Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel Wrote on April 28, 2019
Addy recognized the man as well and frowned. But while she had no desire to talk to him, she really didn't want him encountering the teacher. Fortunately, Evens and his wife were whisking her to safety. "I'll have yer things brought around!"
Then she sighed and set about unhitching the team, bracing for Mr. Newsman's assault!
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phineas McVay Wrote on April 30, 2019
Phinn smiled as he approached the teamster. "Evening Ma'am. I suppose you know who I am and what I' about. My readers would certainly be interested in what transpired on the trail." He began, "And it most certainly would be better that the details come from you as opposed to something I have to guess at."
He knew there was a taint associated with the press, but Phineas McVay was a newspaperman first and foremost. He wanted the story and he wanted to print the facts, not some trumped up dime novel piece.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel wrote on April 30, 2019
Addy sighed and pulled off her hat, combing stray hairs out of her face as she pondered over what to say, or how she could get out of saying anything. Still, the word was going to get out, especially with the dead bodies slung over the horses that the Marshal had brought into town, and in all honesty, she had nothing against the man, so much as she just didn't like to talk about such things.
"Well now," she mused, giving him a bit of a smirk, "I don't read yer paper. But I reckon yer gonna hear somethin'." She shrugged. "Was comin' from Whitefish, stopped at th' swing station ta switch out horses when th' Barnes boys decided they wanted my cargo...was a bit of a fight, but Marshal Steelgrave showed up an' we got th' upper hand...ya seen th' result, I'm sure...I'm here, he's here, they ain't."
It was the truth, but pretty simplified.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phineas McVay wrote on May 1, 2019
"Well now," she mused, giving him a bit of a smirk, "I don't read yer paper. But I reckon yer gonna hear somethin'." She shrugged. "Was comin' from Whitefish, stopped at th' swing station ta switch out horses when th' Barnes boys decided they wanted my cargo...was a bit of a fight, but Marshal Steelgrave showed up an' we got th' upper hand...ya seen th' result, I'm sure...I'm here, he's here, they ain't."
“Actually Ma’am, an excellent recount of the incident, simple, to the point, may I quote you?” He asked really liking the no-frill blunt retelling. Now, his readers may not appreciate such a synopsis of the incident, but it was certainly clear as to what happened.
“I heard rumor that also on board was the new schoolmarm, and that is indeed a headline story for this community.” Phinn began, “would you care to comment on that?”
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel wrote on May 2, 2019
At that, Addy's nose wrinkled up and she frowned....she was hoping to leave Miss Katherine out of this. School marms were held to a high standard, and the poor young woman had been through enough without being questioned over what had happened, and ogled by curious onlookers.
"Well, now..." Could she trust the man? Or believe that he had some integrity? "That she was," she finally commented, "but it's in her interest that that don't come out...there might be folks that think she ain't fit ta teach, an' that ain't founded." Taking a breath, she added, "Me, I been in th' war...not fightin' specifically, mind ya, so I'm used ta facin' that sort'a thing, but Miz Katherine...she held up real well, but she don't need ta be reminded of it, nor questioned or given undue sympathy."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phineas McVay wrote on May 7, 2019
Taking a breath, she added, "Me, I been in th' war...not fightin' specifically, mind ya, so I'm used ta facin' that sort'a thing, but Miz Katherine...she held up real well, but she don't need ta be reminded of it, nor questioned or given undue sympathy."
“I’m no sensationalist Miss Addy, not at all,” Phinn stated. “I seek only the news, and if something were to look harmful to the innocent, I leave it be. I have the only newspaper in town, so I need not sensationalize to sell papers.” He paused. “I should think that her arrival alone would be well received by this community. Her involvement or lack of it has no bearing on the fact that a much needed addition to our community has arrived here.”
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel wrote on May 7, 2019
Addy nodded to the man, giving him the hint of a smile, deciding to trust him and give him a more detailed account. "We stopped at th' Boise Springs swing station, ta switch out horses an' have a short break. I was startin' ta get th' horses unhitched when th' Barnes brothers...Buckeye an' Kyle, an' their cousin, Lem Hoskins, come out from behind th' barn. I riled th' team, ya know, four horses near three-quarter ton each, gave enough distraction ta give th' lady time ta hole up in th' cabin."
She paused a few seconds before continuing. "Well, they got th' drop on me, but then Kyle...ya know he ain't lauded fer his swift thinkin'...he tried kickin' in th' door to th' cabin...give me time ta pull off a few shots before..." Well, that reminded her that she'd taken a graze across her shoulder...it stung, but she was tired and achy, so she'd just written that off as part of the day. "Anyways, that's when Marshal Steelgrave showed up...reckon someone seen th' Barnes Brothers an' warned him there might be trouble...he dropped Buckeye an' Lem, then took down Kyle before he could bring harm ta Miz Katherine."
That was where that part would end, she'd not mention that the marm had actually shot Kyle, no one needed to know that. "Leastways, they're all at th' undertakers now, an' Miz Katherine has herself a new horse!"
Then she sighed and slipped off her coat, revealing a bit of blood on her shirt, over her shoulder in the back where she couldn't see. "Ya mind doin' me a favor an' takin' a look at that? If it ain't rent, all's well." Not that she was considering going to a doctor anyway!
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phineas McVay wrote on May 8, 2019
Phinn wrote as quickly as she spoke, trying to keep up and not miss anything important. Her request took him off balance. He looked at the shoulder area and the small blood stain. A slight furrow in the material under the blood was visible but looked to have coagulated.
“Well the shirt may need a couple of stitches, but the wound, if you’d call it that, is no longer bleeding, though I’d recommend seeing the doctor.” He said, then added. “Thank you for the story, I’ll report it accurately with no embellishment and I shall leave Miss Katherine out of the article with the exception that she was not interfered with. If that’s to your liking.”
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Adelaide Chappel wrote on May 10, 2019
"Thank ya." Addy was pretty sure it wasn't bad, and she was pretty sure she wasn't seeing no doc! She laughed. "I'll likely bleed more from from tryin' ta mend my shirt!" She laughed again, then commented, "Reckon folks'll be glad ta know them Barnes boys ain't a problem no more. They been a burr under plenty'a saddles fer a long time."
Of course, they had kin, so there might be some retaliation, especially now her name would be in a paper she couldn't even read. But she didn't care, she wasn't going to live life in fear of what was going to happen.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phineas McVay wrote on May 10, 2019
"Of course, I need to respect the wishes of witnesses or never get another word from them on anything. Some don't understand that and twist words to suit their agenda." Phinn explained. "My job is to present the truth, not to impose my leanings one way or 'tuther is irresponsible publishing and there's enough of that going around this great nation, my thanks for your help on this." He extended his hand to the teamster. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Addy Chapple."