Once Kitty left with a breakfast tray piled with now-empty dishes, Janie sat on the side of her bed staring down at her bare feet, wondering what to do next. Kitty had advised her to start by taking one thing at a time. Problem was, running away from Yancy was a snap decision that she made while he was napping. She rushed out to the wagon barefoot, wearing nothing but an old, stained dress. With no shoes or anything half-decent to wear, she couldn't even venture outside. Folks would think even worse of her, than they already did. A sharp knock on door made her look up, and a high cheek-boned face, framed by long dark hair poked itself into the room. "Hi. I know you're Janie. I'm Julie." A tall, shapely woman lugging a box, stepped into the tiny room, overwhelming it with her stature. "Kitty said you're staying here temporarily, and have nothing but the clothes on your back, not ever shoes. So me and the girls threw some stuff together we don't use no more." Julie plopped herself down on the bed beside Janie and rummaged in the box. "These boots are scuffed up, but it seems like they'd fit ya, and Sally don't wear them no more. She has a likin' for fancy shoes. Carol and Lulu pitched in a blouse, a skirt and some under garments. Don't worry they're clean. I forget who threw in the dress, and I tossed in my extra hair brush." Julie grinned, and her bright red lipstick made her seem larger than life. "And I got a needle and thread. Some things will need to be taken in, hemmed or fixed up to be less – well – revealing. So, let's get to work." Julie handed Janie the needle. "That mean's you, I don't know how to sew, but I'll help you measure and stuff."
Downstairs, Kitty pushed through the batwing doors into the late morning air. Blue laws prevented saloons from opening before noon on Sundays, but she and Sam already had hard boiled eggs, pretzels and pickles set out on the bar for the 12:01 rush. With everything ready, she had time for a walk. "Good morning Kitty." She turned towards the voice and smiled. "Good morning Charlie." She put a friendly hand on his arm. "I know things ended abruptly last night when Matt got back, and our conversation got heated. I'm sorry, I should have explained things better from the beginning – I mean about me and Matt. I do want to thank you for escorting me to the sociable. I had a lovely time." "So did I, Kitty. Let's not let it end there. How about dinner tonight?" Kitty looked at him oddly, it seemed he wasn't hearing her. He's eyes were very red, perhaps he was just tired. "Well, Matt and I are having dinner at Delmonico's, you should join us. I think it would be wonderful for you to get to know him." Charlie's face grew grim. "I don't have to spend time with Dillon to know he's bad for you. Don't you see, he offers you nothing and wraps you around his finger." Kitty's arm dropped to her side. "I'll decide what's good or bad for me." Barker stiffened. "Just like you decided to go with Cole Yankton? It was a bad decision Kitty, and you found that out the hard way, when he left you. I saw him in New Orleans, after that, parading around with another woman, then I heard he went to California." Kitty looked Charlie in the eye. "Cole was a mistake that I made a long, long time ago. We all make mistakes and we learn from them. They make us who we are." Charlie's jaw clenched. "Seems you have learned nothing. You're making the same mistake again. I'm the one who learned a lesson when I failed keep you from Yankton. I'll never make a mistake like that again. You need need me, Kitty, you don't understand that yet, but you will." He turned and stomped off. Kitty didn't try to stop him. All she could do was hope that when he got some rest he'd calm down, and they could have a talk.
"That dress sure looks fine." Janie twirled in front of Julie, wearing a pale blue dress that now had a piece of lace sewn at the neckline for modesty's sake. "Julie, I thank you so much. With these clothes and shoes, at least I can venture outside." Janie plunked down side of the bed and looked at the tall, buxom woman sitting beside her. "Julie, what's saloon work like? I mean, do you like doing it?" "Well honey, there are saloons and there are saloons. Kitty Russell is the best boss a saloon girl can have. She pays a small salary for downstairs work, you know flirting with men, to keep 'em gambling and drinking. For upstairs work we take who we want, when we want, and name our price. Kitty get's 60% and we keep 40%. Our room is part of the deal, so's breakfast. We make our own in the downstairs kitchen." Julie crossed one long, shapely leg across the other. "I'll tell ya Janie. I see the kinda work women do in town, the widows and unmarried ladies. They take in laundry or sew, working morning to night, 6 days a week. I make more money in one good weekend they they do in 2 weeks." Julie grew quiet and gave a long sigh. "Of course, you can only do this kind of work when you're young and have your looks. And I seen girls get sick, real sick, with diseases that ain't pretty. In the end they …." Julie shook her head as her voice trailed off. Janie felt a chill go down her spin. "So Julie, do you plan on doing something else?" The dark haired woman shrugged. "Some girls from here get married, but marrying a poor farmer ain't no bargain in life, and a well-fixed man ain't marrying the likes of one of us. Saving money to go somewhere else and do something – that's hard. I wanna look good so I buy face paint and dresses, and I got a taste for good booze. High-end whiskey don't come cheap. It's hard to have a goal, when you're living day to day." Julie looked at Janie and forced a big, bright smile. "So like I say to the other girls, let's party on." She got to her feet. "See you later Janie, I'm gonna go buy myself a bottle of whiskey – the expensive kind."
After stomping away from Kitty, Charlie wandered the streets and alleyways of Dodge pushing his desperate, sleep deprived mind to come up with a plan to rescue her from Matt Dillon. The woman was foolishly and stubbornly refusing to listen to reason, and leave the man. That meant Dillon would have to leave her. Tempting him with another woman was a possibility, but it would take time, and might not work. The folks he'd been pumping for information about Marshal Dillon, all said he didn't have much of a roving eye. Charlie leaned against a wall, and brushed his hair from his tired, red eyes. There only one solution. Dillon had to be eliminated, killed. There was no other way. With the answer to his problem settled in his mind, Charlie straightened up and combed his fingers through his messy blond hair. There was planning to do. He hurried to the Dodge House, raced up the stairs to room 212 and dragged his suitcase out of the closet. Eyes flashing, he dropped the bag on the bed, and flipped it open. A pistol in a holster was the only thing inside. He'd kept a gun for years, but was not in the habit of wearing it. Card dealers were the safest when they were unarmed. Still, over the years he'd become an accurate shot, though not a fast one. Outdrawing Dillon was out of the question, so he'd set him up, get him out of town, and shoot him from a hiding place Then he'd make sure the body was found, so Kitty would know that Dillon was dead. A small touched Charlie's lips, he pictured himself gallantly helping Kitty get through the funeral. After that, he'd protect her. Maybe they'd marry, live in fine house with hired help, and have children to give her something to do. That's what every woman dreamed of, after all, a beautiful home with servants, a doting husband and couple of kids. Kitty would never have to make a decision again. He would do her thinking for her. Still smiling, Charlie ran across the room to get a pen and pad from the top draw of the dresser. First step was to compose a note that would get Dillon out of town, not far, just far enough. Tomorrow, he'd figure out how to have the note delivered, but right now he needed sleep. Fully clothed, Charlie collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
TBC