"Actually I hadn't really given it much thought." He admitted, "But then it's been some time since I've had the pleasure of a shave and a haircut that I didn't administer myself. But in thinking about it conversation stimulates the mind and quite frankly, is as pleasant a pastime as can be found. Well, that's how I see it, so please if you'd care to pick a subject, I would be delighted."

"Oh!"

Well, she was the one who had asked; but being put on the spot like that did take her by surprise. "Erm..." she carried on lathering his chin but the frown on her face showed that she was having difficulty coming up with a subject. 

"By the way Miss Mathews, what subjects do you find of interest?" He asked.

"Hmph! Well, that's easy enough! My main interest at the moment is trying to make enough money to live on; support my family since my mother died and my father became... ill." she said euphemistically. "Oh, Raymond does his best, but his work's sporadic, and I've learned not to rely on my no-good brother Jesse! And..." she stopped. 

"Hmmm. That's no good, is it? I'm just talking about myself." For about the first time in her life, and only because she had to, to learn to do her job effectively, Zenobia Matthews was listening, really listening, to what was coming out of her mouth. Furthermore, she was considering the effect it would have on the ears of the person she was talking at. 

She tried again. Turning the subject matter over to her customer. 

"Well, I assume the newspaper business gives a good living: I saw earlier that you've taken on a new member of staff. Mrs Thornton-Carlton. Is that... an economically sound move? I mean, don't get me wrong Mr McVey, I'm sure that she's a very able journalist, but what can she write that you can't write?"

She had to hover while he answered, and realised a good lesson for a barber: only ask questions that can be answered with one word or a grunt!

"Oh, I get by." He replied, an honest answer. The paper was a part of him, but two cents a copy meant he need to sell a good number. At present, he was. He could make his rent, buy supplies, and have some money left over.

"I have found in my travels, that when ion a barber shop that topics range from sport, of which we have none, to weather. Now out here, it might be range conditions, cattle prices, that sort of thing, or weather conditions an crops with the farmers. Then to you have the businessmen who will talk prices and politics, so the categories of interest will certainly vary." He explained, "however, one may not need to understand all of it, simply nodding, making a casual comment about whatever subject the man is talking about. You see he will simply be talking about his life, so to say. His cattle, crops or business dealings."

"I have found in my travels, that when ion a barber shop that topics range from sport, of which we have none, to weather. Now out here, it might be range conditions, cattle prices, that sort of thing, or weather conditions an crops with the farmers. Then to you have the businessmen who will talk prices and politics, so the categories of interest will certainly vary." He explained.

Zenobia, who had been impatiently hovering with the razor, went to start shaving Phinn's not inconsiderable stubble, but he had more to say on the matter!

"... however, one may not need to understand all of it, simply nodding, making a casual comment about whatever subject the man is talking about. You see he will simply be talking about his life, so to say. His cattle, crops or business dealings."

"Well, all right, be quiet now because I'm going to shave you." she said shortly. She would have to work on that bedside, or rather chairside, manner!

She started to shave him and it was interesting to notice the differences in the contours and nooks and crannies compared with when she shaved her father. She had also tried practicing on Raymond, but that was an unsatisfactory exercise, as he had only soft downy 'bum fluff' to remove. 

Phinn was a good practice subject: keeping his head still and puffing out his cheeks when it would make life easier for the shaver. When she had scraped away the foam and bristles, she ran her fingers delicately over his face to ensure she had done a good job. 

"Now I'll give you a trim. How much do you want off?" she asked. "You know, a couple of years ago a man with long, long hair came in and asked my father for a haircut like General Custer and my father shaved his whole head bald. When the man objected that 'General Custer doesn't have his hair cut like this', my father said 'he would if he came here." She told McVey this anecdote completely po faced.

"Oh, just clean it up, nothing too fancy, the shorter you make it, the longer before I come back. A Man could get used to this. I do shave myself, but not as often as I should." He responded. The idea of being shaved bald was really unappealing, it seemed odd that her father was not shot dead. Most of those long haired men like Hickok and Custer, and several others were very conscious of their appearance, and the hair was a significant part of their 'look,' as it was.

"You know that tomorrow the hospital issue comes to a head. At long last it would appear there is a real chance for the land contract to be finalized. A major step for little Kalispell, and good for the county." He informed her. He was excited about the possibility that at long last the business would be completed.

"Oh, just clean it up, nothing too fancy, the shorter you make it, the longer before I come back. A Man could get used to this. I do shave myself, but not as often as I should." He responded. 

"Hmm, that's a good point, about the shortness of the cut." she conceded. Having to think about the success of the business and keeping customers happy was having a salutary and ameliorating effect on Zenobia Matthews character, it seemed.  

"You know that tomorrow the hospital issue comes to a head. At long last it would appear there is a real chance for the land contract to be finalized. A major step for little Kalispell, and good for the county." He informed her. He was excited about the possibility that at long last the business would be completed.

Zenobia, like the majority of folk, had no intention of getting a disease or horribly injured, and before this year would have had zero interest in the project: but recent events had somewhat changed her outlook. 

"I wonder if my mother would have survived longer had the hospital been available?" she asked wistfully, more to herself than to Phinn. But then her eyes met the reporter's in the mirror and she shrugged. "Not that we could have afforded to send her there." She started to gently comb his hair.

"You know that's a question I believe most folks in town have asked since this fiasco started. Not just lived, but how many would have been better off with a hospital here. Treating sickness and injury before it got so bad the the person was never quite the same." He reflected. It seemed to him that the people wanted this project, wanted it the day the word got out about the right of ways. But the politicians had their plans, most likely to take control and credit for the project.

"We have one medical man and had a second one that left for Columbia Falls, but I believe we

'll see a great deal of him once the hospital is built, and then, there's the other staff that will be needed. A lot of potential jobs coming."

"You know that's a question I believe most folks in town have asked since this fiasco started. Not just lived, but how many would have been better off with a hospital here. Treating sickness and injury before it got so bad the the person was never quite the same." He reflected. It seemed to him that the people wanted this project, wanted it the day the word got out about the right of ways. But the politicians had their plans, most likely to take control and credit for the project.

Zenobia noted that Mr McVey answered one part of her question: that of her mother's perhaps living longer if the hospital had been already built, but not the other part about whether they could have afforded a stay there. Mr McVey was clearly an advocate of the hospital and the young lady who was financing it, and perhaps did not wish to consider any problems. Well, Zenobia was learning to follow the line of least of resistance - 'the customer is always right' Hold your tongue and cut the hair might be her new motto.  

"We have one medical man and had a second one that left for Columbia Falls, but I believe we'll see a great deal of him once the hospital is built, and then, there's the other staff that will be needed. A lot of potential jobs coming."

"That's great." she said, agreeably. She wouldn't want to work in a hospital: she'd had a bellyful of looking after sick people after her mother's declining months. She never wanted to see a sick person again as long as she lived! 

"Yes, I remember Doctor Boone" Zenobia chipped in, snipping off an unruly lock of Phinn's hair "He seemed to know what he was doing." Ah good, she hadn't lost all of her snippiness to the cause of 'customer service'.

"Yes, Boone is a good man, a competent medical man, but I believe that perhaps, well I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Steelgrave, and Doctor Danforth will bring in yet another doctor as Boone will be traveling between his practice in Columbia Falls and the hospital." He surmised.

"Now, to complete the answer to your question, cost, well I cannot be sure, but I do believe that neither Danforth or Boone would turn anyone away who needed medical attention. As for Miss Steelgrave, I believe she has plans to run the place as a not for profit hospital, there are several in the mid-west and the East. Those unable to pay for treatment won't have to."

He was not at liberty to speak to the methods that Leah Steelgrave would use, but he was well aware of the investments she had made to help raise the initial funds for the construction of the hospital. It would seem that money was not a problem.

"Yes, Boone is a good man, a competent medical man, but I believe that perhaps, well I wouldn't be surprised if Miss Steelgrave, and Doctor Danforth will bring in yet another doctor as Boone will be traveling between his practice in Columbia Falls and the hospital." He surmised.

"Sounds like there'll soon be more doctors in Kalispell than potential patients!" sniffed Zenobia. "When what we really need is a dentist." To be honest, that was one of her many qualms about opening up her father's barber shop under her own aegis: in some places the local barber acted as an impromptu tooth tugger: not a job she particularly wanted to be landed with. 

"Now, to complete the answer to your question, cost, well I cannot be sure, but I do believe that neither Danforth or Boone would turn anyone away who needed medical attention. As for Miss Steelgrave, I believe she has plans to run the place as a not for profit hospital, there are several in the mid-west and the East. Those unable to pay for treatment won't have to."

Oh! He had been listening! Either that or the recumbent man could read her thoughts. "Oh, so it's free? Or is it means tested? People don't like to be seen as victims of charity, Mr McVey, I know I don't, that's why I'm stood here now trying to tame your unusually unruly hair!" she frowned, trying to get his parting back the way he seemed to like it.