hanging right beside him. Brie said, “here I will carry one of them.”
“I don’t think you can, here give it a try.” I handed her one of them. She dropped it. “What in the world do you have in there?”
“Filthy lucre. That’s all.” I said.
“Lucre? Oh, you mean money. How much do you have?”
“I don’t know for sure. More than I need, and that’s a fact.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I dug it up.”
“You mean, like from a gold mine?”
“Well, not exactly, but it was in the ground. I’ll tell you about later, it’s not that exciting, pretty mundane.”
I left one saddlebag with Jim, we took the other one. Brie was silent. I could almost see her gears go around. We put the saddlebag under her bed. Then we went down to the kitchen and she dug out her ex’s old shaving brush and soap mug, plus his straight razor and strop. I never owned one.
“Have you ever used that razor before?” I asked.
“Sure, who do you think shaves my legs? Take off that shirt.” I did as told….
My beard had never been shaved. I guess I really didn’t know what my own face looked like. She lathered up the soap in that mug to a froth. Then worked it into my beard with the brush. It tickled. I closed my eyes. If I was a praying man, I would of prayed for sure.
“You can open your eyes now, I’m done. Do you want to see yourself?”
I nodded. She held up a hand mirror. I looked then I looked at Brie. “Well, how do I look?” I asked.
“Why, you’re handsome, didn’t you know that?”
“No, I’ve never seen myself before. I mean without the beard. Are you sure I look alright?”
“Yes, do you want some toilet water, I have some.”
“Toilet water? I don’t understand, you mean water from the toilet?”
“No, silly, it’s a cologne. It smells nice. How can you not know what toilet water is, you’re so well read with a fabulous vocabulary?”
“I guess I never paid much attention. Or I didn’t understand what they were referring to. I’m not perfect you know?”
“Sweetheart, to me you are, don’t ever doubt that.” Brie said, then sat down in my lap and kissed me. Caitie and Brona came into the room.
“Who are you kissing now, won’t Trego get jealous?” Brona said.
Brie stood up and spread her arms and said, “Ta-da. It is Trego.”
“Wow! What an improvement.” Caitie said, I threw the washrag at her.
“Come on, get your shirt back on, lets go shopping.” Brie said. Then to the girls, “You two need anything?”
“We both could use some new night clothes. And underwear. Oh yeah, some long john’s, it’s getting colder.” Caitie said.
“Are all of the chores done?” Good, then why don’t you both come with us, you can pick out what you want yourselves.” I said.
Brie said, “Sure, come along.”
The Mercantile and Ladies Haberdashery were overjoyed when they seen how much we were buying. All three of the women were having fun picking out my clothes. Of course they wouldn’t let me pick their clothes.
Brie was still wearing her pants and sweater, under her topcoat. She got stares of course. The stores stock was surprisingly diverse. Brie had picked out a wool suit for me. I had never wore one before, a suit that is. It came complete with vest and two pairs of pants. Of course also a plethora of other stuff.
When it came to their clothes they had a large selection. Brie said, “I need to try clothes on. Where can I change at?” The clerk indicated a privacy screen in the back.
All three of the women took clothes back there. The screen was only about six feet wide and five feet tall. It was little bit comical. Every once in awhile, a naked butt would protrude from either end of the screen. The woman who ran the women’s clothes department put a run on all of the male clerks, she made them go into the mercantile part of the store. Of course I just stood there watching.
It took another hour for them to make all of their selections. I went to the cash register to pay. She rang it up, she gave a small gasp. “My goodness, I have never had a bill so large. It all comes to six hundred and thirty dollars.” She looked at me. I reached into my pocket and paid her in what was becoming known as Greenbacks. Then I gave her a double eagle as a tip. She slipped it into her apron pocket.
“Can you have all of this delivered to Mrs. Stevens house?” I asked.
“Of course, we would be glad to.”
It was around eleven in the morning. We still had time to get the noon day meal ready for Brie’s borders. As we were walking back through the deep snow, Brona said, “What are you rich, or something?”
“No, I don’t think so. I just have a lot of money. Having money doesn’t make you rich. You are only rich, when you are satisfied with what you have. And I won’t consider myself rich till Brie and I are married.” Brie snuggled closer to me.
We were just coming up to the Saloon, when the winter door’s banged open. Out staggered Blythe’s son, flanked by two of those hard cases of his father’s. They seen us and pulled up short. The kid said, “Well, if it isn’t the bum, without his beard, but he has his Cur Bitch’s with him.” The guy on his right, said, “Shut up Kid, I know this guy, just shut up and come on.”
“Nope, not on your life, I can take him.”
“Listen Kid,” said the guy on his left, I also know him, his name is Trego. You’re not going to drag us into this.” Then he clipped the Kid on the chin, he went out like a candle in a blizzard. The Guy on the right caught him. They both took an end and packed him off toward the Wise River Mine Office.
Brie looked at me, “You have a lot to tell me, just who are you?”
“What you see is what you get, isn’t that enough?” Brie looked into my eyes, then leaning forward, she said, “Yes, it is.” Then kissed me.
After lunch, I thought it would be proper for me to make a showing, after all I was the town Marshal. I kept my knee high moccasins’ on. They were so well treated with bear grease, no moisture could penetrate.
I built a fire in the pot bellied stove in the jail. It didn’t take long to thaw out the bucket of water. There was a bar of lye soap in a saucer. I wet a rag and rubbed it on the bar of soap, then I used it to polish the badge. I wanted it nice and bright.
I had left Jake with Brie. I didn’t need him catching a stray shot. I remember a story of a gun fight in the bar at Bannack, somewhere around 6l or 62, I disremember the exact date. Anyway the point being, the only one who got shot was a dog asleep under a table. Most miners were very bad shots.
I pinned the badge on my vest. There was a little trick that my Dad had taught me. Do you remember the chain mail armor, from the days of yore? I thought you might. Anyway, my Dad had some. He said it was good to keep knives out of your hide. So I thought why not bullets? So I took about a foot of it or so and folded it down to about six inches square. I had this under my shirt, pinned behind that star. I figured if I shinned it up right smart, why they just couldn’t help but shoot at it.
One thing the shop owners were pretty good about, was that they had shoveled off the board walk that lined main street in front of their stores and such. The street was not so lucky, the snow had sort of become a muddy mush.
I double checked my .44’s. I made it a point to go in every store or shop and introduce myself. At the Barber shop, I stepped in, the Barber had his back to me,