wrested the divorce business away from the state of Indiana , where Judge Pettit had previously built it into an industry. These Kansas Territory divorces were considered valid, and could actually be offered as proof of a previous marriage.
The women were on the River Rose because the Captain was a pretty nice man, and when he spotted the bunch huddled on the Memphis dock, he charitably agreed to take them all clear over to the City of Kansas for $50. This was virtually every cent they had, save what they needed for the judge; however, the captain was quite pleased with his deal. They were pleasant company.
No. 1 “What you going to do after getting your divorce?”
No. 2 “Got no idea. Don't want another man though.”
No. 3 “I am going to try to get back home to my kin over in Ohio .”
No. 4 “Home to my folks. Aye. Thatid be the last place I want to go. My daddy make me marry that old geyser any way, now he did. That old preacherman was nearly 50 years older than me, he was. Couldn't do nothing if you know what I mean. Speaken of mean that not being able to do, ya know the bedroom stuff, made him mean. Aye. Real mean. He paid my daddy a lot for me though, plus a whole barrel of whiskey to boot. Daddy and him said it was the Lord's will. I ran away once and Daddy caught me and took me back. I got a good licking over that, I did. Old man said he would kill me ifn I tied this again.”
No. 5 “That's awful. Have you got anywhere to go at all?”
No. 4 “Nope. But working in one of them houses would be better than the way life was a lining up for me, so it twood. They say it ain't so bad if you close your eyes and play like it is somebody you like or something.”
No. 6 “You got to watch out I hear. Sometimes they bite I hear.”
No. 4 “Well, the woman I talked to said that when you're young and fresh they will pay you two dollars or sometimes even three. She saved up enough to leave in six or seven months. The ones that stay longer gets old quick.”
No 6. “That would be a long six months.”
No. 3 “ Better than 40 years of what I was a putting up with.”
No. 1 “I guess I am the lucky one. My man just took off. Said there was gold and silver both in them mountains out west and he was tired of looking at me anyway. Left me with nothing cept a bill at the store. Sounds like some of us, we may be in the same business before long.”
No. 2 “Well I guess me too. I recon.” Sledge looked at them more closely; No. 3 was black headed and very, very pretty, while No. 4 would weigh about 85 pounds and was red headed with freckles. She might be 15 years old.”
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