Posted January 9, 2022 | Arabella Mudd

Caroline eventually found Arabella sulking somewhere and talked her into coming back as only Caroline could. The moody teenager pulled off her bonnet and shawl and heaped them on the piano, and then sat back on the stool, but with a miserable scowl on her face: in stark contrast to the jolly tune that Mr. Fortner bade her play.

Sally Adams, on the other hand was in seventh heaven: another free drink and she hadn't had to do a stroke of work yet! She felt inspired to raise a glass.

"If Miss Mundee is too modest to acceptyour toast, Sir..." she slurred "....Here's a toast to all of you then: Mr. Fortner, the wonderful new owner of the Stardust Saloon! Mr Simons, the manager of the new theatre! Mr. Flandry, the finest barman in the world! Miss Mundee, the songbird of the stardust, and most of all... all of our wonderful customers!! All of them 'Jolly Good Fellows!'" she trilled: to be fair, many of them were as much her patrons as they were patrons of the saloon.

She started to warble in a strained mezzo-soprano.

"For they are jolly good fellows

For they are jolly good fellows..."

Never before had For He's a Jolly Good Fellow been played with such a vicious edge on the pianoforte.

Posted January 14, 2022 | Caroline Mundee

If Ara's piano accompaniment was less than her usual fine quality, the old whore's singing was far worse. Caroline was not happy about it either. Back when Matilda was in charge, the hookers were allowed to ply for customers even if they were not allowed to seal the deals within the saloon but it was made clear they kept a low profile. Caroline let Sally slur her way thru the number but did not join in just downed a shotglass of her own. Although if good ol' Sally kept that up, Caroline was going to have to take her in the alley and have a little discussion.

Fortunately, her new boss interrupted the song with an announcement.

"Mr. Hiram Priest here," he said, pointing at the man with his free hand, "..is running for Mayor of Kalispell! And I'm here to tell you that we couldn't make a better choice. Now I haven't know this man very long, but as some of you know already, he saved my life yesterday by plugging a drunken cowpoke who was about to slap leather with me. Since then I've found out that he's been a Judge before .. and a damned good one, I hear. And he's also been Mayor of towns from Missouri and up into the Dakota territory."

Caroline never gave a rat's ass about politics, she couldn't even vote anyhow. However Fortner was much more ardent.

Franklin stood back and began clapping, and he looked to Caroline and Ralph to back him up.

Caroline noticed and immediately started up her own clapping, she certainly looked genuinely enthused. Ralph applauded also both of them being the loyal veteran employees that they were.

Posted January 14, 2022 | Hiram Priest

Caroline never gave a rat's ass about politics, she couldn't even vote anyhow. However Fortner was much more ardent.

Franklin stood back and began clapping, and he looked to Caroline and Ralph to back him up.

Caroline noticed and immediately started up her own clapping, she certainly looked genuinely enthused. Ralph applauded also both of them being the loyal veteran employees that they were.

There followed some claps from the scant number of patrons, it was, after all, not even noon yet. Still, Fortner was buoyed by the response and stepped back while pushing Hiram forward. The old roué enjoyed it all; He was in his element.

"Fellow citizens," he began. "I thank you for your support! And, if you do me the honor of making me the next Mayor, I'll do right by each and every one of you. It'll be my duty to keep law and order in the streets, and my aim to make Kalispell a place where you can all prosper. I just want you to know that I'll be giving a speech in that vacant lot down the street, probably in a few days. There you'll hear of some of my plans."

Frank smiled. This guy is good, he thought.

Posted January 14, 2022 | Ben Simons

While Fortner and Priest were making their speeches, Ben was mentally taking notes. The two newcomers to town were obviously unaware of his relationship to one of the other mayoral candidates, his cousin Matt. Still, it was better to learn all he could now before they did find out because he seen all of this before. It was a common play to go somewhere where you weren't known, make a dramatic entrance and then set about what you really came here to do. Ben had a feeling that the mayoral race was not the main reason they were here, just something they were cooking up on the side.

It then occurred to Ben that when they finished with whatever bought them to Kalispell in the first place was done with, they would concentrate all their efforts on the mayoral race. The last thing Kalispell wanted or needed, was two hustlers like Fortner and Priest in charge of the town. He needed to learn more about them before he would leave to let Matt know about his competition.

Drinking what was left of his whiskey, Ben looked over to where Sally was and was relieved to see her caught up in the aftermath of the singing and congratulating. Hearing the mention of plans, Ben stepped forward, "You wouldn't mind giving us a hint on these plans? I've already heard a few from the other contenders and I wouldn't want you to step on their toes by saying something they've already covered."

Posted January 14, 2022 | Arabella Mudd

Hearing the mention of plans, Ben stepped forward, "You wouldn't mind giving us a hint on these plans? I've already heard a few from the other contenders and I wouldn't want you to step on their toes by saying something they've already covered."

Arabella span on her stool.

"More to the point, Mister Priest, what are you? A nice clean living Democrat, or some God-forsaken, devil horned, dyed in the wool Republican?!" she asked, her political opinions (pointless as she didn't hold the vote due to her age and sex) set in stone by her Southern upbringing.

Then a really horrible thought crossed her mind, horrible enough to make her jump off the piano stool.

"Say, you ain't no dirty Greenbacker are ya?!" she cried. She wasn't over-sure what a Greenbacker was, but she'd read somewhere that 'Beast Butler' was one, and that was bad enough for her.

"You know, whoever runs on the Democrat Ticket'll get the votes of ever' dislocated Southerner round here I reckon: there's me, 'cept I cain't vote, obvious, urr... Mr Pettigrew, Mr Crabbe, Mr Connolly, Mr McVay... oh, there's tons!" she offered, helpfully.

Posted January 17, 2022 | Hiram Priest

Hearing the mention of plans, Ben stepped forward, "You wouldn't mind giving us a hint on these plans? I've already heard a few from the other contenders and I wouldn't want you to step on their toes by saying something they've already covered."

"Well that's a fine question, young man," Priest began cautiously. "One has to proceed with ..." but his flow of speech was cut short when Arabella shouted from across the room.

"More to the point, Mister Priest, what are you? A nice clean living Democrat, or some God-forsaken, devil horned, dyed in the wool Republican?!" she asked, her political opinions (pointless as she didn't hold the vote due to her age and sex) set in stone by her Southern upbringing.

Priest stared at her from over the top of his glasses. He wasn't used to being questioned, especially by one so young and seemingly inexperienced. He frowned, and so did her employer, Franklin Fortner.

Arabella continued. Only her youth prevented her from appearing as a fishwife.

"Say, you ain't no dirty Greenbacker are ya?!" she cried. She wasn't over-sure what a Greenbacker was, but she'd read somewhere that 'Beast Butler' was one, and that was bad enough for her. "You know, whoever runs on the Democrat Ticket'll get the votes of ever' dislocated Southerner round here I reckon: there's me, 'cept I cain't vote, obvious, urr... Mr Pettigrew, Mr Crabbe, Mr Connolly, Mr McVay... oh, there's tons!" she offered, helpfully.

"Arabella! Enough!" barked Fortner.

There was a pause while everyone, employee and patron, was shocked at Franklin's imperative.

Hiram shook his head. "I got no problem answering the young lady's question. It's a good one." He looked across the floor to where Arabella stood waiting for an answer. "So you're asking me what political affiliation I might be, a Democrat or a Republican? And that's a good question so I'll tell you. I'm an American. More to the point, I'm a Montanan. Your head is filled with worryin' about yesterday - Republican, Democrat. But look at it this way. We're all on a journey. We're all on a train headin' for better times. So don't pack a trunk of junk filled with yesterdays because tomorrow, tomorrow'll be filled with sunshine."

It was near lyrical, and Hiram looked out at the slack-mouth audience. "You oughta put that to music," he said to Arabella.

But Ben needed answering but he'd start from scratch. "Your name, again?"

Posted January 18, 2022 | Ben Simons

"Arabella! Enough!" barked Fortner.

Ben was just surprised as everyone else in the place. They were all used to Arabella and her ramblings that they didn't pay her no mind. If Fortner wanted to be on good terms with everyone, chastising an employee, even if it was Arabella, in public wasn't the way to go about it. Arabella, despite her faults, had people who genuinely cared for her.

Hiram shook his head. "I got no problem answering the young lady's question. It's a good one." He looked across the floor to where Arabella stood waiting for an answer. "So you're asking me what political affiliation I might be, a Democrat or a Republican? And that's a good question so I'll tell you. I'm an American. More to the point, I'm a Montanan. Your head is filled with worryin' about yesterday - Republican, Democrat. But look at it this way. We're all on a journey. We're all on a train headin' for better times. So don't pack a trunk of junk filled with yesterdays because tomorrow, tomorrow'll be filled with sunshine."

Priest's answer to Arabella's questions seemed to ease the situation and now they were paying attention to what he was saying.

"Your name, again?"

He smiled. "It's Ben Simons and I was asking about some of your plans for Kalispell and I'm sure the good voters here would like to know as well."

Then he gave a wide sweeping gesture to acknowledge the other people who were there. It seemed that there were a few who were getting more interested in their conversion as some of them responded with "yeah" and "what he said."

Posted January 18, 2022 | Arabella Mudd

Priest gave a long rambling exposition on... well, what was it about? Something about living in the past and being from Montana and golden sunshine. It all sounded very fancy and uplifting, give him that. Priest was a good politician, he didn't really say much, but he said it in a crowd pleasing way.

It was near lyrical, and Hiram looked out at the slack-mouth audience. "You oughta put that to music," he said to Arabella.

"Hmm, and you oughta answer the question!" she murmered to herself.

"Oh, I'll do just that Mr. Priest!" she answered more brightly.

"So, what is he?" asked a nearby cowpoke, who was as bamboozled by the old man's speechification as the rest of them. "He's a Republican!" Arabella hissed a reply "Wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole!" Hmmm, if Priest wasn't a Democrat, maybe one of the other candidates would be.

"Your name, again?"

He smiled. "It's Ben Simons and I was asking about some of your plans for Kalispell and I'm sure the good voters here would like to know as well."

Then he gave a wide sweeping gesture to acknowledge the other people who were there. It seemed that there were a few who were getting more interested in their conversion as some of them responded with "yeah" and "what he said."

"They should have a whatayacallem!" yelled Sally Adams suddenly "A debate! All of them, whatayacallem, Can'idates!" she laughed. "I remember seein' Douglas and Lincoln in Freeport waaaaaay before the war. Douglas whupped his ass. Course, that's before he had that beard. Beard helped a lot, y'know. Much better with the beard."

It was a good idea, even if rather eccentrically expressed.

Posted January 21, 2022 | Hiram Priest

He smiled. "It's Ben Simons and I was asking about some of your plans for Kalispell and I'm sure the good voters here would like to know as well."

Then he gave a wide sweeping gesture to acknowledge the other people who were there. It seemed that there were a few who were getting more interested in their conversion as some of them responded with "yeah" and "what he said."

Priest didn't like to be pushed, but he didn't let that break his stride. Except for eyeing Ben Simons up and down, and chomping on his chaw, he remained genial. But, when he was about to address Simons, that drunken old hag began blathering.

"They should have a whatayacallem!" yelled Sally Adams suddenly "A debate! All of them, whatayacallem, Can'idates!" she laughed. "I remember seein' Douglas and Lincoln in Freeport waaaaaay before the war. Douglas whupped his ass. Course, that's before he had that beard. Beard helped a lot, y'know. Much better with the beard."

"The lady has a point," Hiram agreed. "But that's for down-the-road a spell once all the candidates get together." And then he turned to Ben and said, "Sir, I'm preparing a platform to run on, and I will lay it out for everyone at the rally I'm holding next week down the street." He smiled and said, "You don't think I'm gonna steal my own thunder. Do ya?"

A draft swept into the saloon as three rough toughs entered through the swinging doors. After two steps inside, they looked at Fortner.

"Gentlemen," the Proprietor greeted them. "Welcome to the Star Dust. Step up to the bar and have a drink."

The men grunted and did as he said.

That gave Hiram his cue. "Thanks for your interest, Mr. Simons. I'm sure we'll talk later." And with that, he walked over to the corner to where his reserved table was.

Hells-a-poppin, the old politician thought as he sat down.

"Three whiskies," one of the men said, after reaching into his coat and putting down some coinage.