"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Saw this piece of trash this mornin'. You are a cowardly vulture, picking on a man's reputation when he's dead and gone so he can't defend himself!"
"Yeah, you wouldn't a dared to print that when he was alive an' kickin', or else he'd a been kickin' you - right in your pants!" added Arabella, determined to get her two cents in, too.
"Lorenzo Crabbe was my good friend. I am relieved at least that his ward, simple young Bridget Monahan, who got rescued by Lorenzo from a fate worse than death and then cared for since, can't read. So she wouldn't have to see him slandered like this."
"Yeah, he was the kindest, sweetest man in this town. And he give me a chance and a big break, lettin' me help him with his photographs. What'd he ever do to you, Mr McVey? What'd he ever do to anyone in this town!? You just name one single thing he ever did wrong! I bet you can't, can ya?!" shouted Arabella, an angry frown screwing up her pinched little face.
"Yer disgusting!" Caroline snarled in barely held back fury.
"Yeah, I was startin' to think that maybe you was O.K., but you're a nasty man, Mr McVey! You already printed bad things about me in that horrible newspaper of yours and now poor old Lorenzo. You... you oughta be tarred and feathered and horsewhipped outta town!!" Arabella yelled.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Turned out Phineas was quite wrong about 'things looking up' because it was right about that time when his front door opened up and two women....alright one woman and one teenage girl stormed on in. It would only take one glance at their angry faces to see they were plainly not happy. He knew them both - Caroline Mundee, saloon singer, and Arabella Mudd, a young miss the newspaperman had more than one encounter with in the past.
Phin sat bolt upright, "What the Sam Hell do you think your doing?" He shouted at the pair coming into his shop.
Caroline was just two steps ahead of Ara as she wasted no time marching straight up to the editor's desk, maybe it was a fortunate thing there was a desk between them. She had one of his newspapers in her left hand. Well if only for an instant as she now threw it down onto his desktop.
"Saw this piece of trash this mornin'. You are a cowardly vulture, picking on a man's reputation when he's dead and gone so he can't defend himself!"
Phin grinned, "Didn't know you could read Miss songbird."
"Yeah, you wouldn't a dared to print that when he was alive an' kickin', or else he'd a been kickin' you - right in your pants!" added Arabella, determined to get her two cents in, too.
"Lorenzo Crabbe was my good friend. I am relieved at least that his ward, simple young Bridget Monahan, who got rescued by Lorenzo from a fate worse than death and then cared for since, can't read. So she wouldn't have to see him slandered like this."
"Miss Mundee, Miss Mudd, I can, and will print whatever I please, whenever I please about anyone I please. In case you are not aware this is freedom of the press in this country, and all have a right to their opinion." Came the retort
"Yeah, he was the kindest, sweetest man in this town. And he give me a chance and a big break, lettin' me help him with his photographs. What'd he ever do to you, Mr McVey? What'd he ever do to anyone in this town!? You just name one single thing he ever did wrong! I bet you can't, can ya?!" shouted Arabella, an angry frown screwing up her pinched little face.
"Yer disgusting!" Caroline snarled in barely held back fury.
"I am, which changes nothing. And I beg to differ ladies, he was not the kindest, sweetest man in this town, not at all. In fact he was a swindler and he preyed on those he could. As for poor Miss Monahan, well, I'd say he took advantage of her condition and hoped to profit from it, as he did in every endeavor of his. My opinion is mine, not yours, and to be more than honest with you, I have no need to buy into the drivel you have expressed here this morning!" A hash answer to be sure.
"Yeah, I was startin' to think that maybe you was O.K., but you're a nasty man, Mr McVey! You already printed bad things about me in that horrible newspaper of yours and now poor old Lorenzo. You... you oughta be tarred and feathered and horsewhipped outta town!!" Arabella yelled.
"Is that so? For printing the truth? I find that hard to believe, but then I am not a gullible, fractious, female either." Phin said evenly. "You may leave this establishment, safe in the knowledge that you do not have to buy my paper, nor read a procured copy of it. Good day to you, ladies. And please, be so good as to close the door behind you."
Phin grinned, "Didn't know you could read Miss songbird."
The nerve of that bastard! But Caroline wasn't done with her message yet.
"Miss Mundee, Miss Mudd, I can, and will print whatever I please, whenever I please about anyone I please. In case you are not aware this is freedom of the press in this country, and all have a right to their opinion."
"I also know newspapers can get hit for slander," Caroline was no expert on the law, far from it but she was wholly ignorant on some of the details.
The editor was firm in his stand, almost relishing this confrontation with two females he obviously had no respect for.
"I am, which changes nothing. And I beg to differ ladies, he was not the kindest, sweetest man in this town, not at all. In fact he was a swindler and he preyed on those he could. As for poor Miss Monahan, well, I'd say he took advantage of her condition and hoped to profit from it, as he did in every endeavor of his. My opinion is mine, not yours, and to be more than honest with you, I have no need to buy into the drivel you have expressed here this morning!"
It certainly was his opinion but when it came to Crabbe in Kalispell it was quite wrong. The fact of the matter was Lorenzo had swindled nobody here in town since his arrival. Everything he had done was above board. And further, everything he had done with Bridget was done out of kindness, far from making any profit at all on the lassie, it had cost him both time and money just to keep caring for her. Though Caroline doubted Lorenzo was in any way religious, in her opinion what he had done for the damaged child was the most Christian act she'd ever seen.
And for that he was now being slandered. Caroline, already angry when she arrived, was now absolutely livid as Arabella now lit into this arrogant coward some more.
"Is that so? For printing the truth? I find that hard to believe, but then I am not a gullible, fractious, female either." Phin said evenly.
And now he was pouring lamp oil on the fire with his contemptuous comeback, sitting there so smug.
"You may leave this establishment, safe in the knowledge that you do not have to buy my paper, nor read a procured copy of it. Good day to you, ladies. And please, be so good as to close the door behind you."
Caroline had enough, most people in Kalispell only saw the smiling friendly saloon entertainer who aimed to please (customers especially). But there was another Caroline too, one who had lived her whole life in an often violent brutal world, who had been raped as a girl, had seen her father gunned down by a man who got away with it as far as the law cared, and had actually killed that bastard one night in an alley with a bullet to the head. Caroline had been in plenty of fights and knew how to handle herself. Only a few months ago she had taken an axe handle to a man who had kicked an old dog and beat the tar out of him. No, she was not the woman you wanted to make an enemy of.
"Fuck you!" and with that unpleasantry, the young woman struck like lightning, punching the fellow right in the face with a hard right.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Fuck you!" and with that unpleasantry, the young woman struck like lightning, punching the fellow right in the face with a hard right.
Although Arabella was full of big talk and threats, she didn't expect the bad swear word to be yelled from her companion's mouth or for the punch to be thrown, and she gasped as she heard the latter land: how effectively she could not tell from where she was standing behind Caroline. McVey had thrown up his hand to protect himself, how successfully, she did not know.
Her instinct bade her dart forward and try and pull back Caroline, rather than join in the attack on McVey "Don't, he ain't worth it!" she pleaded with the riled up Saloon singer.
"He'll just write some horrible story about us or get the Marshall to arrest us like he did you that time with Old Smokey!" she warned.
As she stepped inside the Union's office, Sarah was surprised to see two women there giving their opinions on the latest edition of the newspaper. She had never met Lorenzo Crabbe but she had heard the stories about him. The town was in two camps about the man, he was either a scoundrel or a good-hearted man. It seemed that the two young ladies confronting Phinn, were in the latter.
Her entrance had gone unnoticed and so she waited to see if her help was required. The blonde woman was very angry and to a degree so what the dark-haired one. The dark-haired seemed to be showing some constraint but unfortunately, it wasn't enough.
"Fuck you!" and with that unpleasantry, the young woman struck like lightning, punching the fellow right in the face with a hard right.
Sarah's eyes widened in partial shock. This was totally unexpected and in her opinion a bit of an over-reaction. Making her way over, she briefly looked over at Phin to see if was all right before turning to the ladies. The dark-haired one, who she could now see was Arabella Mudd, was doing her best to placate the blonde woman.
Her instinct bade her dart forward and try and pull back Caroline, rather than join in the attack on McVey "Don't, he ain't worth it!" she pleaded with the riled up Saloon singer.
"He'll just write some horrible story about us or get the Marshall to arrest us like he did you that time with Old Smokey!" she warned.
"Miss Mudd, you have a point. Perhaps we should give Mr. McVay a moment and in the meantime we can sit over there," she said, pointing to three chairs that were lined up along the front wall, "and you can tell me about your grievances."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Staggered by the unexpected blow, he smiled. Oh it smarted, and it was possible she had broken his nose. A rag close to hand was used to halt the flow of blood from his nostril. Actually he should have expected to be physically attacked, the woman was beside herself, well, she had her opinion of not only him, but a fervent reverence for Lorenzo Crabbe, as did Miss Mudd, who seemed to change opinions with the wind.
Well, no matter. He noticed that Sarah Thornton-Carlton had entered just before the assault.
"Miss Mudd, you have a point. Perhaps we should give Mr. McVay a moment and in the meantime we can sit over there," she said, pointing to three chairs that were lined up along the front wall, "and you can tell me about your grievances."
"Missus Carlton, I have instructed them to leave the premises. And aside from the assault, trespassing can be added if they do not leave the premises immediately." He had stopped the blood flow, by pinching the top of his nose, which altered his voice. "And ladies, you are no longer allowed in this building. You complaints and personal grievances have been heard and dismissed out of hand, so in language you seem to understand, get the fuck out of my office, NOW!"
Arabella was quick to try and pull back Caroline,"Don't, he ain't worth it!" she pleaded.
Caroline gave a savage smirk, she'd nailed him a good one right on the nose. Hopefully she broke it but even if she didn't, he was bleeding now. Had it not been Arabella, she might have just pulled away from the attempt to halt the confrontation and went at him again. She was angry enough to do far worse even.
"He'll just write some horrible story about us or get the Marshall to arrest us like he did you that time with Old Smokey!" she warned.
"Think I care if I get arrested? Let him run and tattle to the marshal," Caroline stepped back then with Arabella now between her and the desk with the editor behind that.
For the first time, Caroline now realized someone else was in the office. She must have come in while the saloon singer was so focused on Lorenzo's character assassin. It was that female reporter who'd been in the saloon once.
"Miss Mudd, you have a point. Perhaps we should give Mr. McVay a moment and in the meantime we can sit over there," the woman said, pointing to three chairs that were lined up along the front wall, "and you can tell me about your grievances."
Caroline did not make a move toward the chairs but kept her focus on that slimy bastard of an editor.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Not to concern yourself, madam, I have no business to conduct in the saloon, nor would I be cautioned by your threat if I did. However, as to Marshal Guyer being involved, you have broken the law, so it would be a bit more than 'tattling' on you. However, you both have yourselves a pleasant afternoon." He said evenly, what he might choose to do, he was unsure. There were options, and he had every legal right.
Perhaps he had let his personal dislike for Crabbe color his response to the man's demise, but then again, recalling the fight promotion where he had matched a professional against the current deputy who was far from a boxer, or for that matter a street brawler. Oh well, it was printed and distributed, and he would stand by the issue.
If the saloon crowd was run by these two women, well, then there really was no reason to go in there, besides, the Mercantile carries his brand of whiskey, and he has his own glass, so there really was no need to go into the saloon.
"Everybody can feather their nest, but it's not just anybody that can lay an egg!"
"Think I care if I get arrested? Let him run and tattle to the marshal," Caroline stepped back then with Arabella now between her and the desk with the editor behind that.
"You ain't goin' back to jail ever again!" argued Arabella as she continued to pull Caroline away from the journalist "I was 'bout scairt to death last time they locked you up!"
"Miss Mudd, you have a point. Perhaps we should give Mr. McVay a moment and in the meantime we can sit over there," the woman said, pointing to three chairs that were lined up along the front wall, "and you can tell me about your grievances."
Arabella was surprised to see the reportrix standing there "Missus Carlton-Thornton-Carlton, what you doin' here?!" she asked, before remembering that the veteran had 'stolen' her hoped-for job as a staff writer on the Union's books.
"Missus Carlton, I have instructed them to leave the premises. And aside from the assault, trespassing can be added if they do not leave the premises immediately." Phineas had stopped the blood flow, by pinching the top of his nose, which altered his voice. "And ladies, you are no longer allowed in this building. Your complaints and personal grievances have been heard and dismissed out of hand, so in language you seem to understand, get the fuck out of my office, NOW!"
Somehow, McVey swearing like that was even more shocking than Caroline doing it. Arabella literally jumped.
"You and what army are gonna make me?" Caroline sneered but actually she'd had her say and also got in a bit of physical revenge for Lorenzo, he probably would have laughed at the sight had he been present.
"C'mon, hon! Let's get out of here, he makes me sick," she spoke first to Arabella.
Arabella nodded, slipping her arm into Caroline's, instead of using it to drag her away. But the fiesty saloon singer had two more parting shots for Sarah and then Phin.
"Why bother wasting your time with our grievances as you put it? It's not like he'd print anything you wrote airing it. Good day to you."
"You've made an enemy today that someday you might just regret. I'm warnin' you, come into the saloon at your own peril, newspaperman."
The editor was in no way cowed and answered back in equally truculent form:
"Not to concern yourself, madam, I have no business to conduct in the saloon, nor would I be cautioned by your threat if I did. However, as to Marshal Guyer being involved, you have broken the law, so would be a bit more than 'tattling' on you. However, you both have yourselves a pleasant afternoon." He said evenly, what he might choose to do, he was unsure. There were options, and he had every legal right.
Arabella just shook her sadly. "Oh Mr McVey. And I thought we could be friends." She shrugged and looked at Sarah. "It ain't us you need to talk to, Mrs Carlton-Thornton-Carlton" she said "It's HIM what needs a talkin' to!" she concluded, pointing an admonishing finger at Phin before exiting behind Caroline.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
Phin looked to Sarah and actually smiled. They had left with their affection for Crabbe dripping from them, and well enough that they were gone. The warbler, Caroline Mundee was a hand full to be sure, and misguided, yet it is possible Crabbe showed different sides of himself to different people, and at different times, depending on who and why.
The man was gone, gone to whatever the afterlife had to offer him, if indeed there was an afterlife, there being no proof either way. The Mundee woman threw a good punch, he would concede that to her, a volatile temper that was for sure. Something to beware of. But, they had had their say in the matter. Now he would see what Missus Thronton-Carlton had to say on the matter, hopefully not another dirge of what a good man Crabbe had been.
And perhaps he might fancy a Special Edition regarding the assault upon him. Many would relish such news, many others would be dismayed that it had happened. But certainly, Phin believed it would sell papers, as was his business.