They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
"Oregon huh? Hear they got a trail for that," she grinned.
"Let's hope it's a nicer trail than the Bozeman Trail," Murrell answered. "Too many parties of Sioux to dodge --- some Shoshone too.
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.
Jake Murrell reached into his waistcoat pocket and extracted another silver dollar. This time there was no flipped it. Instead, he slapped it on the bar. "Barkeep, a drink for the lady. Old Forrester. Just like me."
"So Miss Caroline Mundee, that's a lovely name. how long have you been at this drinking hole?"
"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.
Jake Murrell reached into his waistcoat pocket and extracted another silver dollar. This time there was no flipping it. Instead, he slapped it on the bar. "Barkeep, a drink for the lady. Old Forrester. Just like me."
Ralph nodded, "You got it mister." Man wasn't afraid to spend money for certain.
Caroline was grateful too, "Why most kind of you."
"So Miss Caroline Mundee, that's a lovely name. how long have you been at this drinking hole?"
"Oh I been here for a little more'n two years or so, before that in Helena. That place burnt down, don't look at me, I don't even smoke," she grinned.
"I was born in Chicago and raised in a saloon there..one my folks ran. Learned early.Saloons are all I know."
They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
"Barkeep, a drink for the lady. Old Forrester. Just like me."
Ralph nodded, "You got it mister." Man wasn't afraid to spend money for certain.
Caroline was grateful too, "Why most kind of you."
"So Miss Caroline Mundee, that's a lovely name. how long have you been at this drinking hole?"
"Oh I been here for a little more'n two years or so, before that in Helena. That place burnt down, don't look at me, I don't even smoke," she grinned.
"I was born in Chicago and raised in a saloon there..one my folks ran. Learned early.Saloons are all I know."
"Well you could do a lot worse, Miss Mundee," Murrell offered. "What the Hell else is their for a pretty lady to do out West? That is unless you want to spend your life scrubbing clothes on a washboard, or harvesting spuds out of rocky ground." He stood back a little and appraised her. "No. I don't see a washboard in your future."
He looked over to where some fat man was squatted on a piano stool.
"Do you do any singing or is that piano for decoration?"
From his spot a couple of tables away, Franklin Fortner watched the interplay between his star and the newcomer with interest. She sure knew how to hook a new customer, he thought appreciatively.
Baby, I done got wise!
Chubby had only just sat down again, having had to answer a call of nature, and proceeded to noodle around an old Stephen Foster tune first published as "Hard Times, Come Around No More" around '55, but which every old soldier in the saloon, from either side in the war, would recognise in its satirised form of "Hard Tack, Come Around No More" which men of both sides had sung with some chagrin as they'd tried to fry some cast iron crackers into an edible form.
But he had cocked an ear to the bar nearby. Caroline looked busy with a 'donor' right now, but if she required him to accompany her in some ditty for the edification of the gentlemen present, he had 10 fingers ready at her command.
They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
The tubby man at the piano must have been a lip reader because the newcomer, Jacob Murrell, had just taunted Caroline Mundee, saying, "Do you do any singing or is that piano for decoration?"
..he had cocked an ear to the bar nearby. Caroline looked busy with a 'donor' right now, but if she required him to accompany her in some ditty for the edification of the gentlemen present, he had 10 fingers ready at her command.
"Tell you what," Murrell continue on. "I've got a ten dollar gold piece just waiting to go from my pocket to your pocket if you can manage, "Nellie Bly". What do you say?"
ooc: I believe I got skipped here.
The new customer looked over to where some fat man was squatted on a piano stool.
"Do you do any singing or is that piano for decoration?"
Caroline gave him a look of bemusement, "Umm, I just got done sayin' I'm the singer at this saloon? You know...when I introduced myself?"
Guess he was doing more looking than listening. Like too many other men she knew sadly.
"But yeah, I sing," she added, a bit annoyed.
"Tell you what," Murrell continued on. "I've got a ten dollar gold piece just waiting to go from my pocket to your pocket if you can manage, "Nellie Bly". What do you say?"
Ten dollars! That was a lot of money, especially for a song. Money must be burning in this jasper's pockets.
"Nellie Bly. There's a whole lotta words in that song and I haven't sung it in awhile but for ten dollars I'd give a try standin' on my head," Caroline was not about to turn down that kind of money.
"Here's goes nothin' just gotta have me a word with my piano player," she pointed out then sauntered over to Chubby, not that she called him that, she had her own favorite name for the man.
"Hey, Ivanhoe, you know Nellie Bly? The customer there wants me ta sing Nellie Bly. He's making it quite worthwhile too."
If not there was probably some sheet music for it under the piano seat, Arabella stored such things there but of course Frances had no way to make use of printed material her bein' blind n' all.
Frank Fortner heard the conversation, and who could miss the mention of a ten-dollar gold piece.
He rose and sauntered to the bar where he stood opposite the new comer and Caroline.
"Sounds to me like the gent would like some entertainment," he purred at Caroline. "Who've we got pounding the ivories today?" He looked about his establishment. "Where's the little girl or are we depending on him?" He pointed toward Chubby Cox.
Baby, I done got wise!
Sounds to me like the gent would like some entertainment," he purred at Caroline. "Who've we got pounding the ivories today?" He looked about his establishment. "Where's the little girl or are we depending on him?" He pointed toward Chubby Cox.
"I'm afraid you're depending on me, Mister Fortner, leastways, until Miss Grimes is feeling a little better" Chubby said cheerfully enough, although he wondered at the man's brusqueness.
"Hey, Ivanhoe, you know Nellie Bly? The customer there wants me ta sing Nellie Bly. He's making it quite worthwhile too."
"Well, customer's always right, Miss Caroline and as for ol' Nelly, I been playin' her since I was a tiny little baby." he said, striking up the opening chords of the old Stephen Foster number, trying to find a pitch that would suit Caroline's voice: he was starting to get an idea of her comfortable range.
@[Preston]
[OOC: Sorry missed my cue there!]
Maybe her boss heard the mention of the ten dollars? Anyhow he came over then.
Sounds to me like the gent would like some entertainment," he purred at Caroline.
"Yep, and he's gonna get it too," Caroline assured Fortner.
"Who've we got pounding the ivories today?" He looked about his establishment. "Where's the little girl or are we depending on him?" He pointed toward Chubby Cox.
Caroline was about to answer but Chubby beat her to the punch.
"That's right, Frances isn't up to playing as of yet. She got roughed up pretty bad," Caroline reinforced her newest piano player's declaration.
"I hired him on, I gotta have musical accompaniment ya know," she added.
"Hey, Ivanhoe, you know Nellie Bly? The customer there wants me ta sing Nellie Bly. He's making it quite worthwhile too."
"Well, customer's always right, Miss Caroline and as for ol' Nelly, I been playin' her since I was a tiny little baby." he said, striking up the opening chords of the old Stephen Foster number, trying to find a pitch that would suit Caroline's voice: he was starting to get an idea of her comfortable range.
Caroline waited for the right time to jump in and away the pair went. Somewhat deeper into the song, she stumbled a little on a few of the words but she plunged right on and most folk did agree the saloon girl had a really nice voice. Plus she delivered the songs with the right movement and convincing enthusiasm of someone who loved her job - which she did.
Once the last note played she nodded to Murrell as the current customers gave her a round of applause.
"Was that good, hon?" she wanted to know his opinion on the performance. Oh and she also wanted to be paid as per the deal.
They say my Pa killed over 400 people. I 'spect I got some catchin' up to do.
Caroline waited for the right time to jump in and away the pair went. Somewhat deeper into the song, she stumbled a little on a few of the words but she plunged right on and most folk did agree the saloon girl had a really nice voice. Plus she delivered the songs with the right movement and convincing enthusiasm of someone who loved her job - which she did.
Once the last note played she nodded to Murrell as the current customers gave her a round of applause.
"Was that good, hon?" she wanted to know his opinion on the performance. Oh and she also wanted to be paid as per the deal.
Fortner stood back and let the two enjoy their company. It was good for business.
Jacob Murrell smiled broadly. "Miss Mundee, that was the best Nellie Bly I've heard since I was in Natchez, and that's been a long time." He reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out the sought after ten-dollar gold piece. He handed it to Caroline. "You know, Miss. You could sign-on with the big stages in places like Denver and Frisco."
"Hey hey," cautioned Fortner, good naturedly. "She's our star attraction." He turned to his nightingale. "Ain't that right?"