As they walked the deserted streets of Kalispell, Frances listened with slight surprise as Miriam lauded the slightly unstable seeming Miss Mudd to the high heavens. The true nature of their relationship would never have occurred to her in a million years.

"But honestly, I am fine with it. I have a close friend in Arabella. When she welcomed me to Kalispell she has opened up a whole new world to me. I am much happier here now than I ever was in New York," Miriam gushed.

"Oh, maybe I will be too, one day." Frances sighed a little. She tried to be sanguine about her new life, but there were just so few opportunities for her: this had been her first paying job since Frank had died. "Miss Mudd, ...er... Arabella, did mention something about a theater opening here, maybe they will require musicians." She could only hope. The sale of Frank's worldly possessions by the kindly town Marshall had brought her in a certain amount of cash, but that wouldn't last forever; she needed a steady job.

She recognised where they were by the number of steps they had taken along the boardwalk and a particularly saggy plank under her foot. 

"Here we are, home. Well, home for now. I need to find somewhere a little less expensive." She sagged a little. "Oh, Miriam, what dreadful company I must be, I have done nothing but complain and whine since we left the boxing match!" she smiled sadly "Please believe that I am not always so. Perhaps we can meet up one day and I shall treat you to tea at the Diner. I should love to talk about your time in New York, and what you get up to at the dress shop and the adventures you have with Miss Mudd!" she smiled, sounding brighter. 

Robert approached the referee in the center of the ring, his opponent did likewise. The young Irishman gave an acknowledging nod to the fellow, he wasn't one for angry glares in an attempt at intimidation. In the first place he wasn't angry......at anyone really. He'd fought before for money and that money had come in handy. Here was another chance at a payday, needed since his prospecting had been a bust thus far.

Quentin looked at each man and they nodded in return. "Very good, now shake hands and when the triangle rings go to it...when it rings again, go to your own corners...Good luck!" Quentin took a pace back and looked at the timekeeper who was watching his pocket watch for the top of the next minute.

Robert extended his hand and the two gave a perfunctory shake then separated. Robert put some distance between the other man then assumed his boxing stance. He noted that the other guy had his arms and fists up properly, someone had shown him well but nope, his feet weren't quite right.  Well, not like he was give the fellow any tips but many people forget that footwork is vital in a fight too not just fists.

He took a deep breath and tried to just relax, focus on the matter at hand. He recalled what he had been taught and learned the hard way - if at all possible the best fight is a short one. That meant be aggressive.  He didn't see a lot of confidence in those eyes across from him.

Miriam gushed about how happy she was now in Kalispell.

"Oh, maybe I will be too, one day." Frances sighed a little.

"It surprised me, when we came I thought life was going to be dreadful, I was so wrong," Miriam tried to encourage her.

 "Miss Mudd, ...er... Arabella, did mention something about a theater opening here, maybe they will require musicians." Frances could only hope.

"Well, just so you know, Ara is very dear to me but she is not without fault, none of us are. Especially me...but anyway, you should know that some of what Ara says is not necessarily accurate. Take it with a grain of salt as they say," Miriam warned her.

The girl stopped suddenly, how she had known she had arrived was a mystery to the young Jewess but she had.

"Here we are, home. Well, home for now. I need to find somewhere a little less expensive." She sagged a little.

"Oh I understand, money is very tight for my family now too that is why father presented me to the dress shop to gain employment so I could contribute to the welfare of the family," Miriam nodded.

"Oh, Miriam, what dreadful company I must be, I have done nothing but complain and whine since we left the boxing match!" she smiled sadly "Please believe that I am not always so. Perhaps we can meet up one day and I shall treat you to tea at the Diner. I should love to talk about your time in New York, and what you get up to at the dress shop and the adventures you have with Miss Mudd!" 

"Nonsense, you are entitled to vent especially given your unfortunate circumstances...I mean with your deceased brother. I would be delighted though to take you to the Diner for tea. They have delicious bakery too. My treat, I insist. I have a job and thus far you do not so surely you must see my logic in this," Mirriam insisted.

"Yes, I'd love to talk about New York," she added.

She did not touch the topic though of her adventures with Arabella, she would not dare. Some things were best private.

Miriam was just so nice to talk to, once you got over her initial shyness. In fact, even before you got over her initial shyness.

"Nonsense, you are entitled to vent especially given your unfortunate circumstances...I mean with your deceased brother. I would be delighted though to take you to the Diner for tea. They have delicious bakery too."

"Oh, you cannot pay for me! I shan't hear of it." protested Frances.

"My treat, I insist. I have a job and thus far you do not so surely you must see my logic in this," Miriam insisted.

"Oh very well." the blind girl grinned "But I will treat you the next time." she smiled, showing her pretty teeth. Frank always said that there was something 'funny' about her teeth, sort of 'cleated' he called it. She didn't know what he meant. Being blind. Nobody else had ever mentioned it.

"Yes, I'd love to talk about New York," she added.

"I should really ask you about Kalispell" sighed Frances. "I need to find out if this mysterious Mrs. Connolly really exists." She realised that needed some explanation. "I met a woman in Portland who said there was a lady here called Mrs Connelly who could give me a job. Oh that wicked woman! To play a trick like that on a blind person!" she added indignantly.

A woman in Portland, oh? I wish I could help you out but I have not heard any Connelly's about town. That doesn't mean there isn't someone with that name. I could ask around though if you want me to?"

"Oh would you? That would be wonderful" beamed Frances gratefully. 

"Did she happen to mention what kind of job?" that might narrow it down, Miriam figured.

"It was at a restaurant or diner. I tried the local one, the Lick Spill It, but that is run by a lady called Mrs Lutz. I asked Frank's friend, Mr. Crabbe, but he said the only Connolly round about was a cowboy who was courting his ward... a Miss Monahan. Do you know Mr. Crabbe? A friend of my late brother, indeed, but he seems to be a fine upstanding man." she mused.

Miriam grinned, "The Lick Skillet I think is the actual name. Well, sure I know Mrs. Lutz, that's Clara. She is a good friend of Arabella. She doesn't own it though, she is just managing it while the actual owner, Mrs. Blakeley ...wait, sorry...she would be Mrs. Pike now is on a trip somewhere for their wedding."

"You have certainly gotten to know a lot of people in a short time. I imagine it helps working in the dress shop. All sort of different ladies must be in and out all of the time for bits and bobs." Frances reasoned. Oh, how wonderful to be able to work somewhere like that and meet the whole world! Or, at least, the better half of it. He comment about Brendan Connolly and Bridget Monahan caused Miriam some doubt though, it seemed.

"Miss Monohan? Are you sure he said that? " Miriam could not imagine anyone courting that girl. She was sweet and all but if Frances thought her blindness was a drawback to men, Miriam felt Bridget's ...........slowness and wooden leg might be even worse.

"I think that is what she said..." frowned Frances, maybe she had misheard that part, though she always listened carefully and tried to remember what everybody said. Just doing that made up a great deal for her lack of sight. It was amazing that many sighted people seemed to sleepwalk through life hearing, seeing, sensing and remembering absolutely nothing at all.

"Ummm...well, yes I do know Mr. Crabbe. Met him thru Arabella. He's ....alright I guess," Miriam was going to leave it that.

"Well, he has been very good at paying me some money that was owed to my brother for a job he helped him with." the blind girl informed the little seamstress, before shuddering slightly. "Oh, I do so hate to sound so mercenary all the time. You must think me an awful money-grubbing sort of person." She looked sad for the first time during their conversation.

"You have certainly gotten to know a lot of people in a short time. I imagine it helps working in the dress shop. All sort of different ladies must be in and out all of the time for bits and bobs," Frances said.

"I like to think I have but really I owe most of that to Arabella who has introduced me to so many people my...our age especially. More so than the dress shop. Although I do like working there," Miriam replied.

Maybe Frances heard correctly about Bridget but Miriam remained doubtful, however she would not argue the point.

"Well, he has been very good at paying me some money that was owed to my brother for a job he helped him with." the blind girl informed the little seamstress, before shuddering slightly. "Oh, I do so hate to sound so mercenary all the time. You must think me an awful money-grubbing sort of person."

"Mr. Crabbe can be very generous, Arabella introduced me to him also. And no, not at all, I do not blame you for being concerned about money.  You are only thinking about your future, if you did not you would be a fool or worse," Miriam responded.

"Now that we are friends, I promise I will do whatever I can to ease your financial situation. It's what friends do. I will talk to Arabella and see if she has any good ideas."

Granted sometimes Arabella's ideas were honestly very bad but she was also very clever too, far more clever than she was, Miriam thought.