"The light, yes. The light serves us all well, and I must agree, if not stand corrected, that there are those that indeed are all bad, that there is not a shred of decency in them. They are out for what they can get at the expense of those they come in contact with." He retracted, "And there are those that are marginally good when it serves them, while others are for all intents and purposes, good human beings."
"All kind'a different folks," Tully agreed, not just evil people, and ignorant people, but ones like her, who were content to be alone, coming into the light long enough to do what was needed, but then slinking back to the fringes, putting up barriers, and not understanding any other way. But at least that didn't harm anyone else.
"And while I neither profess to have those all of sterling attributes, or all of those deficiencies of character, I find I might well be somewhere in the middle. I believe I do the best that I am able as far as being a decent person to associate with, whether I achieve that or fail at it I couldn't say. That is for others to decide. I too prefer to stay in the light as it were, away from the dark and whatever might lurk there."
"Seems like yer doin' right well on that account." Tully actually grinned as she glanced at the man. His manner put her at ease, and she didn't detect any of the deception that some men exuded. "Don't allow as how there's any reason not ta try'n do...somethin'. Maybe Missus Clara'll take me on, now that I'm...not so grubby an' don't stink like a skunk!"
Maybe she could find better clothes, though, without all the itchy lace!
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
"Nonsense!" Jonah was after her in an instant, lightly taking hold of her elbow to steady her. "Please, come back and sit down, we've still to eat, and I'd love to talk to you, if you would."
Frances felt like a complete idiot: how could she have been so stupid?! Now she felt almost a panic of terror at being forced to remain in the Doctor's presence: her humiliation was almost suffocating her.
"Oh... no... please, I feel quite ill..." she semi-lied. Her ribs hurt, yes, but it was really her heart that was in agony. She pulled herself away just as Jemima started forward from Miriam's side with a worried look on her face.
"Is everything all right, Frances?!" the plain girl cried out loud to the young blind woman: but it was Doctor she was looking at: glowering at would be more the accurate term.
@[Bongo]
Wayfarer if Miriam follows Jemima to Frances' aid.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Seems like yer doin' right well on that account." Tully actually grinned as she glanced at the man. His manner put her at ease, and she didn't detect any of the deception that some men exuded. "Don't allow as how there's any reason not ta try'n do...somethin'. Maybe Missus Clara'll take me on, now that I'm...not so grubby an' don't stink like a skunk!"
"Why thank you, Miss Tully, I try, as do you, in our own way. I sometimes believe that we folks are all doing the best that we can, regardless, not that it's anyone's business what our best might be compared to their best as they see it." He opined. "A foolish waste of time."
"Now, as to Missus Lutz, Clara, well she is outspoken I would say, but I believe that she is a decent human being and an honest and fair woman, so I believe that she is not one overly concerned with others' looks or style, but their character. So if she is looking for help, well then, I think she may well hire you, yes I do." He finished with a smile.
Maybe she could find better clothes, though, without all the itchy lace!
@Bongo
Sighing, Jonah watched as Frances ambled away, wiser, if not happier. He'd hated to burst her bubble, and maybe he shouldn't have accepted the invitation to this soiree in the first place, but he hadn't had the nerve at the time, and now he regretted that. of course, a good deal of that had to do with admitting to himself truths that he still didn't want to admit.
Not only that, but he felt bad for the girl, an unfamiliar sensation for the rogue con-man, and another sign that he was changing...that someone was changing him.
With a shake of his head, he shuffled over to the steps where Tully and Phineas were, not sure what else to do, since he'd only just arrived, so leaving wasn't really an option, as it would seem rude.
"A fine afternoon," he commented with a smile, "Miss Nevada, Phineas, do you mind if I join you?" When Tully nodded, he sank onto the step below the two silently.
"Miss Clara's a good lady," Tully agreed, "She's been tryin' ta help, but..." Shrugging, Tully help up her hands, that were at least clean now, although the broken, short nails showed a hard, crude life, and shook her head. "Gotta be cleaned up more-some," she observed, "if anyone'd take me on. An' her man...Shew!" she shook her head, "he's a mean one, grumpier'n a polecat what aroma'd on someone's shoes!"
As the doctor approached, she scooted just a tad closer to Phineas, although she wasn't afraid of Dr. Danforth, he'd treated her real good, had never been mean or judging.
"A fine afternoon," he commented with a smile, "Miss Nevada, Phineas, do you mind if I join you?"
Tully nodded, looking the man over, then glancing toward Frances' retreating form. "Ya look like a big ol' polecat just flavored yer favorite shoes," she declared with a grin, although she had seen this coming. Poor Frances was smitten and the doctor wasn't!
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller
Poor Frances, meanwhile, was trundled off in her bath-chair by Jemima Wigfall, like a defeated boxer being carried from the ring on a stretcher, battered and bruised, by his seconds. Indeed, Miss Grimes' second foray into the arena of love had left her as beaten and humiliated as the first one, she was fast coming to the conclusion that maybe she should just give up trying to find that particular kind of happiness.
But whether, in the future, her heart would listen to what her head had decided was another matter entirely, of course.
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"A fine afternoon," he commented with a smile, "Miss Nevada, Phineas, do you mind if I join you?"
"Why certainly doctor, quite the event we're having here isn't it?" Phin greeted. "Sort of a spur-of-the-moment type of thing I suppose, however, it is a nice break from the normal routine I'd say, and is Miss Grimes Alright? I see Miss Wigfall is pushing her off." It seemed odd but then, who was to say? The outing may have been just too much for the dear girl.
@Bongo
Jonah sighed and shook his head. "Not at all spontaneous," he murmured miserably, "it was quite well orchestrated."
When, after several moments, he didn't elaborate, Tully explained.
"Miss Frances's all calf-eyed over th' Doc," she commented, "so she asked him t' a picnic. An' me an' Jemima, of course, too, an' then more folks come along." It had actually been interesting to observe the growth of the intimate party, as much as Tully was made nervous by all the people. "Reckon Doctor Danforth told Miss Frances he ain't got no manly feelin's fer her, an' she's off in a snit...not even stayin' fer th' good food."
Poor girl couldn't see the signs, even though they were there and evident the day she'd arranged for the picnic. But Tully reckoned if you were the sort to be hoping for love and a man, you'd believe what you wanted to. For Tully, she saw this as a chance to slip away once the others started leaving, and to slink back into the shadows again. But she had told Phineas she was going to stay in the light, if she could.
"That about sums it up," Jonah grumbled, "I broke the blind girl's heart..."
"Every town needs a newspaper."
"Whoa now, Doc, breakin' a heart surely isn't fatal, but in her case, I reckon that she'll heal. I am well aware that those in your line of work have these problems with the fairer sex more times than not. Actually, I've seen this many times before back in Omaha. She has her friends and I believe they will rally around her fast enough to soothe the pain," Phin opined, "Tully's way of explaining it may sound some harsh, but it was how it was, not sugar-coated like others would have said it, and I respect that, better it's made plain from the outset."
Then he added, "I do know that the longer a situation like this is drawn out for whatever reason, the worse the reaction is. Sorry it was today, but that's how it turned out."
"It's how it had to turn out, I believe," Jonah muttered, shaking his head. "Why can't...affection be less complicated?" Why was he even thinking these thoughts, it wasn't as if he would ever consider affections, right?
"Best just ta steer clear'a such things," Tully agreed with a sigh, then she chuckled. "We should start a order, like them Odd Fellers, only we'd be th' Smart Fellers, fer stayin' away from such foolishness!"
"Amen!" Jonah nodded firmly.