I took an oath for this job. The oath says bring him in. That's what I'll do.
Posted January 9, 2021 | Charlie Wentworth
Under normal circumstances, someone mentioning that they worked for Evergreen would have riled most Lost Lake hands but not tonight. At the mention of Evergreen, Charlie could see that one of his co-workers wanted to say something but a tap on the shoulder from the other hand stopped him.
Charlie nodded and turned to Brendan, "Well, you're in luck. Ordinarily my friends would take offence at the mere mention of Evergreen but we have a more important reason that requires us to be on our best behaviour. So you won't be getting any arguments from us."
"Sounds good to me and by my reckoning you haven't got much time left to cash in Charlie."
Looking at the newcomer, he smiled, "No, I guess not. Mike was right, I was too optimistic." Once again he turned to address Brendan, "This here is Marty Smith. Marty this is Brendan"
Marty held out his hand to Brendan, "Can't say it's a pleasure meeting an Evergreen hand, so I'll let it pass for now."
One of the other hands left to go and get some more beer for the group. When he returned he handed out a beer to each of the other three. Lifting up his glass, he smiled, "Here's to the temporary truce between Evergreen and Lost Lake."
"Hear, hear," Charlie answered before taking another drink. There was something he wanted to ask the Evergreen man and so after taking another sip of his beer he did. "Say Brendan, how did you come to meet Clara anyway?"
Posted January 9, 2021 | Clara Redmond Lutz
The gangly seventeen year old smiled that toothy but genuine smile again and proffered an arm whose sleeve was a little too short and showed a mite more of his wrist and even his lower arm than it ought.
Clara let him escort her out to the dance floor, not going too deeply though since the dance was already in progress. On most times Clara would have noticed his ill fitting wardrobe but not this evening. Instead she was studying the lad himself. Arabella had called him 'hayseed' which only added to her own assumption the boy was a farmer. So they had that in common. Truthfully she had about quite enough of know it all cowboys.
Once out onto the floor they quickly assumed the proper positions and joined on in, blending in without any issues. He knew what he was doing alright. Arabella had said he could dance 'like the devil' was it? Nothing devilish about it, to her mind. She was quite pleased.
He waited until they’d done a once-around before he ventured to make conversation.
“You certainly are a beautiful dancer, Miss Redmond.” He intoned casually.
"Why thank you," she was glad to hear it and returned the compliment, "You are too."
Wait! That needed a bit of fixing she suddenly realized, "I do not mean beautiful. But....elegant. You dance superbly. " She was quite certain boys did not want to be called 'beautiful'.
"Oh and please call me Clara....Jacob," she added - Miss and Mister sounded so formal. This was just supposed to be fun.
Posted January 9, 2021 | Leah Steelgrave
“The point is, it’s progress. Of course who knows how long it will take the railroad to come through here, it might be years off, but the need for a hospital, that will be the sooner the better. People just don’t realize that as yet, but, they will. That, my dear Jonah, is why we will build it first.”
"We should try to figure out where the tracks will run and start buying up land," Jonah suggested with a chuckle, then shrugged. "Pity we can't see into the future." They could make a killing, but then, he figured they wouldn't be the only ones speculating, and if you didn't have the funds for a little bribe, then the tracks very well may bypass you completely.
“Jonah, the right of ways have already been purchased and are what has been gifted to Kalispell, although I’m thinking it’s the Town Council, or rather, certain members who believe they were gifted to them personally.” She reminded him. “Though, I might say, there is prime property that can be had at the right of ways edge.”
This had gone so badly with the judge and perhaps others on the council, so far, that she could see buying up the land that would best serve for the depot, warehousing and such. She would hold onto those thoughts.
“Now, since we’ve solved the town’s problems, perhaps we should go back inside and join the festivities. You know, wives to meet, others to socialize with, that sort of thing.”
"Of course." Grinning, Jonah raised his voice a couple octaves. "We must play nice with the Wednesday Afternoon Tea Clutch to win their favor." He laughed. "I'll make my best tea biscuits and lace them with just a little rum!"
Leah laughed at the thought. “I’m quite sure that would never do, though I do appreciate the offer, Sir.”
While conning and conniving were needed to achieve great success in business, Jonah had neither taste nor aptitude for politics, even at a local level.
"I'd be more than happy to play the roguish, mysterious doctor for you, and I will stay prudently silent."
“I believe the town is well aware of who and what you are Jonah Danforth, there’ll be no need of playing at it.” She offered her hand, “Come, let’s see what mischief we can create.”
Retired Characters and NPC Writer.
Posted January 9, 2021 | Jay Ryker
As he walked away, trying not to look like he was in a huge rush, he thought about Crabs offer. Greed had gotten him in this tight spot in the first place. He should never accept dodgy offers again. If only he had searched for honest work, instead of hoping to make a quick dollar by taking it from others. It had always felt wrong but not wrong enough to stay away from it and now he was paying for it. Jay deserved it. He didn't deserve Addy or a happy life with her.
His thoughts darkened as his steps became quicker. At his small place he unlocked the door and then started gathering his few belongings to throw them all in the canvas bag, that he had used to bring them from Addy's place to his own. There wasn't much, just some clothes, some tools, his blanket and pillow, a book and some soap and a brush and tooth brush.
Then he sat down on his bed, staring at the bag.
He wished he had never gone to that darn dance and the old lady hadn't seen him. Perhaps she was already telling the good town folks, what he had done. And then Addy would know it's true because she had seen his bullet wound.
In despair he put his head in his hands.
"Yes, Dear"
Posted January 10, 2021 | Jacob Lutz
“You certainly are a beautiful dancer, Miss Redmond.” He intoned casually.
"Why thank you," she was glad to hear it and returned the compliment, "You are too."
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He smiled modestly and perhaps a little shyly.
Wait! That needed a bit of fixing she suddenly realized, "I do not mean beautiful. But....elegant. You dance superbly. " She was quite certain boys did not want to be called 'beautiful'.
“Having two sisters who are crazy about the pastime will do that to a feller, Miss Redmond.” he explained, and indeed he had spent many an evening waltzing and polka-ing with his sisters, him as their unwilling partner. It had seemed like an ungodly waste of his time when he was younger; but, by crikey, it was sure paying dividends now!
"Oh and please call me Clara....Jacob," she added - Miss and Mister sounded so formal. This was just supposed to be fun.
“All right… Clara.” He said, a little self-consciously, then laughed a little. “Clara, Clara, Clara. That’s certainly a pretty name. Like Clara Barton! Except she isn’t pretty like you; she’s more … ‘admirable’.”
Oh, oh, that sounded like she wasn’t! “Course, you’re pretty and admirable!” he added, then shook his head, laughing at his own embarrassment.
“Sorry Miss R... Clara, I’m talking too much; just nervous I guess!”
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Posted January 10, 2021 | Arabella Mudd
Bridget basked in the sensation of being waltzed around the dance floor by the big strong Army Captain with the black moustache and the fascinatingly changeable hazel eyes. They didn’t speak much: he was the strong, silent type, and she was the type who has a speech disorder, to put it bluntly. But it was wonderful and, sadly, over all too soon. The band was displaying a pattern: they’d play a slow waltz, a fast polka and then a country style dance with a caller: the next dance would be out of her league.
No matter, as the dance drew to a close, and Bridget stammered an assurance in the Captain’s ear that “it was nice”, a somewhat more loquacious and insistent voice sounded right beside them.
“She can’t dance the next ‘un 'cause it’s too fast, so how about takin’ me for a spin, Cap’n?!” grinned Arabella, looking up at the Cavalry officer. She was back from the improvised ‘powder room’ outside the barn, and she was looking for a new partner. Bridget looked pleased to see her, even if she was ‘cutting in’.
“Come on Cap, be a sport – there’s a feller here I’m all besotted over, and I wanna make him jealous. Seein’ me being thrown around the hall by a big ol’ handsome brute like you ought to do the trick!” she reasoned. If this wasn’t enough of an enticement, she informed him that “An’ ‘sides, I’m well known to be the best dancer in all unoccupied Virginia, ain’t I Bridg’?” and Bridget looked at Captain Barlow and nodded, in her usual wide eyed way. She happened to know that that assertion was true: Arabella had told her so herself.
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
Posted January 10, 2021 | Nellie Miggans
In despair he put his head in his hands.
Perhaps, in that moment of deep, dark despair, one of God’s Angels in Heaven, might have looked down and taken pity on the poor Englishman: a man trying so hard to turn his life around; to steer his once crooked path onto the straight and narrow; to atone for past wrongs.
No such luck.
There was a sharp rap on the window, and the screeching voice of a harpy, spawned from the depths of some hellish pit.
“Ryker! Jay Ryker!! I know your name now and I know exactly who you are! Let me in! Let me in do you hear? Or I’m a headin’ straight to the Sheriff’s office ‘n tell him exactly who and WHAT you are my fancy English friend. Come on! Chop, chop! Nellie Miggins don’t repeat herself twice for any man, especially no low down dirty bank robber and murderer and arsonist and whatever the Dickens other sinful wickedness you been up to! And don’t try anything fancy, I’m armed!”
Posted January 10, 2021 | Brendan Connolly
So it looked like his admission of being an Evergreen hand wasn't quite as incendiary as he thought it would be...but Charlie made it clear that there was some reason that he and the other Lost Lake hands weren't ready to jump him just because he rode for the Steelgraves.
Then Charlie introduced him to one of the other hands. Brendan was curious as to what the Lost Lake hands were cashing in on (and if he could cash in, too), and why they were on their best behavior, but he didn't have a chance to ask as Marty held out his hand to Brendan. "Can't say it's a pleasure meeting an Evergreen hand, so I'll let it pass for now."
Brendan grinned and shook Marty's hand. At least he seemed to have a sense of humor. "What's that saying? Better the devil you know? Well, now you know me."
One of the other Lost Lake hands came back with another round of beers for them. Brendan accepted the beer and the toast: "Here's to the temporary truce between Evergreen and Lost Lake."
"Hear, hear," he echoed Charlie, raising his glass and taking a large swig from it.
But then Charlie asked how he had met Clara. Well, that was one story he didn't want to repeat tonight. He didn't know quite what sort of relationship the Redmonds had with Lost Lake, but if Clara had danced with Charlie it couldn't be too bad. And in that case he didn't want to admit that he had been involved - sort of - in Clara's almost getting shot.
"Well...it's a long story..." he took a drink before continuing. "Really not worth tellin'. But what's this here thing you're cashin' in on? Can I get in on it?" He leaned closer. If the story had to come out, it had to come out. But if he could distract Charlie from his goal, then he would.
Posted January 11, 2021 | Clara Redmond Lutz
Ahh, so he had sisters, yes that might make sense then he was an accomplished dancer. Clara nodded comprehension then suggested they call each other by their Christian names. He was happy to oblige.
“All right… Clara.” He said, a little self-consciously, then laughed a little. “Clara, Clara, Clara. That’s certainly a pretty name. Like Clara Barton! Except she isn’t pretty like you; she’s more … ‘admirable’.”
"Well, I could hardly hope to compete with such a wonderful heroic woman as Miss Barton. I also had no real say in my name, that was my mother's decision but I am content with it," Clara opined.
He must have suddenly worried he had said the wrong thing, “Course, you’re pretty and admirable!” then shook his head, laughing at his own embarrassment.
“Sorry Miss R... Clara, I’m talking too much; just nervous I guess!”
"Please do not be nervous. I think you are doing just splendidly if perhaps a tad too enthusiastic on the compliments but I have to admire your effort," Clara smiled.
"Thank you for the 'pretty'...but you do not really know me to decide I am 'admirable' though I appreciate the sentiment."
Suddenly the girl decided to be pro-active and made a quick request, "Say, when the dance is finished would you like to talk? Nothing special just a nice conversation?"
Posted January 11, 2021 | Benjamin Barlow
The two finished up the stately waltz with Bridget declaring in that soft voice of hers "It was nice." Benjamin nodded in agreement, "It was. I enjoyed it, thank you for allowing me the dance."
That was barely out when another young female voice piped up though this one was far more audible and confident sounding.
"She can’t dance the next ‘un 'cause it’s too fast, so how about takin’ me for a spin, Cap’n?!”
Benjamin glanced at the new speaker, "Oh, are you her sister?" They certainly did not look like sisters but then that did not play out in many families. But he was still curious about poor Bridget's family, one that lived in a home with coffins.
"Come on Cap, be a sport – there’s a feller here I’m all besotted over, and I wanna make him jealous. Seein’ me being thrown around the hall by a big ol’ handsome brute like you ought to do the trick!” the girl reasoned. If this wasn’t enough of an enticement, she informed him that “An’ ‘sides, I’m well known to be the best dancer in all unoccupied Virginia, ain’t I Bridg’?”
Well, this was a bold one, full of schemes and confidence. How old was this girl anyhow? She looked twelve, not that he was any expert on young people. He had once complimented another officer on his 'wife' only to have the man frown and state the lady spoken of was in fact his daughter. Guesses ages of women was tricky.
"Well, does this so called 'feller' have a strong temper for I would not like to be a participant in some sort of disturbance?" he cautioned but with a smile, "Jealousy can be a strong emotion you know, miss."