"Say, Miriam, I don't suppose you'd walk Frances here home: I promised I would but apparently I'm needed here." Hector asked.
Frances chimed in, "It's just a little difficult with the banjo."
"Oh certainly," Miriam needed no convincing, she would be happy to assist the poor thing.
"I'd ask Arabella" added Hector "But it looks like she's lit out already."
"She probably went to her other job now," Miriam had no idea if that was even true but was covering up for her bosom friend rather than suggest the girl was afraid blind people were contagious.
"I would be happy to carry your banjo for you or we can simply walk arm in arm back to your place? Whatever is easiest for you," Miriam offered.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Oh certainly," Miriam needed no convincing, she would be happy to assist the poor thing.
"That's so kind, thank you." gushed Frances.
"I'd ask Arabella" added Hector "But it looks like she's lit out already."
"She probably went to her other job now," Miriam had no idea if that was even true but was covering up for her bosom friend rather than suggest the girl was afraid blind people were contagious.
"I'm sure I'll do just fine with Miss Kaufmann, thank you Hector. Oh, Miriam, I could listen to that beautiful accent all evening long! Say, I know this sounds like a ridiculous question but... well, we had this little blind girl in our class at the Institute: she was a day girl because she lived locally, well, down on the South side, Ruthie Holman. she spoke with a wonderful Yiddish accent just like you... I don't suppose you knew her?" Frances babbled, really happy for the first time since she had left New York over a year ago.
"I'm sorry, I'm gabbling, I'm so excited..." she ran on, Hector caught Miriam's eye and smiled, happy at the blind girl's happiness. "I'd better go. Thanks Miriam." he said warmly.
"I would be happy to carry your banjo for you or we can simply walk arm in arm back to your place? Whatever is easiest for you," Miriam offered.
"Let's walk arm in arm!" Frances liked that idea, and when they were well clear of the barn, leaned in closer to her sighted companion and spoke in a quiet voice:
"Miriam, I know we've only just met, but can I ask you a strange question: girl to girl?"
"Miriam, I could listen to that beautiful accent all evening long! Say, I know this sounds like a ridiculous question but... well, we had this little blind girl in our class at the Institute: she was a day girl because she lived locally, well, down on the South side, Ruthie Holman. she spoke with a wonderful Yiddish accent just like you... I don't suppose you knew her?" Frances babbled.
"Thank you I guess...about my accent. There are those who definitely do not like it let me just say," not that Miriam wanted to dwell on such things.
"But no, I do not know any Holmans. New York is a huge city though, not surprising," Miriam smiled.
"I'm sorry, I'm gabbling, I'm so excited..." she ran on, Hector caught Miriam's eye and smiled, happy at the blind girl's happiness. "I'd better go. Thanks Miriam." he said warmly.
"I'm happy to, Hector, see you around then," the Jewess graced the bow with a warm grin.
"I would be happy to carry your banjo for you or we can simply walk arm in arm back to your place? Whatever is easiest for you," Miriam offered.
"Let's walk arm in arm!" Frances liked that idea, and when they were well clear of the barn, leaned in closer to her sighted companion and spoke in a quiet voice:
"Miriam, I know we've only just met, but can I ask you a strange question: girl to girl?"
Miriam liked walking arm in arm too, her and Ara did that sometimes.
"You may certainly ask me any question, hopefully I can provide you with an adequate answer, that I cannot guarantee," Miriam replied.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Miriam, I know we've only just met, but can I ask you a strange question: girl to girl?"
"You may certainly ask me any question, hopefully I can provide you with an adequate answer, that I cannot guarantee," Miriam replied.
"It is regarding Mr. Wigfall... Hector. And it should not really matter, especially not to me, but a girl cannot help being curious. He has been very nice to me, arranging for me to play here tonight and actually earn a little money by the sweat of my own brow, for I cannot abide charity. He has been so very attentive.... Again, between ourselves, girl to girl.... is he handsome?"
There, she had got there in the end. She knew it was an odd, even shabby, question to ask, but Frances was normal enough a person to dream of love and happiness in a loving marriage, but she would not want people to say 'that ugly Hector Wigfall, he had to find a blind girl to marry him!' or 'Poor Frances, if only she could see her husband!' or anything like that. She knew that a handsome face or an ugly one would feel pretty similar to her touch. She needed another woman's advice.
About Hector? Hmmmm, Miriam listened to the rest.
"He has been very nice to me, arranging for me to play here tonight and actually earn a little money by the sweat of my own brow, for I cannot abide charity. He has been so very attentive.... Again, between ourselves, girl to girl.... is he handsome?"
Oh that was an easy question to answer, Miriam nodded not that the other girl could see.
"That is very nice of him and rest assured Hector is quite handsome. He is of average height, lean build but no weakling, dark hair, nice smile," Miriam replied.
"Are you interested in him?" Miriam suddenly realized perhaps her own fascination with the boy should be ended immediately as she would not wish to compete with Frances, the poor thing had enough problems in her life. It would be cruel.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"That is very nice of him and rest assured Hector is quite handsome. He is of average height, lean build but no weakling, dark hair, nice smile," Miriam replied.
"Oh, I could tell he is strong, that was clear when he helped me out of the boxing ring." she smiled, going a little red. She wasn't used to a man's touch: only shaking hands.
"Are you interested in him?" Miriam suddenly realized perhaps her own fascination with the boy should be ended immediately as she would not wish to compete with Frances, the poor thing had enough problems in her life. It would be cruel.
"I don't know, just curious, I suppose." she laughed, suddenly a little flustered. "He was probably just being nice! I don't imagine I'm much of a catch."
Frances had never known sight; but she knew touch - some things felt nice like the fur of a pussy cat, or rough and painful like a brick wall. She knew sound: the beauty of a symphony against the discordant screams of a person in pain. She knew smell: the scent of roses and the stench of filth.
Frances had never known sight, so she did not miss sight: but she knew that those who did have it, relied on it, set great store by it, and judged things mightily by 'beauty' or 'ugliness'. For that reason alone, she wondered about Hector's looks, and her own.
And Miriam's.
"Besides, if he is handsome, there will be many others interested in him, too." she put out a feeler. "Is it too bold to ask... do you have a young man, Miss Kaufmann?" It was rather an impertinent question, but Frances had missed female company since Frank had dragged her away from the Institute: she was starved of girl talk.
"I don't know, just curious, I suppose." the blind girl laughed, suddenly a little flustered. "He was probably just being nice! I don't imagine I'm much of a catch."
"Oh don't say that, you're pretty and you certainly strike me as quite intelligent," Miriam countered though she was well aware that men sometimes did not much care about that second one. Her father said it himself "childbearing and loyalty are the prime requirements of womanhood'.
"Besides, if he is handsome, there will be many others interested in him, too."
"I suppose that makes sense, I do not know him that well to be honest, I am rather new to Kalispell myself," Miriam pointed out.
"Is it too bold to ask... do you have a young man, Miss Kaufmann?"
Miriam swallowed. Oh dear, such a question.
"No, I do not. Actually boy has expressed any interest in me. Which is fine, I am good with that," she could answer truthfully.
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
Frances smiled unabashed at Miriam's compliments, but had inbuilt reservations about her chances of finding love.
"Is it too bold to ask... do you have a young man, Miss Kaufmann?"
"No, I do not. Actually no boy has expressed any interest in me. Which is fine, I am good with that," she could answer truthfully.
A knowing smile flitted across the blind girl's face. She had become adept at listening carefully: not only to what people said but also the way they said it, and could not help giving her opinion.
"Oh, I am not so sure. Mr Wigfall sounded very happy to see you! Has he never expressed any... interest?" she asked: she realised she was cutting her own throat by going down this path but, being a woman, could not resist talking about relationships.
However, good listener though she was, she was not psychic, and there was no way that she could ever guess about the unnatural relationship that the innocent and shy Miriam Kaufmann had become involved in.
It was fifteen minutes past the time the fight was due to begin. Crabbe decided that anyone who was coming had come, and the crowd were starting to reach a suitable state of expectation and suspense. He climbed into the ring and a hush fell on the assembled multitude punctuated by the odd shout of excitement from the more rowdy elements amongst the throng.
Lorenzo beamed down a their upturned faces: each representing so many dollars in his pocket: the boxing match itself more a mere formality for him, but of greater import to those who had gathered to enjoy the bloodshed, risk a bet, or enjoy the finer points of the noble art. Not to mention the two men who had to actually fight!
"Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen!" he started in grandiloquent style "Lorenzo Crabbe enterprises has the greatest of pleasure in announcing the commencement of tonight's phenomenal flurry of fisticuffs! A bombastically beautiful bounty of boxing! A pure premium of pugilistic perambulations!!" It was meaningless rubbish, of course, but a crowd always liked a little bit of ambitiously addleheaded alliteration.
There were cheers as well as the predictable shouts of "Get on with it!" and "D'ya swallow a dictionary, Crabbe!?"
"Ladies and Gentleman..." the Lords had presumably left for some reason "... permit me to present to you: in the Red Corner... the terror of Flathead Valley, Bobby "Basher" Cullen ..." he waited for any applause to die down. It didn't take long. "... and in the Blue Corner, your very own local boy, Charles "Crippler" Wentworth!" The applause was a little more sustained this time, which was understandable for a more recognised local figure.
"Gentlemen..." looked like the ladies had left, too, leaving only Caroline and Arabella "... your referee for the evening...." he looked about for the fellow who had agreed to undertake that responsible and troublesome task. And there he was!
"... Quentin Aloysius Cantrell!!"
Robert, stripped to the waist and also barefoot, stood by his corner, a towel draped over his shoulders and waited for the introduction. He was keyed up, determined to get on with it, beat this .........fellow...........and collect his money. Hopefully his opponent wasn't a ringer but he certainly did not trust Crabbe's opimistic assessment. Looking across the ring he caught his first glimpse of the young man he was supposed to pummel. About his height, a bit heavier - as to experience well one could not tell by looking at a man.
Then Crabbe began with the preliminaries, the introduction of the combatants.
"permit me to present to you: in the Red Corner... the terror of Flathead Valley, Bobby "Basher" Cullen ..."
Oh lordy....terror, basher....what a load of manure. But he got it, spicing up the match it was. Robert clambered deftly up into the ring, the towel falling aside then stood there with with both arms up a moment and acknowledged the crowd's applause. Well, very lukewarm applause at that, even a few boos. Well, not that many in town knew him personally and plus, he was Irish after all.
And then he lowered his arms and stepped to lean against the corner post and observe the introduction of his opponent.