tending to the animals didn't take very long, but she soon discovered that cooking wasn't so bad after all; it helped the day pass anyway. She had been trying plenty of new recipes and the cooking that her mamma tried to teach her so long ago was finally coming into play.

Finished with the animals, Kitty walked back toward the house to begin weeding her garden. Her plan was to be done with it before the heat reached its peak. Thanks to her cats, she hadn't had too many problems with rabbits and other garden pests and the carrots, spinach, peas and other rodent favorites were growing nicely. If things continued that way, she would have a nice harvest for winter.

MkM

Matt and Buck moseyed along on their way toward Baton Rouge. The further he continued south, the hotter it got. The sweat stains around his neck and under his arms were proof of that and he had long since packed his jacket away. He had been traveling for nearly six weeks now and he guessed that he was about ten miles away from the city, judging by the farms, plantations and other homes he'd passed. He took his time during the whole trip, not wanting to overdo it with Buck and also because he needed time to think, mostly about what he would say to Kitty when he found her. He closed his eyes against the bright sun and tried to imagine what she was doing right then. Probably already owns another saloon, he thought with a small smile. He could picture her in one of her beautiful dresses, standing at the bar and charming some cowboy. Maybe he never told her enough, but he had always been proud of her. It took a lot of woman to run such a business and she ran it well. She did a lot of other things that he was proud of, too, and her strength was something to be admired.

Matt looked around at all of the lush grass and healthy trees of the rolling countryside. It was a beautiful sight. He rode for a few more miles and in the distance he could see a beige colored house with a dark roof. As he got closer he saw a defined path that branch off from the road, lined with large bushes on either side, leading up to the house. After taking the path he could see that there was a barn in the back and two horses walking around in the coral. Matt lifted his hat and wiped his brow with his forearm. It was practically sweltering now and he knew that Buck needed water just as bad as he did. The water in his canteen was nearly gone and it was probably too hot to drink anyway.

The place looked friendly enough, with flower baskets hanging from the porch and rose bushes decorating the front of it, so he ushered Buck into the yard and back to where he spotted the horses. "Whoa," he said stopping the horse in front of the trough. Then he dismounted, making sure not to put too much weight on his sore knee, and walked over to pump some fresh water. The huge backyard was dotted with big trees and full of thick grass, too, except for the small trails that were worn from walking. He looked back to the house as he refilled the canteen. All of the windows were open and he was surprised that whoever lived there hadn't heard him and Buck yet. He washed his face and dumped a ladle of water over his head. Buck drank for a few more minutes while Matt walked closer to the back of the house where he could see a screened in porch. "Hello…" he called and got no answer. He continued on and then he knocked on the door. Nothing.

To be continued...