One of her requirements for this here planned dress was  "Oh and I'd like the dress to be able to be opened from the front."

“How easily?” the man asked.

"Easy as can be. With one hand at least. I will be up on stage ya see," Caroline answered.

"Oh and not down around my ankles, hike it up a bit. So they see my calves. I got nice calves folk tell me," she then lifted up her dress to reveal a shapely pale one.

"See ya want ta give 'em a glimpse of my goods, but always leave 'em wanting more. I ain't about to strip naked, that takes out all the mystery. Although I been told there is a whorehouse in New York near the harbor where the ladies all dance without a stitch of clothing on. Place is always packed, they say," she grinned.

****

“Kinda like you put a dog collar on me!” Arabella commented.

"Oh heavens no. You are not a dog. Imagine me a handsome young man gifting it to you," Miriam found herself getting into this sales pitch act. She certainly seemed to be winning over the customer!  Her employer would be pleased if she could pull off the sale then.

The girl then launched into this amazing tale of a recent town dance and all the many boys and men (for there were army ranks amongst the listing) she had danced with. Miriam was not certain if this was all actually true but, given her trusting nature, she would believe it for now at least.

"That is amazing. It sounds like you had such a great time. Me, I've never been to such an occasion. I have attended a couple of weddings back in New York  but I turned down my brother asking me to dance. No one else asked. Which is pretty much what Papa hoped for. He might not have let me anyhow. I mean afterall I am only sixteen years of age."

She honestly was only fifteen but it was a harmless little lie which harmed no one. Besides she wasn't that far from being sixteen, barely two months.

"He might have let me dance with a girl," she suddenly chuckled at the thought of it, though still amazed that this little thing had danced with so many partners that night. Kalispell was much different than she ever expected. She worried if she might even fit here. That doubt vanished though at the sudden good news!

“Oh, and I’ll take the choker!”

"Splendid!" Miriam had made her first sale, the boss would be pleased with her. It was important to the girl that she pleased people.

"I can wrap it up for you," Miriam reached to unfasten it.

“That’s all right, I want to keep it on. I surely do love it so!”.

Miriam supposed that was permissable, long as she paid for it.

“Well, I’ll make up a form on my estimations.” Pettigrew announced, “Can you come back in two days for a proper fitting?” he looked up suddenly, for some reason Arabella was making a barking noise like a dog.

"I sure can," Caroline immediately agreed then also joined the man in staring over at the young ladies....well, one young lady and then Arabella who was behaving like the village idiot.

"Ara! Stop that nonsense, child!" she chided but it was Arabella so she probably wasn't even listening, she was too busy chattering on.

****

“Why thank you kindly, Sir!” imagined Arabella out loud curtseying “Woof! Woof, woof!! Hur hur hur!” she chuckled at her own absurd impersonation of a gentle maiden being given a dog collar by her beau.

Miriam blinked at the so called barking. Goodness, who does that in public? Well, she wouldn't even do that in private. But this strange girl had moved on to tell about this dance she had attended and all the many dance partners she had. Why they must have been lining up waiting their turn?  Or she was lying? But Miriam preferred to give folks the benefit of the doubt. Her mother liked to say there is goodness in everyone, her father would only laugh at that line.

“They never asked you for a dance?!” gasped Arabella “But you’re so pretty!!”

"Well, I highly doubt that was why," Miriam was unused to being called 'pretty' by anyone but her mother and that source was obviously rather biased.

Her eyes narrowed: “I know what it is – you’re too pretty. Men are scared to ask a girl to dance if she’s too pretty, cause they think she’ll turn ‘em down.”

"It was more likely my father would have glared at any boy coming close to me and forbidden them to ask, I was too young," Miriam pointed out, the dutiful child she accepted what her father decided on pretty much everything. Another declaration by the man was she would be allowed to be married at age 21 and, in fact, he might well arrange for a specific marriage since she would be too inexperienced to make such a vital decision.

Though she had been joking about dancing with a girl, Arabella gave vivid evidence of it being done and Miriam knew she was right. At one of the weddings, she had danced with her cousin Rebecca, neither knew what they were doing but it had been...well, fun!

"Maybe we can get together and practice dancin’ sometime, so we’re all ready next time there’s a big dance on in town,” the other girl suggested.

"Maybe?"  Miriam nodded. The other girl was a bit...odd but it would be nice to make a friend her own age in this new town. Her mother said as long as one has family you do not need to concern yourself with friends but on that bit of advice, Miriam was not so sure.

But anyhow, the girl bought the choker, plus a head band,  paid for it, and Miriam entered it into the book, her first sale, it felt good. It had also been far easier than sewing. The boisterous girl now wanted to show it off.

“Look Cara’! Look Mr. Pettigrew! I done gone all 'fistcated!” she announced pointing to her purchases.

"Yeah, right," Caroline almost smirked but kept it down.

“This here fancy dog collar’s called a choker, why don’t you get one Cara’? This is Miss Kaufmann – she sold ‘em me!” she added, stating the obvious.

"Maybe next time when I come to get fitted in my new dress," Caroline left it open.