"Oh, yes, well hearing about them is certainly good, And yes I would like ham and eggs, please, make the over. And with whatever they come with. Oh and coffee. This is becoming quite a morning with new twins being born, news of the Pikes and yes, Kalispell's victory. It has been sometime in arriving, but arriving it has. Now for the real work."

She was relieved but Matthew Wentworth's plan of action witch guaranteed that the construction could begin at long last. But that would be the real work, getting the building up and completed, as well as furnished with all the necessities and equipment that would be required.

"I imagine they'll be bringing back a host of new ideas and experiences, it should be interesting to hear of their travels," declared the doctor.

"Indeed! I cannot wait to sit down and hear all about it. Kalispell will no doubt seem rather dull after all that," Clara chimed in.  

The good doctor now added his own inquiry as to what Miss Steelgrave was going to order as Clara waited also. It was after all a rather crowded menu board.

 Leah then spoke up, "Oh, yes, well hearing about them is certainly good, And yes I would like ham and eggs, please, make them over. And with whatever they come with. Oh and coffee. This is becoming quite a morning with new twins being born, news of the Pikes and yes, Kalispell's victory. It has been sometime in arriving, but arriving it has. Now for the real work." 

Clara scribbled down on her notepad but then looked rather puzzled at the young woman.

"Very well...oh, you said 'new twins'? Did someone give birth to twins?" 

It was a small town and news normally gets around quickly but Clara had not heard about any new births, much less twins. Suddenly it occurred to her that while she desperately wanted this baby, twins? No, she hoped it would not be twins! One was going to be enough work.

"Well Clara, that is a tale for the doctor to tell. A long nights work I gather." Leah said, allowing Jonah to expound on the details of the nights adventure. 

She smiled at the thought, and of the idea that it might not be too far off that deliveries of babies would be in the hospital. One with no name as yet, but there were a couple of names that were floating around in her head, Kalispell City Hospital, or Kalispell General, or even Flathead County Hospital.

She expected to hear from Helena and Darius Wellman before the day was out. She was almost too excited to eat, but eat she must, she had gone straight to the nine o'clock Council meeting, skipping breakfast, and in fact she was famished.

"The McCanns decided that a horde of children wasn't enough," Jonah explained, "so they thought they'd add a couple more to the mix." He chuckled and shook his head. "No, you can't have twins on purpose, I suppose it's just luck...or lack thereof. At least they've had plenty of experience with children, so they'll be organized, and the older children can help."

It dawned on him that Clara was pregnant, and he didn't want to startle her, so he quickly added, "Twins are quite rare, though, and even more unusual are triplets or quadruplets..."

Leah had to smile at Jonah trying his best to not frighten the young lady. Not that she was any kind of expert on families and children, let alone multiple births. That though made her shudder. The thought of two children being born to here was not immediately appealing.

It gave her pause, there was a time when she had thought about the proper husband and rearing children, but that had faded as did most all of her childhood fantasies. She had gone from what seemed normal, to the stage where she was the spoiled little rich girl, to the evolution into whatever it was today. A transformation even she did not see coming and one she doubted at times.

"Now see Jonah, you've frightened this young lady. Now Clara, if I may call you Clara, I wouldn't worry if I were you about having more than one. Not that I'm an expert, but I believe the doctor is right, twins are rare. There were five in my family, we all arrived one at a time."

Ahhh, the McCanns, Clara of course knew that large family, they filled up an entire pew in Sunday services. She had never envied that poor Mrs. McCann and now..........two more additions. Goodness gracious!

"Oh my, I guess I had not even noticed she was once more with child.........errr...children," Clara noted.

"Twins are quite rare, though, and even more unusual are triplets or quadruplets..." the doctor suddenly added.

Was that meant for her?' Clara certainly got clarification when even Miss Steelgrave threw in on the same topic.

"Now see Jonah, you've frightened this young lady."

"Well, no," Clara softly disagreed.

"Now Clara, if I may call you Clara......"continued Leah.

"You already are," Clara pointed out dryly.

"I wouldn't worry if I were you about having more than one. Not that I'm an expert, but I believe the doctor is right, twins are rare. There were five in my family, we all arrived one at a time."  

Clara darkly thought that pity a few of those births in that family hadn't been stillborns. She did not like the Steelgraves, not one bit. Though she had nothing personal against Leah who now seemed to be the family's black sheep...or would that be white sheep?

"I assure you both I am neither frightened nor worried about this. I have far bigger concerns to deal with on a daily basis. Including running this diner for Mrs. Pike and speaking of which, I shall go get your breakfasts started," she replied calmly enough.

She turned to head for the kitchen but then turned again, "Oh and I will bring you out that pot of coffee right away."

"That is one strange young woman," Jonah whispered after Clara had retreated to the kitchen, "she's so serious and focused, but she is a hard worker, and keeps the place spotless." It was just odd to see so little joy in someone her age.

"You know, it might be a good idea to look into having a midwife on staff, some ladies are more comfortable with another woman attending them. Of course, a doctor could be close, if necessary." 

Most women had their babies at home, anyway, with a neighbor attending, and didn't even think of using a hospital for that, after all, it was a natural process, so it was just dealt with, and he was more than happy not to have to deal with pregnant women!

Leah smiled, "Clara Lutz is very focused about a great number of things I believe. This is a great responsibility for the young woman, running the restaurant while Missus Pike is away. Then too, there is the ordering and the banking she must contend with."

"I'm afraid that young Misses Lutz may seem a bit too serious, however, I believe that that will server her well in the future. Some people are just that way." She added, then,

"Now I believe you have a point Jonah, a mid-wife on staff makes perfect sense., and yes most births are handled at home, though I see that changing as people, women especially, see the value in the cleanliness of the hospital, and having professionals on hand in the event of a problem. Yes. We will do that."

"Perhaps gradually people will come around to using a hospital more, especially with one close to them." Hospitals were expensive, and medicine was evolving quickly, but folks still tended to try to take care of things themselves. It was partly just they way they'd been taught by their parents, partly because of the expense, and partly because of a mistrust of doctors.

"It'll take time, but having a hospital here will eventually attract people who might otherwise try to take care of things at home. Of course, there are a number of things that don't need a doctor, much the less a hospital, but so often people try to care for something at home, and the outcome is...not good."

As the area became a little less rural, a hospital would be needed and used, and Leah was forefront in this.