Maggie Cooper leaned back in her padded rocking chair with a tiny baby latched onto her breast. She looked across the room at her unexpected visitor. "Kitty, this here baby is a good eater; no coaxing needed. Good one to have as my last customer."
Slowly tearing her eyes from the infant, Kitty looked at the 20-something, blond woman, with surprise. "Are you ending your wet-nurse business? I thought you were kind-of settled here." Maggie gently turned the baby around to her other breast. "Dodge was just a temporary stop for me, and the wet-nurse business too. I picked up doing it when my husband and infant twins were killed in an accident last year, when we were traveling near Dodge. I was in shock and had no money. The milk flowing from my breasts gave me a means to survive, and in a way, a purpose in life. Feeding babies, even though they weren't mine, helped me through my grief. Now I'm ready to go home to my siblings, nieces and nephews. I'm not sure how I'll earn a living, but I'll figure something out. Who knows, maybe I'll meet another man to love. In any event it's time for me to move on. I'll just wait 'til this baby can be switched to a bottle, Doc says three months should be about right. By then I'll have enough money saved to travel home to Oklahoma, and start a new life."
The baby boy sighed with contentment and drifted off to sleep. The two women watch his breaths move softly in and out. Maggie slowly rose, with the infant in her arms. "Kitty, would you mind holding him for a bit? I want take my water jug out back and fill it from the well." Kitty gladly held her arms out to accept the small, sweet body, she'd been itching to hold since she walked in. "Take your time Maggie, I've got him." She snuggled the baby close. Maggie grabbed the big pitcher from her dresser and left to go out the back door.
Wes Chapman slipped inside the front door of Ma Smalley's boarding house and glanced down every hallway. All doors were shut, not a soul was to be seen. He spotted a ledger on a small desk, and quickly flipped it open. A smug smile crossed face. Names with dates and room numbers were printed in neat rows. He ran his finger down the page, and soon a name jumped out: Mrs. Maggie Cooper – room 4. He closed the book and quietly hurried down the hall. Room 4 was as near the end. With a quick glance around to make sure he was alone, he pulled out his gun, kicked open the door and strode into the room.
Kitty instinctively pulled the baby closer. "What the – who the heck are you?"
"Never-you-mind. That's my boy you're holding. I'm taking him, and I'll take you too, 'cause I need you to feed and tend him. On your feet, let's go."
Kitty stood with the baby pressed protectively to her chest. "I'm not the wet nurse. I…." His palm slammed into her face. "Lady, don't give me no lip. Let's go." He shoved her through the door, and pulled her to a buggy he had waiting in an alley. Kitty, with a gun shoved in her side and an infant in her arms, thought it prudent for the moment, to co-operate. They settled into the buggy, and Wes flicked the reins. He drove off taking care to use small, back roads out of town. Kitty held the baby close, and tried to calm her racing heart. Matt would eventually figure out what happened and search for her and the baby, but it was getting dark and tracking would be tricky. Maybe she could help. Moving slowly and methodically she reached below her skirt and tore a large piece of lace from her cotton petticoat. She'd do what she could.
Minutes later she felt the buggy stop, and Wes waved his gun in front of her face "Get in that cabin and make me something to eat – eggs or something. I'll see to the buggy." Kitty scrambled down as best she could, while holding the baby. She glanced at her surroundings. Running away in the dark with an infant seemed a bad idea, so she hurried into the cabin. After setting the infant down in the middle of a bed, she lit a lamp, and raced to the kitchen area. The cabinets were almost bare, but she found couple of eggs and a heel of bread, and got to work. By the time Wes stormed in, a plate with fried eggs with a piece of bread was waiting on the table. "Well, this ain't half bad," He sank into a wooden chair and shoveled down the food. The baby starting fussing. Wes pointed towards the bed, "My son's hungry. You'd best get to feedin' him. He's gotta grow up big and strong."
"I tried to tell you." Kitty leaned on the table. "I'm not a wet nurse. You kidnapped the wrong woman. I can't feed him." Chapman's face darkened, he shoved her hard. She staggered back. "Like I told you, don't give me no lip. Get to feedin' my son or I got no use for you." Knowing arguing would make things worse, Kitty picked up the fussy infant and held him close. He'd been fed less than an hour ago, so there was a good chance he just wanted to be held. She had no idea what she'd do when he was truly hungry, but for now he calmed and fell asleep in her arms. Holding him tight she whispered. "Don't worry I'll protect you, and Matt will be looking for us soon." That last part was her hope.
Dodge
Under the growing darkness, Maggie Cooper's blond hair flew behind her as hurried down the street. She had to find the marshal and Doc Adams. The newborn Doc entrusted to her care, was kidnapped by Kitty Russell. She should have never left the baby with that woman. It was just she forgot about the rumors she heard. Folks said when the marshal brought an orphaned baby girl to town, Kitty Russell wanted to keep her – imagine, a never-married, saloon owning woman thinking she could raise a child on her own. Ridiculous. Anyways, for some reason, Kitty didn't keep that baby, but that didn't mean she didn't want one, so now she went and took this one.
Maggie spotted the marshal, talking to Doc at the end of the block, and quickened her pace. She was breathless when she reached them. "Marshal, Kitty Russell kidnapped the newborn babe Doc brought to me this afternoon. I was gone for a few minutes, fetching water, and she took off. I heard – well – there was a rumor she wanted a baby pretty bad, and now she took one." Doc ran a hand a cross his mustaches and looked up at Matt. "Well that don't make a whit of sense. Kitty wouldn't do such thing." Matt nodded. "You're right Doc. And she sure as hell wouldn't take that baby from the woman who was nursing her. Even when she was thinking about keeping baby Mary, she thought through all sides of the situation. If Kitty left the boarding house with that infant, she was forced. My money'd be on Wes Chapman, the baby's father. He's a wanted man, and a mean one. I'm gonna look around town and ask some questions. In the meantime, Doc, find Festus for me. If there's no sign of Chapman and Kitty in town I'll have to go tracking and it's already dark. Even if the moon's bright, tracking at night is tricky, I'll want Festus with me."
TBC