The Last Rose

by D. R. Jenkins

A Short Story For the Love of Kelsey

It was another Saturday night; one not unlike many others she had come to know since she arrived in the desert town. Devil's Gulch was hardly hospitable to sidewinders, Gila Monsters, and other predators let alone a shapely Southern Californian transplanted to the Utah Territories.

"The day will come," she thought to herself, "when Kate Star will return to her paradise."

Determination has always been the cornerstone of her existence, she realized as she considered the matter. Such conviction characterizes her family inheritance, she further concluded.

Why she ever left her city by the Pacific, however, was beyond her immediate comprehension. It must have been a spiritual urging, she often pondered as she weighed leaving one mountain encrusted village for another.

1

Actually, she had to confess to no one listening she had to prove to her family she was as much a Star businesswoman as her father a Star businessman. That's why she bought the saloon from her grandfather, who had one the damned thing in a poker game.

Admittedly, Grandpa Hank gave it to her at a good price. After all, Kate knew, her mother was his favorite child and Kate was his favorite grandchild. By the burden of that measure, Kate could not fail. The moment she arrived in Devil's Gulch, however, she knew the town was a hell-hole, and the saloon a long way from any sane person's notion of a successful western frontier business. "Darned family inheritance," was her final thought on the matter.

2

As she dressed for the evening she turned her thoughts to the midnight romance arriving. It wasn't an unusual preoccupation. She often seized such solitary moments to reflect on her life now determined by this stranger's desire for everything about her. She knew he found her to be a woman afire in the pursuit of a fulfillment elusive. That factor, alone, explained his relentless intoxication with her.

As she slipped on sheer stockings and ruffled garters, she allowed the memory of him to consume her thoughts; particularly on this Saturday night. She knew he was coming to town to see her. Moreover, she knew coming to see her was the only reason he would ever broach the city limits of Devil's Gulch. 3

As well, she knew he preferred the anonymity of visiting her under the shield of darkness. A daytime arrival would certainly bring a gunfight the town's Sheriff would dread. The news of his impending arrival would quickly fill the valley because his tell-tale frame mounted atop his black stallion would be seen for miles as he descended from the foothills edging the valley.

He often told her he came to town at night because she distilled his purpose in coming to this hell-hole and she made herself available to him only in late evenings. But, she knew the real reason he came at night. She could tell by the fear in the eyes of the saloon's other customers.

4

As she thought about his impending arrival, a smile began to caress her lips. He had recently taken to writing her letters; written from wherever life's dusty roads had taken him. Interestingly, she came to realize her feelings for him, heightened by the raw and innocent romance he confessed by written words revealing.

His letters served a chronology of how they met, documenting litanies of electricity and sparks. "Who could blame her?" She pondered. Surely, seduction written by proximate living death and destruction would stir passions seeded in the roots of life in any woman's soul. That was her argument whenever she needed to believe her mother would accept this romance now breeding cause in her existence.

5

Kate knew she handled herself well in his arms, no matter how her body craved surrender to lusts persistently exuding. A concomitant smile emerging recalled the first time he urged her to kiss him. His confidence betrayed a belief he could have her by a will divined.

"No," she had squirmed the moment, pushing her way out of his hell-bent fury. She knew she wanted him to hunger for her -- like he panted for no other. That's the only way she would ever allow him to kiss her lips.

Along another vein, though, she had to give it to him for the way he made her feel so beautiful. It was another Saturday night when his urgings were particularly insufferable.

The saloon was filled with so many gorgeous women that night, Kate reflected. She actually thought she might lose his interest to the wiles of another beauty.

6

She could never have been so wrong. When Maria came by the dance hall that night, he made himself clear to her in a most persuasive fashion. Maria was her housemaid. She also worked to clean the guest rooms upstairs. On nights like that Saturday night, Maria would bring single roses to the saloon. She sold them to desiring hombres so they could persuade their evening's intention. Maria knew the lascivious nature of men; sure to be frisky after a few whiskeys. The condition made it optimal for the sale of single roses.

Sure, there have been lots of fellers who bought a rose for Kate Star. They knew, however, at best they would get a warm smile of thanks; but never a debt of gratitude.

7

Out of curiosity, Kate kept track of Maria's efforts that Saturday night. It was as if Maria had granted license prosecuting romantic privilege. Indeed, Kate detected an aroma of promise from Maria's fortune-telling behavior.

Against all expectation, Kate's blue eyes followed his every step. In a very public way, the most feared gunslinger currently then within the Utah Territories stood from his chair situated across the room from Kate. He made his way to Maria. Out of the corner of her baby blues, Kate watched as the outlaw holding her heart purchased a flower, giving Maria a gold piece.

Kate held her breath as she watched him, flower in hand held at a height close to where his six-shooter rested impending havoc. He passed by one beauty after another as if he walked across their backs to make his way to her.

8

When it became clear he was bringing the flower to her, Kate found tears welling her eyes; her chin began to quiver an uncontrolled message. As he raised the flower from his side, Kate continued to recall, his other hand reached to touch her face in an obvious comforting gesture. He told her over and over, "You're so beautiful, you're so beautiful." She took the flower from him and it has been since planted in her heart, she had to admit.

Just a peek in the mirror to confirm her preparation and she would go downstairs and greet her guests and await his arrival. Jose, Maria's husband, would keep a look-out for him. "Señorita Star, señor is coming," Jose always told her aside and out of earshot of others.

9

Jose's revelation meant it would be an hour or so before the outlaw crossed the saloon's threshold. Kate knew he would not come to her before he cleaned the trail dust he wore. Rather, on arriving in Devil's Gulch his first stop was always at Chi Tsu's Bath House and Laundry. However, Kate knew he received slightly different treatment at the effect of soft Chinese hands.

Though the hard lines in his face and his tried appearance characterized his needs among those to be fulfilled at Miss Sally's Brothel, Chi Tsu knew the desperado came to prepare to see Kate; a task nonetheless challenging if only to speed his arrival at the 5 Aces Saloon.

10

Just as this accounting reconciled in Kate's mind's eye, Jose appeared and conveyed the evening's news ordained: "Señorita Kate, señor ees coming." Out of habit, Kate took the pocket watch from underneath the bar and noted by its face the time she could expect the man dressed in black to make his way across the crowded saloon to see her. Midnight: Right on time.

For his part, the midnight rider dressed in black garb unmounted the black stallion outside Chi Tsu's place of preparation. As was the usual practice, Chi Tsu's husband, Chang, gathered the horse's reins from the desperado to take the steed to the stables. Chang would brush the dust from the beast, if only to lighten its load. The horse would also be watered and fed a mixture of oats, barley, and alfalfa. The horse would retire atop freshly laid hay. The Chinese knew how to win favor from the white man.

11

The outlaw followed Chi Tsu into the bathing parlor. Being somewhat less prudish than her white counterparts, Chi Tsu began drawing the stranger's bath with the hottest water she believed his pale skin could handle. The outlaw had removed his gun belt, boots, and hat and had folded his clothes and placed them on the chair. He turned to get his naked carcass in the sudsy steaming water. Chi Tsu couldn't help but notice his manhood was aroused, probably as a result of her presence while he undressed. Certainly, she would bathe him well, she concluded as she took his clothes to the laundry mistress.

12

When she returned to the bathing parlor, the naked man was totally immersed and his head lay quietly against the cast iron tub's porcelain edge. Quietly, Chi Tsu took the cloth and soap, and washed the stranger's face. She then reached over and swashed the razor's edge several times along the strap, back and forth, again and again. She lathered his face and cleaned it with the honed edge.

When she returned to the bathing parlor, the naked man was totally immersed and his head lay quietly against the cast iron tub's porcelain edge. Quietly, Chi Tsu took the cloth and soap, and washed the stranger's face. She then reached over and swashed the razor's edge several times along the strap, back and forth, again and again. She lathered his face and cleaned it with the honed edge.

13

When the laundry maid returned with his freshly laundered and ironed clothes, the naked man stood while Chi Tsu dried all his limbs. When he stepped out of the tub, turning to get dressed, Chi Tsu left the room. Finished dressing, the gunslinger left a single gold piece on the bather's tray. At the rates the Chinese charged, it was enough to pay for 5 visits, including stabling his best friend for the night.

As he headed for the door, the outlaw drew his six-iron and counted six pieces of lead. He knew he was ready for any fool who might want to face him down. He grabbed his hat and headed out the door.

14

The 5 Aces Saloon was a block down Main Street, on the other side of the road. He walked out into the night, his ears keenly aware of the sounds emanating complete confession. As he approached half way down the block he noted a noisy group of people coming toward him from the opposite direction. It appeared that a wedding had just concluded and the wedding party was heading toward the only hotel in Devil's Gulch, The Diablo Hotel. It appeared no one was armed. He took a relieving breath.

15

When the bride and groom passed, he saw her bouquet of roses and it occurred to him he should find Maria and bring Kate just a single rose. He hadn't given her a single rose since the first time he had given her "flowers." In the interim, he had taken her various sorts of bouquets of other types of flowers. He wanted to impress his reputation didn't necessarily translate he was insensitive to a woman's desire for fragrances delivered by the man she loves.

As if a prayer had been answered, a few steps after the wedding party had passed him; he espied Maria walking the wood sidewalk toward his direction on the other side of the street. Excitement emerged a long-lost friend as he implicitly recounted how flowers always seemed to send Kate's heart into a tizzy; more so than the other and more expensive things he had lavished on her.

16

He crossed the street and hailed Maria's attention with a hand slightly raised. It became obvious she knew he was coming and had set out to meet him somewhere between the Chi Tsu's Bath and Laundry and the 5 Aces Saloon.

"Buenos noches, Maria, qué tal?" He beseeched in his best Spanish.

"Oh Señor, buenos noches; Mees Kate is waiting for you!" She corresponded.

Both knew the transaction impending. He selected the prettiest yellow rose among those held gently in Maria's arms. Finding the perfect delicacy, he gave Maria a twenty dollar gold piece and waved off her effort to give him $18.25 in change.

17

With rose in hand he again began crossing the dirt road called "Main Street," heading toward the 5 Aces Saloon and the beauty he knew to be waiting for him. Loving her had been elevated by the preparation transacted and by the solitary fragrance of adoration he then held in his hand. The aroma was titillating.

Within seven steps of the 5 Aces Saloon, the night quieted by the love of her in his heart and the excitement bred by the anticipation of holding her in his arms was violently shattered. The last thing he heard was the great interruption of firepower filling all roads leading to Devil's Gulch. At once he felt piercing pain and the fire of death entering his back. There was no time to reach for his six-shooter to a levy a condemning response.

18

As his body seemed to insist he lay on the ground, he recognized the taste of blood in his mouth. As conscious thought dwindled life then ending, he saw the rose was still in his hand. He breathed his last knowing in his soul he had given her his heart though he had yet to kiss her lips. The love of her drowned the town coming to life in a seeming celebration. The last thing he heard was Maria's voice screaming, "Mees Kate, Mees Kate, they kilt him, they kilt heem dead!"

Commotion filled the streets of Devil's Gulch. Shouts could be heard, "Get the Sheriff, get Sheriff Murphy quick!”

Other shouts brought freedom to utter his name without fear of death following close behind, "They shot him, they shot Jesse James dead. Come see quickly; he's laying dead in the middle of Main Street." 19

Another recounting usurped air for breathing as Kate burst from the 5 Aces Saloon. "Six bullets breeding death and a pound of lead kilt the no good shiftless bastard."

Ya see pardner, Jesse James wasn't shot hanging no picture on the wall in some peaceful Midwestern town. No sir, he died right here in the streets of Devil's Gulch, the Utah Territories, coming to see a beautiful saloon owner he fancied. It was loving a dang woman that got him in a position where somebody could shoot him, even if the coward shot him in the back and never faced him down like a man.

It was only a few seconds before Kate reached the place where he laid dead in the street. She noticed his hat a few feet from his head. She noticed his clean shaven handsome face; realizing he had just come from Chi Tsu's Bath and Laundry.

20

She noticed slight blood oozing across his lips, which brought her eyes to focus on death's damage concentrated by the six holes in the middle of his back. She noticed his gun remained entrenched in its holster; concluding he was unaware of his attacker's presence.

As she continued surveying the scene sure to be written in her memory until her remains are remitted to the grave, she then saw the single rose in his hand. Her bosom heaved and her eyes filled with tears. Beyond restraint she felt the warm water falling to her bosom; breasts somewhat bared to enrapture his senses.

Sheriff Murphy suddenly appeared at the scene. The first thing he confessed was, "I'm sorry, Kate. I'm sorry this has happened; but you know it was bound to happen. He was just too damned infamous."

21

Kate looked at Sheriff Murphy as if she dared him to say another word. With a confidence unequivocal, she reached down and took the rose from his hand, touching him as she did. She slightly stroked his face telling his soul, "I will always love you."

With that, she stood, wiped the tears from her eyes and, holding the last rose close to her heart, she made her way back to the 5 Aces Saloon. At that moment she knew she would sell the place and move back to her treasured Pacific paradise. She knew she would take the love if Jesse James with her.

And that, my friends, is the true story how Jesse James, the greatest and most feared outlaw to have lived, died in the Utah Territories in a hell-hole known as Devil's Gulch. There hasn't been one like him since. 22

The End