Family Matters
Chapter 6
Laura took in every detail of her mother's former home as the trio wandered down Front Street. Many of Kitty's descriptions began with "This used to be," since quite a few businesses had changed hands in sixteen years. "Marshal O'Brien was a gunsmith when he first moved to Dodge," she explained as they passed the leather goods store where his place had been.
The dress shop next door hadn't changed much and boasted the latest fashions, some on display through the front window. "Oh Mama, can I get one?" Laura pleaded, eyeing a bright yellow and brown pattern that looked like it might have been inspired by Kansas sunflowers. "Don't worry, we'll both be shopping here soon," Kitty promised, thinking of a certain special event in their near future. It was tempting to go in and check out the selection, but not with the groom in tow.
Further down the street, Laura noticed a large sign with fancy script writing in front of a long wooden staircase that was considerably more plain. "Is that where Doc Adams lived?" she asked, seeing the advertisement for the general practice and surgery services of Robert Caldemeyer, MD.
"It sure is," Matt responded. "Dr. Caldemeyer is a fine physician, but there'll never be another Doc Adams." Kitty quietly nodded her approval. "I told Matt…Mister Dillon…um, your father—that you loved science and might be interested in becoming a doctor." She awkwardly stumbled over the sentence, aware that Laura was still unsure what to call him.
"Yes, a doctor or maybe a science teacher," Laura added. "I like the idea of getting young girls excited about science. We're just as smart as boys but aren't encouraged to show it." Matt couldn't help but feel a burst of pride at her comment, said with an air of confidence but not an ounce of conceit. This girl was her mother made over, and that was a very good thing.
"Matthew, Miss Kitty!" came a voice from behind them. Festus was waving at them from the porch in front of the jail, and they walked over to join him.
"This is the marshal's office," Kitty informed her daughter after she greeted Festus. Laura peeked through the window at the small room and could just see the jail cells in the back.
"Did you keep any famous outlaws here?" she asked Matt.
"Oh, probably none you've ever heard of," he guessed. "We locked up our share of criminals here for sure, but nobody like Jesse James or Billy the Kid."
"Now Matthew here's just bein' way too humble," Festus claimed. "Why, your pa tracked down some o' the meanest killers'n robbers that Kansas ever seen, and he made sure they didn't never harm nobody again. I mean, there was this one time—"
"Thanks Festus," Matt interjected, appreciating the sentiment but not wanting to subject Laura to stories about thieves and murderers on her first day in Dodge. He did rather like the sound of Festus' casual reference—"your pa," and hoped for a day when Laura called him something other than Mister Dillon. "So what are you up to this fine morning?" he asked his former deputy.
"Well, Newly's over at the post office gettin' the new wanted posters. But I was just fixin' to tell ya that me'n him sent that wire to Judge Maddox just like you asked us to," he reported. "He's got this big ol' trial startin' a week from Monday, but he said if'n you're able to get this shindig together before then he'd be plum tickled to do the honors.
"Before next Monday?" Kitty repeated aloud. She looked at Matt with anticipation. "What do you think?"
"I don't see why not," Matt shrugged. "Seems to me that all we need is the judge and some friends and a place to have a little party. The details aren't so important, it's what comes after that matters."
Kitty couldn't agree more and contemplated the idea for a few seconds. "How about Saturday?" she suggested.
Matt turned to the friend he had known longer than anyone else in Dodge. "What do you say, Festus? Are you available next Saturday? I can't do this without my best man."
"Best man?" Festus echoed, as though he might not have heard it correctly. He swallowed hard and looked at Matt Dillon with pride. "I'd be right honored, Matthew." The two shook hands and confirmed the plans for the Dillon-Russell family to meet Festus and Newly for dinner at Delmonico's. It promised to be both a happy and sad occasion, with the obvious cause for celebration but also the unexpected news that they were not staying in Dodge past the wedding. Matt decided it might be a good idea to privately talk to the men before dinner about that, as well as a few other things that might be uncomfortable to discuss in front of Laura. He would come back when Newly was there, but right now it was time for the most poignant stop on Laura's tour of her mother's past.
It was late morning, and The Long Branch wouldn't open for another hour. But if Kitty knew Hannah, she'd already be downstairs working on books or taking inventory, just as Kitty had done almost every day for the better part of seventeen years. They stopped in front of the saloon and Matt pointed to the sign. "I'll never forget the first day I saw your mother's name on that sign. I was so proud of her I could hardly stand it." Kitty smiled at the memory.
"Nobody could have run this place better than she did," he bragged to Laura. "I'm happy to say Hannah has kept it going strong."
"Where did you live?" Laura wondered. She thought Kitty had once mentioned living above the saloon she ran, but that had been a long time ago and they hadn't talked much about it since.
Kitty pointed to a window on the second floor. "That was my room, right up there."
"You lived in one room?" she marveled. Their house in New Orleans wasn't huge, but it was sure a lot more than one room.
"It was a different time, a different life," Kitty answered, honestly but vaguely. "I was grateful to have one nice room to myself."
A different life indeed, especially in the early days. She obviously had not told Laura everything, the way she had started and what she had to do to support herself before she saved enough money to buy into the business. There was no point in burdening a child with such details. It was ancient history now.
Matt led the way through the batwing doors, Laura and Kitty right behind him. Hannah was sitting at a table with her glasses on, immersed in a ledger book. She glanced up at the sound of the swinging doors and immediately broke out into a smile.
"There they are!" she gushed, rising from her table. "I heard some exciting news this morning!"
"You and the rest of the town," Kitty joked as she hugged the woman she had wisely entrusted with the business she had built with sweat and tears. Matt leaned down and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek. "Hello Hannah. I'd like you to meet Laura." He assumed no further explanation was warranted—everyone seemed to know who she was, if not how she came to be.
Hannah looked Laura up and down. "You're the spittin' image of your mama, just like everybody said. Lucky you took after that side!" she said with a cackle, ribbing Matt with her elbow.
"Oh, you'll get no argument from me on that," Matt responded lightheartedly.
Laura had never been inside a saloon before, and it was smaller than she had imagined. She scanned the room, and when she saw the piano she began picturing her mother serving drinks to lively music or descending the staircase in one of those old frilly dresses she had seen in her closet. What an experience that must have been.
"Hannah, we need your help," Kitty began. "We're getting married on Saturday, and—"
"Saturday?" Hannah interrupted loudly. "Ya waited this long, what's the big hurry?"
They had to admit she had a point, but they had their reasons. "You don't think I'm going to give her time to change her mind, do you?" Matt teased. "We'd sure appreciate it if we could have a party here Saturday after the ceremony. We'll pay for everything."
"Well of course the party'll be here," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "But your money is no good. This one's on me."
"Oh, we couldn't do that," Kitty insisted.
Hannah put her hands on her hips. "Pardon me, Miss Russell, but I own this saloon now and I get to say who pays for what," she replied with good humored sassiness.
Kitty folded her arms with mock indignation . "Matt, you never told me I sold this place to such a stubborn, difficult woman."
"I know Honey, it's like you never left," he smirked playfully as Laura dissolved into laughter. She had no idea her father could be so funny.
After some friendly bargaining, they agreed that Matt and Kitty would pay for food and Hannah would supply the drinks. They chatted for some time over coffee, discussing the party as well as sharing stories about raucous times at The Long Branch Saloon. Laura listened attentively, with vivid tales of drunken fights and gunfire coming alive in her mind.
"Weren't you scared?" she asked her mother.
"Sure, sometimes," Kitty answered honestly. "But I knew the odds were in my favor. You see, the marshal came in to check on me quite often. It was my secret weapon."
"That and a big shotgun," Matt cracked. "She knew how to use it, too." Laura didn't find that hard to believe.
"More coffee?" Hannah offered as she noticed the empty cups.
"No, I think we'd better get going," Kitty replied, standing up. "It seems our week just got rather busy!"
"Thanks again, Hannah, we appreciate your help," Matt reiterated. They left The Long Branch and headed back up the street. "I saw you ladies eyeing those dresses in the window earlier. Why don't you go back and do some shopping?" Matt suggested. It would give him a chance to talk to Newly and Festus in private.
"Can we, Mama?" Laura asked expectantly.
"We sure can," Kitty told her, and the two Russell women set out to start putting together a wedding.
TBC
