Chapter 9 Discovered
*Author's Note: Beverly, I am glad that you are enjoying the story. Thank you for your review.
Kitty picked up her napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth and reminded Ruby to do the same. She had been teaching Ruby proper etiquette, and one of the things Kitty taught Ruby was to make sure she had a clean mouth while eating. Imitating her momma, Ruby took her napkin and dabbed the corners of her mouth. Satisfied that her mouth was clean, Ruby set her napkin next to her plate. Kitty was also pleased with Ruby's effort.
"Go into your room and wait for me," Kitty instructed. "I'll be in there to help you get ready as soon as I'm done cleaning up in here."
"Can't daddy help me get ready?" questioned Ruby. She wanted to get to town and the sooner she got ready, the sooner they could leave. Waiting for momma would delay getting to town.
"If daddy wants to help get you ready, he can," Kitty replied as she looked over at Matt.
Matt stood up and gathered the dishes off the table. He walked them to the sink. "I think I can handle that." He lifted Ruby off her chair and the two of them left the kitchen together.
Entering her bedroom, Ruby walked over to her chifferobe. She opened the doors and briefly studied her dresses before making a choice. "I want that one," she said, pointing to a green calico dress on the right side of the chifferobe.
Matt knew that dress was one of Ruby's non school and non Sunday dresses. It wasn't too long ago that Kitty had informed him that those dresses were on the right side of the chifferobe, and her school and Sunday dresses were on the left. The dress Ruby chose was definitely on the right side. He took the dress off the hanger and draped it over the chair.
"Turn around so I can unbutton your nightgown," Matt instructed. Ruby did as she was told, and Matt unhooked the little pearl button on the back of the neck of Ruby's nightgown. "Alright, take your nightgown off and put your dress on."
Ruby walked over to the chair to get her dress. Making sure she was putting the dress on correctly, Ruby stepped into it and pulled it up. She put her arms into the sleeves and walked back to her daddy. "Daddy, will you please button my dress?"
"I reckon I can do that," Matt replied. He quickly buttoned the row of buttons in the back of Ruby's dress. It amazed him that his big hands could easily handle such small buttons. He chalked it up to working with the buttons of Ruby's clothes since she was born. "Yer all buttoned up. I guess your hair is next. Do you want me or momma to do it?"
Ruby pulled her bottom lip into her mouth as she thought about her answer. She decided to let her daddy do her hair. "You can do it because yer already here."
"Alright, let's take out yer braid and brush through your hair," said Matt.
Lately Kitty had been putting Ruby's hair in a loose braid before she went to bed. The loose braid made brushing through Ruby's hair the next morning so much easier. There were some mornings that it seemed almost impossible to brush through Ruby's tangled curls. But with the braid, that problem was eliminated. Matt removed the band that held the braid together and used his fingers to separate the braid. Grabbing the brush off Ruby's side table, Matt gently pulled it through his daughter's red, curly tresses. Pleased that he had done a good job, Matt put the hairbrush back on the table.
"How do you want yer hair today?" Matt asked.
"Piggy tails," Ruby answered. She knew piggy tails were her daddy's favorite.
"Alright, one set of piggy tails coming up."
Matt sat down on Ruby's bed and turned her so she was facing away from him. Using his hands, Matt divided Ruby's hair in half as evenly as he could. He gathered one half of the hair and with the brush pulled it up above Ruby's ear. He secured it with one of Ruby's hairbands. The other half of Ruby's has received the same attention. Satisfied, Matt turned Ruby around so she was facing him.
Reaching over to Ruby's side table, Matt picked up the small looking glass and handed it to Ruby. "What do ya think?"
Ruby took the looking glass and examined her daddy's handiwork. "Oooh, I look pretty." She admired her reflection. "Thanks, daddy."
Matt leaned forward and gave Ruby a kiss on her forehead. He stood up. "Yer welcome. I'm gonna see if momma needs help in the kitchen. I want you to make yer bed. Come out to the parlor when yer done."
"Okay, daddy." Ruby put her looking glass on her table and set to work making her bed.
Matt left Ruby's room just in time to see Kitty walk into their bedroom. Matt followed her. "I was just about to go into the kitchen ta see if ya needed any help."
"I appreciate that, Cowboy," said Kitty. "Did you get Ruby all ready for the day?"
"Sure did," Matt replied. "She picked out a green dress from the right side of her chifferobe and wanted her up in pigtails." Kitty softly chuckled. "What?"
"I just wonder what outlaws would think if they knew the big 'n strong Marshal Matt Dillon knew how to style hair into pigtails," Kitty replied.
Matt playfully rolled his eyes and shook his head. "It's probably not a talent that I need ta share with them."
Back in Ruby's room, Ruby finished making her bed. She leaned her beloved dolls against her pillow and was pleased with the job she had done. It wasn't as neat of a job as Kitty would do, but that didn't matter. The bed making would improve as Ruby got older. Ruby walked around her bed to the other side. She opened the top drawer of her side table and rummaged through it, looking for her coin purse. She found it in one of the back corners. After pulling it out, Ruby put it on top of the table and closed the drawer. Her plan was to take her coin purse to town with her and buy a bag of gumdrops. With her coin purse in her hand and her bonnet, Ruby skipped out of her bedroom.
Seeing her parents in their bedroom, Ruby stopped at the doorway. "I'm already to go," she announced.
"I see that," said Kitty as she gathered her hat and handbag. "Why do you have your coin purse?"
"I'm gonna use my money and buy me a bag of gumdrops," Ruby proudly answered.
"You don't need a bag of gumdrops," Kitty told Ruby. "Things like that are for special times, like birthdays or when daddy comes back from long trips."
"Oh momma," Ruby whined. "I really want some gumdrops." Her bottom lip jutted out in a pout.
"Put that bottom lip back where it belongs and stop yer whining," Matt commanded. "Yer momma is right. Gumdrops are for special occasions. We don't consider going into town on Saturdays a special occasion."
With her head down and defeated, Ruby walked back to her bedroom and put her coin purse back where it belonged.
"You would think we just told her that it was the end of the world," Matt remarked.
"For a six year old not getting gumdrops, it probably is," Kitty responded.
"Can I wait outside?" she asked when she walked into the parlor.
"Sure, but let me help you with your bonnet," Kitty replied.
Ruby let her momma help her. Once the bonnet was securely tied in a bow, Ruby raced out the front door. To her surprise, there was a horse drinking out of their trough. Ruby knew what the family horses looked like, and this horse did not belong to the family. What was even more peculiar was the strange horse at the trough was wearing a saddle. Ruby knew she had to let her parents know about the horse. She went back inside.
"I thought you were gonna wait for us outside," said Matt as he saw his daughter come back inside the house.
"I was, but there's a horse drinking out of our trough," said Ruby as she pointed towards the door.
"A horse?" Kitty questioned. She turned towards Matt. "Do ya think it got out of the barn?"
"No, I know the barn was secured last night," Matt replied.
"It's not one of our horses," Ruby informed her parents.
Matt and Kitty looked at each other and headed outside. Ruby followed. To their surprise, there was a horse drinking at the trough. When it finished, it started walking away from it. It wasn't a wild horse that happened to come upon their property. It was a saddled horse. A saddled horse meant it had a rider. But where was its rider? They watched the horse walk back towards the barn and started to follow it.
Not knowing what they might encounter, Matt stopped and held up his hand. "I don't know what's around there, 'n I don't want to put you girls in any danger. Wait here."
Kitty and Ruby listened to Matt and stayed put. Matt had his hand on his pistol and was ready to use it if necessary. When he walked around the barn, he was shocked at what he discovered. There on the ground was a young boy. Matt hurried over to him to make sure the boy was alive. He knelt down next to the boy, and checked for signs of life. Realizing the boy was alive, Matt stood up.
"Kitty!" he yelled. "Come here! Hurry up!"
Kitty heard Matt's shouts. "Come on. Let's go see what daddy wants." She and Ruby ran to the other side of the barn. Kitty stopped when she saw the boy and put her hand to her mouth. Gathering her witts, she hurried over to Matt and the boy. "Oh my, it's a child. Where on Earth did he come from?"
"I have no idea, but we can't leave him out here," Matt responded. "Let's get him into the house."
Matt was about to lift the unconscious boy up, but Kitty stopped him. "Wait. We should check for injuries like broken bones. We don't want to make things worse."
"Good point." Matt carefully checked for any broken bones. "I'm not a doctor, but nothing feels broken."
Matt gingerly picked the boy up and carried him to the house. Kitty and Ruby followed. When they reached the front door, Kitty opened it. Matt entered first and laid the boy on the couch. The entire time Ruby had been a silent observer. She couldn't believe the events that had transpired. Just a little bit ago they were getting ready to go to town. Now there was a strange boy sleeping on their couch.
"Who do you think he is?" Matt asked Kitty.
"I have no idea," Kitty replied. "I've never seen him around."
Matt shook his head. "Me neither." He looked down at Ruby, who was staring at the boy. "Ruby, is he a boy from school?" It was possible that the boy belonged to a new family that had settled in the area. There were always families settling in the area, and not all of them made trips to town.
Ruby studied the boy's face. "No, daddy. I never saw him before."
"We need Doc," Kitty stated.
"I'll ride into town and get him," said Matt. "Will you be okay alone with him?" Matt didn't know how the boy would be when he woke up.
Kitty knew what Matt was getting at. "If I can handle drunk 'n rowdy cowboys, then I'm sure I can handle a young boy."
"Alright," Matt replied. "I'll be back with Doc as soon as I can." He left the house and went after Doc.
TBC