Kitty stood at the end of the bar in her saloon. She played with her right earring and felt something was wrong. She reached up and felt her left ear. The earring was gone. Her heart skipped a beat as they were her favourite earrings and a gift from Matt. "Sam? Did you find an earring on the floor this morning?"
Sam shook his head no. "I just finished sweeping and all I got was a lot of dust and two nickels. Why?" His velvet voice held concern.
"I seemed to have lost one of my good earrings. I'll just retrace my tracks. I'm sure its around here some where." Her eyes scanned the floor even though she knew Sam was very thorough with his broom.
Sam looked back out to the floor. "I'll keep my eyes out for it."
Kitty thanked her barkeeper and mentally retraced her steps. She clicked her fingers and walked out the door. She remembered that she was on her way to see Wilbur Jonas about a new hat. "I'll be back in a few minutes, Sam." Kitty said as she left the Long Branch.
As she walked toward the General Store her mind was on the earring and her eyes were on the ground. She crossed the alley between the Long Branch and the store. Festus noticed her looking at the ground. "Miss Kitty? Lose somethin' did ya?"
Kitty looked up at the deputy with a slight case of panic on her face. "Sure did. One of my favourite earrings. You know the ones Matt gave me..."
Hootie stepped forward. "Would that be it there on the ground near my wheel?"
Kitty's eyes looked at the item and over to the woman who spoke. "It sure is!" She quickly retrieved it and clasped it to her ear. Kitty sighed with relief.
Festus smiled broadly at the outcome. "Miss Kitty. This here is my Aunt Hootie. She stopped here in Dodge to get herself some supplies fer her new place."
Doc swiped his moustache and started to leave. "Don't even ask about them about that."
Kitty looked at Doc with a puzzled smile on her face and then she looked at Hootie. "Well thank you for spotting my earring! How long are you in town for?"
Doc stopped long enough to hear Aunt Hootie say that she would be here for a few days. Doc rolled his eyes and kept going. He knew full well, despite the track record of Haggens before Hootie, that some sort of disaster would strike...it didn't have to be big but he knew it wasn't going to be small either. Deep down he felt bad for Festus and how his family and kinfolk always ended up making a mockery of him. Just the same, Doc wanted nothing to do with either of them at the moment. He headed to the Long Branch for a coffee.