Posted January 19, 2021 | Brenden Connolly
So making assumptions about Clara was a risky business, and not one that Charlie advised. Brendan was learning that the hard way. And Charlie's tale about how Clara up and left the Thornton kids didn't paint her in a more favorable light. It seemed irresponsible, even to Brendan who liked to get out of work whenever he could.
"I guess it would take a lifetime to figure out Clara and that's too long. What isn't long is the line at the bar. Care for another?"
Brendan had had time to finish his beer by the time Charlie finished dishing up everything he knew about Clara. And he didn't even know the half of it! He wasn't sure if he should finish his story about his first meeting with Clara. He looked at his empty glass and nodded.
"I think I do. But I ain't even told you the worst part about meetin' Clara yet. C'mon." He grabbed Charlie's arm and headed for the beer table. "So there I was, ridin' down to say hello to what I thought was a real friendly gal. I even offered to help her with the laundry. And then she ups and points her Colt at me!"
"Well," he continued, "I did some quick thinkin' and quick talkin' and things was goin' a little better, but then the hands I come over with took a shot at us...at Clara, I guess. They missed, but it sure didn't make things better between us. But you know what? She defended me earlier when that deputy started askin' too many questions about what happened that day."
"Yes, Dear"
Posted January 20, 2021 | Jacob Lutz
Jacob listened to Clara’s advice on arm-taking etiquette (for want of a better phrase!) with an intensely interested look on his face, like a scholar desperate to be illuminated by wise old professor.
"Well....perhaps you should not in here...in public. We have just met afterall.”
Jacob nodded, and said the words that every woman longs to hear.
“You’re right!”
Good old sis and her clever advice. He was rewarded by a heart thrilling addendum by the beautiful girl in the blue evening gown.
“But once we are outside I would not mind it," she believed she had come up in a good middle of the road solution.
Bingo! Lutz didn’t dare get too excited about things, though, like that might jinx the good luck he’d had so far.
And with that the pair finished the last of the waltz, nodded to each other and exchanged 'thank yous' before then making their way out the wide barn doors into the cool evening air. Though outwardly calm, Clara's heart was pounding in excitement even nervousness. This farm boy was so much nicer to get along with than those cowpokes. He was literally a breath of fresh air.
His heart was banging too, but he managed to stroll on out of there, hands clasped behind his back, like he was sauntering off on a stroll on his own, not walking along side the prettiest girl in Kalispell, or maybe even the Territories. Or maybe even the World.
Once they had stolen out of the barn and gone a little way away from it, for there were many a folk milling around outside, he shyly put out his left arm and looked at it like it was the first time he had seen it in his life.
“I guess this is how I do it!” he smiled. “My sister says that a gentleman always offers his left arm so that he can draw his sword if he needs to defend his lady.” He added. “Or in my case, the penknife I use for whittling.”
When the moment came to feel her perfectly formed bare arm in his, he took her hand with his spare hand, his sword/penknife hand, as if to hold her safely and securely in place: but really because he just wanted to hold her hand. To be sure, his head was swimming for a moment: he was holding Clara Redmond’s hand! Christmas morning had nothing on this!
He looked down and at her lovely face, her pretty little nose and her beautiful brown eyes: so full of intelligence and yet always, he felt, clouded by a little sadness, too.
“It’s funny, now we’re out here and I’m looking at you; I hardly want to view the moon.” He said, with an air of wonder at just how lovely she was. “But I don’t want you think this was just an excuse to get to hold your hand, so we’d better step over yonder, where there’s a gap in the houses.” He said practically. Indeed, the moon was low and they would need to stroll even further away from the barn to really see it properly.
It was magnificent. It’s position near the horizon made it look enormous. An illusion, of course, but a stunning one. The bright part of the moon was nothing more than a thin slither, like the shard of glass you never see after you accidentally smash a glass on the floor and don’t discover until you tread on the darn thing the one time you walk into the kitchen in bare feet. Inside this silver sliver’s grasp could be clearly seen the round form of the dark moon, like a person hiding in the shadows: there and not there at the same time, a cave of gray black light in clear deep indigo night sky.
Just as beautiful was a bright white star just below, following the Sun which had long dipped below the horizon.
"That's Venus." Jacob said simply. "Boy, has she got a lot to answer for!" he added with feeling, squeezing Clara's hand a little.
Posted January 20, 2021 | Benjamin Barlow
"Oh, I wouldn’t ever try and make you leave the army if I married ya, I’d be that proud to be married to a officer: ‘How dya do? I’m Mrs Captain Benjamin Barlow, U.S. Cavalry.’ Gee Cap, I think you should get married, maybe to a nice Southern girl, y'know, healing the divide.”
Benjamin smiled but did not reply, how do you answer that from a child? He knew exactly what nice Southern girl she meant afterall.
“I think takin’ a Mrs Barlow would be good for your career, too: I mean, all them big Army Generals is married, ain’t they? Like General Useless Grant, and General George Armstong Custard, and General Terry…, er, I don’t know his second name, but I’m pretty sure he’s married, too.”
"I doubt highly I will ever attain the lofty rank of general. By the way, it's Custer and he actually is only a lieutenant colonel. He was a general in the war. Oh and Terry is that worthy's last name too," he gently corrected her.
After the dance, the good Captain tried to say his goodbyes, but he hadn’t reckoned with the Clinch Mountain barnacle.
"Well...on that note then, I thank you for the dance, young lady, and I need to take my leave. I intend on parching my thirst with a drink at the beer tent. Good evening," he smiled then gave a nod of the head sort of bow.
“Oh, that’s good, I’m a headin’ that way m’self!” she beamed happily, taking his arm and hanging on like a limpet: the kind of limpet that other limpets criticise for being ‘too clingy’.
She was? He had not expected that.
“I work at the saloon so I know all them folks in the beer tent, like Mr Flandry, he’s the barman and he’s got a beard like you, and Mammy Cookie, she’s a big fat black lady and I love her and she used to be a slave but she ‘scaped on the railroad, and I’m allowed to go behind the bar, well it’s more like a table really, but it’s like the bar tonight and I could get you your beer so you don’t have to get in line, because I reckon that’s beneath your station, what with you bein’ a war hero and all.” She chattered away breathlessly as they walked.
"I did not say I was a war hero, girl," again he felt compelled to make a correction. She works at the saloon?
Messalina saw them coming and shook her head.
Arabella introduced him excitedly.
“Cookie! Cookie! Permit me to introduce Captain Benjamin Barlow” she yelped, then struck a dramatic pose. “The name he was given at birth, the rank he hath earned!”
A very uncomfortable Benjamin nodded, "Hello." There he was literally the only one with female accompaniment amongst all those menfolk customers and quite a few noticed.
“Beer Cap’n?” asked the cook “Or do you feel in need a something stronger?!”
"I could use ..........how about a shot of whiskey. Good whiskey, not the cheap stuff," he replied.
Posted January 20, 2021 | Clara Redmond Lutz
The boy was certainly proving to be most agreeable, Clara definitely like that. The pair left the barn then, strolling out the wide open doors and slowly walked thru other people gathered outside too, paying no attention to the chatter and laughter all about them. When they were a bit more in the clear, Jacob then offered his arm for escort.
“I guess this is how I do it!” he smiled. “My sister says that a gentleman always offers his left arm so that he can draw his sword if he needs to defend his lady.” He added. “Or in my case, the penknife I use for whittling.”
"Looks good to me," Clara happily agreed as she then entwined her arm with his, this was a first for her.
"A penknife? Well then let us hope that I do not need defending," she quipped.
They moved on a bit further and he was holding hands with her then, Clara had no objection.
“It’s funny, now we’re out here and I’m looking at you; I hardly want to view the moon.” He said.
"Oh? "
“But I don’t want you think this was just an excuse to get to hold your hand, so we’d better step over yonder, where there’s a gap in the houses."
"Hmmm, very well, but I am trusting you do know the proper boundaries though," Clara just wanted to put that out there though she was not really alarmed, she had faith in the boy.
They found a perfect spot though and, in truth, the view of the night sky and the sliver of crescent moon was amazing. Clara had never really bothered to do this sort of thing before and for the first time, she realized what she had been missing.
"Oh gosh!" she just stood still and gazed upward. There was more too.
"That's Venus." Jacob said simply. "Boy, has she got a lot to answer for!" he added with feeling, squeezing Clara's hand a little .
"Oh indeed? Why do you say that?" Clara prided herself on her education, though much of it had been self taught but she knew very little about the stars and planets.
This farm boy was full of surprises!
Retired Characters and NPC Writer.
Posted January 20, 2021
"Mrs. Miggins." Jay repeated her name. It tasted a tad sour in his mouth and he surely wasn't overly keen on becoming buddies with the woman, who had taken a shot at him and was now black mailing him. She had to be able to read people really well because she seemed damn sure he wouldn't repay the favour with the bullet.
"Well, mam. It's been a pleasure coming to an agreement with you. I will come to your place in two days time with my tools. If you'd excuse me now?"
With a polite gesture he walked to the door, asking her to follow. After all she was sitting in his chair in the middle of his home.
Perhaps this could really turn out as a chance to stay in Kalispell.
"Yes, Dear"
Posted January 21, 2021 | Jacob Lutz
"Hmmm, very well, but I am trusting you do know the proper boundaries though," Clara just wanted to put that out there though she was not really alarmed, she had faith in the boy.
“Miss Clara Redmond, your boundaries are as safe as a barbed wire fence while I’m around” he assured her, drawing a simile from the piles of the stuff that were stacked up in his Granny’s barn.
He maneuvered her over to where the view of the stars and planets was best on this miraculously clear evening.
"That's Venus." Jacob said simply. "Boy, has she got a lot to answer for!" he added with feeling, squeezing Clara's hand a little .
"Oh indeed? Why do you say that?" Clara prided herself on her education, though much of it had been self taught but she knew very little about the stars and planets.
“Well in ancient times, they named the planets after their Gods” he explained “Jupiter was the King of the Gods, Mars the most warlike, and Mercury was the cleverest; but the most powerful of all was Venus, because she was the Goddess of Love.” He said, still holding onto her hand with their arms entwined.
“Why, that little lady made the Greeks launch a Thousand Ships to rescue Helen of Troy from her lover Paris, she made Mark Antony give up half the Roman Empire and his own life for the love of Cleopatra of the Nile…” he was warming to his subject now “And even in modern times, she makes farm-boys spend their last two cents on a slice of pie, just so they can sit in a diner, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl they’re sweet on.” He said, turning to her now and looking down on the prim but gorgeous face.
“Why, she’s so powerful she can even make that same farm-boy forget the solemn promise he made to respect that same, very beautiful girl’s barb-wire boundaries.” He finished, bending slightly to try and kiss her gently on the lips.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Posted January 21, 2021 | Arabella Mudd
“I did not say I was a war hero, girl," again he felt compelled to make a correction. She works at the saloon?
“Oh, course not. You’re too modest!” she informed the veteran, patting him on the arm approvingly.
When they got to the beer tent, a large woman behind the makeshift bar seemed to divine what the good Captain might need, judging by his company.
“Beer Cap’n?” asked the cook “Or do you feel in need a something stronger?!”
"I could use ..........how about a shot of whiskey. Good whiskey, not the cheap stuff," he replied.
“Only the best!” Messalina confirmed and shooting a sideways glance to make sure Ralph wasn’t listening, added “On the house, I reckon you’ve probably earned it.” She handed him a double.
Arabella wasn’t listening, one of the men in the tent had shouted “Hey Reb, who’s your boyfriend?” and she was busy replying a matter of fact “It’s Captain Barlow from the Fort.”
She turned back to the said officer and waved a depreciating hand at the ribald and inebriated crowd of men.
“Oh, I know all these drunken reprobates, Captain.” Clara had taught her that last fancy word. “See him, that’s Mr Jarman, he used be a bigshot lawyer back East, but he turned up in court all lickered up one day and told the Judge what he could do with his gavel. I don’t know what a gavel is, Cap, but I’m sure you ain’t supposed to do what Mr Jarman told that Judge to do with it. Anyhow, he got disbarbed or something.” She explained, pointing to the man who had asked her who her boyfriend was.
“And that young feller there, the one that doesn’t look even old enough to drink, he’s Charlie Wentworth. He’s the biggest lush in town and me and Mr Flandry have to drag him out of the saloon just about every night – I’m in charge of makin’ sure he don’t bonk his head on the steps outside!” she added proudly. “An’ one mornin’ I went to mop the floor and he was asleep under a table and he’d been sick all over…”
Messalina interrupted this detailed character assassination of all the loyal saloon customers in the tent with a question for the military man.
“Say Cap’n, I’ve been reading about this big expedition against the Indians coming up, are any of you boys up at the Fort going to be part of this ‘Montana Column’ that they’re talking about?”
"Smokey! Sic em, boy, sic em!"
Posted January 21, 2021 | Nellie Miggins
"Well, mam. It's been a pleasure coming to an agreement with you. I will come to your place in two days time with my tools. If you'd excuse me now?"
“You are excused, just make sure you do a good job on that there fence. It’s tricky stuff, that wire.” She said sternly, standing up and bustling to the door and pushing past him with a tart “Ladies first!”
Stepping out into the street, Nellie could feel well satisfied with her day’s work. She’d decided to let Jacob stay at the dance while she went home in the pony and trap. Last time she’d seen him, he’d been pitching woo at that snooty little Redmond girl: well, good luck to him there, she didn’t fancy his chances with that po-faced little Madame. If she’d been a boy she’d have gone after that gormless redheaded piece. Only one leg, dumb as a stump, but probably anybody’s for a slice of pumpkin pie.
Yeah, if she’d been a boy, things would have been different. It was a man’s world, but if a girl put her mind to it, she could have all of those fellers dancing to her tune and putting up barbed wire fences till Kingdom Come.
Jay was locking up before heading back to the dance.
“Night Night, Mister Ryker” she simpered with sickly sweet smile that would have charmed any passer by into thinking ‘what a wonderful grandmotherly figure of a woman!’
Posted January 21, 2021 | Clara Redmond Lutz
“Miss Clara Redmond, your boundaries are as safe as a barbed wire fence while I’m around” Jacob declared.
Strange allusion, but she got the point, "Very well."
It was time then to talk about the moon and as it turned out the ancient pagan gods, the Trojan War, planets and more. The boy might be a farmer but he certainly was not an ignorant bumpkin. Clara enjoyed listening to him.
“And even in modern times, she makes farm-boys spend their last two cents on a slice of pie, just so they can sit in a diner, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl they’re sweet on.” He said, turning to her now and looking down right into her eyes.
Oh my! So he not only knew about her, he it seemed doted on her, spending hard earned money just to catch sight of her at the diner. And she had had no idea. They had never even spoken. She was flattered, more than that she was touched.
"Oh Jacob.." she started but he was not done yet.
“Why, she’s so powerful she can even make that same farm-boy forget the solemn promise he made to respect that same, very beautiful girl’s barb-wire boundaries,” he finished, bending slightly to try and kiss her gently on the lips.
Wait! What was he doing? His face was coming close, her eyes went wide.
"Whoa!" and that's when Clara put up one hand about even with both sets of lips, blocking any contact even as she stepped back.
"Jacob, we ....we have only known each other now for....minutes not even hours," she pointed out in a voice just above a whisper.
"I meant what I said by boundaries, apparently unlike you," Clara wasn't angry, more like disappointed.
"Yes, Dear"
Posted January 22, 2021 | Jacob Lutz
Jacob’s attempt to kiss Clara wasn’t successful, but the reaction could have been a lot worse.
"Whoa!" and that's when Clara put up one hand about even with both sets of lips, blocking any contact even as she stepped back.
The failed Romeo let his Juliet separate from him and stood with his hands held out uselessly where the pretty little pie maker had just been standing. He looked down at them, deciding the least embarrassing way to dispose of them. In the end he shoved them in his pockets, out of the way and maybe symbolically putting them where they couldn’t be tempted to do more mischief.
"Jacob, we ....we have only known each other now for....minutes not even hours," she pointed out in a voice just above a whisper.
He nodded sadly. “I guess that was pretty stupid of me.” He admitted.
"I meant what I said by boundaries, apparently unlike you," Clara wasn't angry, more like disappointed.
He gave a tight little philosophical smile, the kind you do when something you know is going to go wrong does go wrong, and nodded.
“I’m sorry, Clara, that was unforgivable. I can’t expect you to forget it: I can only beg you to try and find it in your heart to forgive me and not to think too harshly of me in the future. You see, I don’t think I’ll ever be this close to you ever again: and if I hadn’t have tried to kiss you, even ever so chastely, I’d have woken up tomorrow morning, and every morning after that for the rest of my life, and kicked myself and said ‘you idiot Lutz, why didn’t you try and kiss the most beautiful girl you ever met on that one magical night when you stood arm in arm with her under a new moon.’”
“Course, what I forgot was that you’re not just a pretty face, you’re not just a vision of loveliness for me to moon over and sigh about, you’re a real person, you’re an intelligent, interesting, wonderful person, funny too, in your own dry way.” He smiled a little. “And I just ruined any chance of getting to know that person as a … well, as a real friend, what with my…” he rolled his eyes at himself “…’romantical ways’. So, it looks like I swapped one regret for another. Well, that’s life, I guess.” He sighed sadly.
“I’d better take you back to the dance” he said, then added rather stiffly, as if he felt it necessary to draw a line under the whole affair “I’m really, genuinely sorry for my ungentlemanly conduct Miss Redmond, and I honestly hope I haven’t ruined your evening too badly.”