"Yeah, and the other side got Mike Wentworth and he saved my life this one time when a house fell on my head, so they must be the 'Good Side' - and he's one of the good fellers, even though he wears a black hat. That's all part of his mystique." Arabella now explained (pretty much nothing pertinent to the current conversation though)
Turk chuckled, "Awww, can't believe a little ol' house fallin' on the likes of you would stop you any."
Now as for Caroline's advice, he addressed her too, "I see, good ta know," Turk believed Caroline completely, she'd never steered him wrong in the past.
Arabella nodded. "Maybe you ought to get a black hat, too, Mr Flagg, then you can have some more mystique too."
"You think so, huh? Don't even know what that is but this ol hat of mine is my lucky hat. Had it now for more than a few years and I've grown rather fond of it," Turk then glanced at Caroline, "Now you, I know you don't like hats. Never ever even seen you in one."
"That's right. And you won't either. Got my reasons," Caroline smiled.
Turk then dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a Liberty Head golden eagle coin worth twenty dollars then held it out to Arabella, "Here ya go, Miss Mudd, little gift from me to celebrate our new friendship. You go buy yerself one of those hats with mystique or anything else yer little heart desires - on me!"
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
urk chuckled, "Awww, can't believe a little ol' house fallin' on the likes of you would stop you any."
"Hey, it's serious, I nearly died. And when they brought me back to Kalispell, I was so dog gone frozen they put my in the big barn with all the rest of the dead people. you ask Mr Wentworth or Granny Miggins, they was there." Arabella chided him, quite proud of her brushes with death.
Arabella nodded. "Maybe you ought to get a black hat, too, Mr Flagg, then you can have some more mystique too."
"You think so, huh? Don't even know what that is but this ol hat of mine is my lucky hat. Had it now for more than a few years and I've grown rather fond of it," Turk then glanced at Caroline, "Now you, I know you don't like hats. Never ever even seen you in one."
"That's right. And you won't either. Got my reasons," Caroline smiled.
"I know why!" Arabella whispered loudly to Turk. "It's cause her head's too big, they don't fit!" she revealed.
"I measured her head one night when she was asleep. Look..." she pulled something long and thin from a pocket she wore over her black dress "I'll show you. this is the tape measure I use fer measurin' dead folk, she informed Turk, holding the grisly object up to Caroline's face.
Turk then dug into his trouser pocket and pulled out a Liberty Head golden eagle coin worth twenty dollars then held it out to Arabella, "Here ya go, Miss Mudd, little gift from me to celebrate our new friendship. You go buy yerself one of those hats with mystique or anything else yer little heart desires - on me!"
"Hmmm, thanks!" grunted Arabella, and took the coin, giving it a bite "Genuine tin!" she beamed "The real McCoy. Tell you what, Mr Flagg, let's call this a loan: I'm-a going to add it my savings toward a ticket to New York. In a couple years' time, if you're in New York, come and find what play I'm in and I'll get you free tickets!" she promised.
Caroline frowned, yes her head was a bit large for her body but still........for the girl to go on about it. Once more though Turk just seemed amused by Ara's verbal antics.
"Big head huh? Well, she needs one to hold all those brains of hers. Caroline is one smart miss," the man turned it into a compliment.
That seemed to mollify the blonde. That's when Turk pulled out then gifted a twenty dollar gold piece to the younger girl. Caroline was suitably impressed but it was the sort of gesture she well remembered him capable of.
"Hmmm, thanks!" grunted Arabella, and took the coin, giving it a bite "Genuine tin!" she beamed.
Turk smirked, "Oh that ain't tin, child."
The girl did realize that though, thankfully."The real McCoy. Tell you what, Mr Flagg, let's call this a loan: I'm-a going to add it my savings toward a ticket to New York. In a couple years' time, if you're in New York, come and find what play I'm in and I'll get you free tickets!" she promised.
"Fair 'nuff, princess," he chuckled, "I will never be goin' that far east ever but hey you spend it, save it, do whatever you want with it, it's yers now. And if you get ta New York, best of luck. I can see you making a big splash some day alright."
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
Big head huh? Well, she needs one to hold all those brains of hers. Caroline is one smart miss," the man turned it into a compliment.
Arabella smiled, this feller must really like Caroline, with that compliment: as far as she was concerned, Caroline's pretty head was an empty vessel, just there to keep her ears apart.
This Turk then did something odd: he gave Arabella a $20 Gold Coin. TWENTY DOLLARS!!! If Arabella made light of it, perhaps didn't seem as grateful as she ought, it wasn't because she didn't appreciate the size of the gift - it was because she did, and felt it heavily. She was confused by it.
When she used to play piano in the saloon, sometimes fellers would throw her a tip: a few cents perhaps, and she appreciated that: or tell her keep the change when she took their money for a drink. But for someone to give her a big solid gold coin like that for, what? just talking to him? It felt somehow very, very wrong. It was, although she could not have framed it in these terms herself, an afront to her protestant work ethic. Like an 'ill gotten gain'.
In short, the money would burn a hole in her conscience until she felt she had earned it in some way.
"Say, Mr Flagg? What's your favourite tune: I'll play it for ya on the pianna!" she offered keenly.
"Say, Mr Flagg? What's your favourite tune: I'll play it for ya on the pianna!" the girl offered keenly.
Caroline shouldn't really have been surprised at Turk's generous gift, he was like that. As long as she had known him he was a good natured sort, hard to square with the other side of the man - bounty hunter, hired gun, and a man who had shot more than his share of people. Turk himself had once told her that he had killed his first man back in Bloody Kansas just before the real war broke out. He'd been quite young when he had done it too. He'd rode with the Jayhawkers in that nasty bloodfeud that had been 'Bloody' Kansas. Then he fought for the Union in the main event.
Turk shrugged at the question, "Oh I don't know. Always had tin ear for music to be honest. And I can remember we used ta sing sometimes while we were ridin' along on the road, when I served during the war that is. I joined in one time and Sgt. Kerkman he turns and sez 'Flagg, stop singin', it's too painful'. It drew a big laugh but I took his words to heart."
"Play something light and cheerful, Ara, and you n' me can sing him a duet," suggested Caroline.