"A hospital? Well now that is something."
Adam didn't feel like agreeing with the bartender that Kalispell was small. The main thing was the town and the entire area was growing. Hence the need for more law and order if the territory had any chance of becoming a state. His duties as a civil judge would encompass a lot and maybe one day instead of a circuit criminal court judge they would have one here permanently. If he was around when that time came, only time would tell.
After taking a drink of beer, Adam did another look around the saloon. The blind girl...Miss Grimes had gone back to playing the piano and was playing a piece he was unfamiliar with. As for the crowd, they looked fairly average and no-one in particular stood out. Turning back to the bar, he waited until the bartender was in earshot again.
"Say, could you tell me some about what the town is like, especially what the law is like. Don't want to do anything to get on the wrong side of them."
"Say, could you tell me some about what the town is like, especially what the law is like. Don't want to do anything to get on the wrong side of them."
Jimmy Miller, the fellow whom Mr Townsend had moved along a little to make room Frances overheard that and barked a laugh at the question.
"Ha! Law? That's a laugh! Marshall's been shot, not that he ever did much 'foretimes. Main Deputy don't know his ass from his elbow, and they been handin' out tin badges like they grow on trees ever since; even give one to some lil girly who ought to be back home makin' her menfolks' supper! D'yever hear such nonsense? There's no county sheriff and no soul bothered to get us one and as fer judges, phewee, the whole bunch of 'em's about as corrupt as they get: specially that Bryant feller. Reckon they're gonna send us a County Judge soon, well according to that lyin' rag the Union. Them County Judges are always the worst, just failed lawyers most of 'em." he informed Adam happily enough.
He took another glug of his beer.
"Yep, Kalispell's gettin' to be a wide open town. I'd make sure you carry a gun, Stranger, cause no lawman's gonna protect yuh. I reckon pretty soon, folks is gonna start taking matters into their own hands, if yuh get m' drift."
Jimmy Miller was known for having a mouth the size of which was in direct and opposite proportion to the size of his brain.
"Ha! Law? That's a laugh! Marshall's been shot, not that he ever did much 'foretimes. Main Deputy don't know his ass from his elbow, and they been handin' out tin badges like they grow on trees ever since; even give one to some lil girly who ought to be back home makin' her menfolks' supper! D'yever hear such nonsense? There's no county sheriff and no soul bothered to get us one and as fer judges, phewee, the whole bunch of 'em's about as corrupt as they get: specially that Bryant feller. Reckon they're gonna send us a County Judge soon, well according to that lyin' rag the Union. Them County Judges are always the worst, just failed lawyers most of 'em." he informed Adam happily enough
Adam took a moment to process what the man just said. Most of what he had to say he knew about having read the brief report that Marshals Cook and McNue had to sent to the Governor when they were dispatched to Harden. The man's personal opinion about judges and lawyers were just that and he wasn't too concerned. Besides, he himself was far from being a failed lawyer. In fact, it was his success that lead to him being appointed a county judge at a relatively young age.
"Yep, Kalispell's gettin' to be a wide open town. I'd make sure you carry a gun, Stranger, cause no lawman's gonna protect yuh. I reckon pretty soon, folks is gonna start taking matters into their own hands, if yuh get m' drift."
"Oh, I get your drift but no-one is going to start taking matters into their own hands if I have anything to say or do about it."
@[Javia] Wayfarer
"Oh, I get your drift but no-one is going to start taking matters into their own hands if I have anything to say or do about it."
Jimmy looked confused for a second as the cogs in his dim-witted brain put two and two together and after much crossings out and recalculations, finally got five.
"Oh, I get it, pard. You're on the wrong side of the law, huh?" he gave a conspiratorial wink. "I mean, I never crossed the line m'self, but there's some pretty big hoodlums around here that do." He jerked a thumb at the swing doors "Feller 'as runs the General Store... he sold me a dozen eggs last week and two of 'em was smashed. Tried to make out I'd broken them myself. The cheatin' chisler! And you think all o' that money folks put in the collection plate on Sunday goes to charitable works? Well, Mister, you just have a look at Mrs Evans new dress and tell me how the pastor can afford a fancy gown like that..."
He looked around to make sure the protective Mr Flandry wasn't listening and then pointed to Miss Mundee
"And you see that blonde piece over there, she's always getting fellers to buy her drinks, well, I tasted her whiskey once when she weren't looking, and guess what? Tea, just pure cold tea. Here's me spending my dough throwing drinks into her the get her on her back and I'm just making her soberer. But you try telling the law that and it's 'oh, where's your evidence?' Makes a feller sick."
Now, what had even started this rant? Oh yes...
"So anyhow mister, whatever your racket is, have no fear: a criminal can get away with anything round here, broken eggs and all!"
The idiotic man suddenly looked alarmed "Oh shit - she's comin' over! The blonde, try and look innocent! Don't mention the tea!!"
Caroline had busy with a table of customers, all of whom were watching with amazement as one man did a couple of magic tricks with cards. She'd seen him do them before but watching now she still didn't get how he had pulled them off. Guess that was why they were called magic? It was fun though and she left to roam about the room once he said he was done. Problem was he admitted he only knew those two tricks. Leastwise he wasn't a one trick pony.
She now spotted a distinguished looking fellow, a stranger too, being harangued by that loudmouthed idiot, Miller. Claimed to know everything and mostly he knew nothing. But he was a regular and his money was good so, she had to tolerate him. The young entertainer now decided to check out the new jasper. Lately some of newly arrived men had proven to be quite fascinating fellas indeed. Of course anybody was an improvement on Miller.
She sashayed around Miller to end up next to the other side of the stranger so he'd have to turn his back to the loudmouth to focus on her.
"Well, hello there, mister! Welcome ta the Star Dust. I see Ralph got ya a drink. Gonna have another when yer finished with that? Cuz first timers get one free drink on the house," she flashed him a big grin eyes a sparkling.
That wasn't exactly a hard rule of the place, Caroline brought it up on occasion though. Ralph always went along with it though, because ....well, Ralph was Ralph and she was Caroline. They always back each other's play.
"Well, hello there, mister! Welcome ta the Star Dust. I see Ralph got ya a drink. Gonna have another when yer finished with that? Cuz first timers get one free drink on the house," she flashed him a big grin eyes a sparkling.
Adam turned to see who had addressed him and he smiled, "Well, hello there, yourself."
Although his wife had died a little over a year ago, he wasn't quite ready to resume any sort of a relationship with any women but he wasn't against to a bit of harmless flirting. Besides, there was an advantage in being on good terms with those who worked in saloons as they were fountains of information which came in handy from time to time.
"If you come with the drink then I'm all for it." He then turned to Ralph, "Lady's choice."
When he had received his complimentary drink, he escorted Caroline to an empty table. After seating her, he took a chair for himself and sat down. Taking a sip, he nodded, "Not bad at all. Mind if you ask you the proverbial question...what's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"
Adam turned to see who had addressed him and he smiled, "Well, hello there, yourself."
Caroline nodded, "Welcome. Name's Caroline."
"If you come with the drink then I'm all for it." He then turned to Ralph, "Lady's choice."
Ralph acknowledged him and reached for two glasses then poured two whiskeys. Not the expensive kind but not the rotgut stuff either.
When he had received his complimentary drink, he escorted Caroline to an empty table. After seating her, he took a chair for himself and sat down. Taking a sip, he nodded, "Not bad at all. Mind if you ask you the proverbial question...what's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"
The young blonde sat herself down and sipped her glass then grinned at his question.
"Workin' that's what I'm doin'. I'm the saloon entertainer. I sing up on that stage and do some dancin' too. I'll be honest, my dancin's not the greatest but show 'em a little leg and the boys love it. And most folk say I got a real good singin' voice. Maybe if you're still around when I perform next you can decide for yerself."
"So you ain't a cowpoke, that much is certain. Since you know my name now, how bout yers? And if I might be so bold, what do you do fer a livin'?"
Adam smiled, "My name is Adam...and what do I do for a living? Hmmm...well a little bit of this and a little bit of that but more of that than this."
He took a sip of the whiskey, "Not bad but I've tasted better."
After another sip, he grinned, "But I do have to admit that it's tasting better all of the time. Maybe it's the company."
Lifting his glass, he saluted her, "To you Miss Caroline, a rare rose in a place from what I have heard is full of thorns."
When he had taken another sip, he put the glass back down. There would be time for indulging later on, but for now he wanted information. "I guess you must be privy to a lot of the going-ons around here. I'm looking at making some investments in Kalispell and I was wondering if you know who or what I should avoid."
Adam smiled, "My name is Adam...and what do I do for a living? Hmmm...well a little bit of this and a little bit of that but more of that than this."
"Well, that tells me pretty much nothin', Adam," Caroline was blunt but smiled as she said it.
He took a sip of the whiskey, "Not bad but I've tasted better."
"I'm sure you have but Ralph didn't pour you the expensive stuff. Not sure you realize it, but you gotta pay for my drink. YOUR drink was on the house not the one you ordered for me," again she grinned.
After another sip, he grinned, "But I do have to admit that it's tasting better all of the time. Maybe it's the company."
"Awww, that's nice of you, thanks!" she lifted her glass and drained the rest of it.
Lifting his glass, he saluted her, "To you Miss Caroline, a rare rose in a place from what I have heard is full of thorns."
"If you mean Kalispell, I wouldn't say that. There's a lot of nice townsfolk. If you mean the Star Dust, same - we ain't all thorns," she tried to point out.
When he had taken another sip, the man put the glass back down. "I guess you must be privy to a lot of the going-ons around here. I'm looking at making some investments in Kalispell and I was wondering if you know who or what I should avoid."
"Town-wise I don't pay much attention to such business talk. But...." she then leaned in closer to him and in a low tone of voice so only he could hear her words, Caroline declared, "If my boss approaches you about investin' in anything, don't trust him. He ain't an honest man. Just sayin'."
It was a stunning admission.
Adam nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement of Caroline's admission. There were honest saloon owners but in some places they were few and far between in others and it seemed that Kalispell was one of those areas. In a way, he was also glad that the saloon girl had confided in him.
"I thank you Miss Caroline for your sage advice," Adam said warmly, "and I will remember it. If there is a way I can possibility help you out in the future just let me know."
Since she couldn't help him out with the town's business activities, she might be able to give her opinion on other things in town. Once he had taken another sip of his whiskey he leaned forward, "Now what can tell me about the law in this town? It might be worthwhile knowing who I will be dealing with...just in case."