Whew! Chapter 15! If you have never seen "Quiet Day in Dodge" I suggest watching it. Mrs. Finnley and the Sanderson boys were inspired by that particular episode. If you have watched it then things may seem shall we say familiar.
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own 'em.
After enjoying a lesiurly afternoon of picnicing and other things, Matt and Kitty headed back to town. "I don't want Chester to have to take care of the jail by himself all afternoon." Matt explained to Kitty as they drove back towards Dodge.
"I understand Matt." Kitty said. She wished that she and Matt could go and do things that the other young couple in Dodge would be doing the rest of the afternoon, like enjoying the carnival, but she understood that Matt was an important man in Dodge as well and that he wasn't like a banker that could just lock the door and go on his merry way.
Matt reached over and took one of Kitty's hands, "Hey, all I have to do is check in at the jail, send Chester on his way. I can protect the town and take care of things and still be out and about enjoying myself."
Kitty smiled, as she run her free hand over the top of Matt's larger, rougher one. " I know. If you take me to the Longbranch, I'll unpack this basket and freshen up a bit."
"Alright." Matt said. He pulled the buggy up at the back door of the Longbrach and helped Kitty down and unloaded the basket. "I'll be back in about a half an hour alright." he told her.
"I'll be here and ready." Kitty said.
An hour later, Kitty was ready and waiting when Matt came through the door.
"I'm sorry Kitty. Chester had some trouble this afternoon that I had to take care of before I could get over here."
Inside Kitty was very upset but she pushed the anger and hurt down and said to Matt, "That's okay Matt. What's another half an hour?" Kitty gave a dry laugh and began to stand.
"Well that's why I stopped over Kitty." Matt said. He hated doing this to her, "I wanted to tell you that you may want to go and take in the carnival on your own. I still have a few things to take care of over at the office."
Kitty had to hold back the urge to pout and said instead, "How long will you be Matt?"
"I don't know Kitty. It shouldn't take that long but this is something that my deputies really can't handle." Matt said.
Kitty sat back down in her chair and said, "Oh, well I guess I'll see you later huh?"
"Yeah, Iater." Matt said. He stood and squeezed her hand gently as he passed. "I am sorry Kitty." he said quietly before passing through the swinging doors of the Longbranch.
Kitty had to fight herself, to keep from giving into the urge to run up the stairs and fling herself across her bed and cry. Hundreds of questions screamed at her from the inside, the loudest being How could Matt? How could he ask her to be his girl and then break all their plans? Luckily, the sensible side of Kitty's concious answered for her and said, He's a United States Marshal, its his job!
Matt walked back to the office with a heavy heart. Damn those Sanderson brothers, why did they always feel the need to come into town and ruin things for the decent folks of Dodge? Matt would probably be another hour if not longer dealing with them and the mess that they had made when they had decided that it would be fun to harass poor old Mrs. Finnley on the board walk. While the prank had been somewhat childish, they threw firecrackers under her skirts, the good woman had fainted and when she came to was instantly berrating Matt for leaving the town to the "heathens" and leaving a "dullard like Chester Goode in charge". The Sanderson brothers really weren't bad boys, they just had a tendancy to get a little wild when they had been drinking. The good thing was that they rarely got off their father's farm which was located between Hays and Dodge. The bad was that when they did escape the elder Sanderson, they usually wound up in Dodge, drunk and looking for trouble. As Matt got closer to the office he could hear Mrs. Finnley inside yelling at Chester, he quickened his steps and made it inside just in time to keep poor Chester from getting slapped.
"Well!" Mrs. Finnley huffed, lowering her hand. "It's about time you came back and delt with this problem Marshal!"
"Yes ma'am." Matt said. "But Mrs. Finnley, I really don't know what else you want me to do. The boys have been locked up and will be sent right back to their father when their sober."
"I want them hung Marshal!" Mrs. Finnley screeched, almost raising her whole five foot frame off the ground. "What those two boys did was totally and completely uncalled for!"
"Yes ma'am." Matt said, trying to restore the peace. "But I don't believe boys being a little frisky is any call for being hung."
"Marshal, those two are heathens and something has to be done about them. If you don't then I will."
"Yes ma'am." Matt said again. "Again, Mrs. Finnley I can not hang those men for what they did. All I can do is fine them for disturbing the peace and keep them locked up until they are sober."
"Fine." Mrs. Finnley said, turning her nose up into the air. "If that is how you plan to do things Marshal then I shall take matters into my own hands."
"How are ya figurin' on doin' that Mrs. Finnley?" Chester asked.
"The United States Attorney General and I are VERY good friends, and just so you know Marshal, I shall be writing him a letter to complain about you Marshal and your lack of law enforcement skills." Mrs. Finnley said. She humphed once more at both Matt and Chester and then walked away.
"Can she do that Mr. Dillon?" Chester asked, once the older woman was gone.
"Sure she can Chester, she can write letters to whomever she wants. Weather or not anything will come of them is hard to say." Matt replied.
"I sure am sorry for ruinin your day with Miss Kitty, Mr. Dillon." Chester said.
"Naw, it's not your fault Chester. I should have know something would happen when I saw Tom and Frank ride into town this morning." Matt said, going over to his desk to write up the report.
"Why didn't ya run 'em out then Mr. Dillon?" Chester asked.
"I don't know Chester, I guess I thought I would give them one more chance to behave. I see now that we aren't going to be able to let them into Dodge unless their father is with them."
"Kinda sad isn't it Mr. Dillon?" Chester asked, pulling up a chair.
"What is Chester?"
"That two grown men have to be escorted in town like a couple 'o little kids."
Matt laughed at Chester's comment. "Yeah, I guess it is Chester." The Sanderson boys were around Matt's age but they usually acted more like a couple of ten year olds, especially while in town without the supervision of their father. "Say Chester," Matt said, changing the subject, "Aren't you supposed to be going and gettting Miss Hettie?"
Chester looked at the clock on the office wall and said, "Oh goodness, yes, I was supposed to have been out there a while ago. Boy if she doesn't come after me with a shot gun this really is my lucky day."
Matt laughed as he watched his friend hurry out the door. Leave it to Dodge on the Fourth of July to make things exciting. With one more shake of his head Matt checked on his prisoners for the night and then went out to do a quick once over of the town before he went back to get Kitty for their evening out.
Ok so what do you think? Please, please review and let me know what you think! I also accept any and all ideas!
