Two Broken Souls, Part Ii

...“From that day on I was just a damned whore, two years I spent in that place on my back, when I had finally paid back what was owed they tossed me out and they said,’That was that.’ “But somehow word had reached back to London, and my parents then disowned me in shame, with nowhere to go, and but one thing to sell, I’ve worked half of the cat-houses on these plains. “Until two days ago when my damn pimp dragged me five miles outsides of town, a dozen men from the ville waited there and they threw me down hard on the ground. “Said that I was, 'Too old to be whoring', But they wanted one last chance to have fun. My pimp, the sheriff, half the men around, Forced themselves upon me…every one. “When they were finished they burned all my clothes, then slapped me with a quirt on my backside, Sheriff said,’The town has no need for old whores, some other place to pollute you should find.’ “Then every one just up and road away, leaving me naked and bruised in the grass, couldn’t even cry, what was the point? So then I came to a decision fast. “I’m already dead, I have been for years, since my brother left me there in disgrace, it’s far time my body caught up to this truth, and now it’s only a matter of days… “Soon the gnawing hunger will grow too great, and put an end to this long-broken soul, at this point death is so much better then going on in this world cruel and cold.” Cole sat back in the saddle, a little stunned, he hadn’t expected to hear such a tale, he tried to offer his condolences, but for many minutes his tongue failed. So he just rode besides her in silence, she just tromped on, wrapped in her misery, then he said, after thinking a bit, “Well how ’bout you jump up and come with me? “See I’m on my way out to Idaho where the government’s giving out farm land, five hundred acres to those who will work it, and they say a good woman makes a good man.” This actually made the poor woman stop, her jaw dropped, and at Cole she did gawk, she said,”You’d marry a girl you jet met? Did someone hit you in the head with a rock? “I know you heard every word that I said, you know that I’m nothing but a filthy whore! I don’t need some fool mocking me like this, Just ride on! Don’t say anything more!” Cole shook his head, and still kept pace with her, said,”I’m not just gonna leave you to die. And you’ve no need frettin’ about your past, see I’ve lain with plenty of your kind... CONTINUES IN PART III.