News has it that the sheriff’s fiancée from back East should be arriving tomorrow on the noon coach. A teacher apparently and something this town needs. Tim can’t stop talking about her and smiling and has just finished building a house for her. Mind you, it only has the one bedroom for now and could probably be considered a shack more than a house.

Here I am digressing again and being a gossip. I’m trying to write a story on the top ten things that have changed in Los Angeles since the gold rush. What impact it has had on this community and part of the country for a paper back east. I am not getting very far with it and thought I’d jot a few thoughts down in my journal. Oh well, I guess I’m not in the mood. I better go and see how my mother is fairing.

Closing and gathering her journal and papers together, Alice put them away in her desk for safekeeping. Removing her spectacles, she cleaned and replaced them carefully after rubbing her eyes and stretching.

“Mr Parker. I’m heading over to the saloon to see Lenore. Do you want me to bring you anything back?” Alice queried of Ben Parker, the owner and editor of the towns only newspaper.

“No Alice. That will be all for today. I’ll see you on the morrow.” Ben waved distractedly as he set about cleaning and setting up the press for the next printing of the town’s weekly paper.

Alice paused for a moment to watch him work. Ben Parker was a kind man. He loved Lenore who only seem to take advantage of his kindness and generosity. Alice did not know who her real father was and could only wish that it had been Ben.

Sadly it was not Ben, Alice knew this because he had settled in Los Angeles well after Alice was three. That was seventeen years ago. He was a widower who had become one of Lenore’s regulars. When Alice had reached puberty and real noticeable changes had begun, Lenore had given her to Ben for safekeeping.

The men of the saloon who had once only smiled in amusement at her childlike antics had started to take a closer interest in her. The Queen’s Angels had done their best to keep her safe, but after a few ‘upsets’ when the saloon was ultra busy, it had only been Marina’s quick intervention that had settled and prevented the few situations from becoming irreversible. No one argued with Marina period, at least not for long. Her reputation was worse than Dana’s.

It was after one particularly unfriendly ‘upset’ that Lenore had given into Ben’s request to remove Alice from the less than savoury establishment.

Ben considered and treated Alice like a daughter. He had lost his own at the same time he had his wife. He fed Alice, kept her safe and educated her to the best of his abilities and for this, Alice loved him as a father. She knew if given just half a chance, Ben would marry Lenore.

Alice wished Lenore would accept his outstanding proposal but her mother enjoyed the spotlight, the attention of many men. With a last warm smile in his direction, Alice headed off towards the saloon to check on her mother’s welfare.