Murrell smiled slowly.
"You got a point, Bartender." He then looked beyond Ralph at the bottles lined up under the large mirror. "Tell you what. How about that high-test whiskey." He pointed to a bottle of Old Forrester that looked unopened. "They tell me that'll burn the knots out of a pine plank."
Ralph followed his pointing. He picked an expensive brand alright, one of the big reasons it was unopened yet.
"Sure, never tasted this brand myself, can't afford it but it's powerful stuff alright," Ralph reached for the bottle but .....before opening it he had to be on the safe side.
"Just so ya know, mister, the cost of a shot of this here one is six bits....seventy-five cents. You willin' ta pay that?" he now inquired. He was not going to break the seal open if the man was going to quail at the cost.
Who should come up to the jasper then but Hettie, their resident whore, a Fortner idea.
"Hello handsome. Say, don't I know you from someplace? The face is familiar, but I can't quite place the name." Hettie frowned. It was one of her set piece conversation starters. She'd know in a second if the feller was up for business or not by the way he reacted.
"Oh! It was so affecting!" Sally cooed, closing her eyes and putting her hands to her heart dramatically.
"A real hum dinger huh?" Caroline was bemused.
"And guess what? I heard that the Theatre is going to put on a play of it and the part of Little Nell is going to be taken by Miss Arabella Mudd, have you seen her? She is so wonderful." the new spittoon polisher sighed, looking enraptured.
That got a chuckle out of Caroline, "Is that so? Seen her? She used to work here, shared a room with me. She had yer job before she up and quit. Well, I will say this. If any girl can be dramatic, it would be Ara."
Sally glanced over to the bar.
"Say, there's that feller that made the old man run fer the hills, what's he called? Mr Priest? Hmmm, that jolly lady with the red hair's talking to him. Does she work here, too?"
Caroline's smile vanished, "Yeah, since Fortner decided to lower the standards. She's a whore. The former owner didn't let them carry on their business in here. But our boss, he made a deal with the local brothel madame."
"Now I never claimed to be no saint but I sure as hell never did any whoring," she shrugged.
That got a chuckle out of Caroline, "Is that so? Seen her? She used to work here, shared a room with me. She had yer job before she up and quit. Well, I will say this. If any girl can be dramatic, it would be Ara."
Sally's jaw nearly hit the floor "You know Arabella Mudd?!" she gasped "Can you introduce me? I want to get her autograph on my copy of the programme [it was more by way of a tatty handbill, truth be told] for 'The Siberian Princess': she was just soooo wonderful as Princess Olga, did you see it? Oh it must have been such an honour to have her here working with you." the girl gushed, not really registering that before she had become Kalispell's Biggest Star, the skinny little Virginian girl was just a drudge like Sally.
The new girl's question about Hettie Rosenkrantz and her kind did not, however, cause Caroline to smile.
"Yeah, since Fortner decided to lower the standards. She's a whore. The former owner didn't let them carry on their business in here. But our boss, he made a deal with the local brothel madame."
Sally gasped: she knew such creatures existed, of course, some of the solder boys at the fort boasted of their trysts with them loudly enough, but to actually be standing in the same room as one, a mere few feet away, well, it made her gulp.
"Now I never claimed to be no saint but I sure as hell never did any whoring," she shrugged.
"No, ewww, I don't know how they can stand it: having some feller you don't even like pawing and slobbering over you. Yeuk!" Sally concurred: abhorred at the idea, yet not holding the women themselves in the sort of contempt that Caroline apparently did. Maybe that was to do with her job, which perhaps bordered a little too closely on what these common drabs did to earn a living. Her parading herself in her sexy red dress, pandering for drinks, took the fellers half way: the Professional ladies like Hettie, Tilly and Annie then stepped in to finish the job off, so to speak. Sally now watched fascinated as Mrs Rosenkrantz tried to work her number on the new man in town.
"Ewwww, that odious moustache!" she muttered with a shudder, imagining having it tickle her face. And yet, somehow, the idea of the barkeeper, Mr Flandry's bristles didn't seem quite as bad.
They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
Murrell smiled slowly.
"You got a point, Bartender." He then looked beyond Ralph at the bottles lined up under the large mirror. "Tell you what. How about that high-test whiskey." He pointed to a bottle of Old Forrester that looked unopened. "They tell me that'll burn the knots out of a pine plank."
Ralph followed his pointing. He picked an expensive brand alright, one of the big reasons it was unopened yet.
"Sure, never tasted this brand myself, can't afford it but it's powerful stuff alright," Ralph reached for the bottle but .....before opening it he had to be on the safe side.
"Just so ya know, mister, the cost of a shot of this here one is six bits....seventy-five cents. You willin' ta pay that?" he now inquired. He was not going to break the seal open if the man was going to quail at the cost.
The man was just about to answer when he caught the scent of cheap perfume --- the kind that was used not to enhance beauty, but it cover corruption. He turned and saw a tart standing beside him. She looked like she'd been used hard, like the last tool in Grandpa's work shed.
"Hello handsome. Say, don't I know you from someplace? The face is familiar, but I can't quite place the name." Hettie frowned. It was one of her set piece conversation starters. She'd know in a second if the feller was up for business or not by the way he reacted.
"Not likely," the stranger answered, then continued his business with the barkeep.
He reached into his waistcoat pocket and removed a newly minted silver dollar which he flipped upward. The coin flashed its brilliance with each rotation before being caught then slapped onto the bar. "Keep the change. Just be sure to fill the glass to the brim." This was offered politely, even some would say kindly, but the eyes didn't smile; They never did.
"So this is the Stardust," he continued. "Looks pretty business for mid-day. I can see why." He looked over at the woman still hanging close by. "They talk about this place even in Bozeman. All good stuff."
Rebuffed, Hettie moved off with a terse "All right, please yourself!"
What the Hell was wrong with the fellers 'round here anyway? For the price of a couple of slugs of that fancy whiskey, the stranger could have enjoyed the sort of lovin' that would really burn the knots out of a pine plank.
She went over and talked to Chubby at the piano, even though the rotund man always looked extremely awkward and embarrassed whenever Mrs Rosenkrantz was around, due to one particular recital where he hadn't quite managed to perform at concert pitch.
"You know Arabella Mudd?!" she gasped "Can you introduce me? I want to get her autograph on my copy of the programme [it was more by way of a tatty handbill, truth be told] for 'The Siberian Princess': she was just soooo wonderful as Princess Olga, did you see it? Oh it must have been such an honour to have her here working with you."
Again Caroline had to chuckle, "Well, let's just say she wasn't so famous back when she worked here. But sure, bring yer programme in and when I see Ara next time I'll get her to sign it. She'll be tickled to do it too if I know her."
Needless to say she hadn't seen the play, Ara never even came in to tell her about it. Besides if the performances were only at night, those were the working hours for the veteran saloon girl.
The conversation changed to a topic that was more sour in Caroline's view, the whores who were allowed to operate in the saloon. Matter of fact Hettie was flitting about next to the mustachioed stranger.
"I suppose I'll have to get back to my job. I need to go meet that jasper then. Glad yer workin' for us, Sally, anytime you have any problems or issues, don't be afraid to come and talk ta me, hon."
A last quick smile and then Caroline sashayed on over to the newcomer (Murrell).
The newcomer had no time for Hettie and gave her the brushoff. Not that Ralph cared one way or the other. However he did fork over a dollar to pay for the drink and that's all he needed to hear as he opened the bottle then.
"Right to the brim, mister," he nodded compliantly and poured it so perfectly no way could one pick that glass up without spilling some as it crested right at the very edge of the crystal. Ralph then pocketed the dollar.
"So this is the Stardust," the customer continued. "Looks pretty business for mid-day. I can see why." He looked over at the woman still hanging close by. "They talk about this place even in Bozeman. All good stuff."
"Good to hear it. We do well enough, yep," Ralph nodded as he then exchanged a barely visible nod with the approaching Caroline.
Caroline then leaned with her back against the bar right next to the new man, "Hello there. You got good taste in whiskey, mister. I'll give ya that much. Can't place you....must be new in town? What brings ya to this leafy burg if I might ask?"
Again Caroline had to chuckle, "Well, let's just say she wasn't so famous back when she worked here. But sure, bring yer programme in and when I see Ara next time I'll get her to sign it. She'll be tickled to do it too if I know her."
"Really, I'd be soooo grateful!" gushed Sally. But, well, nice as their little chat was, neither woman was paid to stand around gossiping.
"I suppose I'll have to get back to my job. I need to go meet that jasper then. Glad yer workin' for us, Sally, anytime you have any problems or issues, don't be afraid to come and talk ta me, hon."
"Thanks, it's nice to have someone I can talk to." Sally smiled "Yeah, I'd better go collect these glasses up, too." she agreed and bustled about her business.
They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
"So this is the Stardust," the customer continued. "Looks pretty business for mid-day. I can see why." He looked over at the woman still hanging close by. "They talk about this place even in Bozeman. All good stuff."
"Good to hear it. We do well enough, yep," Ralph nodded as he then exchanged a barely visible nod with the approaching Caroline.
The woman was a "looker", thought the newcomer. She was a big improvement over the trollop who recently departed his side.
Caroline then leaned with her back against the bar right next to the new man, "Hello there. You got good taste in whiskey, mister. I'll give ya that much. Can't place you....must be new in town? What brings ya to this leafy burg if I might ask?"
"All these questions?," the man asked with good humor... for once... "What are you, a policeman?" He stood back and eyed her from head to foot, then nodded approvingly. "I mean, a police-lady?"
He rushed to answer her.
"I AM new in town," he admitted. "I've got a bit of business to take care of, then I'm on my way west, maybe Oregon. The name's Jake Murrell."
He lifted the small glass and bolted the whiskey neatly.
"And you are..?" he asked.
"All these questions?," the man asked with good humor... for once... "What are you, a policeman?" He stood back and eyed her from head to foot, then nodded approvingly. "I mean, a police-lady?"
"I always ask questions when I don't know answers," Caroline smiled right back, "And the only dealings I ever had with the law was when they arrested me.
"I AM new in town," he admitted. "I've got a bit of business to take care of, then I'm on my way west, maybe Oregon. The name's Jake Murrell."
"Oregon huh? Hear they got a trail for that," she grinned.
He lifted the small glass and bolted the whiskey neatly.
"And you are..?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm Caroline......Caroline Mundee, singer here at the Star Dust. And I like ta mingle with the menfolk too. Gentlemen like buyin' me drinks too," she gave a less than subtle hint.