Deb, I could email a friend who would know (Texas historian), but I likely won't hear back until tomorrow or Sunday. Is that soon enough?

ETA: I emailed him your question. I will post when I get an answer. Hopefully, it will be soon enough.

Thanks, love.

Anyone want to beta? The denouement's a breath away, coming up at Placid Field; big the big revelations have been made.

Deb, odds are either kerosene or none at all. I found this in a history [link] of Liberal, Kansas, which is a little town just north of the Oklahoma panhandle. (It was the closest "big" town to Guymon, Oklahoma, where my parents lived for several years.):

In 1899 Liberal installed its first city lights. They consisted of coal-oil lamps placed on street corners on eight-foot poles and were the pride of the city. Local people bragged about being able to read their mail under the street lights. In 1908 a few electric street lights were added into the business district but homes continues to use coal-oil or kerosene lamps at that time.

Perfect! Thanks, Ginger - it means one small tweak and I leave it at "lack of light", rather than "light from a specific source."

This damned story is sitting at just about six thousand words. Yikes.

Want to beta? Anyone?

I haven't gotten the last thing back to you, Deb, but I could probably look at it tomorrow.

Deb, I'd be happy to look at it. Tomorrow a.m. okay for return?

I'm glad to know...well, ok, not glad, but I am glad it's not just me finding herself writing things she doesn't know.

Ginger, Anne, will send in a bit - I may try to do a bit more work on it, since I'm so close to the end.

erika, my darling, if you want to watch the internet wife squirm like a meal worm in an iguana's terrarium? Watch me when I get started on "Cruel Sister". The UXB stuff is a piece of cake compared to the architecture research I have to do for this one; Ringan's consulting with Penny's brother and megawealthy wife to build wife's dream home, a replica Tudor manor using as many authentic touches as possible, but with all modern conveniences.

I know nothing about architecture.

Deb, I'll be happy to take a look at it sometime in the next 24 hours or so.

After dinner I have to pull myself away from figuring out what Anna does with her pistol and get back to Lucy. Earlier this week I gave myself a swift kick in the rear by reminding myself I told an editor and agent the ms would be ready by the end of December. So I figure it's high time to learn to write to deadline, because I'd sure hate to not be finished on Jan. 2 and have one of them ask for the full.

Ginger, my mom was born in Liberal, her brother in Hooker. My mom lived in Guymon and her mom lived there for years. Nick was born in Guymon and I lived there for a couple of years before moving on. Wow, small world.

I would love to beta, but am still swamped with the paying work. I'm sorry Deb. I hate not having time for everything I want to do.