"I should be getting a response to my telegram before long. I've hired a company, Aldridge Builders out of Helena. Their foreman, a Darius Wellman has promised me that they will have the project on schedule, no matter what they are required to do. Of course, should Mother Nature decide to intervene, well, that would slow things down considerably." She explained. "Then of course, there is my father. And I have no idea what he will do. But I can't worry about that, I'll leave that to Marshal Guyer."
Elias Steelgrave would be the joker in the deck, there would be no telling what he would do now that he surely had word of the contract signing and his knowing the project would move forward despite his objections. She was not about to fool herself about the possibilities.
A face appeared at the window, and then the door opened.
"Miss Steelgrave?"
A boy of some sixteen summers removed his hat as he entered, of course, and approached the rich young lady and her companion the doctor. His feelings toward Danforth were ambivalent. He hadn't been able to save their mother, but he had been able to tell them that her case was hopeless.
"Sorry to disturb you, Miss Steelgrave, this telegraph was signalled as urgent." he proffered her the telegraphed message, his receipt notepad and pencil. He was acutely aware that he also had a telegram in his pocket for Miss Steelgrave's father's lawyer: he triple checked that he gave the pretty young woman the right one!
"You know your father, and what he is capable of," Jonah commented, then he shook his head. "I do hope he just leaves you alone, there's enough without his intervention. I suppose at some point you may want to consider hiring someone to stay there and watch the place at night?"
What could her father do? Well, certainly, burning the building, and it would make sense...if he were the one wanting to destroy the project, he'd wait until it was nearly complete, to cause the most set-back and the most damage to materials.
"Just before it opens," he mused aloud, "a fire...not only the building would be lost, but all the new equipment..." He hated this line of thinking, and maybe it wasn't Elias' style, but it was irresponsible not to plan for something.
Then the lad came in and announced the missive, and Jonah prayed it was good news.
She looked up at the boy and smiled. "Now isn't that something?" She remarked reaching out for the message, hopefully the one she had been expecting. She produced a silver dollar and handed it to the young man. "I believe you have just made my day. Thank you." She unfolded it and read the words, a smile creased her face. She exhaled. "Exactly what I had hoped. Thank you, Raymond Matthews, right?"
"Mason Aldridge of Aldridge Builders in Helena, they are on their way, almost. But they should be here soon enough to get started before the month is out." Then she let a giggle slip. "My father, well, we shall see won't we. It is my hope as well." For the moment she had not a care in the world, the builders were coming.
"Wonderful!" Jonah almost clapped, for this had been going on for so long, that he really expected that this would be some sort of new setback, and Leah certainly didn't need any more complications. "I'm sure it's going to be a huge relief when they finally break ground. It's going to be rewarding to watch it take shape, and for you to know you are responsible for it."
He hoped, for her sake more than anything, that the weather cooperated, and that the progress was swift and without complications.
"You'll be overseeing the project?" He couldn't imagine that she'd step back now, and not assure that every detail was right.
"Of course, well as much as possible, though according to the email it seems Mister Aldridge himself is coming with his crew and the supplies. or at least that's how I've read it. So I'll certainly have a hand in it, but I'm assuming that Mister Aldridge himself will be overseeing the project. That is a relief to know that the owner of the company, mind you, with the best reputation in Helena, will be in charge."
Not that she knew much of anything about construction, but on a referral from the Governor's Office, pushed by Dutton Peabody, she selected them, dealing initally with Darius Wellman the arrangement had blossomed. It seemed to her that the Governor was still involved in Kalispell's hospital project.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
A second telegram that morning reached one Carney Fuller, sub-foreman under Darious Wellman, who was sitting on the supplies with a crew of men ready to move on a moments notice, which would be totally inaccurate. It would take at least half of a day to get on the trail to Kalispell, they were in Missoula, but the twenty-four miles closer that they were was a straight shot on a better trail.
There were three long wagons to haul the beams and braces, the framing lumber, and the rest of the building supplies that would be needed from bolts to nails to shingles. According to the plans, native rock would be used for the foundation, and they were bringing sixty of mortar to insure that the foundation and any other project that would require mortar had it.
The men took to the task, harnessing the six up draft horse teams to the wagons, and insuring everything on those three wagons was lashed down tight. Then came the first crack of the whip high above the hoses heads, and the first wagon slowly moved out.
"It's good to know you'll have the best working on the project, you've come this far, you don't need to risk the quality with less than the best working on it." Even though he had no doubt that the crew would be excellent, it was reassuring to know that the man hand picked for the job would actually be on site overseeing it. That way, too, he'd be there if Leah needed to discuss anything with him, and Jonah had a good feeling that was going to happen!
He grinned and took a sip of coffee. "Just think, this time next year it will all be over! We'll have a fine hospital with the best equipment...and nothing to discuss over breakfast!"
"Nothing to discuss? I am surprised, Jonah. Why, if we have time for breakfast, there will be much to discuss regarding the hospital as well as the start of the orphanage. Hopefully that the railroad will be completed, or close to it by then." She smiled brightly. "Things will be different by then."
"My hope is that we get through all of this without my fathers interference causing delays, or real problems with the builders. You know we could get well into October before the snow flies, but I'm not counting on that. The winter will stop construction until the thaw." She stated, but the smile was still there, "But it will be well underway!"
"We could have used a hospital this winter past, although what happened in Whitefish would have quickly overwhelmed us anyway."
There just wasn't a way to plan for that sort of disaster, but maybe they could have saved a few more lives.
"Of course, with the town as generous as it is, accommodations will be made, if needed, I'm certain."
He'd actually been a bit surprised at the way the citizens of Kalispell had opened their homes and generously helped the victims from Whitefish when it was needed. That sort of thing got lost in the big cities, where people tended not only not to know their neighbor, but not even acknowledge them as they passed on the street. And Jonah wasn't sure if he preferred it that way. His whole goal in life was to keep people at a distance, but that was difficult here.