The Stolen 3

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

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Tuesday

After two and a half days with his prisoner, Matt finally made it to Hays mid morning, depositing the miscreant with the Sherriff. He was headed back out when a short little man with just a wisp of hair on his head entered.

"Hello, Ned," the Sherriff greeted the diminutive clerk. "Telegram for me?"

"Well no, Sherriff" the nasally little man answered. "I was told you were expecting a Marshal Dillon here today."

Matt had almost made it out the door when he heard his name. Inwardly groaning, he turned back, not relishing the receipt of the missive. Telegrams seldom brought him good news, only more work and less time where he wanted to be and with whom he wanted to be.

"I'm Marshal Dillon," he acknowledged reluctantly.

"Oh good, then this is for you" the little man said as he handed Matt the yellow sheet of paper and quickly scurried out. Big men like the Marshal made him nervous.

Matt took the paper and opened it reading the message scrawled upon it. "Bad news?" the Sherriff asked as he noticed the expression on Matt's face darken a bit.

"Well, I don't know" Matt answered scratching his head. "It's from my boss, Mr. Proctor. He's planning a meeting here for tomorrow and wants me to attend it."

"Meeting about what?" the Sherriff asked curiously.

"Doesn't say," Matt answered with a raised brow. "I don't even know how he knew I was here but I guess I'd better see about getting a room for the night. Looks like I won't be going home as soon as I thought."

The Sheriff nodded. "Well, Matt, if ya like you can have supper with the Mrs. and me tonight."

Matt smiled and hesitated for a moment. The Sheriff's wife was a good cook, but he shook his head. He had some things he wanted to think on and wasn't much in the mood for company. "Naw, Sheriff," he told him "I appreciate it but I got some things to do, dunno when I'll get done. You give your wife my regards though. Okay?"

Sheriff nodded, "Sure will," he said as Matt took his leave.

Exiting the jail office, Matt made his way down the street to the telegraph office. He needed to reply to the wire he'd received and let them know he'd be waiting. Upon entry, he found the mousy little Ned sitting behind the desk shuffling papers.

"Marshal," the man said, unconsciously pushing back a little. "Can I help you?"

"Well, yes," Matt answered. "You got away from me back there before I could ask you to send a reply to this wire."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that, Marshal," he said, "well of course, I'll be glad to do that for you. Uh, what did you want it to say?"

"Just say that I received the message and I will wait here. Send it to the same place you received this from."

"Alright, Marshal," he unconsciously licked his lips hoping the law man would leave soon.

He didn't.

"Was there something else?" he asked a little exasperated.

Matt thought for a moment. "Yeah, yeah there is. I want you to send another wire to Dodge. Send it to Doctor Adams."

"Doctor Adams," the man repeated. "Okay and what do you want this wire to say?"

Matt thought for a moment. "Just say that I arrived safely in Hays and I'm going to be delayed getting home."

"That all, Marshal?"

"Yeah," Matt answered then stopped. "No, actually, Ned, that's not all. Add to Dr. Adams' wire that he's to tell my friend that I'm fine."

Ned looked up at him strangely. "Tell your friend?" he asked.

"Dr. Adams will understand," Matt answered as he threw some coins on the counter and walked back out into the street.

Matt left the office pleased with himself for his message to Doc. He knew Kitty worried about him and though he didn't want to be so obvious as to send the wire to her directly, he knew Doc would let her know without the rest of the town being aware of who his 'friend' was.

Moving away from the Telegraph office, Matt made his way down to the stable. He had left Buck there when he had first arrived in town. The stableman had already unsaddled him and was busy wiping the big Buckskin down before feeding and watering him. Matt secured the man's permission to leave Buck with him for at least the night then turned and went back the way he had come.

Hungry, Matt decided to go down to the café but made a slight deter to the general store before doing so. As he stood at the counter, waiting for the clerk to total his purchases, Matt chanced to glance down into the display case before him. There inside was a small yet exquisitely crafted cameo broach. It reminded him of Kitty and with little thought to his reasons, he bought it for her and secreted it away in his pocket as he left the store for the cafe.

As he walked down the street towards the café, he thought about the meeting he had been called to. He sure didn't want to stay for it but official demands for his presence were not to be ignored, especially when the demand came from Proctor. Since the one time Proctor had visited Dodge, he had been a good friend to Matt. More than once running interference for Matt when someone a little higher up wanted to interfere in the way Matt ran his town and his job.

Proctor felt he owed Matt for saving him from being tarred and feathered. Matt figured that debt had been paid with the man's regard. He now owed Proctor and in that owing he would attend the meeting and do what ever Proctor wanted him to.

He just hoped it didn't take that long. He really wanted to get back home to a certain friend.

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Doc sat back in his buggy as it moved down the dirt track towards yet another farmstead. It was only mid day and yet he was already tired as he had been up and gone since before daylight. Traveling miles out onto the prairie for hours, and some times days on end, wasn't a part of his job he enjoyed but it was his job. Like his friend the law man, he took his job seriously and would never shirk his duty to it.

Thinking of Matt, he wondered how he was fairing and if he'd made to Hays yet. He certainly hoped so and he knew a certain saloon keeper who cared about that even more.

Settling back into the seat, he made himself a little more comfortable as he went along his way. His mind content as he didn't know Kitty was missing and he wouldn't be there when the telegram from Matt arrived telling him he wouldn't back anytime soon.

TBC