Posted October 31, 2020 | Leah Steelgrave | Present: Marshal Guyer

Leah sat at the only table in the small house she purchased after renting it for most of the winter months. It was comfortable for her, just enough, as she found out. Most of her things were stored for the time being until she decided what it was she was going to do going forward.

Going forward, that would be after the business with the hospital and orphanage was completed, which she believed would be soon. However, at the moment that seem far off in the future. First, the fight before her with the Town Council. The Right of Way deeds had been presented to Judge Ben Robertson with Marshal Speed Guyer as an unintentional witness. So far, that had proven to be a huge miscalculation on her part.

Now there was a battle for bragging rights as to who actually procured the Right of Way deeds. It was, she thought, small minded, crass, and deceitful. She had gifted the town with those deeds, not for accolades, but for trade consideration for the land that would be needed. And, she found herself up against the likes of Pastor Gideon Evans, proprietor Daniel Wilson, and Charles Wentworth Senior the new Bank owner and President, just to name a few. And then, there was her father.

As all this crept into her thinking she set he writing aside, it would take everything she had to combat the men she was up against. Somehow, this noble venture had turned ugly, at least for her, when there came a knock on the door, it wouldn’t be Jonah, she knew he had ventured to the dance, so she went to the door and opened it. Removing his hat, there stood Marshal Guyer.

“Miss Steelgrave.” He said.

Emeline could very well have cried into her cream as well at the bittersweet memories, but then that phrase nearly made her laugh aloud as they started across the street with their burden.

"You're right, it is beautiful, I don't think there is anything quite so beautiful as love, whether it's for your husband or your child, and it's a good, happy feeling." She stopped short of saying that it was losing that love that crushed your heart and had you crying in your pillow...she didn't need to think about those things so early in life, and hopefully she would never know that pain. Bad enough she was an orphan.

"You'll know love when it comes, don't worry. But don't jump at feelings just because you are wanting love." Easy advice from an old lady! "Here, now, put the jug on the table and have your dance."

It looked like the music was getting ready to start, so they were both just in time for the first dance!

Posted November 2, 2020 | Arabella Mudd | Present: Emeline back to the dance (no reply needed)

What with all the banners and festooning, it took them a minute to find the ladder on the north wall, partially hidden, but once they knew where it was they quickly scrambled up to the loft and found a comfortable spot in the hay with a good view of the floor below.

"You'll know love when it comes, don't worry. But don't jump at feelings just because you are wanting love." Easy advice from an old lady!

“Ms Em” replied the younger girl, philosophically, “If what I feel when I think about that feller is love, I don’t want it!”

After four months working in the saloon, Arabella was an expert at carrying liquids without spilling a drop, but she was still careful of the cream as she looked up at the woman next to her “Ms Em, I like talking to you.” She smiled as she made this statement, which was as simple as it was true.

Talk about this sort of thing with Mammy Cookie, and she would give you a whole bunch of old wives’ tales to cure whatever the problem was: putting a bull frog under your pillow seemed to be her particular favorite, a veritable universal panacea for anything! Bridget was too dumb to understand and Clara would just correct your grammar. As for Ms Devereau … the thought of talking about anything with her made the girl shudder.

"Here, now, put the jug on the table and have your dance."

Arabella did so with alacrity, it was clear that the band were tuning up to begin!

She should really stay and check out that Clara and Brendan had finally buried the hatchet (and not in each other’s heads!) and that Bridget was all right, but even a living saint like Arabella had to be a little selfish sometimes. She gave quick wave and with a quick squeak of “I gotta go!” she was gone.

"They're going to start dancing," Weedy observed, wrinkling up his nose as he took a bite of cookie. "I'm never going to dance with a girl! Never going to get married, either. I'm going to drive stages like Miz Addy, maybe in California, so I can find gold and be rich!"

Grinning, he chomped on more cookie, then added, "Or be a lawman, like Marshal Guyer. I don't know yet."

Posted November 2, 2020 | Jonah Danforth | Present: Matilda, Col MacKenzie

Jonah was about to escort the lovey Miss Matilda to the dance floor when they were accosted by a soldier, and just as he decided to give up his turn to avoid conflict, Matilda did that for them, arranging for both gentlemen to have an opportunity to dance with her.

At the introductions, Jonah shook MacKenzie's hand. "Colonel, it's a pleasure to meet you. I admire that you are in the Military, especially out here." He chuckled. "The War cured any delusion I had about being a soldier, although it was my stint in the cavalry that steered me toward medicine, so I suppose I should be happy for that."

MacKenzie smiled. "If I had had another avocation to turn to, I can't be sure I myself would still be in uniform. We can always use more doctors out here. Not everyone agrees we need more soldiers. I try to give my own doctor as little to do as possible."

He'd had no direction before the War, and honestly, had it not been for his time as an orderly under an excellent surgeon, he would likely be dead by now.