SUFFERIN' SACRAMENTO

Nick and Laura's Honeymoon Adventures
By Mrs. Nick B.

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of the TV program "Big Valley" are the creations of Four Star/Republic Pictures and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended by the author. The ideas expressed in this story are copyrighted to the author.

Part 1

The morning train pulled into the Sacramento Depot, although it was early, the hustle and bustle of a new day in the Capitol City was well on it's way to proving to be busy. Inside the private pullman car, Nick Barkley sat in a well stuffed red brocaded chair reading the Sacramento Chronicle and enjoying a cup of coffee. There is a rap on the door.

"Just a minute."

Nick pulled himself up onto his long legs, tucked his crisp white shirt into his dark brown pants, and automatically tied his black tie around his neck.

if this were Stockton he wouldn't be caught in such attire, unless of course it was Sunday, but Sacramento was a place where a tough cowboy like himself was looked down upon, so for the sake of peace, he was willing to follow the rules. Besides, he wasn't a cowboy here, he was on his honeymoon he smiled to himself.

Nick opened the pullman door and Po, Jarrod's Chinese manservant came in with a tray of hot coffee and one cup.

"Just like order Mr. Barkley. Hot coffee for lady!"

"Thanks Po, just set it down there." He pointed to a small table.

"No breakfast for lady?" asked Po.

"No, we'll eat at the hotel, Mrs. Barkley likes a nice strong cup of coffee in the morning before breakfast, she tends to get headaches."

"Ahh, I have uncle who cure headaches!" Po volunteered.

"Yeah, I know you've got all kinds of relatives with all kinds of talents for everything."

"No, true Mr. Barkley, Uncle Tam doctor of the ancient art of acupuncture, it is..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I've heard of it. It's sticking people with needles, I don't think my wife would much like to have your uncle sticking her with needles and neither would I!" Nick quickly rushed the chinaman.

"But it works Mr. Barkley, your lady should try!" Po promised as he was pushed out the door.

"Yeah, I know, but a cup of coffee works for my lady just as well. Good bye, Po."

With that he closed and locked the pullman door. Nick poured the hot, rich coffee into a cup then pulled the heavy dark velvet curtains aside to the bed chamber. He smiled as he watched his lovely blonde wife stir in her sleep, a sweet smile crossed her face, as she stretched herself awake.

"Mmmm, is that coffee I smell?" She smiled looking up at her new husband, she pulled herself up in a sitting position.

"It 'tis Milady, the nectar of the gods!" He gave her the cup, as he laid beside her in the bed, leaning on his elbow.

"Sleep well?" He smiled at her.

"Oh yes, did you?"

"Yes. Look what I found in the envelope my brother Jarrod gave me." He gave her the note and out fell a hundred dollar bill.

"Ohh, how sweet of Jarrod." She smiles sipping her coffee.

"Think so? Read what he says in the note." Nick pulled himself up on the bed so that he is sitting up next to her, reading over her shoulder.

"To Mr. and Mrs. Nick Barkley, hope this will suffice to at least guarantee one good meal away from your hotel room. I will of course expect you both to be sure the sheets are changed on my bed before you leave my private car. My best, Jarrod."

She laughs. "Your brother is a rat!"

"Told you, I'm the only good one in the whole family!" Her husband teased.

"I've known it all along Sweetheart!" She kissed him on his welcoming lips.

"Come on, finish your coffee so we can get to the hotel and have breakfast, I'm starving."

She placed the coffee cup on the bedside stand and got up from the bed. Pulling her robe on she gave him a backward glance, and walked to the wash room. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking." He smiled slyly.

"About what?"

"I'm thinking about just how hungry I really am."

"I'm hungry and I want to eat breakfast; after all Mr. Barkley we don't want to dirty Jarrod's bedsheets, now do we?" She winked at him. Nick got up from the bed and waited for his wife to dress, in the other part of the car.

Thirty minutes later:

"I'm ready." Laura called out to him. Nick refolded his newspaper and tucked it in his brown cord jacket.

"About time, I'm starving!" He opened the door for her. "Of course, you 're worth the wait." He gave her a squeeze around the waist, and kissed the top of her head.

Po met them outside. "I send your bags to hotel Mr. Barkley."

'"Thanks Po."

"Lady feel better, Uncle Tam can fix lady."

"What is he talking about?" She wondered.

"Nevermind, don't pay attention to him. I'll tell you later." Nick helped her off the train as she brushed past him.

"Mmmmm, you smell good enough to eat."

"Nick, please, we're in public now."

"No one's listening."

They noticed a commotion starting up on the platform a few feet away. Some women carrying placcards and uniform policemen milling about among them with billy clubs drawn. "What's going on over there?" Nick wondered.

"Goodness...Are those women fighting?"

"Looks like...Come on lets get out of here...TAXI!" They start out towards the taxi carriages when an older woman ran past them, bumping into Laura.

"OUCH!"

"HEY! WATCH IT!" Nick yelled as his hand pulled up in a protective gesture.

The woman turned, her eyes fearful, yet determined. She shook her finger at Laura, "DON'T BE A SLAVE TO THEM! YOU ARE YOUR HUSBAND'S PROPERTY WAKE UP!"

Nick lifted his arm up in defense, pulling Laura closer to him. The woman shoved a pamphlet in her hand.

"GET AWAY FROM US!" Nick shouted at the woman. A policeman grabbed the woman by the waist, carrying her off.

"Oh my Goodness!! Did you see that?!" Laura said wide-eyed witnessing the abduction. Nick rushed her toward the carriage, pushed her in. He ordered the taxi driver to MOVE!

Once they were safely in the carriage:

"Good Lord! What was that?!" She wailed.

"You two all right?" The driver asked.

"Yeah, what was that?!" Nick asked him.

"Welcome to the Capitol City. Stuff like that goes on here all the time. Politics, fighting and feuding in the streets!" He chuckled.

"Well we certainly picked an exciting city to visit!" His wife laughed.

"That's for sure!" Nick grinned. They ride along to the hotel when Nick notices Laura reading something in her hand. "What's that?"

"That strange woman gave it to me, just before the police took her away."

"Well, get rid of it!" Nick grabbed at it, but she pulled it away from him.

"Not so fast! She gave it to me not you!"

Nick took his folded newspaper from his jacket pocket and handed it to her. "You want to read, read this." He shoved the newspaper at her. She noticed the front page had a picture of women with placards and policemen surrounding them. A caption under the picture read:

"Suffrage women cause city police daily battles."

"Nick did you read about this?"

"I glanced at it."

"What do you suppose it means?"

"Women, police, all it means is trouble!"

She folded the paper back handing it to her husband again. "I suppose you're right." she sighed uncaring.

A short time later:

"Sacramento House!" The driver called out.

Nick jumped down and helped his wife down as well. "Let's eat first then get the key to our room."

"Good Idea."

B

After the late breakfast they enter the hotel lobby adjoining the restaurant, stopping at the hotel desk.

"Yes Sir?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Nick Barkley. You have a room for us?"

"Ah yes Sir! The honeymoon suite. Congratulations Sir."

"Yeah, thanks." Nick grunted blandly. He signed the register.

"Stockton Barkleys?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh ah, nothing at all Sir; we have had the pleasure of your brother's company here a few times, the attorney, Jarrod Barkley."

"Yeah, so?"

"Are you an attorney also, Mr. Barkley?" The clerk said attempting to start some idle chit chat.

Nick glared at him from under his hat. "Do I look like a damn attorney to you fellar?!"

"Ahh, no Sir, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you Sir."

Nick shot out his right hand, after dropping the pen on the registrar book. "Key!" He demanded.

"Yes Sir." The clerk hurriedly pulled the key from it's cubby hole and plunked it into Nick's hand.

"Laura, lets go." Nick turned to his left and noticing his wife missing looked around the lobby, "Where the hell did she go?"

"The lady you were with Sir, is over there." The clerk pointed to Laura chatting with an older woman about Victoria's age. Nick joined them, interrupting their conversation.

"Excuse me ma'am. Laura I have the key."

"Yes Nick, I want you to meet Mrs. Dorathea Hamon. Mrs. Hamon, this is my husband Nick Barkley."

"Mr. Barkley." The gray haired woman gave a polite bow to him.

"Pleasure ma'am," Nick tipped his hat to the lady. "If you'll excuse us please ma'am, we were just about to go to our ..."

"I was about to ask your lovely wife if she would be so kind as to join me for tea at four. They have such a lovely tearoom here."

"Well, it's a, well um, we may have other plans, but if you want to Laura...I suppose it will be..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you needed your husband' s permission, Mrs. Barkley."

"She doesn't need my permission!" Nick said indignantly.

"Nick dear, please...I'm sure she didn't mean that way, sweetheart... We are on our honeymoon. Mrs. Hamon, and we really haven't been to our room, having only just arrive, we are a bit tired, but if I feel rested later I may join you. Thank you for the invitation. Excuse us please." She took Nick's arm and walked away from the woman.

"What was that all about? Who is that woman?"

"Just someone I met in the lobby."

"A stranger? You're talking to strangers?!"

"Not really, she said her daughter went to the same school I did, she wanted to know if I knew her daughter."

"Do you?"

"No, never heard of her."

Nick rushed her through the hotel lobby his arm around her waist. "Fine, we're not here to make friends."

"Oh? What are we here for?"

"Come upstairs and I 'll show you." Nick smirked causing her to laugh.

B

Nick unlocked the door to their suite. "Ready Milady?" He gathered her up in his arms and carried her over the threshold as she giggled.

"Oh Nick! What a beautiful room, the flowers are lovely."

He put her down and immediately started taking off his jacket and tie. "Good to get this off! You know we haven't been here all that long and so far there have been some strange things going on. We should have gone to Indian Springs." He teased her.

"I don't care to spend our honeymoon watching you fish!" She pouted raising her hands to her hips.

"You wouldn't have to do that, I would let you fish too!" He winked at her.

"Oh Nick, you 're generous to a fault!"

He sat on a chair and pulled off his boots, then walked over to her in his stocking feet, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Think of it! Camping out under the stars, spending long sweet nights all cozy up in a bedroll, just the two of us..." He emphasized each word spreading his hand out through the air in a grand sweeping gesture, as he pressed his cheek on hers.

"And the mountain lions, the wolves, the grizzly bears! Not to mention the snakes!" She added imitating the same gestures.

"If I have told you once I have told you a thousand times there are no ..."

"Snakes at Indian Springs... yes I know, but the other animals are there! No thank you, I prefer to spend my nights under a solid roof, sleeping in a nice cozy bed."

"Where's your spirit of adventure?" He kissed the back of her neck.

"Think, my handsome husband; haven't we had our share of adventures already?" She patted the arm still around her waist.

"You're right there." He laughed releasing his grip on her.

"Look honey, the flowers and champagne are from your family." She read the card.

"Our family." He corrected her.

"Sorry, our family. ...OOHH, we have an invitation to the Governor's Ball! Isn't that wonderful? Jarrod must have arranged it for us. I haven't been to a ball in years!"

"What do you think our wedding was, a barnyard hoedown? Listen, when I have to wear a damn tuxedo and fancy duds up to my neck, it's a Ball."

She laughed at him, then noticed him pulling off his shirt. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go to bed."

"Are you tired already?"

"No, I'm not tired." He said sarcastically.

"Nick, it's eleven o clock in the morning!"

"I know what time it is! You got something better to do before lunch?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. I plan to take a nice, hot bath." They smiled at eachother knowingly.

"Now that you mentioned it, I could use a nice hot bath myself!" Nick moved closer and unbuttoned the jacket of her dark blue silk traveling suit. "You look like you could use some help with that, Milady."

She kissed his bare chest. "I need lots of help." She teased him and he inturned kissed the nape of her neck as she stared up at him, then she pulled away from him. "I'm going to start the water, why don't you open that champagne bottle, our family sent us."

"I like the way you think Mrs. Barkley."

She walked into the bathroom, tossing her blouse at him, he caught it his hand, smiling.

"I do like the way you think!" Nick opened the hotel door, taking care to hang a 'do not disturb' sign on the door.

B

Meanwhile downstairs in the lobby, Mrs. Dorathea Hamon was having a chat with two other women.

"I don't know if she believed me about my daughter going to that school she went to, but it was a good ice breaker never the less. Thank goodness, Lilly keeps up with all the
society gossip, otherwise we would never know about Mrs. Barkley coming to Sacramento. That private pullman car of theirs was a dead give away at the train depot."

"And Sylvie was very clever getting that pamphlet into Laura Barkley's hands, even if she did get arrested in the process." Rowena added, shaking her head at the misfortune of her friend.

"Do we have enough to bail Sylvie out yet?" asked Madelyn, known to them as Maddie and the youngest of the group.

"No, unfortunately. We could really use some of that Barkley money." Rowena answered then added, "We still have to get her to come to the tea. Do you have a back up plan, if she doesn't?"

"Oh she'll come. Maddie, do you still have that maid's uniform all starched and pressed for your next performance?"

"I have it with me." She stated proudly, like a prepared soldier.

"Good." Mrs. Hamon nodded satisfied.

"Lilly tells me that the Barkleys are invited to the Governor's Ball next week." Rowena smiled slyly.

'We have a few minor details to work out, but we will also be attending the Governor's Ball that day too!" Mrs. Hamon said triumphantly.

"What if Mrs. Barkley doesn't read the pamphlet Sylvie gave her?" Maddie worried.

"Of course she'll read it, she's a woman. Curiosity gets the best of us."

"Well, if I were on my honeymoon I sure wouldn't be reading."

"Oh really? Well, tell us Maddie, just what would you be doing?!" Rowena huffed.

"Well, you know, what people do on honeymoons I guess, you know!"

"Honeymoons end, and real life begins, and that's where we separate the women from the girls. We will get Laura Barkley on our side before she leaves here. I've read about her in the society pages too, and let me tell you she's no shrinking violet." Mrs. Hamon promised her cohorts.

"And even if we can't get her, we may still be able to get that Barkley money; this is too good an opportunity to miss!" Rowena grinned slyly.

B

Meanwhile in the honeymoon suite, Nick set the champagne bottle, two glasses, and an ashtray on a table within reach of the bathtub. Laura was already in the bathtub when Nick walked in wearing his robe with a cigar dangling out of his mouth. He stared at his wife covered in bubbles.

"Now what did you go and do that for!" Nick complained scowling.

"What?" She says as she sponged herself.

"You went and put bubbles in our bath!"

"It's MY bath and I always use bubbles."

"I don't want to go around smelling like some damn rose bush."

"Then I suggest you go take a bath in a horse troth outside, I'm sure it wouldn't be the first time for you!"

"Very funny!" Nick pulled off his bathrobe and stepped into the tub. "Whoa you got that hot woman! Have you no mercy? You know what hot water does to a man?"

"I know what cold water does, do you want to try that instead?" She teased, causing him to glare, "Now stop complaining. Must you smoke that smelly cigar in the tub?"

"I'll have you know this is a very fine cigar, I have them made special just for me in San Francisco and they are not smelly! So there!"

"Your cigar is going to take all the nice smell out of my bubble bath!"

Nick places the cigar in the ashtray and pours the champagne into the glasses. He hands one to Laura, then takes one for himself.

"Better?"

"Better." Laura agreed as she sipped her champagne, then moved over to Nick to catch a kiss.

"Now this is the life." Nick smiled, nuzzling her neck.

"Pure decadence!"

"Mmm, you sure do smell good there Mrs. Barkley!"

"You still smell like a smelly cigar Mr. Barkley."

"Ahh, the things I do for you!" He rolled his eyes heavenward then put his cigar out in the ashtray.

"Now, you know I'll make it worth your while Mr. Barkley." She teased him with a kiss on the tip of his nose.

Nick laughed. "Ahh yes my love, I know you will, come here."

He covered her with his arms as they laugh. She lays her head back on his chest as they enjoy lounging in the warm water and drinking champagne.

"This is so relaxing, too bad we won't be able to do this at home."

"Who says we can't?" Nick asked.

"With your whole, I mean our whole family there waiting to use the bathroom?"

"Well, I'll just send them all off on a cattle drive, that should keep them busy for a week or two."

They both laugh. "I can just picture you mother on a cattle drive!"

"She would love it; she would have a great time ordering all the men around."

"And what would Audra do on a cattle drive?"

"She would name all the baby calves, that would keep her busy."

They relax in the tub for some time, Nick's arms still enveloping her as she laid her head back on his chest, her eyes closed. He wakes her with a kiss on the temple. "Water's getting kinda cold my love, what do you say we get out and warm up, huh?"

"That sounds like a perfect idea." His bride smiled.

B

Several hours later there came a loud rapping on the door. Nick opened his eyes, trying to fight off a headache from too much champagne. The rapping on the door was more than he could take as he sat up in bed. He grabbed his pocket watch from the table he looked at the time.

"Damn, missed lunch again." The insistent rapping continued at the door.

"Hold your damn horses, I'm coming! Thought I put a do not disturb sign up; don't anyone know how to read in this town?!"

Nick pulled on his robe to cover his nakedness, he glanced back at his wife still sleeping soundly and wondered how she could sleep through all the city noises. "Must be from living in the 'Frisco all those years!"

He walked out of the bedroom, his bare feet crushing the plush carpet in the parlor with every footfall. Opening the door he found a hotel maid, looking down sheepishly at her feet, keeping here face hidden from him.

"Yeah?"

"Beg your pardon Sir, " she curtsied to him, "but I have a message for the lady."

"I'll take it."

"Thank you Sir." She curtsied again then quickly scurried away down the hall.

"Hey girl! Don't you want a....? Fine!" He closed the door and examined the note it was indeed addressed to Laura Barkley. "Hummph." He said rubbing his chin as he walked back to the bedroom. He sat on the bed and shook her awake, placing his hand on her butt. "Hey, wake up! We slept through lunch again."

She rubbed her eyes awake. "Again?"

"Afraid so, if we keep this up we'll be the first people to come home from a honeymoon thinner than when we started."

Laura leaned on the bed with her elbows propping her up. "I don't know about you but I 'm really hungry now! What's that in your hand?"

"Oh yeah, it's a note for you, some maid brought it."

"Really? Who could it be from?" She took it from him.

"Open up and find out Milady, I'm going to get some clothes on."

He stood from the bed. She opened the note as she covered herself with the bed linen. "Oh, this is lucky, at least I'll get to eat something."

"What?" He said pulling up his pants and tucking his shirt in.

"I've been invited to high tea in the tea room by Mrs. Hamon. I had forgotten about it."

"Who? Oh that stranger you were talking to in the lobby this morning?"

"She's not a stranger, her daughter went to the same school as I did."

"Oh yeah, the daughter you don't know, who's mother you don't know, and you want to have tea with a bunch of other people you don't know."

"It's not just tea, it's high tea." She smirked at him.

"Oh, pardon me Milady. What the difference?"

"Finger sandwiches, and I'm starving. Want to come with me? I'll wangle you an invitation."

"I don't eat finger sandwiches, I eat real food! You go to your high tea and have fun, I'll grab a bite to eat in the saloon downstairs. We'll meet up here for dinner."

"No, it's best we meet in the lobby, we can't seem to leave the room once we come within ten feet of a bed." She winked at him.

He walked over to her, bent down and gave her a sweet kiss on her nose. "At least we'll be the happiest corpses ever."

"They died of starvation in a hotel full of food the headline will read!" She joked.

"In which Jarrod would start an immediate investigation because he would never figure me to miss a meal!" Nick laughed.

"That's true, he would never believe it!"

She threw off her bed covers when Nick caught her in his arms and gently bit her cheek. "With you around I'll never go hungry, because you are delicious no matter where I put my..."

"Nick Barkley! You stop right there! My goodness! You are incorrigible!" she pushed him away laughing.

"I'm never satisfied when it comes having enough of you Milady!"

She pulled away from his grasp and quickly covered herself with a robe. "You can go satisfy your hunger downstairs with a steak sandwich and leave me be! I have a high tea to attend!"

She quickly scurried into the bathroom and locked the door.

"I'll let you get away with that THIS TIME! I'll wait for you in the other room, we'll walk down together."

Nick walked out of the bedroom, smiling to himself. "I better stop this or we will both die of hunger..."

Part 2

Laura dressed in a fresh white blouse and lavender skirt, with matching jacket, to meet the ladies downstairs for tea. Mrs. Hamon stood to greet her as she walked into a section of the dining room that was earmarked for quiet tea times.

"Laura dear, I am so glad you 're able to join us. Let me introduce you to the other ladies; this is Rowena Favors, and Madelyn Dupre. Ladies, I would like to introduce you to Laura Barkley."

"How do you do, it's a pleasure to meet all of you."

They all cordially shake hands then seat themselves on plush chairs around a highly polished tea service set on top of an ornate service table laden with a delicious assortment of sandwiches and sweets. Although she is quite famished Laura's good breeding keeps her from hungrily devouring the food.

"Do you like lemon in your tea Laura? May I call you Laura?"

"A little cream would be fine, thank you. And please do call me Laura, I much prefer it."

"Good for you Laura, stay with your own name!" Rowena cheered.

Laura smiled politely at her. "I beg your pardon?" Laura asked slightly confused.

"What Rowena means to say, is we are really very informal here, and we all much prefer to be called by our given names. My friends call me Dora, and Madelyn is Maddie. A finger sandwich Laura?"

"Yes, please, I would love one." She happily takes the small china saucer from her hand.

"Dora tells us you are on your honeymoon." Maddie helps move the conversation along.

"Yes, I am."

'When were you married?"

"Sunday, August 15th."

"Did you have a big wedding?" Maddie prodded her.

"Yes, we did." She tried to speak between bites.

"Are you enjoying Sacramento Laura?" Dora's question caused Laura to gulp her food down.

"Yes, it seems to be a lovely place, we are hoping to take in some theatre while we are here."

"We have many wonderful forms of entertainment here, I 'm sure you'll enjoy all of it." Dora agreed.

"I'm sure we will. May I?" Laura pointed to another finger sandwich on the tray.

"By all means, help yourself." She invited her.

"Thank you." She happily took another sandwich.

"Dora was saying you're from Stockton." Asked Rowena.

"Well, that's where my husband's family is from. My family is originally from Boston, but my parents settled in Arizona, that's where I was born."

"You've never been to Boston then?"

"A summer visit during school break once, I have family there, we keep in touch through letters of course."

"Boston is a fine city." Rowena nodded approvingly.

"Oh, you've been there?" She took another finger sandwich and ate it in several short bites.

"No, but the city of Boston, is a very modern city, some wonderful things are happening there."

"Really, I wasn't aware of that. In what way?" Laura absently stirred her tea, eyeing more food on the tray.

"It's there that women are finally being admitted into colleges, where they are learning to be doctors, lawyers and engineers."

"That's wonderful." Laura commented absentmindedly, still looking at the food.

"Are you interested in Women's Rights Laura?" Dora asked.

"Women's rights? I don't understand."

"Do you believe that woman should get an education if they want it?"

"Oh absolutely! My cousin in Boston, has been in college for several years, she recently graduated, she is in the teaching profession. My Uncle Mick, her father, believes all his children should have an education no matter what gender they are."

"He sounds like an unusual man." Commented Dora.

"I suppose he is, I never really thought about it."

"More tea, Laura?"

"Yes, please, thank you."

"Your husband is one of the Stockton Barkleys?"

"Yes, that's right."

"He not the lawyer is he?" Rowena asked warily.

"Oh no, that would be Jarrod, Nick is my husband."

"What does he do?" Dora continued her interview.

"He runs the Barkley ranch, he's the foreman." She stated proudly.

"Well, that should keep him busy." Rowena said pleased.

"Busy?" She asked puzzled.

"Out of your hair, I mean. So that you can focus on other things."

"I suppose?" Laura wondered if she wasn't missing part of the conversation because of her hunger.

Dora interrupted. "Please have more scones Laura, they are delicious, please, try them." Dora gave Rowena a look to back off as she offered the tray of scones. Laura didn't notice the exchange between the two women.

"You certainly seem hungry Laura, are you well?" Asked Maddie, surprised to see a woman of her stature with such an appetite.

"Oh do please excuse me, my husband and I missed lunch I'm afraid."

"How did you miss lunch?! I never forget to eat." Maddie wondered innocently.

Laura looked down sheepishly at the tea cup in her lap not knowing how to answer the girl.

"AHEM!! That's not anyone's business Maddie, you really shouldn't ask so many personal questions."

"What do you mean, You and Rowena have done nothing but asked her questions!"

"Be that as it may, we mustn't pry Maddie. I heard Laura that there was some unpleasantness at the train depot when you arrived. Is that true?" Dora Hamon continued, ignoring Maddie's childish pout.

"Well, yes, some women where carried off by the police. Naturally, it was quite upsetting to say the least." Laura commented, wiping her mouth and hands with a napkin, vowing not to eat another thing, so as not to call anymore attention to herself.

"Do you know why that happened?" asked Rowena.

"Well, yes I think so. A woman in the crowd gave me a small booklet. I read a bit of it; also my husband showed me a newspaper article, and on the front page there was a picture of women being arrested."

"Wasn't it lucky there were pictures for you to look at." said Rowena, not attempting to hide her sarcasm. The snide comment did not fall on deaf ears as Laura glanced at her.

"Are you aware of their cause Mrs. Barkley? Excuse me, Laura." Dora smiled, trying to smooth things over.

"The suffrage movement you mean? Well, I did read the booklet that was given to me, and despite that it didn't have pictures; I did get the gist of it." Laura snidely answered back.

"What do you think of it then Laura?" Asked Maddie.

"Well, I certainly don't see anything wrong with women wanting the vote. I find most women to be intelligent enough to vote. Certainly more so than some men."

"Oh I agree!" Maddie said as she clapped her hands together in approval, ignoring the warning look from the others.

"I gather you three are supportive of the suffrage movement?"

"Oh yes, but only as spectators of course, braver women then we are working diligently for the suffrage movement. It does seem to attract young women like yourself to the cause." Dora interjected.

"What the cause has in numbers, it lacks in funds." Rowena spoke quite seriously.

"Funds? For what may I ask?" Laura matched her serious tone.

"Bail money to help the demonstrators out of jail."

"Surely a lawyer could help with that."

"What lawyer?! None would touch anyone connected to the cause."

"You speak of it as a war, calling it a cause." Laura tried to make light of the conversation.

"Oh, but it is a war. A very difficult and dangerous war."

"Dangerous? How so?"

"Women are dieing Mrs. Barkley, they are dieing, literally in jails and prisons all over the country." Rowena informed their guest.

"I find that hard to believe."

"Nevertheless, it is happening."

"Surely the authorities are doing something to protect these women."

"The authorities, Mrs. Barkley are the culprits who are behind the deaths."

Laura stared at Miss Favors. Mrs. Hamon cleared her throat before speaking again. "Goodness, this was suppose to be a pleasant tea and it seems to have turned rather controversial. I certainly didn't mean it to come out that way. More tea Laura?"

"No thank you. I'm afraid you must excuse me, I'm late meeting my husband." Laura stood. "I thank you for inviting me to your tea, I do hope I can return the favor while I'm here in Sacramento. Good day ladies. Thank you."

Laura hurried out of the tea room to meet Nick in the lobby.

B

At an exclusive restaurant across town. The newlyweds had finished ordering their meal and looked forward sharing the day.

"You've been quiet since ya got back from that tea party, Milady. How was it?" Nick took a sip of his wine.

"Well the food was delicious, I almost made a pig of myself, I was so hungry." She rolled her eyes.

Nick threw his head back laughing. "Embarrassed yourself did you?"

"Pretty much." She laughed looking at him sheepishly, then took a sip of her wine.

"There, ya see, you don't need me around to embarrass you, you 're doing just fine!"

"Oh stop it!" She slapped his hand playfully then took it in her grasp. They entwined their fingers together. "I missed you today."

Nick brought her hand to his lips, giving it a gentle kiss. "Not half as much as I missed you." Their eyes met in silent smiles as they continued holding hands, drinking in the warmth that their faces held for eachother until Nick stammered out in an almost whisper, "Sometimes it's not enough to say I love you."

"I was thinking that exact same thing."

He brought her hand to his lips in another kiss. "How did I get so lucky?"

"How did we get so lucky?" She gently pulled his hand to her lips and kissed it.

They exchanged smiles as the waiter presented them with a bottle of champagne. "Compliments of the management Sir, on your nuptials."

Nick pushed himself back in his chair and grinned. "Are we that obvious?"

"May I open it for you Sir?"

"Yeah, go ahead. And then you can leave and not interrupt us again." Nick waved him away with his hand.

"Yes Sir." The waiter agreed with a slight bow.

Again their eyes met in a silent conversation until the waiter left them. Nick spoke again, "Is there someplace special you want to go to while we are here?"

"It might be nice to take in a play. I heard there are some wonderful theatres here."

"All right, you pick out the play you want to see and I'll take you there." He rubbed the palm of her hand with his thumb.

"You don't mind?"

"Anything for you Milady, you know that. Your knight can refuse you nothing."

The waiter arrived with their food. "Sorry." Said the waiter. They broke away from their embrace to make room for the plates being set in front of them.

The waiter finally left them again. "After we eat I'll take you for a carriage ride to see some of the sights."

"That sounds wonderful, it is a lovely warm night for a carriage ride."

They lean closer for a kiss when the waiter interrupted them with the drawned butter for their lobster, causing them to break away.

"Sorry." The waiter apologized embarrassed.

"You know you're in danger of losing a really big tip!" Nick warned.

"I promise you won't see my face again Sir."

"Good!" His brow furrowed.

Laura giggled at her husband. "You do make me laugh."

"I will always be your court jester Milady, always." He placed another sweet kiss on the back of her hand.

"Would you like some water Sir?" Another waiter asked.

"Do I Look thirsty to You?!" Nick's voice rose an octave.

"Oh,, ummm...Nnnoo Sir... You certainly don't. But the lady..."

" .... is not thirsty either! GO AWAY! ... NOW!"

"Yes Sir! Right away Sir!" The waiter left faster than he came.

"Let's eat and get the hell out of here!" Nick defiantly picked up his fork and knife.

His wife giggled as she tackled her food on her plate.

B

The rest of the week they spent time, riding through the local parks on horses rented from the livery. Other days were spend going to theaters. And Nick couldn't refuse his wife as he reluctantly escorted her on shopping sprees, for he knew the nights were for them alone as they spent each night sharing and exploring their love for eachother. And then came the Governor's Ball, a great social party to celebrate the Governor's wife's birthday. The newlyweds were in their suite, getting ready to attend the Ball. Nick was once again struggling to fix his tie correctly while Laura sat at a vanity table fixing her hair.

"DAMNIT!"

"What's wrong Nick?"

"No matter how I tie this damn tie it looks stupid! I thought I wouldn't have to wear this stupid suit for a long time! It's bad enough I had to wear it for our wedding! Damn Jarrod for wrangling this Governor's Ball invite for us! Can't he leave well enough alone!"

"Jarrod did it for me because he knew that I would enjoy it. I'm sure he wasn’t thinking of making you miserable, by having you dress up."

"You wanna bet?! It was just an added bonus for him, making you happy and me miserable!" He scowled.

"Oh that Jarrod, he is a devious lawyer, isn't he?" She chuckled as she fixed her husband's tie. "Well, I for one, will be eternally grateful to Jarrod because I am going to be the envy of all the women there when I walk in on your arm." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, but caught his chin instead. Smiling he took her in his arms planting a hard kiss on her lips."

"I'm the one who everyone will envy. And if my dressing up and taking ya to this party is going to make you happy then I'm happy."

They embrace eachother, he nuzzled her on the neck then she pulled away from him. "Oh no you don't, that's how you seduced me last time, when we missed our lunch again for the fourth time."

"We don't need lunch, we can live on love." He grabbed at her again, but she quickly moved away from his grasp.

"So far that's what we have been living on. Breakfast, love and late dinners."

"Sounds like a great menu to me. Don't forget the midnight snack!" He winked at her.

"That's enough out of you Nick Barkley. Besides, I have this beautiful new dress and I want to show it off!" She twirled around showing him the emerald green silk dress.

"Well you sure look beautiful in that new dress."

"Thank you!"

"But you know what would really make it look better?" He folded his arms across his chest and smiled wickedly.

"What? Is this too much?" She touched the diamond necklace around her neck.

"No, I'm not talking about the jewelry; I'm talking about the dress."

"What's wrong with the dress?"

"It would look a lot better laying in a heap at the foot of our bed." He walked over to her with his arms outstretched, she ran out of the bedroom, into the parlor laughing. He chases after her, when they are interrupted by a knock on the door. "Safe for now!" He pointed an warning finger at her.

She giggled as he opened the door.

"Your carriage Sir is waiting."

"Thanks, we'll be right there." Nick handed him a coin from his pocket. "Ready Milady?"

"Just a minute."

Nick sighed as he watched her do a last minute check in the mirror then she handed her shawl to her husband. Nick smiled to himself as he remembered the first time, he tried to put a shawl on her, and she avoided him by giving the shawl to Jarrod instead, because she was angry that he stole a kiss from her in his mother's rose garden.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked him.

"Just thinking about our first kiss."

"Oh yes, I slapped you didn't I?"

"Yeah, quite hard too if I remember!"

"Yes, so you kissed me a second time just to anger me more!"

"No I didn't. The was the last thing I wanted to do was anger you!" They walk out of their suite, arguing.

"You did so! Don't you remember what you said?"

"I was a perfect gentlemen."

"I see you are remembering the version you want to remember."

"No, but that's the version I'm telling our children, do you think I want them to know you socked their father!?"

They both laugh as they get into the carriage, outside their hotel.

B

On the other side of town in Mrs. Hamon's home; the older woman inspects the line of women before her, dressed in their starched maid uniforms.

"Very nice, yes you'll do very nicely. Perfect. Now remember ladies, wait for my signal, I will blow a whistle outside the mansion, and Rowena will start the singing and you all follow her inside. We will wait until everyone is seated for the second course and then we make our presence known!"

"That's right, we don't move until we all start singing, then the Governor won't know what hit him." Rowena smirked.

"All right be off with you, now remember two by two, we must avoid being noticed. No one is to draw attention to herself until it's time!" Dora gave her final order. The women leave the house by the back entrance, others use the front to avoid suspicion.

"I'll leave for Sylvie's house, and Maddie you will meet me there."

"Yes. I can't wait to see the Governor's face when we march in." Maddie snickered.

"It won't be long now." Rowena smirked again.

"Remember to stay out of sight until it's time!" Dora gave them another warning.

B

Nick and Laura Barkley arrive at the Governor's Mansion. Laura stared at the opulent mansion as she alighted the carriage. "My goodness, would you look at this place!"

"You could definitely store a thousand head of cattle in it."

"Only you would think of doing such a thing!" She squeezed his arm as they laugh together.

Inside the mansion, each guest was announced by the written invitation given to the butler.

"Congressman and Mrs. Joshua Notworthy."

They stand just inside the foyer of the mansion waiting to be announced. "We have to go through a receiving line too?"

"Oh come on, it won't hurt much." She grinned as she prodded him by the arm.

"Ahh...The things I do for you!" Nick gave the butler their invitation and awaited the suffering of being announced in public as if he was waiting to be lynched.

"Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Barkley of Stockton."

"Smile." Laura chided him under her breath.

Governor William Irwin and his wife Amelia greet them. "We are so glad you and your lovely wife could come Mr. Barkley." Governor Irwin shook Nick's hand and kissed Laura's, as she curtsied to him.

"Thank you Governor Irwin."

"May I present the birthday girl, my wife Amelia."

"Mrs. Irwin, many happy returns. May I present my wife Laura."

"Mrs. Barkley, I hear congratulations are in order, William, Mr. and Mrs. Barkley have chosen our fair city for their honeymoon. They were just recently married." The governor's wife smiled pleasantly at them.

"Well, I do hope you enjoy your stay here and if there is anything my office can do to make your stay here more comfortable please don't hesitate to ask."

"You are very kind Governor Irwin. Thank you." Laura said as they moved down the receiving line to meet the Lt. Governor James A. Johnson and his wife.

After receiving glasses of champagne they walk around the spacious mansion nodding and smiling at the other guests. Nick lifted his glass to his wife. "To the loveliest lady in the room."

"Thank you kind Sir." She bowed to him.

"I'm going to beat Jarrod within an inch of his life when I get a hold of him." Nick said under his breath as he used his best fake smile.

"Oh now Sweetheart, since you were so good to take me to this soirie I think we should do what you want to do tomorrow. Is there someplace you want to go my love?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it, there are some private clubs we can go to."

"Private clubs?"

"Yeah, where we can gamble."

"Oh I see, you want to gamble do you?"

"It's my second favorite thing to do for fun."

"Really, what's your first?" She said sincerely.

Nick laughed loudly. "You mean you don't know?"

"I meant outside activities." She rolled her eyes.

"I could see us doing it outside too." He chuckled.

"Nick! Oh please, lets just change the subject! How do we get into one of these private clubs?"

"Money usually helps and a well placed word to someone who knows where these clubs are. They are usually not hard to find. You would think Jarrod would have let us know about them, I know he has showed his face in a few of them here in Sacramento."

She nodded in agreement, when arms suddenly grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around. She gave out a startled cry as Nick looked on in shock.

"LAURA THOMAS AS I LIVE AND BREATHE! Darling it's so wonderful to see you again!"

The excited gentleman stopped twirling her long enough to tighten his grip around her waist and pulled her into a wet kiss. Nick fumed and pushed the culprit away from his surprised wife. He grabbed the lapels of the tall curly brown haired man. "Just what the hell do you think your doing there Mister?!"

"Nick, let him go, I know him! He's a friend!" Laura pulled on Nick's arms trying to break his grip from the man.

"Say good bye to your friend 'cause he's a dead man!" Nick said through clenched teeth.

"Laura darling who is this ruffian your with, a body guard or something?! Unhand me Sir! This lovely lady and I are old, intimate friends." The curly haired gentleman pushed away from Nick's grasp.

"Why you son of a...!" Nick pulled his fist back to hit him, but his wife grabbed his arm to stop him in mid punch.

"Nick Please don't!"

"There you see, now go away there old man!" Laura's friend caught her waist and fearlessly gave her another kiss.

"Jason are you out of your mind! Would you let go of me!" She pulled away from his strong grasp. "He's not my bodyguard, he's my husband and if you don't stop he's going kill you!"

"Oh darling no! Say it isn't so, you'll break my heart!" He said dramatically placing a hand over his heart.

"I'll break something if you touch my wife again OLD MAN!" Nick pushed him back with one hand on his chest.

"Oh dear, it's true isn't it? You're married, Laura you were suppose to wait for me!"

"I wasn't aware I was suppose to wait for you, Jason." She smoothes down the wrinkles in her dress. "I don't believe you told me that. In fact I think you told me that you would see me very soon and that was two years ago!"

Jason smiled, ignoring her comment and pointed to Nick. "This is the lucky man isn't he?"

"Yes, Jason, this is my husband Nick Barkley, Nick this is Jason Browne."

Jason immediately grabbed Nick's unoffered hand, shaking it vigorously. "Well, congratulations Sir! You have a fine girl here! You don't mind if I kiss the bride do you, friend?"

Jason moved to kiss Laura again, but Nick quickly stopped him with two strong hands on his chest.

"I believe you already did that, TWICE! ... FRIEND!"

"Oh yes, so I did." He laughed sheepishly. Then Jason stood on the opposite side of Laura, placing his arm around her waist. Nick watched where the stranger's hand went.

"So tell me lovely lady, what brings you here to our fair city?"

"Nick and I are on a honeymoon, as I said, we're married Jason."

"Oh ! So you did, I guess I blocked it out. Well then we have to celebrate! I want you to be my guests at my club tomorrow. The Hawthorne Club, have you heard of it? Some of the finest dining anywhere in the city!"

"Is it a private club, do they have gambling there?" She asked hopefully.

"Laura, now wait just a minute! ... Laura..." He furrowed an angry brow which she promptly ignored.

"Why of course they have gambling there darling! Do you gamble Rick?" Jason grinned widely toward Nick.

"It's Nick, and I...."

"Well then, by all means you must be my guests tomorrow for dinner and gambling. I will have my carriage pick you up at six. Where are you staying darling?"

"The Sacramento House." Laura quickly answered, ignoring Nick's scowling face.

Ahh, very well then, I look forward to it. Maybe you and I can enjoy a game of chance Mick... Huh, what do you say?" A wide congenial smile never left the handsome man's face as he spoke to them.

"It's Nick, are you deaf you jack..." Nick glared at him.

Laura interrupted her husband's tirade. "Jason, we will be very happy to accept your kind invitation, we will see you at six then, thank you. Would you excuse us, please." She pulled Nick by the arm leading him away from the gentleman.

"What did you accept that invitation for?! What's the hell's the matter with you?! Did all that twirling around that jackass did addle your brain woman!" He growled.

"Keep your voice down, I thought you wanted to gamble, this is your chance and we get a free dinner thrown in as well."

"I don't want to spend the evening with that jackass!"

"Just think you'll have the pleasure of beating him at poker! You'll like that!" She tried to placate him.

After Nick thought about it, "Well, it would be worth it, taking some of that yokel's money."

A servant announced that dinner was served and everyone headed to the grand dining room.

"Good, we get to eat, come along Mick." She teased as she led him by the arm.

"Very funny!" He grumbled.

Part 3

Unbeknownst to the Barkleys, Jason had fixed it so that he had a seat directly across from them. The long table was finely decorated with highly polished silver, crystal bowls of fresh flowers and the finest of State bone china decorated with the Seal of the State of California in gold trim. Nick and Laura found their names at the place settings.

Nick held the out chair for his wife, when he noticed the other man across from them. "Oh for cryin' out loud...." Nick complained.

"What's wrong Nick?"

"Look who's back." Nick eyed Jason across from them.

"Well, what luck! Looks like we're dinner companions. We can have a nice chat about old times darling. Won't that be nice?!" Jason's sparkling smile greeted them.

"Jason." She nodded pleasantly to him.

Nick frowned as he took his seat, placing his napkin on his lap. He whispered in his wife's ear. "Now we've got to listen to this jackass through dinner!"

"Shush!" Laura quieted him.

"Laura, I must say you do look positively radiant! Marriage must surely agree with you." Jason smiled a toothy grin, his blue eyes sparkling. He was handsomer than even she had remembered, she thought, as she returned the smile.

"Thank you Jason, I am very happy. And how is it you have escaped being married?"

"Darling! I was waiting for you of course!" He chuckled into his napkin, as he shamelessly flirted with her.

"Really, I seem to recall a rather lovely redhead you were quite taken with. In fact if I remember correctly she was a student in the same school I attended, and you were seeing quite a bit of her."

"I was not! I was always faithful to you!" Jason protested vehemently.

"Yes Jason, faithful in your fashion. What was that girl's name now? Oh yes Lucille. In fact she had a nickname, I think they called her Lucy Loose. Which is why she was so popular as I recall."

"I'm sure I don' know what you mean! Don't forget you were the one to break my heart, I brought you to see mother! Mother is going to be crushed when she hears I lost you as a bride. I'm going to be in a heap of trouble when I tell her about you. I don't know what she'll do when she finds out."

Nick spat under his breathe, "If we're lucky she'll shoot him!"

Laura kicked Nick under the table. He clenched his teeth while rubbing his leg. Not to be outdone, Nick pinched her thigh, causing her to jump with a yelp, "Agghh! Oh, excuse me!" She covered her mouth with her napkin and rubbed her thigh. She smiled at the people around her who tittered at her unladylike behavior.

"Are you alright Laura?" asked a concerned Jason.

"Yes fine, I just had a little twinge in my leg, I fell off my horse not too long ago."

"Oh, I hope you're well now?"

"Yes, I am, just a little black and blue." She gave Nick an angry sideways glance.

He slyly grinned to himself as he ate his soup. "Excellent soup honey, why don't you try it."

"So, Barkley is it? Any relation to the attorney Jarrod Barkley?"

"He's my brother, you know him?"

"Only by reputation, he's a fine lawyer. You're from Stockton?" Jason asked.

"Yeah.., What of it?" He cast a wary eyed at him.

"So what do you do there?" Jason said trying to make polite chit chat.

"I run the ranch." Said Nick more interested in his food than talking. Laura smiled sheepishly, embarrassed by his rude behavior.

"Nick is the foreman of the Barkley Ranch. He oversees the entire operation of the ranch." Laura said proudly.

"Oh, so you're like a farmer?"

Nick looked up with a scowl. "No, I'm like a rancher."

"Oh, of course, a cowboy, riding the range, punching cattle, things like that, huh?"

"I like to punch you...ya..."

Laura gave his arm a calming touch. "And what are you doing now Jason? Are you still practicing law?" She attempted to change the subject.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I have a thriving law practice, right here in Sacramento. However, I have thrown my hat into the ring to run for state representative here."

"Oh how wonderful for you, I wish you well."

"Thank you, darling. Are you involved in politics Nick?"

"I vote, if you call that getting involved." Nick grabbed a piece of bread, never glancing at annoying man. A servant arrived to take the soup dishes away.

"I see." Jason eyed Nick with disdain as he attacked his food with ungentlemenly gusto. "Haven't eaten in a while have you?"

"I've been busy, or rather we've been busy with other things. We are on our honeymoon after all." Nick smirked.

Laura kicked him under the table again. He brought his hand down under the table for a punishing pinch, but she pushed it away.

"Nick dear, would you pass the bread please. Would you like some bread Jason?"

"Yes, thank you."

Nick handed her the bread tray, as she took it from him she offered it to Jason. Then she gave out a little gasp as Nick pinched her under the table. "Owww! oohh ahh,, I mean....excuse me." She rubbed her thigh then continued, "You spoke of politics, so now I'm curious to know about something."

"If I can be of service to you my dear, all you need to do is ask." Jason smiled sweetly.

"When Nick and I first arrived here, there was a some sort of demonstration going on at the train depot. I saw women carrying signs and being arrested by the police. I think they call themselves suffragers?"

"OH SHUSH, that's a dirty word around here, you mustn't talk about them, not in front of the Governor."

Nick gave Jason a scowling look.

"The Governor has been plagued by them for some time." He uttered the word them as if it had been a curse.

"Really? In what way?" Laura's curiosity was piqued.

"They follow him everywhere... always demonstrating wherever he is. They drown out his speeches with their yelling. Carrying those blasted signs everywhere!"

"Watch your damn language in front of my wife!" Nick warned him. The two stared dumbfounded at him.

"You're very amusing Nick." Jason chuckled.

"Nick, please." Laura admonished him.

"What! What did I say?!"

"Nevermind."

Jason continued just above a whisper. "You know, that whole thing started before the war, but while the war was waging the women's movement was forgotten about. One of the few things good that came out of the war; but now these women are back with a vengeance!"

"I don't understand Jason, what is wrong with women wanting the vote?"

"SHUSH!! You mustn't say that too loudly please!"

Nick rolls up his napkin in a ball, and threw it down on the table. "ARE YOU SHUSHING MY WIFE?!"

"I'm just trying to protect her!"

"She doesn't need your protection she's got me!"

"Nick please, calm down, he didn't mean any harm."

Servants arrive to serve the next course and refill empty glasses.

"It really is a sore subject with Governor Irwin, I wouldn't bring it up to him."

"Thank you Jason, I will heed your warning."

"Hmmph!" Nick griped.

Suddenly, in the outer room, there were some skuffling noises and women's voices are heard singing. 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' All the guests' eyes turn towards the commotion as the singing got louder, and marching footsteps could be heard...

"...and HER truth goes marching onnnn.... Glory! Glory Halleluiah, Glory! Glory Halleluiah, Glory! Glory! Halleluiah...... HER truth goes marching onnnn....."

"What the hell is going on now!?" Nick said as he dropped his fork in his food.

All eyes watched as women dressed as servants came marching around the dining room table carrying signs and throwing out booklets to everyone seated. Nick caught one in his hand and started reading it.

Governor Irwin stood up, red faced and livid as he called for his aides and the police to clear the room of the malicious invaders. "STOP THEM! STOP THEM NOW!! WHERE'S MY POLICE FORCE?! WHERE ARE THE GUARDS?! ARREST THEM ! ARREST THEM ALL ! EVERY LAST BLASTED ONE OF THEM!"

Amelia, the Governor's wife, fell back into her chair, fainting at the horrifying sight of her home being invaded by the evil creatures. A pamphlet landed in Laura's plate. She read it outloud.

"Declaration of Sentiments" by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stanton? Now I know where I heard of her! My cousin has mentioned her in her letters to me." She informed Nick.

"Why? Is she a friend of your cousin's?"

Nick took the book from her and thumbed through it, reading outloud. " 'We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and WOMEN are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.' Same as the Declaration of Independence, except they added women. But that's already understood, why would they include that?" Nick wondered as he looked at his wife, ignoring the commotion around them.

"Why do you say it's already understood?"

"Well, it's just like the Bible honey, it says men but it means women too."

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course, everyone knows that!"

Nick read more, "Would you listen to this! 'The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries ... on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her.!' Nick felt quite insulted by what he had just read. "I'm not a tyrant to you am I?!"

"Of course not Sweetheart, you're an angel towards me! I'm sure Mrs. Stanton didn't mean you personally." She soothed him with a pat on his cheek and a kiss. Still ignoring all the tumult around them they shared another kiss, staring lovingly into eachother's eyes.

The gentlemen guests yelled and cursed at the marching women, while the ladies were swooning, or fanning themselves, fearful of the events they were witnessing.

Suddenly, without warning, police and armed guards surrounded all the women dressed as servants and carried them off into waiting paddy wagons outside. Women screamed and ran, while the police chased them. Some of the police threatened them with their billy clubs. Screaming, yelling and swearing fill the ears of everyone there. Laura screamed when she witnessed a policeman about to use his billy club on a woman in a maid's uniform.

"STOP!!!! YOU'LL KILL HER!! STOP!" Nick do something!" Laura screamed, shaking Nick's arm to get his attention then standing up from her chair. Nick forced her back down into her seat for safety sake, then ran over to the policeman, grabbing the billy club away from him.

"Stay out of this me bucko!!" The police yelled as he punched Nick in the face. Nick slid across the polished floor, landing near Laura's feet. The policeman, now without the billy club decided to punch the maid in the face and carry her off. Laura knelt down next to Nick, trying to bring him around.

"Nick? Nick honey, are you alright?!" Laura grabbed a glass of water from the table above and threw it on him. Nick came around shaking his head.

"What the hell happened?!"

"You were wonderful Nick!" She kissed him proudly.

"Yeah, then how come I'm on the floor?!" He steadied himself with his arms as he lifted himself into a seating position.

"At least you did stop him from using that club on her, but I'm afraid he hit her instead, and carried her off!"

"What kind of a man hits a woman?!"

"Obviously the Sacramento police do. Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I can get up! I'd like to meet that fellar again!" She helped him up from the floor. Jason sauntered over to them, a napkin still in his hand.

"Are you alright there old man?"

"Yeah." Nick said rubbing his jaw and moving it from side to side to check to see if it was broken.

"Now, do you see what I mean?! These things go on around here all the time 'cause of those crazy women!" Jason bellowed, waving his napkin to emphasize his remarks.

"And you just let it happened, at least Nick tried to stop it!" Laura admonished him.

"You have to be a fool to get involved when the police are doing their duty!"

"Is it their duty to beat up women?!" Nick yelled back.

"It is when they are breaking the law!" Jason matched his loud volume.

"I was right about you! You are a JACKASS!" Nick confirmed, jabbing his finger into the lawyer's waistcoat. Then he walked back to his seat with Laura on his arm.

The commotion died down as the police left with the offending women and everyone calmed down at the pleading advice of Governor Irwin. "Please everyone, take your seats, we will resume our dinner. Happily the police have gotten everything under control. Please, everyone, take your seats and they will be serving us momentarily."

"I don't know who's going to do all the serving because they just carried off half the staff."
Nick informed them.

"They did?!" cried Laura.

"Yeah, they arrested every women dressed like a maid.. Look, there are just men left."

"Oh my Nick, you're right! Only men!" She said looking about the room.

"Now, it's going to take forever to get our dinner!" Nick complained shaking his head.

Laura gave him an angry glare. "I cannot believe you would sit there and worry about your stomach when all those poor women were just carried off!"

"What are you complaining about?! I tried to help!" Nick defended himself.

Part 4

With all the women servants arrested, the dinner took longer to be served, when it finally arrived it was cold and tasteless. The disastrous Governor's Ball didn't end quickly enough for the Barkleys. They finally reached their hotel suite by midnight, tired and hungry. Laura stood near a table in their suite, searching for some edible fruit in the week-old fruit basket. Nick wasted no time pulling off his tie and tuxedo jacket.

"Here's an apple, want it?" She offered it to her husband.

"Yeah. Got something in there for you to eat?"

"Ah good, a peach, still looks good, sort of." She rubs some of the peach fuzz off before eating it.

Nick sat on a chair, pulled off his boots, unbuttoned his shirt, then ate his apple. "I cannot believe this night!" He complained.

Laura plopped herself on the divan across from him, eating her peach. "It's the worse Ball, I've ever attended. And I've been to some bad ones!"

"Yeah, but it still won't be as bad as tomorrow!" He pointed at her with the half eaten apple for emphasis.

"What are you talking about?" She pouted.

"You had to go accept that invitation with that jackass! We were stuck with him throughout a bad dinner, and tomorrow we got to spend the evening with him again! The dumb JACKASS!"

"Would you stop calling him names?!" she sighs, " His name is Jack... I mean Jason!"

"His name is Mudd as far as I'm concerned!"

"Nick please! We will have a very nice dinner tomorrow at the Hawthorne Club and then you will be able to gamble to your heart's content."

"I'm telling you Laura, I'm having a bad feeling about this! And my feelings are never wrong!"

She stood up from the divan and threw her peach pit away in the basket. She faced him with her hands on her hips. "The problem with you Nick Barkley is your jealous!"

Nick flew out of the chair, angrily wagging the spent apple core to make a point.

"Jealous! I'm not jealous of some old jackass boyfriend of yours Milady! Hell, you've had nothing but a string of losers before I came around anyway!! He's just part of the herd!"

Is that so! A string of losers were they?! Part of the herd huh?! Well, a lot you know! Just because I don't brag about my old boyfriends like some women do to their husbands it doesn't mean I had all losers! There were some very fine, upstanding men I will have you know!"

"Yeah? Name one, just one, that wasn't a loser!"

"No, I'm not going to, it will only make you jealous, and there is just no living with you when you get like that!" She turned her back on him, trying to think of a man she could bring up to prove her point.

"Is that so?!" He fired back, fists on hips.

"Yes, that's so!" She turned to face him again.

"HAH!" He snorted.

"Don't you HAH me!" She angrily stood toe to toe with him, her hands on her hips.

Nick glared back. "Oh yeah!? Well, HAH, HAH, HAH! So there!"

She bit her lip trying to avoid laughing. "Do you know how silly you look right now?"

"I suspect about as silly as you!" He grinned. They both burst out laughing, then hug eachother. "It's late, let's go to bed."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." They walk into the bedroom wrapped in an embrace.

"I do have to give Jackass credit for one thing though."

"What's that?"

"At least he didn't try to shoot me, like your last boyfriend."

His wife slaps his stomach. "Don't despair, there's still tomorrow." She teased.

"I better bring my gun then."

B

The next morning the newlyweds decide to have breakfast in their suite. Laura sipped her morning coffee as Nick sat across from her reading the newspaper and eating breakfast.

"How's your headache?" Nick asked without looking up from the paper.

"Gone, thank God. Is there any mention of what happened at the Governor's Ball last night?"

"Let's see? You think that would be on the front page... Hmm, No, don't see it."

"Not even on the other pages?"

He rustled the papers looking for the news article. "No, not a word."

"Do you suppose it was hushed up because it was the Governor's Ball?"

"Could be, you never know with these politicians. Well, no matter." He folded up the newspaper, placed it on the side of his dish and finished his breakfast.

"How can you say that? Those poor women were arrested!" She took up the discarded newspaper and searched through it. "I don't find anything about it in this paper."

"I told you it wasn't there."

"Do you suppose the Governor had something to do with it covering it up?"

"No doubt."

"Nick, those poor women! I feel so badly for them!"

"Laura, they broke the law." He said in between chews.

"Nick!"

"What?" He stopped eating long enough to look at his wife's pleading face.

"What about the other ones? The women who were really working as maids there! They were arrested too, only because of how they were dressed! That is so unfair Nick!"

He heaved a heavy sigh then continued eating.

"Nick?"

"Aww please now honey, don't get involved with this!"

"Those poor women! Something should be done for them."

"There is nothing we can do about it! Please, I don't want us to get involved; I got a really bad feeling about this! And you know my bad feelings..."

"...are never wrong." She finished the sentence, " Yes, I know." Then she placed the paper down on the table.

"Listen, I 'm going to go to the bank and cash a check so I'll have some cash to bet with tonight." He attempted to changed the subject.

"Well then, you're looking forward to tonight?"

"Only that I get to clean out your old boyfriend!" He stood up from the breakfast table. "Do you want to come along?"

"Will you take me out shopping?"

"Shopping?! Again?!"

"Well, you said you were going to get extra cash, I thought I could buy something to wear tonight."

"You mean you can't find anything with all the clothes you brought already?!"

"You want me to look nice don't you?"

"And just who are you going to look nice for tonight?!"

"Why you of course." She smiled sweetly.

"Get dress and lets go." He huffed.

Taking one last sip of her coffee she walked into the bedroom. "I'll only be a minute."

"Yeah, right.. . only a minute." He sat back down to finish his coffee and read the newspaper again.

B

As promised Jason Browne had indeed sent his carriage to collect the newlyweds for an evening at the very exclusive Hawthrone Club. A butler dressed in a royal blue silk waistcoat, matching britches and a powdered wig, in the fashion of the 1700's escorts them to a private dining room where the very tall, handsome lawyer greets them with an elegant bow and a wide smile.

"Welcome! welcome! I'm so glad you could make it. Laura you look ravishing!" He quickly took her hand and lead her around the room, ignoring Nick's presence. Nick stood near the door uncomfortably shuffling his feet back and forth, an uneasy feeling taking hold of his better judgement.

"Thank you Jason. My this is quite a place!" She gushed.

The room was decorated with ornate furniture, and overstuffed red velvet chairs. The walls were lined with gold and silver brocade linen. In one part to the room there was a large white marble fireplace, with a small fire glowing. The room was lit by hundreds of flickering candles, lending itself to the 18th century feel with the added bonus of giving the room a very soft romantic glow.

Laura imagined herself and Nick enjoying this room alone. 'If only' she thought.

"Are you ever called away from here in an emergency. A desperate client who needs your services perhaps?"

"No happily, I have not."

"Oh, how fortunate for you."

"Please have a seat, make yourselves comfortable. Can I get you something to drink there old man?"

"Whiskey." Nick said curtly as he resigned himself to the situation. 'The things I do for that woman!' He angrily thought, as he sat beside his wife at the dinner table.

"Laura dear, what I can I get you to drink?"

"Wine would be nice, thank you Jason." She surveyed the elegantly decorated table. Fresh fruits and flowers had adorn the table, with crystal goblets, gleaming white and gold china in place settings for three.

Jason sauntered over to a small bar at the corner of the room to prepare the drinks. He served them, then sat himself on the opposite side of Laura to her left.

"Laura, you look positively magnificent in this light." He beamed.

"Thank you Jason, But any woman could look good in this lighting." She blushed as he stared with an ever widening smile, seemingly looking her over like a prize package. She immediately regretted having accepted the invitation. She hated it when Nick was right.

"Ahh I have many regrets as I look at you my darling." Jason confessed to her.

"As do I." She said averting her eyes.

Nick rolled his eyes and sighed loudly enough to be heard in the next room.

Jason glanced over toward him. "Something wrong there old man?"

"Why don't you have them serve the dinner then you won't have to slobber over my wife like she's the damn main course!"

Jason roared with laughter as he stood to ring for the dinner. "You're very amusing fellow. Laura you must laugh all the time with him around."

"All the time." Laura agreed, her cheeks now turning crimson. "It was very good of you to invite us Jason." She tried to defuse the situation, eyeing her husband.

"It was good of you to accept, and I'm looking forward to our game later friend. You do play poker don't you?"

"Yeah." Nick yanked the napkin off the table and placed it on his lap.

"Good, I have a few friends that we can join later in the gaming room. Laura you will stay and watch us won't you? Maybe you'll bring me luck!"

"You mean you didn't intend to let me play too?"

"I would never take a ladies' money!"

"And what makes you think I would lose?" She smiled sweetly.

"Well, there's a craps table you can play. I'll let you throw the dice for me, but only if you kiss them first, for luck." he whispered.

Nick made another loud sigh but was ignored. A servant rolled a serving cart into the room. Jason rose to meet it. "If I remember Laura, you were quite fond of lobster; so I took the liberty of ordering it for all of us. It's particularly good here, even if it's not San Francisco. And as an appetizer I ordered big, juicy strawberries, also a favorite of yours if I remember correctly."

"Thank you Jason, that was very thoughtful."

"Where did you find strawberries out of season?" Nick wondered outloud.

"Oh yes, I forgot you're a farmer Mick; of course you would know. Actually, I have my sources."

"I'm a rancher! And the name's NICK!"

"Of course," he said without looking at his rival. Jason again took his seat beside Laura, winking at her. "Jeremiah, bring those strawberries here for my guest... I have melted chocolate too, remember Laura?" He smiled knowingly at her.

"No, I don't think I do." She lowered her eyes, hiding another threatening blush, then glanced over to her husband who was obviously fuming; his eyes slitting into black lines. 'This was a big mistake' she thought. "May I have some water please?"

"By all means!" Jason rushed to pour her a glass of water from a pitcher on the table. Meanwhile the servant, Jeremiah, was setting the food on the table.

"Oh, can Jeremiah get you something Nick?"

"Yeah I could something!" He scowled.

Jeremiah bowed to Nick. "What can I get for you Sir?"

"My gun." Nick grumbled.

"Sorry Sir, we don't allow guns in the club."

"So no one shoots the host huh?"

"Yes Sir, " the servant smiled, "it wouldn't do. ...Though, I wouldn't blame you Sir." Jeremiah said under his breathe, smiling. Nick smiled for the first time since he'd been there. The servant took his leave, giving Nick a sympathetic wink.

Meanwhile Jason introduced the chilled bowl of strawberries, and a small bowl of melted chocolate to Laura.

"Are you sure you don't remember how we ate strawberries that evening in that little restaurant in San Francisco?" Jason dipped a large strawberry in the chocolate and presented it to her. His face inches from hers.

"Oh yes! Now I remember! Thank you!" She took the strawberry, dripping with chocolate out of his hand and turned towards Nick.

"Have you ever eaten strawberries like this Sweeheart?"

"With chocolate? No." Nick winced at the thought.

"Let me show you how it's done." She smiled, as she placed the chocolate covered strawberry to his lips. He bit into it. Some of the chocolate smudging his mouth. Laura leaned over and kissed the chocolate off his face. He smiled then reached for a strawberry, dipped it and did the same, kissing the chocolate off her face. The newlyweds smiled while Jason scowled.

"Never ate a strawberry like that before." Nick grinned, his desire for her growing.

"Good huh?" She seductively licked her lips.

"I think I 'm going to have to look into growing strawberries at the ranch." He kisses her.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." She returned his kiss.

"Definitely will look into the possibilities, ohh look, you got chocolate right there." He whispered as he kisses her smiling lips.

"Mmmm, you've got some too." She kissed him back.

Jason loudly cleared his throat, tired of being ignored by the couple

"Why don't you drink some water for that!" Nick complained at his intrusion.

"Thank you for reminding me about the strawberries Jason. I had forgotten how good they were to eat."

"Yeah, thanks old man." Nick chuckled.

"Yeah well, why don't we eat, huh?" Said the disappointed lawyer.

B

They eat their sumptuous meal then retreat a large gaming room. There they find card tables, roulette wheel, and various games of chance. There is a four piece band playing in corner of the large room, and men and women dressed in their finery are milling about. Waiters, dressed in short, dark waistcoats serve drinks to the patrons. Nick and Laura walk around impressed by it all.

"Ever seen anything like this before?" Jason bragged.

"No, never. It's like a whole different world." Laura said pleased.

"I've been in places like this plenty of times. They all look alike after a while. So where's the poker game?" Nick huffed.

"Follow me."

They walk over to a card table where some men are seated, playing cards.

"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce my guests, this lovely lady here is Laura Thomas."

"It's Laura Barkley, and this is my husband Nick Barkley."

"Oh, the Stockton Barkleys?" Asked one of the gamblers.

"That's right." Nick said anxious to play.

"Well, your money is welcomed here Barkley, pull up a chair."

Nick held a chair out for Laura, then sits beside her, making sure that he is between his wife and Jason. Nick smiled as Jason begrudgingly sat next to him.

"Do you play little lady?" Asked the gentleman gambler.

"Not really, I'll just watch if you don't mind."

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you gracing our table." He nodded.

"Thank you kind Sir." She returned the greeting.

"Let me buy drinks for everyone. Waiter, get everyone a round of drinks. Laura sweetheart?" Nick sneered at the lawyer.

"Wine please, Jason, thank you."

"Wine for the lady. Nick old man?"

"If he's buying, I'll take the finest whiskey you got." Nick said to the waiter. The cards are dealt out.

"Five card stud, jacks or better." The dealer calls.

"I'll open, with five." Said Jason.

"Call." Nick answered.

"Dealer raises another five. Cards gentlemen?"

"Two for me." From Jason.

"One." Says Nick. Laura peeks at Nick's hand and makes a face. He stares at her. "What?"

"Nothing." She answered.

Nick takes the new card, Laura looks at it, then shakes her head. Nick frowns at her. "You got something to say?!"

"I would have taken at least two cards with that hand."

He folds his cards in front of him, shaking his head. "Who's playing this game?!"

"You Nick, ...just not very well."

"Raise another five. Are you in Nick?" asks Jason.

"I'm out!" He scowls at his bride. "The idea of poker is to NOT let the other players know your hand! You are NOT helping me!"

"Sorry." She apologizes, biting her lip.

"Humph!"

Jason winks at Laura. "I knew you would bring me luck, Sweetheart." Jason smiled as he pulled the money in front of him.

"You call my wife Sweetheart one more time, and I can guarantee your luck is going to change!" Nick gripes. The men around the poker table grin at Nick's comment.

"Sorry, didn't mean anything by it, just an old habit, friend."

"Yea, well lose the habit fast, FRIEND!" Nick growls. After several hours Nick loses all but fifty dollars to Jason. Nick stands from his seat. "Well, that's it for me gentlemen, I'm out."

"Quitting already Nick? Come on, play another hand, maybe you'll get you money back?" Jason tempts him.

"No thanks, it's been a long day. Thanks for letting me sit in gentlemen."

Laura stands and curtsies to the gentlemen poker players. "Good evening gentlemen."

The men stand and bow to her, "Mrs. Barkley."

"Jason, thank you for a wonderful dinner." She thanked their host.

"Well, Sweet... I mean Laura, I'm so glad you could join me for dinner. It's been a pleasure. And I am sorry you lost Nick, but you know what they say, 'unlucky at cards, lucky in love' "

"Yeah thanks, bye."

They walk outside into the chilled air. He slips an arm around her for warmth as they climb into the carriage for the trip back to the hotel.

"I'm sorry you lost Sweetheart." She brushed his cheek with her lips.

"No matter, Jackass is right, I'm lucky in love." He pulls her closer for a kiss.

"I wish you wouldn't call him that!"

"But it suits him perfectly."

Part 5

On Sunday Nick and Laura took a leisurely stroll to a nearby local church for Sunday services.

Preacher Maddox, was a fire and brimstone preacher, who caused even the strongest willed parishioner to cringe from one of his homilies.

"Let women be subject to their husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is head of the wife as Christ is head of the church....let the wives be subject to their husbands in all things. As Sara, wife of Abraham, obeyed him, calling him her lord and master....likewise ye husbands dwell with them...giving honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, as she is to contribute to service of the husband.."

Preacher Maddox continued his homily...

"The Good Book tells us, as you have just heard, that wives should be subservient to their husbands, and husbands should love their wives...But today, in this ever changing world, an evil threatens to put asunder what God has joined together, the sacred bond between a man and a woman! An evil that threatens our very existence on this earth as we know it! I am talking about these wicked women who plague our beautiful city streets. Wanting to rule the world with their madness! Taking away jobs from hard working family men, taking the very food out of the baby's mouth with their demands for domination over the very word of God! Yes, good ladies and gentlemen I am speaking about these suffragers who plague the very fiber that is mankind! Destroying our very world as we know it!"

Nick notices his wife rubbing her forehead, he whispers to her. "Are you feeling all right?"

"My headache came back I'm afraid."

"Do you want to leave?"

"No, I'll be fine, really." She pats his hand, he takes her hand in his, rubbing it with his thumb.

"Are you sure, because we can leave right now." He prods, hoping she will want escape the preacher's tirade.

"No honey, I'm fine, really."

"You know I think we should see a doctor about those headaches.."

"SHUSH!" An admonishment comes from a man in the pew behind them. Nick turns towards the man and gives him a menacing scowl that makes the poor man shrivel back in his seat.

"Jackass.."

"Nick.. please...!" His wife admonished him.

"Let's get out of here..." He pushes Laura sideways, forcing her out of the pew.

"Nick, please!"

He grabbed her arm pulling her outside the church. Once outside, she jerks her arm out of his grasp.

"What did you do that for?! I was perfectly all right!"

"Well, I wasn't! I had enough of that loud mouth preacher. He was starting to give ME a headache!"

"You really embarrassed me, forcing me to leave with you!"

"Didn't you hear that preacher, wives are suppose to obey their husbands, and your husband wanted to get the hell out of there!"

"Honestly you can be the most exasperating man!"

Suddenly there was a commotion in front of the church. They watched from the church steps a contingent of fifteen women carrying placards denouncing Preacher Maddox as a woman hater and a believer of enslaving women. Nick winces when he sees the suffragers. "Oh no, not them again! Let's get outta here!"

Nick took his wife's arm and led her down the stairs. Suddenly the blare of sirens and whistles can be heard coming around the corner.

"OH Nick, the police are coming!"

"Don't even look over there, we're going now! Let's get out of here!"

"But Nick..."

"NOW! ...MOVE!" He forced his wife hurriedly down the stairs.

"NICK! STOP IT!" She angrily shook her arm loose.

The police surround the women and begin arresting all of them. The police wield billy clubs, hitting them, as the some of them resist arrest. Laura watched in horror. "OH MY GOD! NICK! LOOK!"

"I don't want to look! The last time I listened to you about them I got knocked on my ass! Let's go NOW!" He clasped her arm again pulling her away from the church and the commotion.

"Oh I know her! Nick I know that woman! STOP! TAKE YOUR HANDS OF HER!!!" She yelled out as she pulled away from Nick's grasp.

"LAURA! NO!! DAMN THAT WOMAN!"

Laura ran over to one of the police officers who had snared Maddie, and she started pummeling him with her purse. "Leave her alone! Now!" she screamed at the officer.

"LAURA , GET AWAY FROM HERE!" Maddie warns.

Laura grabs Maddie hands and tries to run away from the police. "Come on Maddie, follow me quick.. NICK!! ...Come on, he'll protect us! quick!!"

"LET GO OF ME! I want to get arrested, that's the whole point! Go away, you'll ruin everything!" Maddie pulled away from her.

"What are you doing Maddie?! Don't pull away!!"

"Go away Laura!"

A policeman grabs Maddie and throws her into the waiting paddy wagon. Laura turns towards the sound of Nick's voice, yelling for her; she runs towards the sound of his voice, but hands grab her jacket and yank her roughly back.

"HOLD IT SISTER! YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY!"

"LET GO OF ME! I'M NOT ONE OF THEM!! LET GO OF ME! STOP IT! TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Laura hits the policeman with her purse.

"Resisting arrest HUH!" The policeman grabs her by the waist, picks her up from the ground and throws her inside the paddy wagon.

"'NICK HELP MMMEEEEE!!!" She screams as the bars close on her and the wagon starts to move.

"LLLLLAAAUUUURRRRAAAA!!!!!!" Nick roars, frightening the fellow churchgoers who had left the church service and are witnessing the riot outside. Nick watches in horror as his wife is taken away by the police wagon. "STOP! DON'T TAKE HER! STTOOOPPPPP!!"

In frustration Nick throws his hat on the ground. "DAMN IT WOMAN! WHY DON'T YOU EVER LISTEN TO ME!! LAURA!!! DAMN IT!!!!"

Nick looks around in desperation for a way to follow the wagon; when he spies a young farm boy across the street with a plow horse hitched to a wagon, Nick flies as fast as his long legs carries him over to the plow horse. "Hey kid, let me borrow your horse!"

"NO! I don't know you ! Go away!!"

"Listen, it's an emergency! Please! I'll pay you for him! Here, I'll give you twenty dollars for him!"

"Well now Mister, this here's a mighty fine plow horse, and my Pa's gonna be mighty sore if I sold him to ya. And it sure seems to me that this being an emergency and all, this here plow horse should be worth more than twenty dollars."

"OKAY, HERE 'S THIRTY DOLLARS! That's twice more than the plug's worth!" Nick pulls out three ten dollar bills from his pants pocket.

"Thank ya Sir, nice doin' business with ya." the boy tipped his straw hat. "Sorry ain't got no saddle for ya. I'll just unhitch him."

"Nevermind! I'll do it!"

Nick impatiently unhitches the horse from the wagon and mounts the horse bareback. He followed the path of the paddy wagon as he deftly moved the horse around obstacles in the city streets like a rodeo performer, racing towards the police station...Soon, Nick has another rider on horseback following him, wearing a policeman's uniform and blowing a warning whistle.

B

Meanwhile in the paddy wagon, Laura screams out Nick's name. Tears stream down her cheeks as she clings to the bars of the paddy wagon. "NICK! Help!!"

"Oh shut up! He can't hear you!"

Laura turns towards the voice and recognizes the familiar face. "YOU?! Rowena right?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Rowena sat in the corner, hair disheveled, face dirty, and blood trickling from her mouth. Laura also notices Dora Hamon in another corner, casting a steely glare at her; and Maddie huddled next to her, eyes averted.

Laura shook her head at them. "What a damn fool I was! Spectators of the suffrage movement huh? You all lied to me!"

"Welcome to the real world princess! Did we burst your bubble honey?!" Rowena glared angrily.

"Looks like you're one of us Laura, dear." Dora spat sarcastically.

"I'm not one of you!" She said between clenched teeth.

"You are now Princess, like it or not!" Rowena scowled.

"I bet you never had a daughter go to my school!" Laura glared at Dora Hamon.

"You're right, I had two boys, I'm divorced, and my rotten husband took them away ten years ago! I haven't seen them since!" She bravely blinked back tears.

"So what did you want with me then?"

"Isn't it obvious Princess? Are you that starry eyed from all that wedding rice thrown in your face?!" Rowena growled.

"So it wasn't really me you wanted to join your little band...."

"That's right, it was the Barkley money we were after." Dora explained.

"Why didn't you just ask? Instead of going through this charade?"

"We didn't know how much influence you had on your husband or he had on you for that matter."

"And we didn't know which Barkley you married, the society page didn't say... If you had married the lawyer, we wouldn't have bothered with you. We don't like lawyers." Maddie offered her part of the conversation.

"You know I didn't want you to get arrested. I warned you to keep away, but you didn't listen!"

"Yes, Maddie, you did warn me, and like a fool I didn't listen!"

"Oh what the hell are you complaining about, your husband's got tons of money, he'll bail you out in no time and this will all be a bad nightmare for the little princess from Stockton."

"Bail money?" Laura thought about how much money Nick had from the fifty dollars, after she insisted he put that ten dollars in the collection plate at church, that left him with forty dollars. "Just how much is the bail money in these kind of things?"

"Anywhere from fifty on up, depends on who the judge is that hears our case and how he's feeling that day. Lately the courts haven't been too kindly to us."

"Great. What happens if you don't have the bail money?" Laura asked, now worried.

"What are you worried about? Look around you, many of these women have been abandoned by their husbands and families. Some don't have any money to bail them out! They will spend the next thirty days in jail!" Rowena informed her.

"Thirty days! Sounds like you've been arrested before."

"This is my fourth time Princess, Dora at least three, Maddie here twice. Is this the first time you ever been arrested?"

"Yes." Laura sighed.

"Well, just think of it as losing your virginity all over again,...just not as pleasant!" Rowena snickered.

All the women in the police wagon laughed at the ribald joke.

"Why don't you all just shut up!" Laura said bitingly. The laughter ended abruptly when the paddy wagon reached it's destination.

Part 6

"Come ladies! Let's go single file, in you go! Single file! In ya go!" The police officer stood with his billy club at the ready, slapping it on his open hand as he watched the women climb out of the wagon. Laura climbed out and walked up to him.

"Listen, officer, there's been a mistake, I'm not one of them..."

"GET MOVING BLONDIE! Don't wanna hear it! MOVE!" He roughly pushes her into the crowd of women trudging into the station. Inside another policeman orders them to stand against the wall single file.

"For your own good, keep your mouth shut!" Dora warned Laura under her breath.

'NO TALKIN' IN THE RANKS!! MOVE IT!!"

The noticeable smell of human waste assaulted Laura's nose as she filed in with the others. She tries to rub away a worsening headache with her hands, as she stands by the wall with the other women.

"Hands down! Stay there by the wall until you are called!"

About 16 women stood by a wall while six policemen with rifles at the ready, guarded them. The women wait until each one is called to give her name to an officer at a small desk in front of them. The balding officer keeps his head down, diligently at his job, scribbling on a pad.

"NEXT!" The scribbling officer calls out.

One of the rifle wielding officers motions to Laura to walk up to the table. Laura hesitates, pointing to herself. "Me? You want me?" She asks.

"YOU BLONDIE! Over there! Now! MOVE IT!" The policeman pushes her over to the small desk.

"Name?" Barks Sgt. Beck without looking up at the offender.

"Laura Meredith Thomas Barkley. But I go by Laura M. Barkley or Laura Meredith Barkley. I really haven't decided, maybe you should just put down Laura Barkley. That's B,a,r,k,

"I know how to spell it!"

"...l,e,y. Sorry."

"Address?"

"Barkley Ranch, Stockton California."

The Sergeant looked up from his paperwork and glared at her impatiently. "Where do you live here in Sacramento?!"

"Oh, sorry, my husband and I are staying at the Sacramento House."

She gave him her sweetest smile, but he just scowled, and put his head down and continued scribbling on the pad before him. "What are you doing here?"

"I was falsely arrested and I..."

"Mary mother of God! I mean what are you doing in Sacramento!"

"Oh, we're on our honeymoon. We got married Sunday."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Bored with your husband already are ya?" He said still writing and not looking up.

"Oh NO! I was... well, I sort of got involved in the riot at the church, I didn't mean to, I sort of got pushed into to it."

"Where was your husband?"

"Well, I sort of lost him in the crowd."

"You lost him? Small fellar is he?"

"Oh no Sir! Nick is very big, and terribly strong! And he is going to be madder than hel... I mean than a wet hen if you don't let me go!"

"Are you threatening me lady?!" He glowered up at her.

"No I'm not! Never! But Nick does have a tiny bit of a temper sometimes, and I can't always get him to calm down... Well I can, but.... it's a long story."

"Save the long story for the judge. He likes long stories! All money and jewelry in that bag with your name on it."

"I don't have any money, I lost my purse." He looked up impatiently once again.

Laura takes her gold chain off and her earrings, carefully putting them in the bag. Then she quietly smiles at the Sergeant.

"Lady, I don't have all day! ALL your jewelry!"

"But that is all my jewelry!"

"Ring!"

"Oh no!, I couldn't! It's my wedding ring! My husband will kill me!"

"Look lady, if I let you in a cell with that lot, they will kill you to get that ring! NOW TAKE IT OFF! I promise you'll get it back! It's for your own good!"

She begins to sob as she takes her wedding ring off and put it in the bag. "But I promised myself I would never take it off.... I've never taken it off before!" She sobbed louder.

"AWW.., FOR PITY SAKES WOMAN YOU 'LL GET IT BACK!!"

Another policeman pulls her by the arm back to the wall. MOVE IT! GET BACK THERE!"

Laura stands with the other women again sobbing.

One of the women standing by her yells. "Would you quit blubbering! Geesch! I'm NOT gonna listen to you all night!"

"All night, we're going to be here all night?!" Laura cried out. "I can't stay here, I'm on my honeymoon!"

SHUT UP OVER THERE BLONDIE!!" yelled one of the guards. She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, then brought her hands up to her head to try to stop the pounding of a headache. The Sergeant ordered the officers to take the women away. They are herded into a large room with large holding cells. The walls were painted grey, with grim covering most of the paint so that one couldn't tell where the grim and paint began. The stench of urine was even worse in the large room. In one cell there were about six women, by their dress, they are prostitutes, with too much rouge on their cheeks and lips a gaudy red. The ladies of the evening made cat calls and whistled as the 16 demonstrators filed in.

"Hey, look at that! will ya, high class whores...Woowhee! Hey girly need a few tips honey!"

One of them gyrated her hips at the women. Most of new prisoners ignored the 'ladies' as they filed past into a cell next to them.

"Hey Mike, put them in here with us, we'll show 'em!"

"Now you lot, behave! We got real ladies here! 'course they all wanna to be like men! Wantin' the vote, wearing the pants in the family, huh Blondie?!" He poked his night stick in Laura's ribs.

"Stop it!, Leave me alone!" She defiantly pushed the stick away with her hand.

Mike the cop, grabs her away from the line. "Hold on there Blondie, move over there!" He pushed her toward a wall.

"Ohh, now ya gonna git it honey....." teased the prostitutes laughing.

"Hey Mikey! I'm more experienced! Come git it here sweetie!"

"SHUT UP! ... YOU! FACE THAT WALL!" He ordered Laura to the opposite end of the room. She does as she is told.

"Turn around, face the wall and put your hands up!"

"What are you doing?" She asked frightened.

"I said shut up! I do the talkin' here! Put your hands up! Higher!"

"Please..!" She pleaded with him.

"I said shut up! Hands up higher! HIGHER!"

She stretched her hands up onto the wall, feeling the sticky grim that permeated it. Closing her eyes tightly renewed tears fell. She bit her bottom lip preparing for whatever pain was to follow. The officer pinned her against the wall, his hands pushing her waist.

"Please... don't..." she cried out.

He placed his mouth near her ear, whispering. "Relax Blondie, just wanna make sure ya not hidin' nothin', is all... " He moved his hands up to her breasts, squeezing them tightly. "I wouldn't want ya to get hurt...see." He snickered.

"Please..." She sobbed feeling humiliated.

"Now ya be nice ta old Mikey 'ere and I'll see ya get yer own private cell, nice and cozy. Ya like that huh, wouldn't ya? Maybe you and me could have a private party later eh?"

He thrust himself into her, causing her to be pinned between him and the wall, while his hands liberally explored her body. She felt bile coming up from the pit of her stomach as his touch sickened her. His hands moved down from her breasts as he pushed into her harder each time using a mock sexual motion. The ache in her head felt about ready to explode and she feared passing out, when he suddenly put his hands between her legs, she opened her eyes with a start and forced herself off the wall causing him to be shoved away. Laura turned quickly and punched him in the face. He fell down on the floor. The women in the cells started cheering.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She screamed.

Mike the cop quickly scrambled from the floor before any of his colleagues could see him. His face darkened with rage as he grabbed her by the arm, and with a backhanding blow sent her crashing to the floor.

"YOU BITCH!"

She didn't attempt to get up. He bent down and grabbed her by the arm again, but he found her dead weight, as she laid unconscious on the floor.

"GET UP! GET UP!" He bellowed.

"You lousy bastard!" Rowena yelled from the cell.

Mike pulls Laura's arm and drags her toward the cell, he unlocks the cell door and drags her halfway in.

"TAKE HER IN THERE! Take her before I kill the bitch!" Mike warned the women.

The women drag Laura into the safety of the cell. The angry cop locks the door after them. They gather around her, trying to revive her.

"Laura, wake up! Come on wake up!"

"She's out for sure now!" Cried a worried Maddie.

"Forget her, she'll come around! Leave her be; she's better off!" Rowena scowled angrily.

Dora knelt down and lightly slapped Laura's face until she finally opened her eyes. She searched the faces above her as the pounding of the headache was almost more than she could bear. Laura pushed herself up into a sitting position on the floor.

"Damn, I'm still here, I was hoping it was a bad dream." She said groggily, her hands holding her head.

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay to you? I'm spending my honeymoon is a jail with a bunch of women! Nick was right, we should have gone to Indian Springs! Damnit why didn't I listen to him!"

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault!" Maddie lamented.

"You won't get an argument from me!" Laura scolded.

"Oh why don't you get off her back? You'll be out of here soon enough!"

"It won't be soon enough for me!" She protested as she looked around for a place to sit. Not seeing anything she leaned against the cell bars still sitting on the floor. Willing her headache to go away.

Part 7

Outside Nick had arrived at the police station on his plow horse, trailed by another policeman on horseback. After tethering the horse to a post he quickly took the station stairs two at a time, rushing through the crowd of people he ran over to the desk sergeant, out of breath.

"Listen here..., I'm ...Nick Barkley...!"

"Congratulations, I'm Sergeant Beck." The desk sergeant didn't bother to look at him.

"Sarge, this man was riding his horse too fast within the city limits." Said the other officer who had chased Nick to the station.

Sergeant Beck gazed at Nick over his spectacles. "Well, wasn't it nice of ya to turn yerself in Son...Give 'em a ticket Officer Porter!"

The other officer instantly scribbled in his small pad and handed the ticket to the offender.

"What's this for?!" Nick said annoyed, looking at the ticket.

"You deaf Son? You broke the law! Now pay the fine to the Sergeant here, Bucko!" Ordered Officer Porter who was a foot shorter than Nick but no less brave.

"Look I don't have time for this!" Nick said gruffly crumpling up the ticket and throwing it on the floor. He leaned over the high desk, trying to get the Sergeant's attention. "I was trying to catch up to my wife, you arrested her!"

"Prostitution?" Asks the Sergeant in a matter-of-fact tone.

"No! Damn it! She got arrested trying to help someone in a riot!"

"Oh, a suffrager is she? Ya have my sympathies Son, if she were my wife I woulda felt better if she was arrested for prostitution, course my wife...well.... nevermind....."

"NO, she just got caught up in it, she's not one of them! It was a mistake!"

Officer Porter interrupted them. "Sarge, he crumpled up his ticket and threw it on the floor!! Didn't you see that?!"

The Sergeant pulled off his glasses and admonished Nick like a father to a son, shaking a finger at him. "Oh now, that's no way to get me ta help ya Son, ya better pick up that ticket and pay the fine!"

"All right! I'll pay the fine, then will ya listen to me?"

"Sure, but it'll cost ya ten dollars."

"TEN DOLLARS! I only got ten dollars!" Nick groused loudly.

"Well, it's your lucky day Son, ain't it? Hand it over."

The Sergeant stretched out his hand. Nick slaps the last of his money down in the sergeant's hand.

"Now listen, you got my wife in here by mistake. She was with me at the church when those 'suffering' whatever ya call 'em, women come along and start marching around, then your boys come up and arrest everyone! My woman got caught up in the crossfire and I'm here to get her back!"

'What's her name?"

"Laura Barkley, little blonde, blue eyes, about yea high." He motioned with his hand to just above his shoulder.

"Where ya from?"

"Stockton."

"Whatcha doin' here?"

Nick looks down sheepishly and spoke quietly, "We're on... well, ... a honeymoon."

"Honeymoon! Well, now that don't beat all!" The desk sergeant yelled out for all to hear, much to Nick's chagrin.

"Hell Son, if yer on a honeymoon, ya don't go letting da little gal outta yer room, didn't cha pappy ever teach ya that?!" The Sergeant chuckled, causing the other officers within earshot to follow suit.

"WE WENT TO CHURCH!" Nick shouted indignantly over the guffaws.

"Oh well, a churchgoer, I like that. Well, yer seem like a decent fellar. Billy, take this fellar here ta see his woman out back."

"Sure thing Sarge. Follow me."

Nick followed Officer Bill to the back of the police station. Although Nick had seen his share of the inside of jails before, the sight of all those women behind bars startled even him, as he walked through a gauntlet of cat calls and whoops from the more decorated of the women locked up there, while the other women there stared at him. The whole experience was more than a bit uncomfortable.

"What's yer woman's name?" Asked officer Bill.

"Laura Barkley." Nick replied.

"LAURA BARKLEY!" Shouted the policeman as they entered the holding area.

Laura scrambled up from the floor of the cell and poked her head out of the bars.

"HERE! I'M OVER HERE!....NICK!!!" She shouted desperately.

"LAURA!" Nick frantically ran over to her. "Oh God honey! What happened to you?! You look like hell!"

"I am in hell! Get me out of here Nick, please!" She pleaded through new tears.

Cat calls could be heard: "OH NICKY, Come on over here and see what a real woman is like.......HEY NICK, come on sweety, come on ...baby.... Come see me sweetcakes!"

"Did someone hurt you?! You got a bruise on your face! What the hell is going on here?!" He touched her face between the bars, she winced when he touched her.

"Just get me out of here! Please Nick! You don't know what this place is like!"

"I'm trying, but I don't have any money left to get you out of here, sweetheart!"

"Nothing?!" She cried out, "How could you not have anything?! How much do you have?"

"Not a penny. I gave my last ten dollars to the Desk Sergeant out there. I had to pay a fine, something about riding a horse too fast within city limits."

"A horse?! Where did you get a horse?!"

"I bought it from a farmer. I had to go after the paddy wagon! I couldn't run fast enough to catch up to ya, I had to buy a damn horse. Almost killed the poor animal getting here!"

You had fifty dollars this morning, you paid forty dollars for a lousy farm horse?!"

"OH! LOOK WHO'S WORRIED ABOUT MONEY NOW! You made me put ten dollars in the damn collection plate this morning! I gave that thief of a farm boy thirty and if I didn't have that last ten I would be in jail with you! Then where would we both be? So don't start complaining about money! PLUS THE FACT, that jackass friend of yours won all my damn money last night!"

"It's not my fault you're a lousy poker player!" She seethed.

"I HAPPEN TO BE A DAMN GOOD POKER PLAYER, ...ask Heath!"

"Heath wins more often than you do, I've seen him play! He's better!"

"WELL, NEXT TIME YOU PLAN ON GETTING ARRESTED! TAKE HEATH OUT GAMBLING! MAYBE HE CAN WIN YOUR BAIL MONEY! Ya know if you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened!" He reminded her. "I told you I had a bad feeling about this! But you never listen ta me! YOU JUST NEVER LISTEN! Women! Nothin' but trouble!"

"Oh, DON'T YOU START WITH I TOLD YOU SO! DON'T YOU DARE NICK BARKLEY!!" She grounded her teeth, her eyes turning into dark slits.

"You two are on a honeymoon?! How long have you been married? You sound like me and my wife, and we've been married fifteen years!" The police officer observed.

"If you don't mine! This is a private conversation!" Laura glared at the policeman.

Nick shook his head and spoke to the officer. "Listen, if I get bail money how soon can I get her outta here?"

"You sure ya want her outta there?" The cop wondered outloud, jerking his thumb in her direction. Nick rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Well Son, she being one of 'em, she has to appear before the judge tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?!!" They both say in unison.

"Sorry, that's the only way. Rioters go before a judge. And ya better have plenty of bail money 'cause the judge don't take too kindly to suffragers!"

"She NOT one of them!" Nick scowled.

"Listen, that's for the judge to decide. I would get plenty of money if I were you."

Laura looked at her husband with pleading, desperate eyes.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I can't do anything to get you out of here!"

"OH Nick..." She groaned as she began to cry again.

"Oh now, don't start crying, come on, don't do that! You know I can't stand it when you cry! I'll think of something
...I know..!"

"What?" She asked hopefully.

"I can send a telegram at the hotel, that way I can just charge it on our bill. I'll send a telegram home and Jarrod will wire us the money, it will be here in the morning."

"Wire home!? You're going to tell the family I'm in jail?! I'll be humiliated! How can I face your mother?!"

"Only Jarrod has to know, he won't tell anyone! Mother will never find out!"

"Do you have to tell Jarrod?" She cried.

"Jarrod is going to want to know what the money's for. Don't worry, I won't tell him it's for you, Okay?"

"Jarrod's not stupid! He'll figure it out!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of everything, you just relax."

"In here?!"

"Do the best ya can. Your a Barkley after all! Be tough!" He gave her an encouraging smile.

The policeman took Nick's arm to prod him out. "Let's go Son times up."

Nick turned to leave with the officer.

"Nick?" She called out to him. "You were right about one thing."

He forlornly walked back and touched his gloved hands to hers as they gripped the cell bars. "What's that honey?" He looked pitifully at her.

"A women's prison does smell worse than the Stockton saloon!"

Nick gave a deep sigh. "I wish we were both there now havin' a drink."

"Me too, I would even be nice to Belle..." Laura sighed.

"Ohh Hell! You are desperate! I got to get ya outta here fast!" Nick shook his worried head.

She began to tear up again, as she watched him leave.

The women prisoners made cat calls to Nick as he walked away. Nick spoke quietly to the policeman. "Exactly how much do ya think it's gonna take to get her out of this trouble?"

"How long are ya staying in town?"

Nick grimaced.

Part 8

The day progressed, but the time in the jail was at an eternal stand still, minutes seem like hours as a waiting game dragged on. Laura sat on the floor with her knees up, laying her throbbing head in her folded arms, she drifted into a disturbing sleep. In her dream she saw the wedding guests milling around her smiling, wishing her well, then the guests turn into angry faced women, some dressed like maids, others scantily dressed, wearing heavy make up and all of them, taunting her with words she couldn't hear and cackling like witches. Laughter surrounded her louder and louder, when she awoke with a start...

"NICK!"

She looked around blurry eyed and found herself surrounded by sullen women, scowling at her for disturbing what little peace they had.

"Hey listen Princess, if I hear that man's name one more time I am going give you something to yell about! Now shut the hell up!"

She placed her hands on the floor to shift her stiffen body into a more suitable position when she felt something scurry across her hand.

"OH MY GOD! What was that?!"

"A mouse! What did you expect? A bunny rabbit?!" One of the women yelled. Laura jumped quickly to her feet.

"OH GOD, I CAN'T STAND MICE!" She screamed.

"They won't bother you dearie, it's the rats in this place! They can carry you off!"

"Rats? There's rats here too?!"

"Yeah, but they're more like pets, like kitty cats, you'll get use to 'em, as long as they don't bite ya, you'll be okay." The other women laugh.

"What time it is?" She asked her headache pounding.

"Why dearie, got an appointment for tea at the Governor's mansion?"

"Ohh, why don't you shut up, I'm sick of hearing the lot of you! I got to get out of here!" Laura scowled at Maddie, sitting on a bench. "It's all your fault I'm here! You and the rest of your miserable friends! I should be with Nick, instead of this hellhole!"

"NICK, NICK, NICK! I'm so sick of hearing that man's name! When are you going to get smart? Men are the enemy! Men keep women down! It's because of them we're here!" Rowena screamed at her.

"Oh please! I don't want to hear anymore! I've got a headache and I don't need to hear more of this misery from any of you! Just leave me alone!"

"You most certainly do need to hear it Princess! And you're going to hear more of it, because we're not going away! No man is going to stop us! We will go on until the last woman left standing, dies!" Said the militant Sylvie who finally spoke up.

"GOOD LORD! All this to vote in an election that's dominated by men! With laws made by men! WHY?! Why do you want to get involved in those matters?!"

"It's not just the vote Laura." Added Dora Hamon. "That's only the beginning! Don't you realize, women have no rights in this country?! We are the possessions of men!"

"That's a ridiculous notion!" Laura scowled, turning from her.

"Is it? Well, let me tell you something, that man of yours that you're so crazy about. Just what do you think would happen to you if he decided to divorce you?"

"That will never happen! Nick would never do that!"

"Yes. That's what I thought too once; then my beloved husband decided he wanted a younger wife, and I was out in the cold, alone! He took everything! Even things I brought into our marriage. Furniture and linens, and silverware that people gave me, or that my family handed down to me, he took it all! But, you know what he took worst than that! He took my children, two sons! I haven't seen them in eight years!"

Dora Hamon's eyed welled up. Laura took note of the sudden quiet in the cells as even the prostitutes listened to Dora's sad tale.

"How could he have gotten away with taking your children?" Laura asked concerned.

"The courts did it. As you just said, the laws are made by men, and they favor men as well. All my husband had to do was show that I had no means to support myself or my children and they were gone from me."

"How do you support yourself?"

"I work in a hospital now, scrubbing floors. I use to be a librarian, but when I got involved in the suffrage movement I was fired from my job. The head of the library didn't take kindly to my being arrested. My former husband occasionally sends me a little stipend, if he thinks of it, often he doesn't."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea." Laura sincerely apologized.

"I didn't tell you this for your pity, I told you to educate you!" She spat out, "You have no idea what it's really like for the rest of us! All the women who don't have husbands to care for them. All the women who are thrown away for younger ones. And yes, Laura, it could happen to you someday!"

"NEVER! Not my Nick!"

"There she goes with that again! I'm so sick of hearing his miserable name!"

"Why don't you go to hell!" Laura spat angrily at the woman.

"Why don't you, you stupid bitch!" The girl picked up a chamber pot and threw it at her. Laura held her hand up to cover her face but the urine spilled onto her dress. She seethed with rage as she rushed after the girl, wrapped her hands around her neck and proceeded to choke her. The offender pulled Laura's hair and slapped her across the face, forcing her into letting go of the girl's throat. Dora and Maddie pulled Laura off the girl as she tried to charge again. Two other women had held back Laura's assailant.

"Please! Let's not fight among ourselves, that's what they want! We have to stick together! There is strength in numbers!" Dora reminded them.

"Don't count me as part of your number!" Laura screamed defiantly.

"Sure, little Miss High and Mighty, she's willing to sit on her ass while the rest of us bleed for her and her kind!" Sylvie scolded back.

"I've never asked you to do anything for me except leave me alone!" Laura glared at the woman. "Wait a minute! I know you! You were the one who spoke to me at the train depot! You shoved that booklet in my hand!"

"Did you bother to read it?" Asked Sylvie.

Rowena interrupted, "She couldn't, it didn't have any pictures!" The women laughed.

"SHUT UP! Yes I read it!" She stood with her arms folded.

"Well?"

"Well what?!"

"What did you think of it?" Sylvie inquired.

Laura turned away from the woman. "Just leave me alone!"

Bothered ya, didn't it!? Did it open you eyes?"

"I have a splitting headache, leave me alone!" She repeated her plea.

"Tell me Princess, what are you going to tell your own daughter? Do you want her to be treated like cattle?"

"Of course not!"

"Instead of thinking about yourself, why don't you think of your daughter, and other young girls who will come after! That's what we're fighting for! You are fortunate. You obviously married into a wealthy family, but what of the other women? Most are not that fortunate." Sylvie continued her homily, especially now that she had Laura's full attention.

"Do you know what a woman without a man and no education has to look forward to? She's got that!" Sylvie pointed to the prostitutes in the next cell. "Is that what you want for your daughter? To be used and abused by men, like they are?!"

"Of course not!"

Laura replied angrily, as she stared at the prostitutes watching them more intently; seemingly with new eyes.

"Don't go looking down your nose at them! Those women over there are somebody's daughter too, just like yourself. But they didn't fair so well as you! Lots of women don't! Without an education, how is an unmarried woman expected to make a living?"

Laura defiantly placed her hands on her hips. "She can learn a skill, she doesn't have to do that, if she doesn't want to!" She said pointing angrily at the prostitutes.

"Yes, if she has someone who cares enough to teach her! Not all women are so fortunate. Where did you get your education, you were obviously schooled someplace? I bet it was one of those all girl finishing schools, huh?"

Sylvie taunted. Laura turned away, looking out from the cell.

"I was right, wasn't I?!" Sylvie laughed. "Let me guess. They taught you all the latest dances, and how to speak French, and serve tea, and play piano well enough to entertain your husband's business associates! But most of all, they taught you how to catch a rich husband, isn't that right, Princess?!"

Sylvie continued her tirade. Laura refused to look at the girl. She leaned her face against the cell bars, staring out past them, tears streaking her face.

"Yeah, you listen to Sylvie. That's what we want! We want women to be educated in the finest schools! And be able to be what they want to be! Not some rich man's paid whore!" Added Rowena.

Laura turned towards the women sharing her cell. "Is that what you really think of me?"

"Isn't that what you are?" Rowena scoffed.

"STOP IT RO!" Dora Hamon stopped the verbal abuse, she felt it had gone on far enough. Laura brushed back new tears with her hands. Dora continued the conversation in a quieter tone, "I remember you spoke of a relative of yours from Boston, you said she was educated to be a teacher; is that correct?"

"Yes." Laura sniffled.

"What school did she go to?"

"Mount Holyoke."

"Ahh yes, it's an all girls school, I know of it."

"What's wrong with that?" Laura asked sincerely. She was proud that her dear cousin had actually gone to a college to learn to be something. Not like her. Sylvie had been right. What was Laura suited for? It was true, she had wasted twelve years of her life to become some rich man's wife.

"Nothing. It's one of the most prestigious women’s college in the East. And they do teach women a decent education there, but they also require the women students to learn wifely duties too. Cooking, sewing, childcare, those are all required in all the women colleges."

"Well, what's wrong with learning those things? They are important too!" Laura defended.

"Of course they are important! But do they require men's colleges to learn to become good husbands and fathers? Caring for children, cooking if the wife's ill, sewing if need be?"

"That's ridiculous!"

"Why Laura? Why should it be ridiculous for a man to learn how to be a good husband and father?" Dora prodded her. Laura turned away not answering. "You know it wasn't that long ago when a place like Mount Holyoke didn't exist for women. Teaching was considered a man's profession. But there are women out there now who are struggling to learn to become doctors and lawyers, and having to fight for every inch of progress! That's what we're doing! It's not just about voting, it's about freedom. This country has won it's freedom with many drops of blood, of both men and women, but when freedom finally came, the women in this country were left behind. But we're not going to be left behind anymore. There isn't a day I don't think of my children, not a day! But I don't cry anymore, I fight! I fight for other women who will be in the same position I am in now. We may never see a world where women are free to be what they want to be, but maybe our children and their children will see that day! That day we start here, in this jail cell, and jail cells across this country!"

Laura sat back down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her bent knees and quietly waited, refusing to say another word.

Part 9

Monday morning in Stockton, Heath stopped his work just long enough to wipe the sweat from his brow. As the last days of August promised to be hotter than the first. Sweeney the grocer came out with a ledger for Heath to sign. Young Tommy Jenkins Barkley, all of sixteen years, heaved the last of the grain sacks into the buckboard.

"When the other sacks come on the train I'll send them over to the ranch, Heath." Offered the grocer.

Heath signed his name to the ledger, charging the purchases. "That's fine Mister Sweeney, no rush on it, we've got enough to get us started."

"Must be pretty busy without Nick around, huh? When's he coming back from his honeymoon?"

"Couple more weeks, but we're managing without him. We did a lot of work before he left so it's eased up a little bit. Tommy, you about finished with that?"

Tommy stacked one more box on the sack. "That's the last of it Heath." Tommy said as he licked his lips, "thirsty work though..."

Heath raised his eyes up from under his hat and smiled at the boy. "Go in the store and get a cold sarsaparilla, put it on the charge."

"Well Heath, I was thinking of going over there..." Tommy said hopefully, eyeing the saloon.

Heath gave Tommy a crooked grin. "Do I look like Nick to you kid? It's too early for a beer, and you're still too young. Besides, we got work to do on the ranch. We don't want Nick to think we're sitting on our butts while he was away now, do we?"

Tommy took his hat off and wiped his brow. "No Sir, but I thought maybe I could go over there and say hello to Lottie."

Heath shook his head. "When Nick comes back and finds ya still here, he's going to blow the roof off the house."

"I'll make him understand Heath. You'll see!"

"Son, we're talkin' Nick Barkley here, don't think marriage is going to mellow him any, trust me. He ain't gonna understand."

"But I love her Heath! Nick understands about love!"

"Son, she's a saloon girl, ya best keep your mind off that gal. When Nick finds out what he started, boy howdy, I sure don't want to be around. Ya still got that ticket to Boston he gave ya?"

"Yes Sir." Tommy looked down kicking the dirt around under his feet.

"If I were you, I would be using that ticket to Boston before he gets back. Believe me ya don't wanna be facing Nick when he's riled."

"I'm not using that ticket, I'm not leaving Lottie!"

Heath shook his head, putting his hands on his hips. "Kid, ya got a lot to learn about what kind of women ya let into your life, and a saloon gal is not it! DAMN THAT NICK!" He turns his back as he swears, and bumps into a petite young lady with dark flowing hair; Heath quickly grabs her by the shoulders to stop her from falling backwards.

"OH! I'M SO SORRY MISS!!!" Heath said, fearful that the little gal heard him swear, as Heath was never one to swear in front of any woman, not even a saloon girl.

"It's my fault, I was rushing, I must be going ...please Sir." The pretty girl smiled up at his handsome face.

"Sorry?.." Heath asked, still holding the girl by the shoulders, locked into her expressive eyes.

"If you don't mind unhanding me Sir." She felt uncomfortable as he stared.

He quickly took his hands off her shoulders and backed away. "Oh yes ...sorry Miss...I...ah...sorry." She made a quick bow with her head and scurried off for her appointment. Heath's eyes follow her down the street until she turned onto another avenue.

"Heath?...Heath?... HEY, HEATH!"

Heath looked at Tommy, with a sorrowful look on his face. "You don't suppose she heard me swear did ya?"

"Who?"

"That little gal, just ran by here."

"Didn't notice any little gal." Tommy said climbing into the buckboard.

"How could ya not notice her, she's about the prettiest little..." Heath replied as he started to climb up beside Tommy on the buckboard.

The sky was as blue as the eyes of the man she had bumped into at the store. She guiltily enjoyed the embarrassment on his face at swearing in front of her. A true gentleman isn’t a man who doesn’t swear, but one who cares that he does, she thought with a twitch of a smile. Maybe the man would find that out one day, and maybe he was glad it wasn’t an old lady who would’ve fainted at the sound.
(an excerpt from THE VOYAGE by ABIGAIL OF DREAMERS used with permission)

"MR. BARKLEY! MR. BARKLEY!" Interrupted the telegraph apprentice running towards the pair.

"What's wrong Danny?"

"Boy am I glad I caught ya! Got a telegram from Sacramento, marked urgent!"

"Thanks Danny." Heath opened it up immediately. "...I don't believe it! You stay here Tommy, I gotta go see Jarrod." Heath sprinted over to Jarrod's office. Tommy climbed back down from the buckboard and made a bee line over to the saloon.

B

Heath arrived at Jarrod's office and pointed to the office door, looking at Jarrod's secretary.

"Is someone in there?'

"No, he's alone, you can go in."

She smiles then returns to her typing. Heath knocks on the door, just as his brother stood from his desk. Jarrod acknowledges Heath with a nod as he pokes his head out to speak to his secretary. "Hello Heath, ...just a minute, will you. Miss Turner, would you be sure to make a reservation for lunch for two at the Stockton Inn? I think the young lady will approve of that."

"Yes, Sir."

Heath looked at Jarrod questioning. "Young lady? Anyone I know?"

"A client." Jarrod lied. "Now what brings you here? Surely it wasn't to question my choice of luncheon companions."

"Ahh, no...It's this, a telegram from Nick."

"Ah, haven't heard from him in a while. Thought he forgot about us whilst in the throes of his romantic interlude."

Jarrod smiled as he took the telegram from Heath's hand.

"Well, I don't know how romantic it is, read it."

Jarrod read the telegram outloud.

"NEED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS FOR BAIL, SEND TO SACRAMENTO HOUSE ~RUSH. DON'T TELL FAMILY. NICK'

Jarrod looked bewildered at his brother. "Oh no, only Nick can get in trouble on his honeymoon!"

"Jarrod, I would read that again if I were you." Heath nodded and pointed to the telegram.

"What?"

"Look who sent it. If Nick needed bail money don't ya think Laura would have signed the telegram?"

Jarrod shook his head, and threw himself back on a chair in his office. "What in God's name could she have done to warrant that much bail money?!"

"Think she shot somebody?" Heath wondered rubbing his chin.

"No, couldn't be, they don't allow bail if you kill someone."

"Well, that's some comfort anyway." Heath said shrugging his shoulders.

Jarrod jumped up from the chair. "What am I doing sitting here?! I got to get that money to them now!"

Jarrod rushes out of the office, with Heath following behind. Outside, Heath looked across the street and noticed that Tommy was missing from the buckboard. He shook his head.

"That kid, he's gotta learn the hard way; Nick shoulda taught him to handle a horse instead."

"HUH?" Jarrod said distracted for a moment.

"You know what Nick says about women and horses."

"Yeah, I've been hearing him say that since he reached puberty. Our brother can be disgusting."

Jarrod grimaced, remembering Nick's crude remarks.

"Wish he hadn't told Tommy, kid would be better off with a horse."

Heath squared his hat and headed over to the saloon; Jarrod headed to the bank.

B

Heath walked into the Stockton saloon and found Tommy standing by the bar, talking to the young Lottie Mason and about to take a sip of beer. Heath grabbed the beer out of the boy's hand and drank it down.

"Hey! Heath, what did ya do that for?!" Tommy whined at him.

Heath noisily placed the empty glass on the bar and pointed to Tommy. "You kid, are too young to be drinking."

"But Nick said..." Tommy began his protest.

"I don't care what Nick said, I'm sayin' you're too young to drink! And you Milt shouldn't be serving a minor!" Heath pointed an accusing finger at the bartender. Milt attempted to defend himself.

"Yeah Heath, but Nick said...."

"What is going on with this 'Nick said' business? You're too young boy and ya know it, now git! We got work to do."

"Aw Heath...Doncha have a romantic bone in your body? Lottie and I are sweet on eachother." Tommy leans over to Heath and whispers in his ear, "I'm aiming to ask Lottie to marry me."

"Ya what?!"

"Yeah, shuussh, I didn't talk to her yet about it."

Heath threw two bits on the bar and roughly grabbed Tommy by the arm, pulling him from the saloon.

"Heath! Hey come on! Whatcha doin' ?!"

Heath stops dead in his tracks on the busy sidewalk. "You listen to me kid, that kind of girl..." Heath couldn't finish the sentence when he saw the look of puppy love in the boy's eyes. "You just do me a favor will ya kid?"

"Sure Heath, what?"

"Let me know when your gonna tell 'Daddy Nick' about your marriage intentions, Okay?"

"Sure Heath, but why?"

"Because I want to make sure I am in the next state when it happens!" Heath dragged the boy by the arm over to the buckboard, with Tommy protesting his treatment.

"Gee Heath, ain't ya never been in love? Ya gotta know what it's like to be so crazy in love with a woman that..."

"Listen kid, I got a ranch to run I don't have time for nooo.....women...." There she was again the same little gal he ran into a little while before. She was across the street talking to the local seamstress Madame Claire who had made Laura's wedding dress. Heath's mouth turned into a crooked grin as he watched the petite brunette. She was wearing a blue and black plaid dress with a light matching jacket. The kind of clothes you wear for going to Sunday services. Heath wondered where she was going all gussied up. Maybe meeting a beau for lunch he thought. "Lucky man." Heath said under his breath.

"Whatcha say Heath?" Said Tommy after he climbed into his place on the buckboard.

"Huh?" Said Heath coming out of his trance.

"I said what did you say?"

"Oh,... ahh... What did I say? Oh yeah, I got a ranch to run."

Tommy smiled, "Hey, that's what Nick always says!"

Heath climbed aboard the wagon, "Nick said this, and Nick said that, but when Nick said to go back to Boston, you don't listen to that do ya?! You just wait until he gets back, you're gonna be hearing a lot of what Nick says then!" Heath flicked the reins of the team and headed back to the ranch.

Part 10

In the Sacramento Court House, there was a holding area, a large room, with small cells built near the wall where offenders awaited trial. In the middle of the room were long wooden tables and chairs where lawyers sometimes sat with their clients. On one such table a lawyer was sitting with two of his clients, obviously ladies of the evening.

"You know, you two are costing me more money then you're worth! Can't you tell a set up when you see one? This is the fourth time you two were caught by the cops! I'm sick of putting up bail money for you! You know I have a political campaign to think about! Soon I won't be able to defend the likes of you two!"

"Oh what are ya complaining about Jas, don't we help ya out when ya have yer private parties, and ya don't pay us a thing!" Complained the girl known as Prissy.

"Pay you! You expect me to pay you?! You owe me more bail money than you could ever hustle on the streets! You owe me those parties and don't you forget it!" The lawyer huffed back, shaking his finger in her face.

"Now you listen to me, I got some political backers coming down from Eugene, and I need you to be at Chatgris Hotel tonight at nine o'clock and you two better be there. These two jokers are going to give me some big money for my campaign and I need you two to be especially nice to these yokels. That goes especially for you Cassie! You didn't do what my client wanted last time and you better put out this time or I am through bailing you out! Do you understand me?"

"That old man was disgusting, do you know what he wanted me to do to him! He wanted me to..." Cassie whined.

"I don't give a DAMN what my clients ask you to do, YOU DO IT!!"

"Yeah Jas." Said the two women in unison, avoiding his angry eyes.

"Jason?" A familiar voice called out to him.

Jason Browne turned around to see a very disheveled Laura Barkley, handcuffed and being pushed into one of the holding cells. He stood up shocked at the sight.

"Laura? Darling! What in the world happened to you?!''

"It was all a mistake Jason, I tried to help some women demonstrating and I got arrested with them."

"Oh Laura, that's terrible! Now I told you not to get involved with those women. Where's what's his name? He didn't abandon you did he? The CAD!"

"Of course he didn't abandon me!

"Oh darling! You poor thing!"

The policeman escorting the suffragers, roughly pushed Laura along with the others. "Come on Blondie, in ya go."

Jason raised his hand in protest. "Hold on there officer! This is my client, and I need to speak with her, so be on your way!"

"Okay Mister Browne, suit yourself."

"Oh Jason, you don't have to do this, I know how you feel about suffragers."

"Nonsense! You're not one of them are you?"

"Well, no, of course not. I just sort of got in the middle of it."

"Of course you did darling! And Jason is going to get you out! You just leave it to me." He smiled a toothy grin.

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm going to defend you of course, after all, it was a mistake! Right?"

"Oh Jason, thank you, I would hug you but..." She held up her cuffed wrists.

"Well, I'll take care of that...you, officer, uncuff my client!"

The policeman immediately unlocked her handcuffs.

"Thank you." She rubbed her wrists, giving him an exhausted half smile.

"Now where's that hug you promised me, huh?" His face curling into a condescending grin.

"Well, I have to warn you Jason, I had a battle with a chamber pot yesterday and lost."

"That's perfectly all right." He said, offering willing arms in a hug. Laura hugged him gratefully. He winced at the disgusting stench, and quickly moved away from her.

"Well, we'll ah.. get you cleaned up as soon as I talk to the judge and pay your bail money." Jason cleared his throat and moved further away from her, smiling.

"Oh, you needn't worry about paying bail money, Nick is getting that, he sent home for it."

Oh? He had to send away for money?"

"Well yes; he lost all his playing poker with you the other night."

"Ohh.. that's right, I forgot about that. I'm so sorry, if I had known my skill at cards would have put you in this dire predicament, I never would have taken the old boy's money."

"It's not your fault Jason, it happens. I'm just really looking forward to getting out of these filthy clothes and into a nice hot soaking bath, you can't imagine." She looked down at her attire and shook her head.

He leered at the thought of her comment. "Oh I believe I can imagine just that..."

"Can we sit down please, I have been on my feet for hours trying to avoid rats." She begged him.

"Oh of course Laura, please sit down right here. You poor dear!" He pulled out an old wooden chair for her, then seated himself as well, taking care not to sit too close to the permeating foul odor coming from her clothes. "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you need?"

"I could use a decent cup of coffee and breakfast. They gave us some awful gruel that I wouldn't feed to a pig! And the water, well, let's just say the water wasn't fit for horses to drink much less humans!"

"I'm afraid the Sacramento jail isn't known for it's cuisine, but after I'll take you out to a wonderful breakfast, once you cleaned up of course."

"That's really very sweet of you, but I'm sure Nick will be here soon with the bail money." She smiled half-heartedly.

B

Meanwhile a disheveled Nick was still dressed in the clothes he had on the day before, with a day's growth of whiskers. Strands of hair hung over blurry hazel eyes. He had sat up all night in a chair; not wanting to lay in a comfortable bed. Knowing that his poor wife was probably laying on a hard, wooden bench in a dirty jail cell, surrounded by God knows what! It made his stomach turn just thinking of it as he made his way into the lobby and began...

Part 11

Pacing....

The desk clerk watched the tall cowboy with wary eyes...pacing in front of the hotel desk. Having already experienced this man's potent temper, the clerk prayed to himself that the telegram the cowboy had impatiently waited for would come soon!

Nick muttered as he paced,..."I tell her, stay away from them... leave well enough alone...don't get involved, but no, does she listen to me? oh no, God forbid.... No, I'm just her husband what do I know! I told her, I told her in the beginning, I had a bad feeling ...."

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK!!

Nick rushes to the desk, his hands balled up in fists as he anxiously watches the telegraph clerk.

"WELL? IS THAT FOR ME?!" Nick roared.

"Only if your name is C. Baelee Holister..."

Nick punches his fist on the desk, causing the shy desk clerk to jump.

Nick leers at him. "You married?" He scowls.

"Ahh,...noo... Sir..", The desk clerk cowers.

"Smart man! Stay that way!"

"Yes Sir."

Nick leaves the desk to continue his pacing. "What the hell is taking Jarrod so long? Hey you!"

Nick stops pacing, turning again to the desk clerk.

"Who... me ...Sir?"

"Are you sure you got enough money in that safe?!"

"Oh yes Sir! Most certainly Sir... You're not going to rob us, are you Sir?...."

"What do I look like to you?! I just want to know when that voucher comes in you had better have enough money to cover it!" Nick growled at him.

"Yes Sir.. we most certainly do.." The desk clerk swallows his saliva.

CLACK, CLACK, CLACK...

Nick rushes up to the desk again. "Well?!" He glared at the telegraph clerk.

"Just a minute now... Nick Barkley, Sacramento House. Pay voucher, sum of $500.00 to Nick Barkley from Stockton Mercantile Bank, signed Jarrod T. Barkley."

"THAT'S IT! THAT'S IT! Get the money Mister, count it out, now! Come on, lets go!"

The desk clerk fumbled trying to dial the safe combination.

"Come on, let's go! I haven't got all day!" Nick groused impatiently.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" The desk clerk, sweating, wipes his brow, as he kneels next to the hotel safe, rolling the combination of numbers on the dial.

"There's more to that telegram, you wanna hear it?" Asked the telegram clerk wanting to be thorough in his duties.

"Yea, go ahead...I'm listening." He lied, having no intention of hearing Jarrod's admonishments.

"Expect full account when you get home, Jarrod."

The desk clerk stood up, counting the money in his hand. Nick glared at him, impatiently. "Come on, come on! Let's go!" He shifted from one leg to another.

"Here you go Sir, five hundred dollars." The clerk breathes a sigh of relief.

Nick shoved the money into his breast pocket and sprinted out of the building to a waiting horse that he had hired from the livery, after having stabled the slow plow horse the day before. Mounting the horse, he galloped quickly down the busy streets toward the court house. Soon another horse with a uniform rider was hot on his trail.

B

Exhausted, Laura gratefully sat at a table listening to her lawyer.

"...So all you do is plead innocent and they will set up a court date for you, but you will have to post bail to get yourself out of here, now I can help you with that."

"Nick will get here in time, don't worry. Now, that means I have to appear in court?"

"Yes, for a trial."

"A trial?! When will that take place?"

"It depends on the court docket, but if we're lucky, two weeks. And in that time I will be right by your side, preparing your case."

"Two weeks?! That's the rest of my honeymoon!" She complained.

"I understand that darling, but you will be out of jail, and you know those charges will be dropped and you will be free and clear."

"What if I plead guilty?"

"Oh no! You can't plead guilty! You'll have a police record! Think of your good reputation?!"

"It wouldn't be the first time my reputation was sullied..."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nevermind." She sighed wearily.

'That's my girl! Now you just leave everything to me, I will get you out of here in no time and I will see if we can't get that court docket pushed up for you." He smiled assuringly.

"Some honeymoon we're having..." She complained bitterly rubbing her forehead as another headache threatened.

"Now, I'm afraid you'll have to go into a holding cell, until the hearing, but I promise it won't be long, you trust me Laura, I'll take good care of you. Officer, would you take my client back please?"

Jason squeezed Laura's hand before he left, leaving her to be led away.

The police officer brought Laura to where the two prostitutes Prissy and Cassie were waiting. Laura stopped herself from going in by placing her hand on the bars. "Oh wait a minute officer, I don't belong with them...I'm with them over there." Laura pointed to the crowded holding cell where the suffrage women stood.

"Can't be Blondie, Mister Browne don't have nothing to do with no suffragettes, he just likes party girls, like yerself, in ya go Duchess." The officer roughly pushed her into the cell.

Part 12

"Wassamatta, yer too good fer the likes of us, huh...?" Complained Prissy.

"Oh no, not at all! It's just that I don't belong in here. I didn't mean anything by it honest, I'm sorry, really!"

"Oh, pardon me, yer ladyship, ya special hand pick by 'em are ya?" Cassie gave her an exaggerated bow from the waist.

"Hand picked by whom?"

"Jas." Cassie scowled. "Yer not gonna replace me are ya now?.. I got things goin' pretty damn good here, and I don't need no new tart of Jas's messin' things up for me!"

"Where did Jas find you anyway? You don't look like you're from around here." Wondered Prissy.

"I'm not from around here, I'm from Stockton."

"That's a small place compared to Sacramento, did ya get much business there? Seems to me them mighty slim pickins in a place like Stockton; unless of course it bein' you're the only one there..."

"The only one what?"

"Whore."

"I'm not a whore!" Laura replied, insulted by the inference.

"Ah be off with ya. Ya must be a whore if you're with ole Jas."

"Jas? You mean Jason Browne?"

"None other! We work for him." Prissy said proudly.

"Now that's not really true, we don't exactly work for him, we just work off our bail money when we get caught." Cassie smirked as she corrected her partner.

"Work off your bail money?"

"Yeah. Jas pays our bail when we get pinched by the cops. He's our own personal lawyer."

"Jason. Jason Browne?" Laura eyed the two girls.

"The very same. Handsome devil isn't he?" One of the girls winked.

"A handsome devil. Yes, he is certainly that." Laura placed her arms around the shoulders of the two women. "You know, there's one thing good about being in this cell, there's more room. Why don't we ladies sit down and talk about ole Jas, shall we? You can fill me in on what he expects from us."

Laura led them to a long bench at the far end of the cell.

B

Nick arrived at the courthouse, with the policeman hot on his trail. Nick tethered his horse to the hitching post and frowned when he spotted the policeman heading over to him.

"Not you again Bucko, don't you ever learn?"

"Just give me the damn ticket, I'm in a hurry." Nick growled.

"Which is why you keep getting these tickets, ya gotta learn to slow down Bucko! Hope ya got twenty dollars this time, son."

"Twenty dollars!" Nick protested.

"Second offense, double the fine!"

"Just give it to me!"

"Here ya go big spender, you can either pay the desk sergeant or a court officer in this building here. Ain't ya lucky you don't have to go very far to pay your fine?"

"Yeah, lucky."

Nick snatched the ticket from the policeman, shoving it in his pocket he headed into the courthouse.

B

Inside the courtroom, Jason Browne prepared his briefs at the defense desk when he notices Laura being brought in with the two prostitutes he was speaking to earlier. He rushes over to her.

"What in the world are you doing with them?!" Jason pulled her by the arm taking Laura over to the defense desk. He sat her down and took the seat next to her.

"The police officer put me in with them. I told him I belonged with the suffragers, but he didn't believe me! He said that you would never defend a suffrager, you only defend prostitutes. Why is that Jason?" She asked innocently.

"No lawyer worth his salt would ever defend a suffragette! It's political suicide! I have political ambitions! My name could never be linked with them!"

"But you're defending me Jason? Won't that hurt your political career?"

"But darling, you're different, you're not one of them! You're just an innocent victim, you told me that yourself, it's a totally different case!"

"Are you sure that's the only reason you won't defend the suffragers?"

"Well, of course, I told you that! It would ruin my political career!"

"But wouldn't defending prostitutes ruin your career as well?"

"No darling, those girls are just victims of the system, that's all."

"Yes, I agree with that, they are victims of the system. Oh Jason, you're not a man, you're a saint! And I can certainly understand how you wouldn't defend a suffrager, I mean, what could they give you in return when you paid their bail? Certainly, they could never repay you the way those other ladies do. What did you call them, ah yes, victims."

"What are you talking about?" He looked at her warily.

She smiled her sweetest smile. "Now, being a mere woman that I am, I don't know anything about politics, certainly not like a man as brilliant as you are; however, I would think, that it would be political suicide, as you call it, for the public to find out that the ladies there, entertain your friends as payment for bail money."

"Who told you that?!" Jason's face changed into a scowl.

"Let's just say that my stay in the Sacramento jail has been very educational. You know how we women are, we do tend to gossip!"

"Gossip?" He glared suspiciously.

"Ah huh. You know my husband is always complaining that sometimes I just don't know when to keep my mouth shut. And Nick's right you know, I just can't wait to tell people all about my experiences in a jail cell. In fact, I think it would make a wonderful article for a newspaper, don't you?"

Part 13

"Okay Laura, let's lay our cards on the table. What do you want?"

"Well, Jas... I want you, to not only defend me to the best of your ability, but I want you to defend each suffrager arrested with me, and I want you to pay their fines. Each one of them!"

"You can't expect me to do that! My political career would be ruined!"

"Listen, my husband will be here with my bail money and I will be out. Now, I could go quietly to my hotel, or I could go to that reporter from the Sacramento Chronicle over there sitting in the corner and tell him all about your business arrangement with Cassie and Prissy. They were quite talkative to me. It was very educational and quite an eye opener. Now, what do you think their story, as told by me, will do for your political career; or for your law practice for that matter?" She smiled innocently.

"That's dirty politics!"

"I told you... Jas..., I don't know anything about politics. I'm just a mere woman. The Bible refers to us as 'The weaker vessel' ." She batted her sapphire eyes at his scowling face.

"You'll leave here and keep your damn mouth shut?!"

"That's the deal, and all you have to do is defend those women who where arrested with me and pay their bail."

"Deal! But your Nicky boy better get here with your bail money because, I'm not bailing you out!"

"He'll get here. He's never failed me yet!"

"There's always a first time for everything!" Jason sneered.

"You don't know my Nick! Nothing stops that man! Nothing!"

B

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS THE WRONG COURTHOUSE!!!" Nick hollered.

"Please Sir! Lower your voice! This is a government building after all!"

"How many damn courthouses are there in this miserable city?!" Nick bellowed.

"Three! Petty, Superior, and State Supreme Court...This is the Superior Court, you want the Petty Court, that's where the suffragettes go. They are always bringing those miserable women there."

"Hey! Watch your mouth, my wife's with them, sort of... Where's the..., what's it called?"

"Petty Court."

"Yeah, where's that?"

"Newton Avenue, four blocks south of here."

"Four blocks south, got it!" Nick rushed out of the Superior Courthouse, and quickly mounted his horse, riding as fast as he could, with another policeman trailing behind.

B

The bailiff read off Laura's felony charges.

"Laura M. Barkley, arrested for disturbing the peace, inciting a riot, and assaulting a police officer while in the performance of his duty."

"How do you plead Miss Barkley?" Asked the Judge.

"It's Mrs. Barkley, your honor." She corrected him.

"How do you plead Mrs. Barkley?"

"Your honor, Mrs. Barkley pleads innocent, due to extenuating circumstances."

"You're her lawyer Mr. Browne?"

"I am." Jason answered.

"Since when did you start defending suffragettes, Mr. Browne?" Wondered the Judge.

"Mrs. Barkley is not a suffragette your Honor, she was merely caught up in the riots at the church."

The Judge stared down at the defendant. "I see; putting your nose in where it doesn't belong, huh? Well, that's still going to cost you! Bailiff do we have a court date to expedite this matter?"

"Yes your honor, thirty days from today."

"Thirty days! Couldn't you make it sooner?! I'm going home in two weeks!" Laura complained bitterly.

"Mrs. Barkley, this isn't a church social, we can't just set a date to suit your fancy! Thirty days from today. Bail is set at $200.00. Pay the bailiff."

Laura looked behind her to see if Nick had arrived. She noticed the smirk on Jason's face.

"Your honor?" She bit her lower lip.

"Yes, Mrs. Barkley?"

"Can I change my plea to guilty?"

"LAURA NO!!" Jason shouted.

"Your counselor already entered a plea for you madam." Replied the Judge.

"Yes Sir, I understand that, but I still want to change my plea. I can do that can't I?"

"Yes you can, but if I were you I would take my counselor's advice."

"I still rather change my plea your Honor. I plead guilty as charged."

"Laura, do you know what you're doing?! Do you understand what this would mean? To you, to me?!" Jason said shocked.

"Yes Jason." She whispered in his ear. "I'm the first suffrager you ever defended, now it's official! Just think of it as losing your virginity, just not as pleasant." She rewarded him with a wink.

"I'm glad to see you are conferring with your attorney Mrs. Barkley. Now, are you sure about changing your plea? You're not going to be like my wife and change your mind again are you?"

"Your wife is a suffrager too your Honor?"

"She MOST CERTAINLY IS NOT A SUFFRAGETTE!" The Judge shouted indignantly.

"If I may your honor, the word suffragette, is meant to be demeaning. They, I mean, we would much prefer to be called suffragers, and I'm sure you would want to be considered an impartial judge, therefore the correct term IS suffrager."

"Mr. Browne! I will ask you again! What is your client's plea?!"

Jason whispered to her. "Please Laura, this will be on your record! This will be on my record!!! Think of your reputation?!"

"Think of yours." She answered eyeing the reporter in the corner.

"Your Honor, my client pleads guilty!" Jason swiftly proclaimed.

The Judge banged his gavel down. "Very well. Laura M. Barkley pleads guilty as charged. Fine $250.00. Pay the bailiff."

Jason gave her a sadistic look. "You're no better at gambling then your husband is, and a deal's a deal. Looks like you go back to your cell Mrs. Barkley. Happy honeymoon Laura!"

A loud crashing sound came from outside the courtroom, then scuffling noises, and the sound of bodies being thrown against the walls. Laura smiled, when she heard the noise and turned her eyes toward the back door. Then she heard a ferocious familiar voice roar. "LET ME GO!!! GOD DAMN YOU!!!

Nick came barreling in, with his hands cuffed and three police officers hanging from his arms struggling to halt the furious bridegroom. Laura smiled at Jason's dumbfounded look. "No one enters a room like my Nick does!"

Nick freed himself from the policemen's grip.

"Who are you to disturb my courtroom?! I have a good mind to fine you for contempt!" Screamed the Judge.

"YEAH WELL, GET IN LINE MISTER! I'm Nick Barkley and I've come to get my wife back!"

"Well, it will cost you two hundred and fifty dollars! You got that much?!"

"Jacket pocket!" He yelled, pointing to his left pocket with his cuffed hands.

The Judge motioned to Jason to get the money. Jason walked over to Nick and was about to reach into his jacket, when Nick growled at him.

"KEEP YOUR DAMN HANDS OFF ME; YOU SON OF A BITCH JACKASS!!! Laura, get the money!"

"Yes Nick." She couldn't help smiling as she pulled out Nick's wallet from his jacket. She counted out the money and gave it to the bailiff.

"You're free to go Mrs. Barkley." The Judge said, waving impatiently with his hand.

"I'm not leaving here without my husband!" She said angrily.

"Officer, what is this man charged with?" Asked the Judge.

"Your honor, this man was riding a horse too fast within the city limits This is his third offense!"

"Oh for pity sake! How do you plead Mr. Barkley?"

"Plead guilty, it's easier." Laura whispered in her husband's ear.

"Guilty your Honor!" Nick obeyed.

"I fine you fifty dollars. Pay the bailiff!"

The judge crashed his gavel on the bench. Laura counted out five ten dollar bills, gladly handing them to the bailiff as well.

The Judge glared sternly at the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Barkley, I would consider it a great personal favor, if you two would get out of my courtroom... NOW!"

"Happily your Honor!" Laura beamed at the Judge. Nick held out his hands so the police officer could unlock the cuffs. The second he was released, Laura ran into Nick's arms. They hugged eachother.

"Oh Nick....I'm home again!" She squeezed him tightly.

Nick grimaced at the putrid smell coming from her clothes. "I love ya with all my heart Honey, but stay down wind will ya...?" He snatched her hand in his and quickly led her out of the courtroom.


~Epilogue~


Several days later: Jarrod Barkley had adjourned for recess from the Stockton Courthouse when Danny, the telegraph apprentice ran up to him with another urgent telegram.

"Mr. Barkley! Mr. Barkley!"

"Oh no, not again. What is it Danny?" Jarrod said warily.

"Telegram from Sacramento."

"Ahh, I was afraid of that." Jarrod very gingerly opened the telegram, it read:

"Have gone fishing at Indian Springs, too many snakes in Sacramento... Be back same time....Nick and Laura...."


Jarrod heaved a relieved sigh as he looked to the heavens.


THE END

Next: THE WEAKER VESSEL