Mature Content: No

With: Miriam & Hector
Location: Pettigrew and Peckham’s Dressmakers & Corsetry Emporium
When: August, 1876
Time of Day: Mid-Morning

Timing and rhythm were an intimate part of the nineteen-year-old’s life. The rhythm of his finger on the telegraph key, tapping out the messages going from Kalispell down to the office at Helena and beyond, or decoding missives coming back the other way, gave the whole jumble of dots and dashes meaning. Equally, when earning a little extra money sawing out a tune on the fiddle or plinking out a melody on his little ‘taterbug mandolin, timing and rhythm were paramount to getting the musical message across. 

And now, as Hector Wigfall loitered across the main street opposite Pettigrew and Peckham’s Dressmakers & Corsetry Emporium, timing was essential again. He had already had to throw away one carefully collected bunch of wildflowers, earlier in the week. His timing couldn’t have been worse, then: every time he'd gone to enter the store, some old biddy had gone in or some young girl had been coming out. By the time the store was clear of everyone but… but her… it had been too late. He’d had to get back to work at the telegraph office. 

But today felt different. He watched Mr. Pettigrew leave, he knew there were no customers inside and, most importantly, he knew that his horrible sister wasn’t working there today. Now, now, now!!

The bell over the door dinged as Hector entered the dressmaker’s, taking off his hat and assembling a smile of delighted surprise on his handsome face as his brown eyes lit on the lovely Miriam. In his hands he was holding a well-chosen bunch of very beautiful wildflowers: fresher and sweeter than any that could be bought in a dusty city store.

“Oh hello, Miss Kaufmann.” He cooed nonchalantly “I don’t suppose you could help me at all? I want to present this nice bunch of flowers to a young lady of my acquaintance, and I was hoping to buy a nice ribbon to tie them up with. I don’t suppose you’d help me to choose something nice?” he asked, innocuously. “I’m kinda hoping to impress her.” He added shyly, glancing downward.

Miriam had just put away the dustpan and broom, having finished a quick sweep of the store floor. Mr. Pettigrew liked a clean store and given the dirt nature of the town's streets people dragged in a lot of dust and soil during their visits. It was inevitable. The bell tinkled signaling a customer had arrived so Miriam cleared her throat and prepared to greet said customer with one of her smiles.

Oh my, it was the Wigfall boy, Hector. And with a handful of flowers too?

"Good day to you," she beamed her greeting.

“Oh hello, Miss Kaufmann.” He cooed nonchalantly “I don’t suppose you could help me at all? I want to present this nice bunch of flowers to a young lady of my acquaintance, and I was hoping to buy a nice ribbon to tie them up with. I don’t suppose you’d help me to choose something nice?” he asked, innocuously.

"Oooh, lucky young miss, those look very nice," Miriam nodded her willingness to help, "But let me show you where the ribbons are located."

“I’m kinda hoping to impress her.” He added shyly, glancing downward.

"Those should do the trick. I especially like those vibrant yellow ones. Did you know they eventually turn reddish?"  she had only recently found out they were a common spring early summer plant here in Montana, aptly named yellowbells.

"Oooh, lucky young miss, those look very nice," Miriam nodded her willingness to help, "But let me show you where the ribbons are located."

Following behind, Hector realised suddenly how short Miriam was! He was tall for the times at 5'10", sure, but he seemed to tower over her. It made him feel like a powerful giant of a man! Might be awkward if he tried to kiss her, but... well best not think about running before you could walk!

“I’m kinda hoping to impress her.” He added shyly, glancing downward.

"Those should do the trick. I especially like those vibrant yellow ones. Did you know they eventually turn reddish?"  she had only recently found out they were a common spring early summer plant here in Montana, aptly named yellowbells.

"Well, I guess they'll match me. I reckon I'll turn pretty reddish myself when I give them to her." he joked gently, picking up one of the yellow ribbons that she had suggested. "Gee, I don't suppose you'd tie it round them for me? I reckon you could do it a whole lot prettier than me." he reasoned. 

"I'm hoping that she'll like them. She's sorta too pretty for me, really, but I'm going hope for the best and ask her for permission to take her walking after church on Sunday... or at least ask her Father for permission to take her walking after church on Sunday." he explained.

"Aren't you the shy one?" Miriam seemed amused.

He tipped his head a little, gave a little shrug as if to say actually, yes. He didn't know if Miriam knew his reputation as a big mouth and a jokester, but she almost certainly didn't know the quieter side of him that all that noisy obstreperous banter hid.

 "Gee, I don't suppose you'd tie it round them for me? I reckon you could do it a whole lot prettier than me." he reasoned. 

"Certainly, I can do that for you then, free of charge too," Miriam nodded, "The tying I mean not the ribbon, that's not free."

"That's all right, I got money." he said. It was true, too. For some reason, the late Tricky Dicky Orr had left him a wad of cash in trust. He couldn't get his hands on it until he was 21, but still, knowing it was there was a comfort. 

"I'm hoping that she'll like them. She's sorta too pretty for me, really, but I'm going hope for the best and ask her for permission to take her walking after church on Sunday... or at least ask her Father for permission to take her walking after church on Sunday."

"Too pretty for you? Nonsense, you are a very handsome young man. Any girl would think so. I'm sure she will be tickled to get these wonderful flowers from you," Miriam disagreed but in a supportive sort of way.

"You're very kind." he laughed "I think you are. I think that you are a very kind sort of a person." he added more seriously, as she tied up the flowers for him and he fished out the price of the ribbon. 

"A walk after church............sounds like a good plan ........yes indeed," she added.

"I hope her Father thinks so!" he smiled back. "If I get that far... but you've tied those flowers so beautifully, I can't imagine any girl resisting them now." 

When the business transaction was done, and Hector was just stood there holding the sweet little bouquet, there seemed to be a second of absolute silence, when the clocks of the whole town stood still: as did the very motes of dust caught in the the shafts of morning sunlight that shone through the store window. Then Hector held out the flowers to Miriam and said simply:

"Miss Kaufmann, these are for you. May I ask permission of your Father to take you walking after church on Sunday?"

"You're very kind." he laughed "I think you are. I think that you are a very kind sort of a person." he added more seriously, as she tied up the flowers for him and he fished out the price of the ribbon. 

"Thank you, nice of you to think so," Miriam thought he was a lot nicer than his grumpy sister made out.

"A walk after church............sounds like a good plan ........yes indeed," she added.

"I hope her Father thinks so!" he smiled back. "If I get that far... but you've tied those flowers so beautifully, I can't imagine any girl resisting them now." 

"Well, she won't even notice the tie, it's the flowers that will impress her. At least that is my opinion," Miriam handed the bouquet back to him then.

And that seemed that.....they both just stood there silently for a moment. Fortunately the silence did not last long enough to become awkward.

Then Hector held out the flowers to Miriam and said simply:

"Miss Kaufmann, these are for you. May I ask permission of your Father to take you walking after church on Sunday?"

Miriam was stunned, the look on her face showed it too, "Me? You meant me all this time? Oh my gosh!"

Wait! Walking after church? No, that would not happen. He just didn't know about her and her family. She immediately felt compelled to tell him them, well right after she thanked him of course!

"That is so nice of you, Mr. Wigfall. I had no idea. Oh....wait, I suppose I should accept them," she hadn't even reached out for the bouquet yet.

Once she had them in her grasp, she smiled and said yet again, "Thank you. I am touched."

"Miss Kaufmann, these are for you. May I ask permission of your Father to take you walking after church on Sunday?"

Miriam was stunned, the look on her face showed it too, "Me? You meant me all this time? Oh my gosh!"

Hector's face was a picture: embarrassment, yes, but also a big grin. "Sorry, I thought you'd guess." he smiled "After all, you're the prettiest girl in town, who else would I give flowers to?" 

"That is so nice of you, Mr. Wigfall. I had no idea. Oh....wait, I suppose I should accept them," she hadn't even reached out for the bouquet yet.

"Thanks" he said, handing them over "I'd have felt pretty silly walking home with them."

Once she had them in her grasp, she smiled and said yet again, "Thank you. I am touched."

He seemed to be in a trance for a second, just staring at the lovely girl holding the lovely bouquet. Then he laughed at himself and shook his head "Sorry, Miss Kaufmann, I guess I'm just entranced! Listen, you don't have to decide yet about Sunday, I don't want to hustle you any, just let me know through Jemima."

'Jemima', he usually referred to her as 'my sister' or 'my ______ sister' and the blank wasn't something nice, either. Was love, or the prospect of it, softening his heart toward his twin?

Hector was grinning, "Sorry, I thought you'd guess. After all, you're the prettiest girl in town, who else would I give flowers to?" 

"Oh I am most certainly not," she protested even as she sniffed the flowers, very nice.

The boy seemed to be in a trance for a second, just staring at her. Then he laughed and shook his head "Sorry, Miss Kaufmann, I guess I'm just entranced! Listen, you don't have to decide yet about Sunday, I don't want to hustle you any, just let me know through Jemima."

"Well about Sunday. I think I should tell you this........... I do not attend church services, my whole family doesn't," she revealed although suddenly she realized that shouldn't he know that if he went to weekly services?  He would have never seen her there.

"You see, we are Jewish. If there were a temple in Kalispell, we would attend that but of course there isn't one."

She stopped there just in case he was one of those who utterly disliked her people and then ....well, that would be that.

"Well about Sunday. I think I should tell you this........... I do not attend church services, my whole family doesn't," she revealed although suddenly she realized that shouldn't he know that if he went to weekly services?  He would have never seen her there.

"Ha! I don't if I can help it!" he agreed. And very often, he could help it! His Ma was usually to busy to go and his sister went to that weird Spiritualist gathering, so he got away with it. Also, he was often needed at the telegraph office, even on a Sunday: no matter what some of the more pious folk might think of the fallen sending telegraphs on the Lord's day. 

"You see, we are Jewish. If there were a temple in Kalispell, we would attend that but of course there isn't one."

"Oh, I know." he said matter-of-factly "About being Jewish, I mean, Jemima told me. She said you wouldn't be interested in a Christian boy, but I thought 'what the heck?' If a girl's beautiful and nice and, well, just about the prettiest girl in town, and she gives you a sorta achy feeling in your heart and a kinda jumpy feeling in your tummy every time you think about her, then a feller ought to tell her so, even if she gives him the brush off..." he looked back up at her, a little red faced "Sorry, I guess I'm babbling."

"Ha! I don't if I can help it!" he then surprised by that admission. Then why did he want to take a walk after services?

Miriam then explained why, her Jewish religion. That left him unfazed though too.

"Oh, I know." he said matter-of-factly "About being Jewish, I mean, Jemima told me. She said you wouldn't be interested in a Christian boy, but I thought 'what the heck?' If a girl's beautiful and nice and, well, just about the prettiest girl in town, and she gives you a sorta achy feeling in your heart and a kinda jumpy feeling in your tummy every time you think about her, then a feller ought to tell her so, even if she gives him the brush off..." he looked back up at her, a little red faced "Sorry, I guess I'm babbling." 

"She should not try to speak for other people - your sister. And again I am certainly not that pretty. But I would not simply give you ...the .........brush off," Miriam informed him, "Or any boy...that would be mean."

"It's alright though...about your babbling I mean," she paused for an instant, " not that you were babbling I mean."

"But...if you want you can talk me for a stroll. I do not think we need ask my father or mother about it," Arabella had certainly influenced her boldness alright.