"Dear Diary: A Reason To Stay" Kitty is determined to make Dodge City a very short stop, but finds a reason to stay.
Matt Dillon had awoken to the sound of raindrops spitter spattering on the jailhouse roof. It was a cool spring day in Dodge City and the rain was a welcome event, especially by the farmers. The hot, dry summer would soon be upon them and they took all the rain they could get. Unfortunately today was also the day the stagecoach would be coming in. Matt always felt bad when the stagecoach passengers had to depart the stagecoach in the rain, not that it happened too often.
Looking at the clock, Matt could see it was just before seven o'clock. Knowing that the early morning stage would be arriving around eight o'clock, he decided he best get up and get ready for the day. Normally he would go out and greet the stage driver and the passengers. But with the rain falling and really not wanting to stand out in the rain, he decided it wouldn't hurt to not greet the stage today. He decided to catch up on some dreaded paperwork and maybe later go and get some breakfast.
Kitty Russell sat in the stage with her reticule in her lap and her carpet bag by her feet. Her carpet bag had been tied up with the other suitcases on top of the stage, but the driver gave it to her on their last stop. He said it looked dark to the west and wouldn't want it to get wet, if it were raining. The hard shelled suitcases could handle the rain, carpet bags really weren't made for rain. She bent down, opened her carpet bag, and took out her diary and a pen. She had been keeping a diary ever since she left New Orleans.
Dear Diary,
"I'm still on my way to San Francisco, California. It's taking a little longer than I thought it would. When we stopped in Abilene, Texas, I stayed for a few a weeks. Why? Because I needed the money. It isn't cheap riding from New Orleans to San Francisco. I got a job as a saloon girl in one of the saloons. I was starting to make money, but couldn't stay there any longer. I wasn't treated too well while I was there. Now all I have is forty dollars. Our next stop is Dodge City, Kansas. I'll get some breakfast and see how far I can get with the money I have left. Maybe I can stay in the next town and work to make a little more money.'
Hearing rain on the roof of the stagecoach, Kitty put her pen down and looked out the window. It was pouring out. She felt bad for the stagecoach driver. Looking out again, she could see buildings ahead. She assumed they were arriving in Dodge City. She picked up her pen again and began writing.
"I can see Dodge City up ahead. I have never seen an uglier town in my life. The buildings look colorless and drabby, and it doesn't help that it's pouring rain. Trust me. My stay in Dodge will definitely be a short one."
Kitty closed her diary and put it and her pen back in her carpet bag. The stagecoach pulled into town and came to a stop in front of the depot. Kitty dreaded having to get out of the stage and into the rain, but she was hungry and needed to eat something.
After securing the brake on the stage coach, the driver jumped down and opened the door. "We'll be here for an hour or two. I want to rest the horses and get something to eat. I also want to get a chance to dry off a bit. I'll make sure not to leave without you." He then helped Kitty down the stagecoach steps.
"Thank you," said Kitty as she took in her surroundings.
Kitty quickly stepped under the roof of the depot. She was trying to stay dry, but failing miserably. As she looked around at the buildings that made up Dodge City, she spotted a cafe. With her reticule in her hand, she started to wade across muddy, watery streets towards the cafe. As she walked a few steps away from the stage, she decided to go back and get her carpet bag. For some reason she didn't trust Dodge City and felt better if her carpet bag was with her. She was down to her last forty dollars and couldn't afford to lose her belongings.
By the time Kitty made it to the cafe, she was cold, wet, and miserable. She walked into the cafe and sat down at a table. The table faced the door and the window. She wanted to keep an eye on the stage to make sure it didn't leave without her. The driver said he wouldn't, but Kitty still wanted to make sure that it didn't.
Kitty had been sitting for a minute, when a waiter came up to her. "What would you like to eat?" he asked.
Kitty knew she couldn't spend a huge amount of money on breakfast. "I'll have a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of coffee," she answered. She figured that shouldn't cost too much, plus the oatmeal and coffee would warm her up.
"Very well. That'll be ready in just a little bit," the waiter said as he walked away.
The waiter wasn't lying. The oatmeal and coffee were ready in a little bit. As Kitty ate the oatmeal and sipped on her coffee, she decided to take out her diary and write another entry to pass the time.
Deary Diary,
"I am sitting in a cafe in Dodge City eating oatmeal and drinking coffee. You couldn't pay me to stay in this city. The driver said we would be leaving in an hour or two, and that can't come soon enough."
Matt had finished his paperwork and decided it was time for breakfast. Normally he would go to Delmonico's, but today he decided to eat at the cafe. It was smaller than Delmonico's, but the food was still good. He put on his Stetson and walked out the door towards the cafe.
When Matt reached the cafe, he opened the door and stepped inside. He took off his hat and went and sat down at a table in the corner of the cafe. It didn't take long for a waiter to come and take his order.
"What will it be, Marshall?" asked the waiter.
"Give me four eggs, a stack of ham, some biscuits, and a cup of coffee," Matt replied.
"Certainly. I'll get it to you as soon as I can," said the waiter.
"No rush," said Matt
Kitty had been eating her oatmeal when she saw Matt walk in. She swore she had never seen a man as big as that in her entire life. He had definitely captured her attention. She picked up her pen and continued writing in her diary.
"I swear the biggest man I have ever seen just walked into the cafe. He's sitting at a table across the room from me. I can't explain it, but there's something about him."
Kitty then watched the waiter come out of the kitchen with a huge plate of eggs, ham, and biscuits. He walked over to the big, tall man and placed the plate on the table in front of him. Kitty watched him dig into the food with earnestness. She continued to write in her diary.
"I have never seen a person eat so much, but I guess a man that big would have a huge appetite. My breakfast is finished and the rain has stopped. I'm going to head back over to the depot and wait for the stage to leave."
Kitty closed her diary and placed it and the pen back in her carpet bag. She then paid for her meal. After placing the money on the table, she picked up her carpet bag, grabbed her reticule, and walked back to the depot. While walking back she couldn't get the big man, who was still over at the cafe, out of her mind.
The stagecoach driver came up to her. "We'll be leaving shortly," he said.
"Okay," Kitty responded, not really knowing if she wanted to leave.
A few minutes later, the stagecoach driver approached her again. "Are you ready?"
"There's been a change of plans," replied Kitty. "I think I'll stay in Dodge for a while. Are there any decent rooms to rent?"
"The Dodge House is the best hotel in the city," said the driver.
"I really can't afford the best. Is there any other place to stay?" asked Kitty.
"Ma Smalley has a nice boarding house on the edge of town. It's cheaper than the Dodge House," he told Kitty.
"Sounds good. I'll get a room a there," said Kitty.
The stagecoach took off and Kitty walked to Ma Smalley's boarding house. She was able to rent a room. Breakfast and the room cut into her forty dollars. Kitty knew she had to do two things, find a job and get to know the man she saw in the cafe. She just prayed he wasn't married or involved with someone. After settling into her room, she pulled out her diary.
Dear Diary,
"I am still in Dodge City, and I have decided to stay awhile. I know what you're thinking. How could I possibly still be here? I was bound and determined to leave here as quickly as possible. Well, let me tell you this. I've found a reason to stay, and that reason is over six and a half feet tall."
The End
