Chapter 3 – April Fools Day

Matt was able to keep his word and take things easy since it was still too early for the increased workload the influx of strangers the cattle season brought to Dodge. Taking advantage of the free time that remained available he took Kitty fishing one unseasonably warm day that foreshadowed the spring weather to come. It also allowed him to grab a catnap or two on Chester's cot in the waning days of March knowing it wouldn't be long before he'd be lucky to catch a couple hours' sleep between breaking up fights and facing down drunks. Despite his efforts, he was still plagued with bouts of coughing and a painful pressure in his chest that, though dissipating, was taking far too long to disappear.

Tuesday was quiet until mid-afternoon when Hiram Landry pointed his shotgun at Mr. Jonas demanding the storekeeper extend him even more credit than he already had. Of course it never occurred to the nester that he could have paid off a good portion of his debt and maybe even have enough money left to buy the supplies needed to keep his house and farm going until the early crops were ready to harvest if he hadn't drunk it all up. He was visibly more than tipsy when Matt arrested him for disturbing the peace before anything more serious occurred. Hiram came along willingly enough. The trouble was he couldn't lock him up.

"Chester," Matt said as his assistant walked through the door. "What did you do with the keys?"

"I don't know what you mean, Mr. Dillon. They was on the peg as usual when I left to get the mail."

Matt was wondering if he'd have to let his prisoner go with just a warning when the door flew open like it had been hit by a sudden gust of wind and the missing keys blew in, landing on the table in the middle of an already set up checkerboard. He didn't dwell on the strangeness of it. Instead he told Chester to lock Hiram up for a couple of hours while he went to the Long Branch to relax over a beer with Kitty. The stack of mail Chester put on his desk could wait.

Kitty was by the bar talking with two young women he hadn't seen before. They looked enough alike to be sisters so he wasn't surprised when she introduced her new hires as Sally and Tilda Teasdale. She'd taken them on in preparation for the huge increase in business when the herds started arriving.

"How do," Matt said, tipping his hat to each in turn and surreptitiously giving them a closer look. "Have I met you two somewhere before?" he added.

"I doubt that Marshal," Sally replied. "Tilda's never been in Dodge City before and I was only here once on our way west before it could rightly be called a town. When our father died I went to work here while my sister continued on with grandpa to live at the crossroads closest to our cousin's ranch. We only had enough money for two of us to continue on and I was old enough to handle myself, but Tilda, though only a bit more than a year younger, wasn't. Besides, her traveling with grandpa was better than two girls traveling together."

Matt kept his doubts about Sally's explanation to himself as Sam handed each Teasdale sister a beer. These were for Jake Worth's two riders who'd just walked in, leaving him alone with Kitty.

"You're looking better than you have in weeks," Kitty teased as Matt sat down beside her after holding the chair out so she could take her seat first. "Let's say it explains the return of your stamina."

"Does it? Are you saying you've found me unsatisfactory in the recent past?"

"Oh, Cowboy. I didn't mean to hurt your pride. I'm just concerned is all. Is the cough better today? It still sounded quite harsh last night."

"Yeah. I only hope it's completely gone before things get busy," Matt added, creasing his brow.

"I know you too well. What's really bothering you?" Kitty asked as she took her first sip of beer.

"It's probably nothing, but what do you know about your new girls? When did they arrive? Where'd they come from?"

"Matt, why all the questions about Sally and Tilda? They came in on the stage from Tascosa last night where they've been working for the past three years. They may be closer to 30 than 20, but they're used to Texas cowboys and available. You're not usually this nosy about who I hire."

"I reckon it's what just happened. Someone taking the cell keys and then returning them by throwing them through the front door is probably Doc's attempt at an April fool joke. They landed in the checker game he'd set up. Still, I can't help feeling the Teasdale sisters spell trouble and I've met them before."

As usual Kitty had a way of relaxing him. Matt needed and wanted that feeling to continue so he asked her to be available by six. He'd decided Chester could handle the early evening rounds this first day of April 1873 while he and Kitty spent a rare evening out – just the two of them. Back in his office the marshal smiled as he, dressed in a white shirt, dark dress pants, newly polished good boots and what Kitty jokingly referred to since the day he bought it when he dared Creego to draw in Jonas' store as his courting coat, tied his string tie. Tonight he was taking his girl to supper at Delmonico's followed by a moonlit buggy ride out on the prairie.

For once Chester didn't interrupt the meal, but it was nearly spoiled anyhow. Someone had loosened the top of the saltshaker. Matt, who liked to flavor his meat with salt after years out on the trail, was the victim. Luckily, he liked his steak rare so it didn't take long to cook a new one. They finished their meal after only a slight delay and strolled down to the stable arm in arm as any gentleman with his lady would. To their surprise Moss hadn't hitched a horse to the rented buggy.

"Moss, what's going on here?" Matt demanded. "Why isn't the buggy ready?"

"Sorry, Marshal. I started to hitch up my best rental horse, but I noticed your buckskin was favoring his right front foot. He was about to throw a shoe. I stopped to nail it back on and checked his other shoes while I was at it. The other three were fine, but I reckon it took more time than I thought."

"Matt, let's go now," Kitty said as Matt started toward his buckskin's stall. "Buck is fine. Moss can hitch up my mare to the buggy," she added, joining her tall, dark and handsome date in the stall to stroke the gelding's nose and, surrepticiously, his rider.

Kitty rested her head against Matt's shoulder as they drove west out of town. Once they reached the little pond, he stopped their conveyance. The lovers cuddled, starring out over the moonlit water for only a moment or two before turning their attention to each other. It was Matt who called a halt to what would otherwise naturally occur.

"Honey, somebody might come by and see us. Besides, I still have my late rounds."

"That badge again! Can't you ever stop thinking about it? However, you do have a point on such a beautiful night. We can head back to town if you promise to take up where we left off later tonight."

"You have my word," Matt replied with a grin as he turned their buggy back toward home.

Matt drove slowly, savoring their time alone until the stable was almost in sight. Abruptly, both buggy wheels fell off. Somehow, possibly due to the slow pace, neither fell out. Kitty clung tightly to him while Matt braced his feet against the front so he could use all his strength to control the panicked horse. After what seemed like hours, but was no more than a couple of minutes, he managed to calm the mare and his unexpected fit of violent coughing enough to allow him to get out of the now amazingly upright yet flat on the ground buggy and help Kitty out as well. Then he unhitched the horse.

They managed to get Kitty's mare back to Moss without Matt enduring another coughing bout, but his side was far sorer than he wanted her to know. He hoped it eased by the time he finished his rounds.

"I don't mean to pry, but where's my buggy? What happened to it?"

"Sorry Moss. It seems the wheels came off about 100 yards back. I'll send Chester over to help you put them back on tonight if you like."

"No, it'll keep 'til morning. I can see better then, anyhow."

After walking Kitty back to the Long Branch, Matt began his late rounds. He rattled all the doorknobs on the closed businesses and peeked into the shadows in all the alleys and into all of the saloons and other open establishments. Finally, after stopping at his office to make sure Chester was set for the night, he completed his circle and returned to the Long Branch. It was relatively early, but there were few customers, so Kitty had told her partner Bill Pence she'd lock up. By the time Matt returned for his nightcap, the saloon's co-owner was home with his pregnant bride Laura and the Teasdale sisters were presumably upstairs behind the locked doors of their rooms. Kitty's eyes were all over him as he came toward her, but she held her tongue about his health until they were comfortably in her rooms.

"Matt, one of us didn't fare so well when the buggy fell apart. How badly are you hurt?"

"It's nothing," he said wincing in pain when he hugged Kitty as they snuggled into bed. "I must have pulled a muscle."

"I'll be gentle tonight, but only if you promise to see Doc in the morning."