Yankton

Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Unforeseen events

By now, it was getting late, I ordered a large pizza, something Melonie just couldn't figure out, eating with our hands seemed so savage to her, so she elected to eat hers with a knife and fork on a plate.

"Get used to it Mel," said Mark, "This is one o the national foods." Then the subject of who was sleeping where came up.

"Mark," I said, "Let her have the bed up in the loft, you'll have to bunk with me." Mark revealed a sly grin and put his arm around Melonie, replying, "What if I don't want to bunk with you, what if I'd rather bunk with Melonie here?" Poor Melonie turned beet red at this, as well as eliciting a whoop from Melinda. She then quickly came to Melonie's rescue, "Pay no attention to these guys Melonie, I'll bunk with you, I know what's on guys minds, we girls have to stick together." Melonie graciously accepted, and the two of them started chattering away while Mark and I tried to figure out what we would need to take back. Later, my sister and I went onto a website specializing in Steam punk as well as old west clothing selecting outfits to wear back to 1876. Mark had her order a nurses outfit for Melonie, as well as a Steampunk reformist's outfit with a long sleeve shirt for the dress instead of the sleeveless one they showed. Melinda also located a website where condoms could be purchased wholesale ,as well as aspirin and other medications, before long we had racked up quite bill, but with Melinda's help we started getting the guns and assorted leather gear up on a couple gun auctions.

Although Mark and I slept up in the loft, I could hear the women talking well into the wee hours of the morning. I woke to Marks grumbling,

"Those women have been hogging the bathroom for over an hour now, I thought I'd get up early and beat the rush, but no such luck." At breakfast, I asked Melonie what they had been talking about, thinking her reply would be about my sister's lifestyle, I was in for a surprise.

"We had a very refreshing chat Brian," she began.

"Melinda was telling me all the wonderful things women are able to do now, vote, own property, run business's it's absolutely amazing, I truly admire her Brian, so I don't want to hear you disparaging her anymore." I looked at Melinda who looked like the cat that swallowed the canary.

"Why Mel," I replied, I had no idea you were a suffragette?"

"I didn't think I was either," she replied, although I have read some of their tracts. I suppose that ever since my efforts to become a doctor were thwarted I've come around to that frame of mind. However I know there is hope for women." Melinda then chimed in,

"I told Melonie that we'd go "clubbing," some night, so there!"

By the end of our first week Melinda was growing into her new job, she was good on the computer, knew a few tricks Mark and I didn't, and even started showing Melonie how to navigate the web. Early one evening, Mark and Melonie had gone for a walk, Melinda came to me and said, "Thanks Brian for having faith in me, I can do this and I won't let you guys down." We sat and talked, she told me of her failed life with her ex-boyfriend, as well as promising to knuckle down and do a good job for me.

By the end of the second week we were getting decent returns on some of the guns we had up on auction. Most of the other stuff like saddlebags, rifle scabbards and even a couple saddles we sold on e-bay, again bringing in tidy sums growing our skimpy bank account. We also invested in research materials as well, books dealing with the going rates for Indian artifacts, rare books, as well as guns and knives.. Melinda had brought her old sewing machine, a device that brought much interest from Melonie. Melinda had gone with Mark and I to rapid City when we went on a "Cabela's" run picking up more ammunition and gun cleaning supplies. She had me stop at a fabric store, selecting cloth to make a dress of her own design she felt would be acceptable in 1876. So together, she and Melonie worked on a couple western style period acceptable dresses they both could wear.

By the end of the third week, most of what we had ordered had come, even the western clothing, we were cruising the auctions all the time two of the lever action Winchesters we put up went for over two grand, and old Star pistol sold at auction for $2500.00, even the cowboy gear was all coming in high dollar. We still had a few odds and ends, but since we were heading back to 1876 in a couple days, I decided not to put anything else up, for now.

The gold mining equipment was slow coming in which is why we had to wait, but since one of our objectives was to pan for gold, it was important.

Finally the day came, when we had everything we needed. There was barely enough room to get gear, girls and guns into the "wayback" chamber, but with a little re-arranging, we did, and so I set our arrival for two days after we left. I could tell the machine was "working" and it really took the whole charge getting us there. Since this was her first time, Melinda was spooked, and extremely nervous, requiring her to smoke a cigarette after we arrived. Melonie warned her not to be seen in public doing this as it would cause an uproar. While I set up the charger on the "Wayback" the others unloaded the chamber. We even managed to bring back two bales of hay for the horses, as well as a bag of oats. It was around four in the afternoon when we arrived, so the rest of the day was spent putting things away. Poor Melinda had the hardest time with the fact that we were now in 1876, but everything around her "screamed" it. She was nervous as a cat when I said, "Tomorrow morning after breakfast, we're going down to Dora's then you'll get to meet her and Montana, which by the way is who all the medicines and condoms are for, she sells them to the other girls for gold."

I think I made her a little bit too nervous by laying it on a bit thick about visiting a honest-to -God whorehouse, and the fact that the girls Melinda would be meeting were not the women of 2013, "So watch yourself, and be careful of what you say." As we rode down to Dora's my sister picked up the rude smells that caught my nose as well., but upon seeing old Deadwood, she remarked, "This reminds me of frontier land at Disneyland." "Yeah," I thought, "This place is a real "Disneyland" all right. My sister was wearing her "Reformist" attire, and Melonie was wearing her nurse's outfit wanting to visit with Montana, her initial dread of entering a brothel long passed. So it was Kitty who greeted us, squealing and hugging both Mark an Melonie. Montana was just coming into the parlor as I handed her a cardboard box containing the condoms and medications. "Merry Christmas Montana," I exclaimed. Montana hugged me letting me kiss her as well, an observation not lost on Melonie or my sister, she and Melonie then hugged as well. "Montana," I added, "I'd like you to meet my sister Melinda. She's going to be handling things on the other end, selling what we bring back and stuff like that." I could tell that she was distracted by my sisters dark eyeliner dark lipstick as well as her spiky hairdo with the red streaking in the front. She cautiously shook her hand, studying Melinda as well as me.

Then Dora appeared and asked if she could speak to Mark and I in her office. Once there, she said to Mark, "Treating Kitty the way you did, and the speedy recovery she has made, has caused considerable interest in you Mr. Sedgwick. What may I ask would be the going rate for giving my girls medical exams?" Mark shrugged, "What are we talking here ma'am, full physical, or simply pelvic exams?" "Doc Cochran would just give each girl a quick "once-over" for two dollars each." "Well," said Mark, "I've got medical supplies to pay for, but on the other hand, I can only imagine the things Cochran has over looked. How about this…I'll do the pelvic's first, in a lot of ways they're more important, for three dollars, but for the extra dollar, I'll give each lady a full physical, I'd like to do this as a teaching experience for Melonie as well. I don't know how long I'll be here, but let's see how things go for next year OK? Besides, I think I can offer a more thorough exam than Cochran." Dora sat in her chair and thought for a moment, then said, You drive a hard bargain Mr. Sedgwick, but I care about my girls, so we have a deal. When could you start?" "How about right now," replied Mark, " I brought my med bag, and Melonie is with me, if you've got a spare room I can use, I'll get set up."

As we exited Dora's office, I smelled cigarette smoke, Melinda was smoking a cigarette while she was talking to Montana, along with a couple other women, in fact she seemed to be the focus of the entire room. Dora gave her a strange look, but said nothing, so far be it from me to say anything either, although I made a note to myself to talk to Montana later.

While my sister was chatting with some of the ladies, Montana came up to me, "You certainly have a very unusual sister," I grinned, "She is isn't she." "Do women in 2013 openly smoke like that?" Public smoking by anyone is frowned on in 2013," I said, "However a lot of women do it, why?" "Just curious that's all," replied Montana. "Your sister has invited me up to the cabin, and I think I'm going to take her up on her offer, she…Intrigues me." "Whatever," I replied, "Oh by the way, we made enough extra money on selling those horses so I can buy some lumber, and get started on re-modeling that shack into a saloon, and get an out building or two up as well." "When are you going to take those Women down to Custer City," Asked Montana. "Damn!" I replied, "I almost forgot about them, then it had better be tomorrow, We'll leave my sister and Melonie at the cabin while Mark and I were gone, we might try a little gold mining on the way back." "Then perhaps I'll call on your sister tomorrow then," said Montana.