Jacob now excused himself, a wise move probably. Clara obviously knew he was very frustrated with her handling of this woman but now was not the time for any confrontation. She nodded as he headed out of the kitchen into the diner itself, even touched him gently as he went by her in a gesture of support.
"Didn't mean ta cause ya trouble with yer man," Tully muttered, then just concentrated on finishing her task.
"No, do not concern yourself on that score. We will be fine. I am sorry you only are seeing him like this though, Jacob really is a very kind gentle person. Which is why I married him," Clara replied, "He can on rare occasions get a bit.....emotional."
Just then there was a knock on the back door - don't tell her, was Arabella back again so soon? She would not dare. But Clara was wrong on that point.
"Open up, it's the Law!! Deputy Charlie's here, and you don't want mess around with The Big Dubya!"
"Arabella, you are lying. I am not letting you in. Go away!" Clara snapped angrily.
"We can come in the easy way or the hard way! come out with your hands up..Hannah Montana!"
"Arabella, I mean it. Go away!" Clara did not move an inch closer to the locked door.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
Charlie sighed. Arabella wasn't very convincing and in a way was making matters worse. He was hoping this could be done a bit more quietly as any more shouting might bring others to see what was going on.
Since he had not choice, he shouted loud enough so that he could be heard, "I'm sorry Mrs. Lutz but Arabella is right. Can I come in?"
Staying very still, Tully stared at the door, very much like a trapped animal. And, like a trapped animal, she was on the verge of doing something drastic and rash. The only thing holding her back was the pregnant woman standing between her and freedom, and her reluctance to hurt her, and a tiny inkling of trust that Clara wouldn't let anything bad happen.
Even so, Tully was working on whatever lies she was going to have to tell until she had a route of escape.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Frances had to go, or she would be late for work. But Arabella was too enthralled by the 'stand off' at the diner to follow. Just after she had gone, Arabella remembered the big puddle on main street she had forgotten to warn Frances about. Oh well, the blind girl would find out about it soon enough, she figured. Indeed, Miss Grimes would play the piano in the saloon that night with very wet and squelchy feet upon the pedals.
Since he had not choice, he shouted loud enough so that he could be heard, "I'm sorry Mrs. Lutz but Arabella is right. Can I come in?"
"Yeah, See?!" added Arabella pertly, just to make sure.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Lutz but Arabella is right. Can I come in?"
Well, that was definitely Charlie's voice, Clara realized, he must have either been summoned by the noise or on his evening rounds down Main Street in his capacity as deputy.
"Yeah, See?!" added Arabella pertly.
"So it is you then, well on rare occasions I suppose Arabella is right ," Clara replied thru the door for she made no effort to unlock it.
"However, the diner is closed. Why do you feel the need to come in? My husband is home you should be aware," Clara felt she was well within her rights to refuse the man his entry.
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
Charlie sighed. Clara Lutz was still as stubborn as ever. He turned to Arabella, "I'm sorry, but the only way I can insist that she opens the door, according to the town ordinances is if someone makes a formal complaint."
The lines between town, county and territorial laws was very thin until Montana became a state, he had no choice. Since this was clearly happening in Kalispell, it fell under town law. If Arabella were to make a complaint, and he had feeling that she would, then he would insist on entering the premises.
"Ya gonna let him in?" Tully whispered, watching Clara closely to see how she was going to react to the situation. Already, Tully was weighing her options and anticipating the questions that would be asked, then forming answers she could give, depending on what she thought they'd want to hear. That wasn't too much of a problem, she'd been doing it most of her life, and was pretty adept at saying what she needed to when the time came.
A few days in jail wouldn't be horrid, but she'd prefer to avoid that if she could, as well as avoiding attempts to not make it there, which would likely involve inflicting some pain on the poor deputy!
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Charlie sighed. Clara Lutz was still as stubborn as ever. He turned to Arabella, "I'm sorry, but the only way I can insist that she opens the door, according to the town ordinances is if someone makes a formal complaint."
Arabella looked affronted. "Well, don't look at me, I ain't no snitcher! I just want help the poor little thing!"
Still, that wouldn't happen if they couldn't get in there. She put her head to the crack and yelped through again, this time trying to use her astounding powers of logical argument.
"Say, Clara-Anne! It's me again! Arabella. Listen, me an' Charlie just wanna talk. He don't wanna bust the door down: he just wants to help little Tabby to mend her thievin' ways, me too. She kin get two square meals a day and a roof over her head at the Shelter and Charlie can explain all about the law and how she can't go round stealin' everybody's stuff. An' she should think herself lucky, cause if'n somebody else had caught her, someone mean like Addy Chappel, then she'd a been complained about and the Deputy would ha' had to arrest her cause that's what the Town Ornery-Dances say, and she'd feel the full majesty of the law. An' anyhow you can't keep her in there forever, cause let's face it: that girl smells, no offence Tabby, and people coming in for a nice slice of lemon cake and a cup of coffee might take a little sniff and think phewww-eeee, that Clare-Anne Lutz is letting herself go and I don't care if she is pregnant, that's no excuse. And, anyhow, the bible says Thou Shalt Not Steal, Deuteronomy, Chapter 5, Verse 19 and Miss Indiana might like it if she and I did a little bible reading together sometime, and that would help her become a better person. And it also says there that Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Wife, but we'd best not get into all that considerin' the company I'm in out here. And where was I, oh yes, so why don't you let us in and we can all sit down and have some pie and talk this whole thing over?"
"Ya gonna let him in?" Tully whispered.
Clara not only shook her head in the negative but also silently mouthed a very clear "No."
It was Arabella again, that girl just would not relent in her annoying behavior, heedless of who she insulted (as usual). Clara rolled her eyes as she endured the latest long winded blathering. At long last, a pause.
"Thank you Deputy and Miss Mudd for your concern but there is no problem here to worry about. I will of course inform the young lady about the Shelter should she wish to pursue a visit there. But - yet again it seems I must repeat myself.............the diner is closed. The doors will open on the morrow when we are once more in business hours. You may check the sign outside the front door should you have to refresh your memories on said hours. Good night, Deputy, Miss Mudd," Clara gave a firm clear reply in a tone that was both polite yet indicating there would be no changing her mind on this matter.
"Oh...and one more thing, Arabella....should you want a slice of pie, buy one like any other customer," she added with a hint of satisfaction.
@Bongo @Javia @Julie
I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
After hearing Clara's answer, Charlie shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Arabella and sighed, "Well, since you're not making a complaint and Clara has no intention of letting us in, then there's nothing else to do but go. If you need me you know where to find me."
With that Charlie went back to patrolling the street on his way back to the marshall's office. He mentally made a note to ask Marshall Guyer about how to handle situations like this in the future.