Sounds like a well-thought plan.”

She looked at the envelope on the table.

I said, “How’d you hear about this man, Ellsworth?”

“He bought space in the St. Louis Daily Herald, and advertised himself as a lonely rancher who wanted a wife with whom to share his ranch and the dreams of his heart.”

“You trusted a flannel-mouth man like that?”

“In retrospect, I concede I was terribly gullible.”

I only understood half the words she used, but figured something bad must a’ took place. I said, “What happened when you got there?”

She paused. “If I speak frankly, will you agree to keep my confidence?”

“If you’re askin’ will I repeat what you tell me, the answer is no. You have my word on that.”

Jenny bit her lip. “Mr. Ellsworth met our stage on Thursday, April twelfth, and offered to take us to his ranch in a mule-drawn wagon. He must have imbibed a portion of whiskey while waiting for us at the depot, because we smelled it on his breath. But he seemed in control of his faculties, and Sophie and I had been traveling three days, and were eager to see the ranch, so we agreed to accompany him there. It was early afternoon and we figured to see the place, inspect the kitchen, bedrooms, outhouse and livestock, and hoped for a nice chat. Then, if he had the fixings, I’d cook him a nice dinner. Afterward, he’d take us back to town where Sophie and I planned to spend the night at the Holland House on Main Street.”

“But that didn’t work out, did it?”

She sighed. “Unfortunately, Mr. Ellsworth consumed an additional quantity of whiskey enroute to his ranch. By the time we arrived, he was in a vile state. He cursed us, cuffed us about with his fists, and took our money.”

Jenny had a pleasant mouth that moved more than it needed to when formin’ words, and my eyes were drawn to it as she spoke. But when her lower lip quivered slightly, I asked, “Anythin’ else happen?”

She lowered her eyes. “He…attempted to despoil us.”

I waited a few seconds. Then said, “And did he?”

Jenny’s voice wavered as she spoke her story.

“Thanks to Sophie’s presence and the grace of God, Mr. Ellsworth failed to sully our virtue, though he made every attempt to do so. He finally passed out drunk, and we took that opportunity to escape.”

I nodded. “When he passed out, why didn’t you take back the money he stole?”

“We wanted to, but it was in his pockets, and we were afraid he might stir.”

“Did you tell all this to the sheriff?”

“On our way back to town we came upon a ranch. The woman who lived there drove us to the depot in her buggy. We implored her to take us to the sheriff, but she claimed there was no sheriff in Grand Junction, and the Marshall was fifty miles away. Upon hearing our story, the stage coach proprietor refunded our money and gave us a courtesy ride back to Kansas City.”

“Probably didn’t want any bad publicity for his new business,” I said.

The waiter approached and asked Jenny if she’d care for a drink. She declined, and he left after tellin’ me my steak would be ready soon.

“What’s in the envelope?” I said.

“Sixty-eight dollars.”

“What’s it for?”

“I want you to kill Roy Ellsworth.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sophie and I would be obliged if you’d send that drunken reprobate to Hell. Pardon my language.”

“Why come to me with this?”

“Most everyone in town knows your reputation.”

“You think I kill people for money?”

“I can only hope so.”

“Grand Junction is forty miles outta my way. Makin’ it an eighty mile trip.”

“I have reason to believe Mr.